Author/Illustrator: Serge Bloch

I discovered the books Butterflies in My Stomach and You Are What You Eat by Serge Bloch accidentally. I found the combination of simple sketches and photographs appealing, so I picked them up.

These books are full of idioms that adults use in conversation regularly but kids might take literally, such as "cool as a cucumber," "the world is your oyster," and "we're all in the same boat." Bloch uses photographs of items (such as a cucumber) and then sketches around them to indicate the idiom's meaning. The main character is puzzled when the people around him use these phrases.

My daughter thoroughly enjoyed these books and asked me to read them again and again. The pictures make her chuckle, and she requests that I explain some of them to her. She's now begun accurately using these confusing phrases in regular conversation.

I hope Bloch considers writing more of these books. To my knowledge, these are the only two books he has written and illustrated, although he has illustrated countless more books. Both titles would be great to pick up the next time you want to enjoy a humorous book with your child.

Brand New Readers Series

I think the "Brand New Readers" series from Candlewick Press has been around for a while, but it's new to me. This series includes a variety of books (and even some familiar characters, such as Sesame Street) and is ideal for a child who can't read yet but recognizes letters, letter sounds, and maybe some words and names. (For instance, my child can't read the word "Elmo" necessarily, but she knows his name starts with an E and can pick it out if asked.)

Each book includes four short stories, and each story has a little introduction. The stories are very simple, just one sentence per page and illustration. This enables the child to start to predict what each word will be, which then might lead to recognition of the words. My child was very willing to do this exercise with me and asked me to try and find more books in the series. There are occasions when she's not in the mood to try and do the "reading" herself, but that's OK. She's still watching as I read the words.

This series is suitable for a very specific audience, but I think it fulfills that need very well! I much prefer it to the books that occasionally substitute a picture for a word.

The Imaginary Garden

The Imaginary Garden, written by Andrew Larsen and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher, is a truly beautiful and inspirational book. A little girl named Theo (short for Theodora) enjoys visiting her grandpa, and one of the highlights is his beautiful garden. Grandpa has to move to an apartment with a balcony, and Theo misses the garden. She suggests that they have an imaginary garden, and Grandpa implements this by setting out a huge blank canvas and providing paints and brushes.

Grandpa and Theo treat the canvas just like a real garden, constructing a stone wall and preparing the soil. Then the first signs of spring begin to surface: crocuses, and the first robin. Eventually Grandpa goes on a trip and Theo has to paint the next phase of the garden herself, so she adds tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots, and a couple chairs for her and Grandpa to relax in.

The best aspects of this book are the warm relationship between Theo and Grandpa, the bright colors, and the inspiration to create something even when it seems impossible.

What If Everybody Did That?

What If Everybody Did That? is written by Ellen Javernick and illustrated by Colleen M. Madden. I knew just by looking at the title and the cover that it was my sort of book. It briefly and humorously helps us imagine what would happen if everybody did a variety of things that seem so insignificant when just one person does it. One obvious (but great) example is throwing a piece of trash from the car window. A funny one that is likely to resonate with kids is just reaching out to take one little sample of frosting from a wedding cake. It's easy for kids to think it would be no big deal if someone would allow them just one little taste, but the illustration of the cake that many of the wedding guests have sampled helps show why that's not a good idea. I also enjoyed the one where the child didn't hang up his coat at school -- the opposite page shows how that area would look if all the kids just dumped their coats in a pile. This book is a fun way to encourage kids to pause and think about how little actions can add up, for good or bad (in the end, the boy comes home and gives his mom a hug and says "What if everybody did that?").

Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary

One of our favorite recent discoveries is Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary, by Beverly Donofrio and illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Mary is a young girl who lives in a big brick house, and one day she bends down to pick up a fork and notices a little mouse doing the same thing in a hole in the wall. Mary and the mouse start doing the same routine each evening so they can catch a peek at each other.

The illustrations are detailed, colorful, and show many parallels between the lives of Mary and the mouse. It's fun to ask your child to find some of these, such as the furniture being in the same configuration in the house and the mouse house or the both families wearing the same colors and having the same number of children.

The mouse and her family end up living with grown-up Mary and her family, and their daughters find each other by dropping a book each night and have many of the same parallels between their families. In the end there is a fun little surprise when they finally interact more directly.

This charming book doesn't have an obvious moral or anything like that, but with such a heartwarming story and warm, thoughtful illustrations, I didn't care. My child and I both enjoyed it equally. I only wish the author and illustrator would collaborate on some more books!

