r is for Rainforest {Books}

Last week we learned about the rainforest as we began reviewing the letter "r". We had fun learning about the different animals in the rainforest.

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes

This is a delightful book that you can sing to your children. You count rainforest animals to the tune of the children's song Over in the Meadow. While you are singing, you will learn more about the different animals that live in the rainforest . The clay illustrations just seem to jump out at you and the back of the book includes different actions you and your children can do for each animal. This is tons of fun to share with your toddler-- it's a book we read often in the past few weeks. Apparently she has books about other animal habitats-- I'm excited to read more of her works!


The Umbrella by Jan Brett

This offering by noted children's author Jan Brett is a fun tale that takes place in the Costa Rican cloud forest. It's similar in style to The Mitten, an earlier work of Brett's, in which animals crowd one by one into a leaf umbrella until there's no more room. It's an entertaining tale that Jonathan wanted to hear several times. Brett's illustrations are, as always, breathtaking and full of detail. This is a fun addition to any rainforest unit!

Rainforest Animals by Paul Hess

This is a perfect first book to introduce children to Rainforest animals. Each two page spread features a different animal in its natural habitat. Bold text displays the animal name and a short 4-line verse is included which describes some of that animal's behavior. It's the perfect book for younger toddlers-- even Grace had the attention span to enjoy this book.

The Living Rain Forest: An Animal Alphabet by Paul Kratter

I usually try to pick out an alphabet book that corresponds with whatever our "theme" for the week is. So this is a beautifully illustrated alphabet book that features different animals and plants of the world's rain forests. Each double-spread layout includes some interesting facts about the animal, including their size and length. It's very interesting and informative, but the information really isn't appealing for toddlers/preschoolers. Jonathan just really liked looking at the pictures! The book includes animals from all over the world, so if you are looking to focus on animals of a particular regions, then this one may not be the best choice for your classroom.

The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan Mitchell

This is another rainforest book based on a song. This book adapts the song The Green Grass Grew All Around. As you go through the verses of the song, you learn about the different animals and plants of the rainforest. The illustrations feature lush scenes of the Amazon and the sidebars include additional facts. There's also a cookie recipe using ingredients that we import from the Rain Forest-- it would make a wonderful baking project to share with your little ones!

A Walk in the Rainforest by Kristin Joy Pratt

This is another alphabet book that was written and illustrated by a fifteen year old girl. It follows a little ant named XYZ on its walk through a rainforest. The any meets different animals such as "an intriguing iguana" and "an observant ocelot". Some of the letters seem a little forced such as "a natural Native who knows nature well", but all in all it's a cute book.




All of these were fun reads for our week in the rainforest. Thanks for visiting!

I'm linking up to these wonderful blogs:

Read Aloud Thursday @ Hope is the Word

Reading Aloud Challenge @ Footprints in the Butter

Feed Me Books Friday @ Little Sprout Books

What My Child is Reading @ Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns

Book Sharing Monday @ Smiling Like Sunshine

k is for kitten: books

A couple weeks ago we reviewed the letter "k" and spent some time learning about kittens. Jonathan really liked this (as did Grace) since they like seeing the kittens down at their Nana's farm. So here are some of the books we enjoyed:





Kittens 

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown

This classic Golden book is about two little kittens, Brush and Hush, who with their paint cans and brushes paint all the colors in the world. It's an excellent first concept book for toddlers and teaches color mixing. Jonathan is fascinated by color mixing and carried this book around with him for a couple days.

If You See a Kitten by John Butler

Super sweet book that goes through what one would say if one sees a particular animal. It's a fun book that really invites reader participation! Jonathan had fun imitating me as I read it aloud over lunch time. We said "Ahhh" over cuddly kittens and "Pee-eww!" at dirty pigs. I love Butler's warm illustrations-- it's a great book for sharing with your toddler.

The Little Kitten by Judy Dunn

This is a 1980's "classic" I remember reading as a child. The story and photographs tell the story of a little girl named Jenny and her little kitten Pickle. Pickle is a curious kitten who gets into several scrapes. The book follows kitten as she gets into trouble and Jenny repeatedly rescues her. It's a cute story that I read to Jonathan and Grace over lunchtime one day. Jonathan especially enjoyed looking at the photographs and told daddy about the book afterwards. I think he especially liked the book because his Nana has a new kitten. :)

Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone*


This is a retelling of the classic nursery rhyme that Jonathan really enjoyed. Galdone's illustrations are so lively and full of interesting details that I found appealing as well. We sang the nursery rhyme as we read the book and Jonathan liked laughing at the naughty kittens. Really, this is a wonderful version of the rhyme and is worth adding to your home library!

