Monday, October 7, 2013

Seeing Double

Last night we read one of my favorite books from when I was a kid.  We read, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni.  This was a book that we found at the Friends of the Library Book Sale from this weekend.  In this book with pictures made from different textures of paper, Alexander runs into a wind-up mouse.  Alexander wants to be just like Willy the Wind-Up Mouse because Willy is loved by a young girl.  On the other hand, Alexander gets screamed at and chased by brooms.  Alexander tries his hardest to be just like Willy until he discovers that Willy was thrown out with the old toys.  He changes his mind and decides he wants Willy to be a real mouse so that he could have a friend.  This is a very sweet book and my son seemed to really enjoy it.  This is a little more wordy than he is used to, but he loved looking at the pictures in this book while he listened to me read.  This book is in the categories of: Animal Books, Friendship, and Identity/Self-Appreciation.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Talking all the time!

   My son has really started to talk more and express himself more in the last couple of weeks.  He is even talking while we are reading to him and he in now getting to the point where he repeats some of the words that are read to him. 
   Yesterday after nap my husband read him one of our latest picks from the library, Toot! by Kirsten Hall.  Because my son has really been into trains lately, we chose this book.  It is not the mainstream train character, which we also love, but it is still very sweet.  This book focuses on a little red train that saves the day because of his size.  Throughout the book there are various train sounds, such as "clickety-clack" and "choo-choo."  As we read the different sounds, my son would also try and say the sounds.  This book was such a hit after nap time that I also read it to him right before bedtime.  This book is in the categories of: Sound Exploration and Hobbies and Sports.

     Last night we also read Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton.  This is such a cute book and focuses on a little hippo who calls his belly button his "bee bo."  As we read this book, my son was saying "bee bo" and attempting to say "belly button."  We also found his belly button and then he wanted to find Mommy's belly button.  Then when I would ask him where his belly button was, he lifted up his shirt and looked down at his belly button.  This book is in the following categories: Body Parts and Bath Time and Animal Books.

     The last book we read last night was Let's Go, Froggy! by Jonathan London.  My son LOVES to say "Let's go!" because it usually means that he gets to go outside and get in the car and then of course go somewhere.  This is the perfect book for my son because almost every other page says, "Let's go, Froggy!"  After I had read those words then my son would also say those words.  I especially love the Froggy series of books because I remember reading them as a child and reading them to my younger sister and using silly voices.  When the parents in the book say, "Frrrroooooggggy!" we always thought that was the funniest thing ever.  Well as I read that part of the book, my son was completely captivated by the sounds that came together to create the words of the book.  Froggy and his dad attempt to go on a bike ride and a picnic, but by the time they get everything they need they end up riding into the sunset...after they have their picnic in the front yard.  This book is in the following categories: Hobbies and Sports, Sound Exploration, Animal Books, Family, and Independence/Growing-Up.


It is clear that the time we spend reading with our son has already started to help his vocabulary and language skills!  Happy reading!