Three Great Bedtime Stories

The perfect bedtime story lineup includes a touch of humor, a bit of whimsy, and wraps up with peace and comfort. The following three picture books are ideal for gradually building up to a relaxing bedtime for the 2-6 set.

The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds by Marisabina Russo is a delightful back and forth story between what's happening in the bunnies' room and what the parents are doing. The parents put the bunnies to sleep only to hear noises coming from their room -- first it is train tracks being contstructed, then they are playing with trains, then playing cowboys, and eventually they even put together a marching band. In the end, the parents think they've finally had success and decide they can go to sleep themselves. The bunnies decide they can play all night now, but end up falling asleep on the couch. It's fun for kids to learn what the bunnies are up to next and how the parents respond. Incidentally, I have enjoyed many of Russo's other books, too, especially Under the Table.


Bedtime for Mommy, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, is a bedtime role reversal. (One of my previous reviews, Bedtime for Sally, is also a bedtime role reversal but is done very differently.) In this book, the daughter tells the mommy it's time for bed. The mommy then proceeds to make the same protestations ("Five more minutes?") and requests (glass of water, more than one story, door being opened just the right amount) that a child typically does. Most young children will delight in the idea of putting a parent to bed. Lots of giggles are guaranteed. Perhaps there is a boy version of this out there somewhere -- this one just happens to be a girl and mommy, but the daddy appears at the end as the next to be put to bed.



Good Night Mr. Night was written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. He's also the creator of the Oswald character that currently appears on Nick Jr. He's written several books we've enjoyed that I hope to review. Mr. Night wakes up every night as the sun goes down. He is covered with beautiful stars. This story is extremely simple and timeless. As Mr. Night closes the flowers, quiets the animals and closes their eyes, and calms the sea, a feeling of peace gently settles over the reader. It's great for settling down and preparing for rest. Hmmm...maybe I should read it the next time I can't get to sleep.

The Curious Garden

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown begins with a bleak, gray city scene where only one little boy chooses to walk outside. There are smokestacks, factories, and lots of concrete, but nothing green or colorful. One day, Liam discovers a small patch of wildflowers on an old railroad track. He is so pleased that he decides to nurture them. Although his gardening skills need work, the little patch eventually begins to spread farther and farther along the tracks, and then stretches down into the city streets, roofs of buildings, and so on. The other city residents come out to enjoy it and begin to help care for the plants and grow their own.

The contrast in the illustrations at the beginning with the lush, vibrant landscape in the end is wonderful and a captivating way for a child to become interested in gardening or to simply realize how one person can really make a difference. In the end, we see Liam still tending to the plants as an adult and bringing his wife and children to help, passing on his love for the beautiful plants and flowers to them.

According to the author's site, "The Curious Garden was inspired by the High Line, an old abandoned railway in New York City that has become overgrown with wildlife and trees."

Happy, Healthy Monsters: Get Moving with Grover

Happy Healthy Monsters: Get Moving with Grover is becoming one of my favorite books! It's the middle of winter and mostly too cold for playing outside much. Even with a child who seems to be constantly moving, it seems to be a more sedentary season. This book is a great tool for getting a child who loves to read off the couch and getting some exercise while having fun!

Grover and Elmo lead you and your child through a series of activities, most of which involve using the book (running around it in circles, jumping over it, holding it up while stretching, doing push-ups over it, dancing around it, and more). When we started to read it I wondered if my child would really get excited and want to do the activities, but there was no question about it! This is the perfect book to pull out when your child is begging to watch TV or hasn't had much physical activity. In fact, I wish there were more books available like this one.

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller is a fun way to help your child start learning United States geography and basic facts about the states. The zaniness begins when Kansas decides he is tired of being stuck in the middle of the country and not getting to meet other states and see other parts of the country. So he and some nearby states decide to throw a party where they can all meet each other. From there, they decide to switch places so everyone can experience something new and meet new people. In the end, they all return to their original homes, but with new memories, friends, and appreciation of why each "place" is specially suited for each one.

Each page tells the main story but also has several little blurbs that can either be read or skipped over (though I enjoyed them tremendously, a young child might become impatient or not understand the jokes).

We recently checked out the sequel where the scrambled states put on a talent show, and it was another fun read.

