Daily Archives: October 8, 2009
What My Children Are Reading
Today I’m hosting The Well-Read Child‘s weekly meme. (Be sure to click on that link to check out her blog!) Here are the books we’ve been reading the most around here. If you’re visiting, please note I have a four-year-old son (total boy!) and a five-year-old daughter (complete with blond ringlets).
The Big Green Book of Beginner Books
by Dr. Seuss
This collection, originally compiled in 1997 and re-released this year, includes six popular titles for early readers. The titles include I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!, Wacky Wednesday, Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?, Maybe You Should Fly a Jet!, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, and Great Day for Up. All of these are adorable, imaginative stories! While all are written by Dr. Seuss, none are illustrated by him. It’s a wonderful collection for reading to or with kids. Zach enjoys the silliness of the stories and Ellie likes showing off her budding reading skills with such a big book.
ISBN: 0375858075; Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 8/11/2009; Source: BJs Wholesale Club ($10.99)
The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World
by Jungle Jack Hanna
Which furry omnivore smells like popcorn? What sea monster has three hearts? How did the blue-footed booby get its name? Filled with large, full-color glossy photos, this book explores some of the lesser-known creatures in the animal kingdom. The format offers facts at a glance, longer story boxes and text bubbles with funny details. This makes it perfect for parents of children with short or varied attention spans. You can choose what and how much to read without feeling like you’re missing large chunks of content. Bonus: the book comes with a DVD of bloopers from Jack Hanna’s show. My kids love both the book and the video!
ISBN: 1400311403; Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 6/9/2009; Source: Review copy from publisher via Amazon Vine
Zac the Tax Man and Jonah’s Story
both written and illustrated by Andrew McDonough
Part of the Cecil & Friends series, these books re-tell the biblical stories of Jonah and Zacchaeus. Both are funny and colorful. They make the stories kid-friendly by modernizing the stories with clever details and filling the pages with bright, cartoon-like illustrations. At the back of the book, parents 
will find the full Biblical text with references and tips for helping children understand the point of the story. My only complaint: the characters are interchangeable. They all kinda look the same. My kids noticed this, too, but they still enjoy the books and want to read them again and again.
Zac: ISBN: 0310719496; Publisher: ZonderKidz, 10/1/2009; Source: Review copy from publisher
Jonah: ISBN: 0310719488; Publisher: ZonderKidz, 10/1/2009; Source: Review copy from publisher
What are your kids reading this week?