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes*

Oh my, Jonathan just loved this Caldecott winner! It's a story about a little kitten who mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. The kitten does all he can to try to obtain the bowl of milk, resulting in several mishaps. But after all of his misadventures finds a bowl of milk waiting on the porch. It's such a simple story told in shaded black and white illustrations. Jonathan loved this book and requested it several times right before bed. We'll be buying this one for sure!

The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter

I remember enjoying Beatrix Potter's stories when I was a child and have a vague memory of liking Tom Kitten. It's a simple tale of three little kittens who are dressed in their best clothes only to lose their clothes while playing outside. Unfortunately, it didn't hold Jonathan's attention at age 2 1/2. I think it would be better suited for preschool aged children, so we'll try it again when he's a bit older.

That's Not my Kitten by Fiona Watt

This was a book I checked out for Grace since she's really enjoying touchy-feely books lately. It's a simple book (like the rest in the series) that shows different kittens saying "that's not my kitten" and giving a reason why until the last page shows the correct kitten. . Each page has a texture to feel and Grace enjoyed patting the "kitties" as much as I thought she would. It's a great series for young toddlers.







*Denotes a favorite that we highly recommend!

Reading Our Library: Clare Beaton

Clare Beaton is a children's book author and illustrator. Her primary medium is fabric collage and- let me tell you- her work is breathtaking! If you like quilting and sewing, you will love Clare Beaton!

She has three anthologies that I highly recommend!

Mother Goose Remembers

This is a beautifully illustrated selection of Mother Goose rhymes. Beaton illustrates 46 different nursery rhymes- both familiar and unfamiliar ones. A little feather from Mother Goose can be found on each page. It's quite charming and we really enjoyed reading this aloud together!

Playtime Rhymes for Little People

This is a collection of action rhymes, each illustrated in Beaton's beautiful fabric collages. As in the first book, some rhymes are familiar and some are more obscure. Each rhyme has a brief description of the actions involved.  I would do a few at a time with Grace and they were sure to bring out giggles! This is a great resource for parents of toddlers!

Mrs. Moon: Lullabies for Bedtime

And finally, Clare Beaton published a collection of softly illustrated bedtime rhymes and lullabies. It is a beautiful book that is perfect for cuddling with your little one. The included CD makes a wonderful addition to your lullaby collection.



There are also abridged board book editions of a few of books, but I heartily recommend the full editions!

Clare Beaton's Nursery Rhymes
Clare Beaton's Action Rhymes


I'm linking up to these lovely book bloggers...

Hope is the Word
Footprints in the Butter
Little Sprout Books
Mouse Learns, Moues Grows
Smiling Like Sunshine

k is for kangaroo and koala- books

We read several books last week as part of our "k is for kangaroo" and "k is for koala" week. I highlighted them in Sunday's Tot School post, but here's some more detailed reviews for other children's bibliophiles:



A Kangaroo's World by Emily Arnold
A Koala's World by Emily Arnold


These are part of a series on Australian animals. Each book traces the life of a baby kangaroo or koala during their its year. They spend a significant part of the year in their mother's pouches and then begin to explore the world on their own. These books are a little lengthy for toddlers- preschoolers and younger elementary students would get the most out of them. We did enjoy them, however. I read these books to Jonathan and Grace over lunchtime and sometimes, but not often, simplified the information on each page. Jonathan had particular fun pulling out the other animals in each story from his Land Down Under Toob.

Koala Lou by Mem Fox

This is a story about a little koala, Koala Lou, who is loved by everyone, especially her mommy. Her momma often tells her "Koala Lou, I DO love you!". But as their family grows, Koala Lou's mommy gets busier and Koala Lou longs to hear those words again. She trains for the Bush Olympics and plans to get her mother's attention and love (which she, of course, never lost in the first place). It's a sweet story that is ideal for children who have younger siblings at home. Jonathan enjoyed this one a lot.

Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler

I'd heard of John Butler before on other blogs, but this was our first exposure to him. It's a sweet cuddly story meant for reading before bedtime. It asks children if they can imitate different actions that animals do- cuddle like a koala, leap like a frog, swing like a monkey. The soft illustrations are absolutely charming and it was a favorite that Jonathan requested repeated.

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark

This is the first in a series about a little girl who has a favorite lovie, "blue kangaroo". She brings blue kangaroo to bed with her every night and says "I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!" But as the girl grows up, she gets more stuffed animals and blue kangaroo starts to get worried that he'll be replaced. It explores familiar themes (jealousy, insecurity) for preschoolers. Lily isn't always the best example (such as in sharing) but overall the story is well worth reading and talking about with your little one. Jonathan keeps talking about "blue kangaroo" and we may have to check out more of this series!

K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae

This is a humorous alphabet book that leaves you and your little one with plenty to search and discover. Each page introduces the capital and lowercase letter and is accompanied by a detailed picture which includes animals and other items which begin with the featured letter. There are lots of things for your little one to discover in each picture and Jonathan had fun pointing out the items mentioned in each little tongue twister.

What do you do with a Kangaroo? by Mercer Mayer

This is a funny book about a spunky little girl who faces off with some bossy animals who want her things. It's fun and clever, but was a little bit lengthy for Jonathan. I'd recommend it for preschool and lower elementary. I think we'll retry when Jonathan is around that age.


We are sharing this post with these book blog carnivals.

Reading Our Library: Byron Barton

Byron Barton has written and illustrated a number of nonfiction books for children. His style typically involves bold outlines and bold cartoon-like illustrations. We've read several books by Barton before this point and most of these have been a hit with Jonathan.

Barton is known for several vehicle-related books. These are simple, informative, and very toddler-friendly. We've reviewed Boats before (linked to review) and Jonathan really enjoyed it. So, we checked out the rest of the books in the series-- and Jonathan loved each one!

Planes

This particular volume introduces different types of airplanes- jet planes, seaplanes, crop dusters, helicopters, etc. Jonathan enjoyed this one equally well, and requested multiple readings.


Trains

Jonathan loves choo-choo trains. We live close to a train track, and he's always so excited to see trains as we are walking about town. This book was definitely his favorite of the bunch! He kept telling me he wanted to "read it himself". It talks about freight trains, passenger trains, electric trains. It's the perfect book for a train loving little boy!



Trucks

This book focuses on different trucks that we encounter in everyday life. There are dump trucks, tow trucks, garbage trucks-- and even an ice cream truck! Jonathan enjoyed pointing out the different trucks in the book as well as while we are on the road.



Some related books we read were:

Airport

This book introduces children to different facets of what goes on at an airport. From passengers arriving to departure, the book follows passengers through the (pre 9-11) check in and boarding process. Barton's pictures show the inside of the jet plane, the control tower and the cockpit. It's a wonderful book that Jonathan requested several times.




Machines at Work

This is another board book, focusing on construction vehicles at work. It goes through a day at the construction site showing bulldozers, steam rollers, cement mixers, cranes and other big heavy equipment. This was another favorite for Jonathan.



We also read a couple of Barton's folk tales:

The Three Bears

This is a perfect first introduction to the familiar folk tale with Barton's simple, childlike illustrations. It was Jonathan's first time hearing the story of the three bears. Jonathan loved this story and enjoyed "reading" (narrating) the story back to me. We also tried The Little Red Hen, but he didn't sit through this one.

Barton has written a number of other books for toddlers and preschoolers. Little boys, especially, will be drawn to his work. If you have a little guy in your life, be sure to check some of Barton's books out the next time you go to your library. Jonathan would heartily recommend them!


See some of our other Barton reviews here:
Boats
I Want to be an Astronaut
My Car
Dinosaurs Dinosaurs

I'm linking this post up to these book-friendly linky parties.

What's On My Nightstand: August 2011

I love reading children's books to Jonathan and Grace-- but mommy needs some reading time too! It's hard to find the time sometimes, but here's what's on my nightstand. I don't generally review the adult books that I read, but let me know if you'd like to hear about any of these. I try to have books going in many different categories... so here they are (links are NOT affiliate links):


Faith 


The Message of Joel, Micah & Habakkuk by David Prior-- I'm studying Micah right now in my quiet time and I'm reading this commentary along with Micah. I've liked past books that I've read in The Bible Speaks Today series. I'm only on Micah 2, but so far, so good!