Stay Awake, Sally

Stay Awake, Sally by Mitra Modarressi immediately appealed to me and charmed my daughter, too. As parents, we face the ongoing battle of the nightly bedtime routine. Occasionally a child is actually tired enough to fully cooperate, but usually they would love to extend bedtime as much as possible (one more story, one more drink of water, etc.). In this book the tables have turned: Sally desperately wants to gather her teddy bears, take a bath, brush her teeth, have one story and go to bed, but her parents repeatedly beg her to stay awake longer. They provide one enticement after another -- dancing, baking cookies, playing games, and more -- in attempt to coerce Sally to stay up and play with them. This reversal of perspectives provides humor to both parents and children. The text is very rhythmic and fun to read. The illustrations are done in warm colors and easily bring to life Sally's resistance and her parents' fun-loving attitude.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli is a treasure of a book. Mr. Hatch lives a solitary and repetitive existence, completing the same blah routine daily and having no meaningful connections with other people. One day he unexpectedly receives a huge heart box filled with candy and the note "Somebody Loves You." Subsequently, Mr. Hatch becomes a markedly different person: reaching out to others, helping others in need, and doing little things to bring joy to others (like baking brownies for the entire neighborhood). His entire countenance is different, and those around him are delighted.

In time, the mail carrier returns and sadly admits that the heart box was delivered to Mr. Hatch by mistake. Mr. Hatch is understandably disappointed and heartbroken and, feeling that his transformation was empty because no one loved him after all, he returns to his old blah self and his old routine.

In the end, the people whose lives he touched recognize that they love him and decide to show him in a major way. So somebody does love Mr. Hatch after all.

I think we can all relate to Mr. Hatch on some level, and this book has so many wonderful aspects that it's hard to know where to begin describing them. My favorite, though, is that one act of love tends to lead to another and also tends to give one a sense of purpose, of lightness, of connection with others that warms the heart and soul.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

This classic tale is an Aesop's Fable, but has been re-told and re-illustrated countless times over the years. I haven't read this Jan Brett version, but my copy is so old that I can't even find an image of it online. I fondly remember the story from my childhood, and my daughter asks to read it repeatedly. If you're not familiar with it, basically a country mouse is visited by her cousin, a town mouse, who proceeds to turn his nose up at her simple home and food. He then invites her to join him in the city and have a taste for his lifestyle. However, upon making the trip all sorts of dangers and frustrations occur, causing the country mouse to realize that she really prefers her simple country life after all. This timeless story is a great reminder that what we already have may be what we truly want most of all.

Series: The Berenstein Bears

It's likely that most everyone has heard of the Berenstein Bears. I grew up reading these books. Honestly, when I began looking for books for my daughter I assumed that these books would be completely outdated, but they cover such ageless challenges of childhood and my daughter immediately loved them. When we buy or check out a Berenstein Bears book from the library, we typically read it several times daily thereafter because she enjoys them so much. The family provides a great example of loving each other, having strong values and doing their best although they are definitely not perfect.

One great advantage to this series is that it's a great resource when your child is dealing with a specific problem. We recently moved, so we read the book about the Berenstein Bears moving to their treehouse. Whether it's a school bully, going to the doctor or dentist, problems with siblings or friends, a messy room, too much TV, a vacation gone wrong, a new baby in the family, stage fright, or illness, this series has you covered. Seeing how Brother or Sister Bear handles a problem may help your child cope better.

Animal Crackers

Animal Crackers by Jane Dyer is one of my favorite collections of nursery rhymes. Really, it contains more than just traditional nursery rhymes and is divided into sections like food, classic nursery rhymes, bedtime poems, seasonal pieces, and more. The illustrations are warm and idealistic without being overly cutesy. This collection would appeal to a girl or a boy. My daughter could sit and listen to this for a long time, although she usually picks out her favorites to be read rather than reading the entire book. Some poems and song lyrics from around the world are also included, so this collection is a good mix of well-known pieces and ones that were new to me.

Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!

Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!, written by Julie Menkes and illustrated by Maggie Smith, is ideal for a young child who fusses at every bath, nap, and mealtime. The little boy in the book doesn't want to get dressed, so he is reminded that if he were an octopus, he'd have eight legs to put in his pants instead of just two. The book goes through similar logic with mealtime, getting into his car seat, naptime, bathtime, brushing his teeth, and so on. It's a fun way to help kids think differently about all their daily routines and the parent can then remind them of the book later in the day when one of those routines is being refused.

Sometimes I LIke to Curl up in a Ball

Sometimes I Like to Curl up in a Ball is a board book by Vicky Churchill and illustrated by Charles Fuge. Little Wombat is a roly-poly character who likes to do all sorts of things: play in the mud, try to stand as tall as a tree, race with his friends, and so on. But at the end of the day, he just wants to go home to his mommy or daddy and curl up in a ball in a comfy place and go to sleep. This book is ideal for little ones from about 1-3 years old. They will especially enjoy one page spread where you flip the book to a vertical orientation and another where Little Wombat makes silly faces and you can turn the book all the way around to see them all. The illustrations communicate the warmth and spunk of Little Wombat's personality.

