Toddler Favorites: Guess That Picture Book

My toddler likes to quote from some of her favorite books. Let’s see if you can guess which ones these are!

Mystery Book #1:

Toddler runs inside the house from outside and closes the door. She runs to hug my husband’s legs, looks up at him, and says, “I’m not going on a bear hunt again!”

Click here for the answer.

Mystery Book #2:

We’re out grocery shopping and I ask her what we should buy for dinner. Her response: “Marshmallows!” (she says this one a lot)

Click here for the answer.

Mystery Book #3:

I lean over to say good night and kiss her on her cheek twice. She looks over at Daddy and says, “Yuck yuck! Right, Daddy?”

Click here for the answer.

Mystery Book #4:

I say, “Would you like to eat this red, ripe juicy strawberry?”

She replies, “Or else the big, hungry bear will eat it!”

Click here for the answer.

Mystery Book #5:

And my favorite quote from my daughter (which my twitter followers will have probably heard already):

“Oh, Bother!”

I’m pretty sure I don’t need to link that one.

How did you do?

#picturebook #toddlerfavorites

MG Book Review: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

A sweet, funny story about four rambunctious sisters on summer vacation. The perfect read for those last days of summer vacation when you’re trying to eke out every last drop if it.

What writers can look for in this book: 1) A middle grade contemporary story with a classic, timeless feel. Not a crossover YA book, just classic MG at it’s best. 2) 4 separate sisters with 4 separate voices each of whom learn something about themselves through the story. I wasn’t sure all of them seemed exactly the ages they were meant to be but their age differences were well portrayed. 3) Spot-on sisterly spats and dialogue. 4) Mild, age appropriate boy interest

As I’m reading all these points, I’m realizing just how subtly sophisticated this novel is when it reads like a light, fun, super cute read. Wow.

#JeanneBirdsall #middlegrade #Penderwicks #writingtips

Read it Again, Mommy: Good Night William (a UK find)

We spent a week last month in Cornwall, and maybe someday I’ll feel like blogging about our amazing trip. But for now, I thought I’d share a strange little board book my daughter fell in love with that we found in our rental cottage.

Goodnight William by

Alan Baker

The book is about a boy named William who discovers a hole in his bedroom wall just as he’s falling asleep. He encounters a strange animal called a Glump, which eats so much it explodes and turns into sand, which he builds into a sandcastle, and then even more strange and interesting things happen. The story and drawings are very surreal and dream-like, and really captured the 2.5 year old’s imagination. She stared at the book as I read, trying to figure out just what the heck was going on. The book ends strangely with the growing of a magical seed. We’re left with the question…but what happens next?

My daughter kept asking about this book after we returned home, and I couldn’t find it in bookstores or the library, so I ended up buying it online at Abebooks.com.

#bookreview #goodnightwilliam #picturebook #boardbooks #alanbaker