Treasures of Encouragement: Women Helping Women in the Church by Sharon Betters. I've been meaning to read this one for a while. I picked it up off of some recommended booklist somewhere. Encouragement/mercy is not one of my natural gifts, but it's one I would like to develop.


Family


The Blessing by John Trent & Gary Smalley-- This is a parenting book about giving your children the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.

Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys When They Need it the Most by Brooke McGlothlin-- I've been really burdened to be praying for both my children and I'm excited to join the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons in a few weeks. I'm praying for my son and future son-in-law. ;)


Home 


Taste of Home 2010 Annual Recipe Book- my mother-in-law just gave me this book. I love all the TOH annual books and am excited to try some recipes from here (esp hot fudge cake-- yum!)

31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way by Sarah Mae - this one is on my iPhone waiting for me to finish. Is it bad that September only has 30 days? Lol.


Homeschool


Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason-- Also on my iPhone. I'm very interested in Charlotte Mason's approach. I just finished reading Home Education (her first book) this month and now it's on to her last book. I hope to read more of her after this.

Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook by Sonya Shafer-- this one is about helping children establish good habits that will allow their lives to go smoothly. It seems like the early years are all about training, doesn't it? I hope this book is applicable!

For Fun


I need recommendations here! I tend not to like Christian fiction-- with the exception of Francine Rivers. I enjoy a good mystery, but nothing too gory or violent. It's hard to find well-written adult books. Any recommendations?

What are you reading?

b is for bug- books

Our theme this week has been bugs, and we've been reading several fun bug-related books. Here are some we've enjoyed so far:

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner

This is the book that sparked the idea for this unit. We'd been reading Bob Barner as part of our Reading Our Library project and Jonathan really liked this book. In this book we're introduced to eight different bugs and told a short fact about each one. The rhyming verse and colorful collage illustrations make this book quite fun. At the end, the reader is shown bugs drawn to scale as well as a chart comparing each bug. It's a super toddler-friendly introduction to bugs that older children should enjoy equally well.

The Icky Bug Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta

This was another fun read. Pallotta's book introduces different insects and other creatures from A-Z. As we progress from ant to zebra butterfly, we learn different characteristics and actions these creatures make. An interesting fact I learned is that although we call all of these creatures "bugs" apparently they are all "insects". I thought the terms were synonymous, but I was wrong. Anyhow, this book is full of interesting facts and held Jonathan's attention well. He had fun trying to identify the insects before I told him what they were.

The Best Bug Parade by Stuart J. Murphy

This is part of a series of books called MathStart. The books are designed to introduce math to preschoolers in a fun and engaging way. This particular book is about comparing sizes. It covers the concepts of "big/bigger/biggest" as well as "small", "long", and "short". There's a review page after each concept is introduced and the end of the book provides helpful extension activities. As far as plot, there isn't much of one besides a ladybug comparing herself to different bugs. In the end, all the bugs join the bug parade. It's worth checking out, if you're looking for a good math concept book. Jonathan engaged with the review pages and told me what he thought each bug was.

The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

This, along with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, was Jonathan's favorite book this week. It's about a spider who is busy building a web on a farm fence post. The various farm animals come up to her and ask her to join them in an activity, but the spider doesn't answer. She is very busy spinning her web. In the end the spider's diligence pays off and she is rewarded with some food. The book reinforces the different farm animal noises, which Jonathan loved since it tied in with our farm theme last week. But it is also a book to feel as well as read-- on each page the spider's web is raised so you can feel the web and watch as it grows. Jonathan really enjoyed this book quite a bit and asked for it several times during the week. You can never go wrong with an Eric Carle book. (We also have a couple other Carle  bug books that we haven't read yet, I'm sure they will be equally good!)

I'm linking up to Read-Aloud Thursday over at Hope is the Word. Head on over there to find more great read-aloud treasures!

Homemade Baby Books

Now that Jonathan knows his letters and their sounds, I've started to think about the process of teaching reading. I was recently asking Jackie over at Ready, Set Read 2 Me some questions about this topic (she is a former Reading Specialist) and she kindly answered my questions and pointed me to a great resource that I wanted to share with you today. 