There are a couple other books featuring Little Wombat, but this one is our favorite by far.

Author Spotlight: Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Another favorite author of ours is Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. We've read Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!, A Taste of Honey, The Kindness Quilt, Shells! Shells! Shells!, Count Down to Clean Up!, and Apples Apples Apples.

The books' illustrations are cleverly done in cut paper. It amazes me how Wallace is able to communicate concepts and characters so compellingly using cut paper. Buddy the bear and Minna the rabbit are two characters featured frequently in the books, and their personalities come alive even without being able to draw or paint various facial expressions.

Wallace takes the approach in most of her books of teaching about a topic in the midst of a story. In Seeds! Seeds! Seeds!, Buddy's grandpa sends him a package with various seed-related projects for him to do. In the process, he learns what various seeds look like, catalogues them, makes art projects using them, puts some in a bird feeder, and grows his own grass. It would be fun to get the book and then have your child do everything Buddy does. Similar to Monica Williamson's books, which I mentioned in a previous post, this author has a main storyline and then adds extra information about the topic that you can either delve into fully or skip over if your child isn't interested.

Each book could easily inspire other related projects for your child. In The Kindness Quilt, Minna's class at school creates a paper "quilt" noting various acts of kindness the students performed. My daughter loved looking at the hand-drawn quilt squares and hearing about the kind act displayed in each. An older child could then think of something kind to do and draw a square similar to what they did in the book.

Similarly, you could use Count Down to Clean Up to introduce a household clean up and conservation effort or recycling. You could read Shells! Shells! Shells! before going to the beach, or Apples Apples Apples prior to a trip to the orchard. The possibilities for making the books come alive are endless.

Nancy Elizabeth Wallace has countless other books that promise similar enjoyment and learning. I'm excited to read more of her titles!

The Colors of Us

Many people are familiar with the author/illustrator Karen Katz, perhaps best known for her board books such as Where Is Baby's Belly Button?. We've enjoyed several of Katz's books, but The Colors of Us truly stands out. The book is based on Katz and her daughter (adopted from Guatemala) and their observations of the various colors of their friends and acquaintences in their neighborhood.

Instead of just commenting on the various shades generically, they use various foods, spices, and things found in nature to describe the colors, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel. I loved that this was addressed in such a positive and appreciative manner. In the end, Lena learns out how to mix paint to create all the shades in order to make paintings of all the people they saw.

Somewhat to my surprise, my daughter wanted to read this book over and over again and was very disappointed when it returned to the library.

Author Spotlight: Monica Wellington

We have enjoyed many of Monica Wellington's books, so I couldn't limit myself to posting just one. It all started with Mr. Cookie Baker, then moved on to Pizza at Sally's, Crepes by Suzette, Riki's Birdhouse, Apple Farmer Annie, Truck Driver Tom, Zinnia's Flower Garden, and Squeaking of Art.

I think our favorites of these are probably Zinnia's Flower Garden and Crepes by Suzette.

Wellington's books have bright, cheerful illustrations and are entertainingly educational. These are the kinds of books that beg you to dig into the subject matter: after reading Zinnia's Flower Garden, we planted zinnias, sunflowers, and sweet peas in our garden; Pizza at Sally's included a pizza recipe that we made together one Friday evening; we made crepes with Nutella after reading Crepes by Suzette; Squeaking of Art, a book about a group of mice visiting an art museum, inspired and informed a trip to our local art museum. (No, we did not drive a truck after reading Truck Driver Tom!)

If your child has a shorter attention span, you can simply read the main storyline. For older children or those who can focus longer, there are all sorts of extra blurbs in the margins with added information, plus several of the books have recipes, craft ideas, and so on at the end.

Knuffle Bunny and Knuffle Bunny Too

To say that my daughter loved these books (written and illustrated by Mo Willems) would be an understatement. The stories are so relatable to the preschooler's experience, the dialogue so amusing, and the illustrations so eye-catching that it's hard to imagine a child not being captivated. In the first book, Trixie loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny on a trip to the laundromat and her Mommy and Daddy search to find it. In the second, she brings Knuffle Bunny to preschool only to discover that a classmate has one just like it, and the teacher accidentally mixes them up! In the end, an exchange is made in the middle of the night on the streets of Brooklyn, and the girls wind up being friends. Even adults will enjoy the humorous story line and dialogue. The illustrations are particularly fun because they combine photographs of Brooklyn with original drawings. There are many more works by Willems to enjoy, but these were my daughter's ultimate favorites.