26 Big Things Small Hands Do

"26 Big Things Small Hands Do"
By Colleen Paratore, Illustrated by Mike Reed

Ages: 3-5 years, 5-7 years

A fun way to review and/or introduce the alphabet!

The Handiest Things in the World

"The Handiest Things in the world"
By Andrew Clements, Photographs by Raquel Jaramillo

Ages: 3-5 years, 5-7 years

I really enjoyed this book. On each page the author and photographer draw a contrast between solving a problem using our hands vs. using a tool or another object. I especially liked the photography in this one!

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

"Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb"
By Al Perkins, Illustrated by Eric Gurney

Age: 3-5 years, 5-7 years

This is fun! My kids still walk around the house shouting out rhymes about monkeys beating on drums. Great for early readers. Enjoy!

Mommy's Hands

"Mommy's Hands"
By Kathryn Lasky

Age: 3-5 years

A very cute book about all the little things that moms do for their kids.

H is for Hand

Maybe it's me or maybe it's our library system, but I couldn't find a lot of books on the original Read to Me & ABC list for the letter H. We did find some good books, though, which you can find in the following posts. Enjoy!

Zinnia's Flower Garden

"Zinnia's Flower Garden"
By Monica Wellington

Age: 3-5 years, 5-7 years

This was our favorite garden book. Last year it inspired a flower growing activity which eventually ended in two newly sprouted zinnia plants being uprooted, torn apart, and re-planted. Note to mothers with children under 4 years old: Do not try planting flowers unless you have space in your house or yard where young toddlers cannot reach them.

I'm not sure what it is about this book, but the kids are drawn to it. It's a pleasant book to read several times a day, which helps parents as well. Enjoy!

Good Morning Garden

"Good Morning Garden"
By Barbara Brenner, Illustrated by Denise Ortakales

Age: 3-5 years

Admittedly not my favorite, but the style is a nice change from most other picture books. When we read this book, Hannah (3 years old) was very interested in picking out letters in print. She had fun finding all of the g's in this book.

My Garden

"My Garden"
By Kevin Henkes

Age: 3-5 years

I'll be honest, I don't remember anything beyond the cover of this book. But I do know this author and am always drawn to the style of illustrations. Something about the colors that just make me want to open up the cover. Check it out at your local library and let me know what's inside! :)

Our Community Garden

"Our Community Garden"
By Barbara Pollak

Age: 3-5 years, 5-7 years

Colorful and fun! We've enjoyed checking out this book about community and yes, vegetables, a number of times.

G is for Garden

Following along in our Read to Me & ABC plan, we moved from F is for Firetruck to G is for Garden.

At this point both Joshua and Hannah know all of their letters - Joshua is even starting to read - so I'm continuing with this program for the sheer satisfaction of completing something that we set out to do. I also enjoy having a theme to work with when we go to the library. We're reading about more than just trucks and skyscrapers and that's a good thing!

In the next few posts you'll find a handful of fun books about gardens. Enjoy!

It's Been a Looooong Time!

The winter is always a bit rough for us. Between weather and sickness we're usually out of commission for weeks on end. This winter, however, we've had relatively few bouts of illness and the weather has been incredibly mild for the Northeast. So what's my excuse for not updating sooner? Life.

Life with three kids - 4 1/2, 3, and 18 months - makes for busy days and an ever-growing to-do list. If you follow this book list or even look at it occasionally, please don't feel neglected. My family also must persevere with the effects of a crazy schedule. They've been eating very interesting dinners, living in the midst of piles of clean laundry, and walking on dirty floors for a few months now. It's scary for a person who really likes to be in control, but it's my reality at the moment.

Also, we found out just after Thanksgiving that we're expecting our fourth child - due to arrive sometime in July or August. We are excited! And we're talking and praying through all kinds of preparations for our growing family. Our first order of business was to buy a minivan - a Toyota Corolla can only fit so many car seats. Because of the Lord's abundant supply to us we now ride around in style (and with a little extra room) in a 2003 Chrysler Voyager. I almost feel like a real mom at this point. And if buying a car doesn't meet our quota for large purchases for the year, now we're praying about and looking into buying a house - a one bedroom, suburban apartment can only fit so many pairs of little feet. Yes, there are definitely many exciting things on the horizon!

