As we've ventured to the library, I've tried to find toddler friendly picture books. On almost any toddler-friendly booklist, you'll find the picture book Hug by Jez Alborough. This is a book we own and have enjoyed, so I decided that we would start by looking at some other books written and illustrated by Jez.
First, if you're not familiar with Hug, it's a sweet story about a little monkey named Bobo who goes for a walk and witnesses other animals parents and babies snuggling and hugging each other. With the help of other animals, Bobo sets out to find his own mommy to get his very own hug. The story is practically wordless and is told by the expressions on Bobo's face. When we first started reading this book, it was a challenge for me since I didn't know how to tell the story. But with each reading I found it easier and Jonathan enjoys the book a lot. The best part is that he likes to give hugs when we read this book!
Alborough has written two other books featuring Bobo the monkey-- Tall and Yes. Both are a similar style to Hug. We've enjoyed Tall, but with Yes, I found it a little disappointing that (a) Bobo's momma walks away from him when he throws a tantrum and (b) that Bobo doesn't learn how he needs to say "Yes" to his momma. So I'd personally say skip the latter book.
Another series of books that Jez has written features a boy named Eddy and a big bear. The first book in the series (and our favorite) is Where's My Teddy? In the book, a boy named Eddy goes walking through the woods to find his lost teddy bear so he can go to bed. He's surprised to find a gigantic stuffed teddy bear in the woods-- is it his bear or does it belong to someone else? This book is full of fun rhymes and is a real treat to read aloud. I like to make silly voices for Eddy and the bear and Jonathan really enjoys this read aloud. One item to note: it does feature a boy wandering in the dark woods by himself, so it could potentially frighten some children. Jonathan doesn't seem to be bothered by this, and he enjoys the humor of the story a lot!
There are two other books in the Eddy series: It's the Bear! and My Friend Bear. We've checked out both books, but have enjoyed the first book the most. They'd be a great addition to a homeschool unit on bears.
Another series we've really enjoyed is Jez's books about a silly duck. Duck in the Truck is a book about the duck who's truck got stuck in some gooey muck. It also features a frog, a sheep in a jeep and a goat in a boat. It's a story that my son just loves. In fact, all the duck books have been a hit with him. This book especially has been a favorite and would make a great early reader as well.
Another favorite has been Duck's Key: Where Can It Be? This book is a lift the flap book in which the frog teases the duck by hiding the truck key.
We've been pleased with the Duck series and hope to check out even more Duck stories from our library.
LOVE your book reviews! I am only familiar with the Duck series, but will be checking out the HUG book from our library this week!
You commented on my Sensory Bin post, so I thought I would answer here. Everything I purchased for my Valentine Bin was in either in the Dollar Spot at Target, on clearance for $1 or under at Michaels, or at the Dollar Store. They all came in packages with multiple quantities. I also had some stuff on hand. I spent about $20 on that bin, but only because I didn't already have much available to use. The cool thing is that once you have some stuff, you can use it for multiple theme bins. For example, all of the red items (even hearts) can be used for Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Fourth of July, Christmas, a "red" or rainbow box, etc. The pink stuff will be used again for Easter. I also purchased some St. Patty's Day stuff at the Dollar Store and will have a new bin next month. I got a few shamrocks, but mostly it will be green stuff that will be able to be used for Christmas, green or rainbow themes. The key is to get items that you can use again for other themes, and to get them either on sale or for very cheap. After each season, Target puts their Dollar Spot stuff on clearance at 40-75% off. That means some of it will be down to 25 cents in a couple weeks!
As far as putting items in his mouth, that isn't a problem for us anymore. It was a few months ago, but now it isn't. I do heavily supervise anything we do with smaller items, but we don't have that problem now. I was very nervous initially, which is why I waited until now to do a Sensory Bin. I think as long as you are on the floor with Jonathan, he will be fine. If he starts to put something in his mouth, you can just remind him not to and just put it away if he continues. I think it will be a fun activity for him!
I look forward to your future blog posts and thank you again for these book reviews! Blessings!
LOVE your book reviews! I am only familiar with the Duck series, but will be checking out the HUG book from our library this week!
ReplyDeleteYou commented on my Sensory Bin post, so I thought I would answer here. Everything I purchased for my Valentine Bin was in either in the Dollar Spot at Target, on clearance for $1 or under at Michaels, or at the Dollar Store. They all came in packages with multiple quantities. I also had some stuff on hand. I spent about $20 on that bin, but only because I didn't already have much available to use. The cool thing is that once you have some stuff, you can use it for multiple theme bins. For example, all of the red items (even hearts) can be used for Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Fourth of July, Christmas, a "red" or rainbow box, etc. The pink stuff will be used again for Easter. I also purchased some St. Patty's Day stuff at the Dollar Store and will have a new bin next month. I got a few shamrocks, but mostly it will be green stuff that will be able to be used for Christmas, green or rainbow themes. The key is to get items that you can use again for other themes, and to get them either on sale or for very cheap. After each season, Target puts their Dollar Spot stuff on clearance at 40-75% off. That means some of it will be down to 25 cents in a couple weeks!
As far as putting items in his mouth, that isn't a problem for us anymore. It was a few months ago, but now it isn't. I do heavily supervise anything we do with smaller items, but we don't have that problem now. I was very nervous initially, which is why I waited until now to do a Sensory Bin. I think as long as you are on the floor with Jonathan, he will be fine. If he starts to put something in his mouth, you can just remind him not to and just put it away if he continues. I think it will be a fun activity for him!
I look forward to your future blog posts and thank you again for these book reviews! Blessings!