Raising Confident Readers: How To Teach Your Child to Read and Write from Baby to Age 7 by Dr. J. Richard Gentry

This book is such a helpful resource for parents who want to encourage their child's interest in reading and writing. It outlines five phases of literary development and gives fun activities you can do at each phase.

The only caveat I have is that book lumps reading and writing together. They are certainly connected skills, there's no doubt about that. But it made the stages a little confusing for me. For example, Jonathan's writing skills are far behind his reading skills. For writing, he would be a stage "0" - he can make lines and circles, but no letters. His pencil grip also leaves much to be desired! For reading, he knows and recognizes his letters, and can tell you the sounds they make. He points out letters in words, and can recognize his name. This book would classify him as a stage "2". So for activities, I have been trying to pull things out of stages 0-2 depending on the skill they are emphasizing. This has worked very well. 

Grace, is easily still in "stage 0". She won't sit still for books as easily as Jonathan would at her age. We've been trying to ensure we have some one on one time with her to sit and read. One of the activities Gentry recommends at this stage is making homemade books featuring your baby. I've seen this featured on other blogs, but this is the first time I've attempted this. 

One of the books he recommends is "Who is this?" It's pictures of people you want your baby to recognize. For this book, I printed off pictures of Grace and her immediate family members (parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles). I put text under each picture such as This is Jonathan" and pasted them onto double-sided scrapbook paper. I inserted each page into a gallon-sized ziplock bag and used duct tape to "bind" the baggies together. 

Grace loves this book! She opens it and pats the pages of the family members she recognizes. I sit with her and we read the book together. It was super easy to make-- I think I'll be making more for her!

A You're Adorable

A You're Adorable is a song that was written in 1948 by Sid Lippman, Buddy Kaye, and Fred Wise. It's been recorded several times- the most popular was done by Perry Como. When Jonathan was born, his Papa remembered his own mother singing him this song. So Papa looked up the lyrics and sang it to Jonathan. It's kind of "their song".

I found this book listed in a wonderful resource for finding children's literature: Under the Chinaberry Tree. Since this book is based on the song, I knew it was one we wanted to own. It features the music and lyrics for the song with accompanying illustrations by Martha Alexander. Alexander's watercolor illustrations feature children of different ethnic backgrounds and various animals scampering about and through the alphabet.

It's a very sweet picture book and lends itself well to snuggling up with your little one.


If you're not familiar with the song, here's the Sesame Street version:



I'm linking this post up to Book Sharing Monday @ Smiling Like Sunshine

On My Bookshelf- April 2010

Next week I'll be posting what we've done during our "e" unit. In the meantime, I thought I'd share what I've been reading:


The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity by Sally Clarkson

I've heard excellent things about Sally Clarkson and this is my first book by her. I haven't made it past the first chapter yet, but it's looking very promising. For those who are interested, an online book club is forming which will be reading another book by Sally, The Ministry of Motherhood. You can find more details here.

The Message of Isaiah by Barry Webb

I've been studying Isaiah in my daily quiet times. After I read and observe each passage, this is the commentary I turn to. I have to say, it's wonderful. It has really been helping me to see the big picture- how Isaiah fits in with the historical context as well as the Biblical message as a whole. I've read other books in this commentary series, but this one has definitely been the best so far.

Baby Steps: Exercises for Baby's First Year of Life by Susan Fox

I checked out this book based on a recommendation from Brightly Beaming Baby. It's written by a physical therapist and gives different activities you can do with your child to help them develop both their gross and fine motor skills. So far, it seems to have some good ideas. I'm reading it to find activities to do with Grace. Jonathan was much more interested in moving than she seems to be. I'm not really concerned- and I'm honestly thankful she's not crawling all over the house yet- but I'm still hoping to help her show a little more initiative in moving.

I'm honestly not a big fiction reader. I was trying to read a Karen Kinsbury series but stopped it halfway through. I do enjoy a good mystery story though- any recommendations? What's on your bookshelf?

Frugally Finding Books for Your Tot

If you couldn't guess, I could easily spend our entire month's budget on books for Jonathan and Grace.This, however, would not make my husband very happy. So I've had to find ways to be frugal. Here are my favorite tips:

1. Utilize your local library

This is my favorite way to find books and to see if I would be interested in purchasing them. We've been blessed to be in library systems where I can go online and request a book from any library in the system and then pick them up in my local library. It's similar to Inter-Library Loan, but without me having to hassle the librarians to request the book. I can just go online and request them. Being in Chicagoland, there are 23 libraries in our system-- so it's very easy to find books!