In a nutshell, life is full and very busy. But in the midst of it we're reading all the time. Following is a long list of books that we've checked out from the library in the last couple of months. Hope you find something new and interesting for your kids. Enjoy!

Bridges

Bridges
By Etta Kaner

Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years; 11-13 years

Informative and particularly interesting for kids who love man-made structures, I liked how this book taught about the different types of bridges. We skimmed most of it because it was packed with information (and many more words than a preschooler can generally sit through), and we still learned a lot. If you have a bridge enthusiast in your family, I recommend this book.

I Drive a Dump Truck

I Drive a Dump Truck
Written by Sarah Bridges
Illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shae

Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years

This book will teach you all kinds of things you never knew about how dump trucks work. If you and your children like this book, you might also enjoy I Drive a Bulldozer and similar books by Sarah Bridges.

Let's Try It Out with Towers and Bridges

Let's Try It Out with Towers and Bridges
By Seymour Simon and Nicole Fauteux
Illustrated by Doug Cushman

Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years; 7-10 years

I'm putting the younger age category on here because if you have a preschooler who is really into building things, this book is a great resource. We checked this out one time and did the simple activities with paper. The second time around we actually tried building a suspension bridge with kitchen chairs, heavy books, yarn, and cardboard. Next time I'll try that project at a different time of day - 4pm is about the worst time to attempt anything and this proved to be a disastrous bridge-making endeavor. Joshua (4 years old) loved it, though, and can't wait to try it again.

The Airplane Book

The Airplane Book
By Cheryl Walsh Bellville

Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years

As part of preparing for our around-the-world trip to Australia, we checked out this book about airplanes. Actually, Hannah (3 years old) stumbled across it on the library shelves and had to check it out. In the end it was too long and wordy for her, but she and Joshua (4 years old) had a good time looking at all of the pictures. Maybe when they're older they will appreciate this book more. In the mean time, I'm still glad we found it.

Out and About at the Fire Station

Out and About at the Fire Station
Written by Muriel L. DuBois
Illustrated by Anne McMullen

Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years

Simple and engaging book about fire safety. Abby (15 months) liked pulling this one off the shelf to "read" on her own.

Fire Truck

Fire Truck
By Peter Sis

Age: 0-2 years; 3-5 years

This book, like Sis's Trucks! Trucks! Trucks!, is fun and imaginative. Perfect for any child who easily gets lost in his/her imaginary world.

Emergency!

Emergency!
By Gail Gibbons

Age: 3-5 years; 5-7 years

As always, Gail Gibbons does a great job in this book about emergency vehicles. This one was less wordy than some of her other books but just as informative. When Joshua first saw this book tucked away on the shelf in his preschool classroom he shouted out "That's the book we have at home!". Doesn't it feel good when you're one teeny, tiny step ahead of the preschool pro's. :)

The Firehouse Light

The Firehouse Light
Written by Janet Nolan
Illustrated by Marie Lafrance

Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years

Again, I'm recommending a slightly older audience for this book, but both Joshua (4 years old) and Hannah (3 years old) enjoyed reading this book. If you have a kiddo with a short attention span, maybe wait a bit before checking this one out.

This is based on a true story of a light bulb that has been burning in a California firehouse for over 100 years. I like the historical aspect as the author tells the story of time passing as the little light bulb keeps burning. You can learn more about the Centennial Bulb and even see footage of their live webcam by visiting their website.

Fire! Fire!

Fire! Fire!
By Gail Gibbons

Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years

I'm recommending this for elementary school ages and not preschoolers because it is wordy. That said, we've checked it out two or three times since Joshua was 3 years old, and he's only 4 now. For younger kids, I ask them to pick one section - there are sections about fires in the city, country, forest, and water - and then I skip over some information if I start to lose their attention.

All of that said, this book is just as good as you would expect from Gail Gibbons. Packed with information, simple but detailed illustrations, and an exciting topic, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in fire trucks. I liked that this one discusses lesser-known fire emergency vehicles such as helicopters and fire boats. I'm sure we'll be getting this one many more times before the kids outgrow the children's room at the local library.