Iggy, Lemony, and Book Worm

Our self-proclaimed kids books month is coming to an end and it’s been loads of fun. There are just a few more books that I wanted to spotlight.

Leslie (who knows a thing or two about what preschool set likes) wrote about her favorite book "Bringing the Rain To Kapiti Plain", written by Verna Aardema. “It's a rhyming story about a young boy in Africa who ends a drought and saves his animals. The pictures are beautiful. I first heard it narrated by James Earl Jones on Reading Rainbow when I was in preschool, and it really has been my favorite book ever since!”

Dina shared many gems but then she remembered a few other favorites and they are fine choices:

Roald Dahl The BFG (Big Friendly Giant who does not appear F at first)

Matilda is another one of Dina’s favorites by Dahl.

Dina also confessed an addiction to the The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. Things go from bad to worse for the Baudelaire children. These books are the antidote to any cloying syrupy children’s tales and neo-Victorian sensibility is majorly cool.

For my part I have mentioned the globe-trotting rodent Dodsworth and the cast of characters from Scandinavia. There are a few more honorable mentions.  Iggy Pack Architect by Andrea Beaty is about a creative kid Iggy who builds out of someone unconventional materials. Iggy’s parents are supportive but he is at the crossroads when his teacher does not share his passion. Amazing illustrations are by David Roberts.

Oliver Jeffers is another favorite irreverent author. The Incredible Book-Eating Boy is about a child who takes devouring books a little too literally.

There will be many more kids books posts in the future but for now the first kids books month is officially closed!

For The Pookie Set

October is flying by and wanted to make sure and fit in at least a couple more posts on favorite kids books. Today’s picks are for the tiniest readers.  
Dwell Farm book with wooly sheep is so pretty! 

Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb (dum ditty dum ditty dum ditty dum) – my friend Avi suggested this one, a favorite with his son Baby Ez.

Anything by Sandra Boyton! I can recite Belly Button Book in my sleep!

Another favorite from Sandra Boyton is Little Pookie – “What’s wrong little Pookie, your bright eyes are wet. Come over and tell me why are you upset.”

More to come and here are some other picks you might like:

• Wild Things read by the author
• Moomins and other Scandinavian picks
• Cake-loving Bunny

Online Storytime

We try to read to kids as much as we can, re-reading our favorites and now trying to make our way through our first true chapter book (Moomins!). But sometimes you just don’t have enough hours in the day. What if you could occupy your spun in a constructive way and buy yourself some time to pack lunches/respond to an after-hours work email/catch up on Huff Post? Interested? Read on.



B&N Storytime is awesome. Authors themselves (and some celebrities) read kids books. B&N adds a new book each month. Right now there are fewer than twenty choices but they are all solid favorites – Pinkalicious, Splat the Cat, Where the Wild Things Are. Yes, they are marketing books, but is it really the worst thing if your kid begs for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie?

Another place for online story time is Storyline Online. Screen Actors Guild members read kids books, putting their acting prowess into the reading. When Pigasso Met Mootisse was our favorite! Sean Austin (one of the Hobbits) reads A Bad Case of Stripes. Other readers include Al Gore, Amber Rose Tamblyn, and Betty White.

We Give Books is a neat take on literacy and philanthropy. The program was created by the good folks at Penguin Group and the Pearson Foundation. For each digital book you read, a book will be donated to one of the leading literacy groups.

The last pick is from the Library of Congress. Digitized books from around 1900s have amazing illustrations!

More picks to come later this week!