2. Inter-Library Loan

I use this whenever I want a book that is not in our library system. I go in to our local library with a list and they do their best to request the book. I often will find that our library will purchase the book if it's not easily available. Libraries have different procedures for this service, so check with your local library. If the book is a must have, then I try to purchase it to add it to our collection:

3. Paperback Swap


I love Paperback Swap! It's a great resource for (almost) free books. To join, you simply list ten books that you have that you no longer want. You get two free books for simply listing your ten items. When someone requests a book you have, you send them the book paying postage. When you find a book you want, you  request it from another member and get it in the mail! When I find a book I want, I add it to my wish list. When it becomes available, I'm sent an email and I can request the book. It's that easy!

4. Used bookstores

I have a few used bookstores that I like to frequent. We have several Half Price Books in the northern suburbs, and I love to browse through the shelves. I've found several books this way! My sister-in-law also owns a used bookstore on the east coast and we're blessed that she sends us boxes of books each month!


5. Amazon

And there's always Amazon. I use swagbucks to earn Amazon dollars. With Swagbucks, you earn digital dollars for searching the web, taking surveys, answering polls, and other activities. For 450 "Swagbucks" you can score a $5.00 Amazon card. They can add up quickly! Amazon is another good source for used books-- and they often have the most reasonable prices for new books as well.


Those are my ways of stocking up our library. What other tips do you have?

Letter Cc Books

My "c" Sound Box by Jane Monclure

This is another book in the Sound Box series. The story is very simple- a little girl (little c) finds items that begin with her sound and puts them in a box. There are pictures above the vocabulary words used in the story to help your child become familiar with the way the words look. At the end of the book, there's a list of the "c" words used in the story, as well as other "c" words you can talk about and related activities. The book focused on the hard "c" sound, but it also lists some soft "c" words as well as "ch" words in the back of the book.  This series provides us with a chance to expand our vocabulary and also is somewhat entertaining to Jonathan. 

Carrie's Surprise: The Sound of Hard C  by Joanne Meier and Cecilia Minden


This is another series by Child's World publications.  This series specifically focuses on phonemic sounds so this book focuses on the hard c sound and there's a second book which focuses specifically on the soft c sound.  In this particular story, Carrie and her father make a card and a cake for her mother's birthday. I liked that the series has different books to differentiate the sounds that "C" makes. The vocabulary used was not as extensive as the Sound Box series, but it would make this series ideal for early readers. 




Jonathan's "C" Book


We also made our own "C" book focusing on the words that start with a hard "C".  I downloaded the template from Alphabet Avenue, but then added some of our own pages to focus on hard "c" words that we learned about. I searched and found free clip art to use in our pictures. Jonathan enjoyed looking through his very own book and would tell me the items on each page. We began doing this with the letter b, and while some of the novelty wore off, he still wanted to flip through the book a few times. 




Library Links 


Carrie's Surprise
My "C" Sound Box

Reading Our Library- Jim Arnosky

Jim Arnosky writes and illustrates books that focus on animals and the natural world.

His books are beautifully illustrated. I learned from Carrie over at Reading My Library that Jim Arnosky uses a camera to photograph wildlife in action and uses this as a basis for his artwork. His illustrations are gorgeous and full of details. I love simply gazing at them and finding "hidden" animals-- animals that are not the focal point of the story, but happen to be part of the illustrations. Sometimes this captures Jonathan's attention as well, but not always.

This is kind of an odd review post. I tried to pick out some books that I thought would be toddler friendly, but only a couple of the books held Jonathan's attention. I'm guessing that most of these books would be more suitable for preschool and up, and I think we'll revisit them as he gets older.

Rabbit & Raindrops

This was our first Jim Arnosky book, as it appeared on a recommended book list for toddlers. It's a perfect book for Spring! In this book, momma rabbit and her babies leave the nest for the first time. It soon begins to rain and the rabbits must rush back to their nest. Jonathan sat through this story and had fun  spotting other animals as I pointed them out (ants, spiders, birds, etc.)

