Giggle

Have a Dirty Day!

  For the past few months Zach would cheerfully say, "HAVE A DIRTY DAY!"

We had no idea where this came from.

Well that is until after a recent trip to the library.

Zach was very excited to see the I'm Dirty book and promptly added it to the stack of books he planned to check out from the library.

We read I'm Dirty by Zach's request that night before bed. Not to spoil the book for you but the book ends with, "HAVE A DIRTY DAY!"

Ah-Hah!

This is where this fun little expression of his came from!

I spoke to one of his teachers about it when I picked up Zach from school. She showed me that they had the book on CD so he could listen to it in class. No surprises that it was one of his favorites. *giggle*

So grandma's if you are looking for a fun gift for Zach this book would be fun for him. *giggle* I'm sure he'd also enjoy the I Stink book as well.

The Snowman

I love children's books. I always have.  In fact I started collecting them long ago, long before I even had kids or was even married.

One story I've always loved but haven't added to our library is The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs. It is a beautiful picture book about a boy who builds a snowman that comes to life and plays with the boy.  They explory the boy's house, the boy prepares a feast that the two eat by candle light, then the snowman takes the boy outside again and they begin to fly over the countryside and city then they stop to watch the sunrise by the pier.  The boy and the snowman hurry home as the sun finishes rising.  The book has a sad ending as the boy finds the snowman melted later that morning.

Does this story or the snowman image seem familiar?  It was made into a magical movie back in the 80's. No narration, just images set to music.  They changed the story in the cartoon movie from the original book adding in elements of Christmas.  My favorite part of the film is the flight scene with the the boy and the snowman to the song, Walking in the Air. 

Here is the scene...

The music and the images are just beautiful. I love this! I posted this so I could share with Zach as he is currently interested in snowmen. I also plan to finally add this book to our library.

I hope you enjoy this too!

Children's book, "Peef and the Baby Sister"

I found the children's book, Peef and the Baby Sister over the weekend. I saw it and had to purchase the book for Zach because it is about a little boy's family of three expanding to a family of four with the arrival of a new baby sister.  I purchased the book without even reading it cover to cover - which is unlike me when purchasing children's books.

I read the book to Zach tonight at bedtime.  It is a children's story about a young boy, a multicolored teddy bear, and the boy's baby sister; told from the teddy bear's point of view. Peef the teddy bear is used to having fun with the boy, his Best Friend; when the baby sister enters their lives, they enjoy making her laugh with their magic tricks and shows. But when baby sister doesn't feel well due to the stress of teething, Peef and Best Friend discuss the situation and make a sacrifice that brings joy to Baby Sister. The brother (Best Friend) gives Peef to his baby sister to have, hold, and keep. A delightful story with an important lesson about sharing joy through selfless giving, 

I have to admit I had tears streaming down my face as I read the story to Zach. Zach wiped them off my cheeks then said, "mommy read!" Both Zach and I loved the story and will enjoy reading it again and again.

Zach's Favorite Bedtime Reads of the Moment

For over the past week Zach has requested the book Too Many Toys by David Shannon as his bedtime book.

Not only does he love the illustration but he likes the story as well. What is this book about?  Spencer, the little boy in the book, has too many toys. He has robots, puzzles, board games, stuffed animals, and plastic action figures. Toys spill out of every drawer and closet and clutter the floor of every room.  Have you ever tried to get to your kitchen and tripped over a race car? Spencer's house has become hazardous. Something needs to be done!

Spencer tries to persuade his mother to keep them all - because every single toy is his favorite.  In the end, it's not a store-bought toy but the give-away box itself that captures Spencer's attention.

It is a fun book for mom's and dad's to read too. Also a great book to play I spy as you read the story. 

His other favorite book is Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones by Judy Schachner. This is another fun book to read. I think I enjoy reading it to Zach as much as he likes listening to me read it. This book is a technical read for the parents with rhymes, clapping, singing, and lots of fun! What is this story about? In this story Skippyjon Jones is crazy-loco for dinosaurs. The kitty boy enters (via his closet) the land of dinosaurs in search of the fabled "Skipposaurus."  

Check them out!

Library Additions

I have always had a love for children's books.  I actually purchased children's books long before I met Dave or even had Zach. I've always found books as an escape within my own imagination even as a little kid. 

I was one of those kids with the flash light under the covers in second grade reading Nancy Drew at 3am on a school night. I would hear creaking outside my room and would quickly turn off the flash light and pretend I was sleeping when my mom would open my door to check on me. She always knew I was awake though. Probably because she did it too. *giggle*  To this day I can read until all hours of the morning. Only now I have Dave nudging me and telling me to turn off the bed-side lamp, saying "You work tomorrow morning you are going to be tired."  He thoughtfully leaves out, "and crabby" because I am a bear without enough sleep.  

One of the things I really wanted to instill in Zach is the love of reading, and he does. He can sit down by himself and page through books all on his own. He talks to himself sometimes as he reads these little board books.  Most of the time he's searching for puppies, kitties, lions, cars, trains, trucks, tractors and countless other items on the pages of his books.

Zach LOVES having us read to him. We always read a book or two or three at bedtime each night. When we put him to bed he always asks for more books. But a toddler needs sleep.

The other day I was checking out Halloween costumes at Once Upon a Child (second hand children's store) in Woodbury to see if anything new and extra special had come in. (nope!) I took some time to page through all the books and found several additions for Zach's library. I entered them into Zach's Good Reads (See right-hand side) but there were three that were not in there:

1. Now I Know Baby Animals by Melvin and Gilda Berger - a great little book with photos of animals.
2. My Big Pop-Up Book: Prowl and Growl - Zach hasn't seen this book all about Lions but I think it's going to be a ROAR!
3. Let's Spin & Play at the Zoo - this is an interactive book by the makers of Cranium. It was a whole $1.50. You turn a spinner and find things on the page so it's different every time. Cool huh?!

I added a category called, Zach's Good Reads and I'll start giving little book profiles and what Zach and mommy thought of them.  Then you too can add some great additions to your bookshelves if you'd like.  Or check out the library. :)

Hopefully some day I'll smile as I close the door after telling Zach it's time to put the book down and go to bed.