Grandfather Buffalo

This is a touching story about an older buffalo who usually is at the back of the herd. This ends up being a positive thing, because he comes to the aid of a young calf and its mother. The older buffalo helps keep the young calf safe and remains a valuable part of the herd. Jonathan paid attention through this story and I pointed out some of the animals like snakes and skunks that appeared on the different pages.

Every Autumn Comes the Bear

This story tells about a bear that comes near a local farm to hibernate. It follows the bear as he makes his preparations to hibernate for the winter. The illustrations are warm and detailed. It's a perfect story for Autumn or for a unit on bears. Jonathan didn't focus in on this story at 2 years old,  but I think we may try it again in the fall.

Babies in the Bayou

This is probably my favorite, of all the books we read. It shows all the animals living in a Southern swamp- alligators, raccoons, turtles, ducks. All of these animals are shown under the care of their mothers. The artwork is very soft and soothing and the prose is very rhythmic. Jonathan paid attention a little more easily to this one and I think it'll be another one we repeat in the future.



Jim Arnosky has written over 91 books for cihldren and I think any of them would be wonderful additions to  a science or nature study. While Jonathan is too young right now to appreciate these nature-loving books, I think this is one author we will be revisiting in his preschool years.

Library Links 


Babies in the Bayou
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
Grandfather Buffalo
Rabbits & Raindrops

c is for car

Image Source
(I am in love with this Etsy store!)

Sign Language


We reviewed the sign for car. 


Books 

My Car by Byron Barton

Jonathan has really liked Byron Barton's books with their bold illustrations, and this one was no exception. This book is about Sam, a guy who loves his car and takes good care of it. The book explains how Sam drives his car, checks the oil and the gas, and obeys the laws as he drives. Jonathan loved this book and kept asking to read it again. It's the perfect book for the car-loving child!

The Racecar Alphabet by Brian Floca

This is a very imaginative book that goes through the alphabet with alliterative words related to car racing. The detailed watercolor illustrations depict 100 years of history, featuring racecars of differing decades. The 26 cars race and zoom around the track in an exciting race. This is such a fun book but the details were still a little above Jonathan's head. I think it's one that we will appreciate even more as Jonathan gets older.

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen

This is such an imaginative book! In this book, a little boy tells his father about the fancy car he would build- complete with swimming pool and the ability to fly and go underwater. The story is told in a rhyme that is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss and the illustrations are fun and detailed. Jonathan enjoyed this book a lot and wanted it read over again- the highest praise from my 2 year old!

Cool Cars by Tony Mitton

This is our second book from Tony Mitton's Amazing Machines series. The book shows animals riding in different types of cars. The illustrations are vibrant and the rhyming text describes what cars do. It's a fun, informative read and it was probably among my favorites for the week.



Motor Skills 


I found a Crazy Coupe at a local consignment sale. We were blessed with some nice Spring weather at the beginning of the week, so we were able to play outside:

He loves his new car! 

Movie Night 


We watched Cars of course-- this was Jonathan's first feature length animated movie and he was really drawn in. We broke it down into two nights, and he seemed to really enjoy it.

Math 


We downloaded some Cars printables from 1+1+1=1. We used the Counting with Cars printable the most, to practice counting 1-10.

Jonathan got some new little cars last week for giving up his pacis and he absolutely loves playing with them. So we also have been using the Parking Lot Game printable from Happy Brown House. Instead of using the dice, we've been using the game boards in two different ways- the numbers board to help him count how many cars he has. And the colors board to help him sort his cars by color. He loves parking his cars!

Pre-Writing 


I printed out some Highway Letter Cards (A-C) from Making Learning Fun and Jonathan's enjoyed moving his cars along the "roads". It's great practice for learning the motions of writing letters someday.

Art 


We played with paint by rolling our cars through red and blue paint. We also used a car cookie cutter to stamp cars onto our painting:

Music 


We listened to a rendition of Woody Guthrie's "Car Song".



We had a lot of fun with this-- Jonathan loves cars!

Library Links 


Cool Cars
If I Built a Car
My Car
The Racecar Alphabet

Web Resources 


C is for Car @ First School
Cars Tot Pack @ 1+1+1=1
Racecar Activities & Printables @ Making Learning Fun
Parking Lot Game @ Happy Brown House
Cars @ No Time For Flashcards