I Need My Monster

I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover illustrations.  It happens a lot, because if I like the illustrations then there's a good chance I'll like the story.  And that's exactly what happened with this book. 


Ethan is a little boy with a monster  under his bed and he's happy with this arrangement.  Until one night, when Gabe leaves a note explaining that he'll be gone fishing for a week.  Poor Ethan doesn't know how he'll survive - he can't sleep without knowing his monster is under the bed.


Throughout the night Ethan is visited by substitute monsters, but none of them can replace Gabe's ragged breathing, nose-whistling and the scrabbling of his uncut claws.  Ethan sends each monster away, resigned to the fact that he simply won't be getting any sleep that week.  


I love this book!  The hilarious dialogue between Ethan and the monsters combined with beautiful, colorful illustrations make it a lot of fun to read.  

Mars Needs Moms

I meant to post this book on Mother's Day, but I forgot. I blame it on Mommy Brain. You know, that thing that happens to your otherwise normally functioning brain after having children. Forgetful doesn't even begin to describe it. However, since it's for the good of the children, I'm happy to sacrifice a few things. Like my vocabulary and my ability to finish a thought before moving on to an entirely new one. They say that once the kids move out you may experience a partial recovery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A friend of mine had been telling me to read this book for awhile and I wanted to - I really did. We're big fans of Berkeley Breathed in this household. But wouldn't you know, our library didn't have a copy. I also stay away from the bookstores as much as possible - they're far too dangerous for someone like me. It seemed like I would never have a chance to read this wonderful book. And then something happened. The Book Fair at Andrew's school. A book fair, my friends, is even more dangerous than a book store - trust me! I think it has something to do with the fact that a portion of the proceeds goes to help the school. Yeah...I'm a sucker for that. This time was different - I was determined to purchase the two newest Magic Treehouse books and ONLY those books. $50 later, I left with a bag full of books and Mars Needs Moms was one of those.

If you've ever had a mom who annoyed you and made you do ridiculous amounts of chores, or you are a mom who has forced your children to eat their vegetables (for their own good) - then you'll identify with this story.

Milo is a child who doesn't understand what's so special about mothers. Milo's mother is, well, she's the mom who was abducted by Martians. Luckily, Milo was able to sneak onto the rocket ship before it launched into outer space and discover the reason for his mother's kidnapping. You can't really blame the Martians - who else is going to drive them to soccer games, make their lunches or bandage their boo-boos? When Milo's space helmet breaks and he finds himself unable to breathe the thick air on Mars, his mom is right there to sacrifice her own helmet for him. Finally, Milo understands what's so special about mothers.

Amazing illustrations, great humor and a touching story - all the elements you need for a great book. You'll love it - and it's definitely worth buying!

The Great Fuzz Frenzy

When Violet, an innocent dog, drops her tennis ball down a praire dog hole, she unknowingly starts a hilarious chain of events.

The startled prairie dogs look at the tennis ball with great trepidation - everyone that is, except Pip Squeak who is delighted with the ball's fuzziness. Without hesitation, he plucks some fuzz from the ball and adorns his head with the stuff. And so begins "The Great Fuzz Frenzy", each praire dog clamoring to grab some fuzz of their own, and all of them finding creative ways to wear it.

The only one unhappy with this chain of events is the bully Big Bark, who eventually steals all of the fuzz and proclaims himself to be "King of the Fuzz!" Unfortunately for Big Bark, his newly acquired fuzz attracts the attention of an eagle who swoops down and carries him away.

With laugh inducing text and illustrations, this one has become a favorite of ours!

Cook-a-Doodle-doo!

I bought this book several years ago - before I ever had kids - and I've always loved it. It's a creative twist on the classic story "The Little Red Hen" and Rooster, the main character, is L.R. Hen's great-grandson.

Rooster, needing something good to eat, finds his great-grandmother's cookbook, "The Joy of Cooking Alone" and discovers a scrumptious looking Strawberry Shortcake recipe. Rooster is joined in the kitchen by Turtle, Iguana and Pot-bellied Pig - each of them contributing to the adventure in a hilarious way.

I loved the illustrations and the humor in this story; the kids laugh every time! Oh, and the recipe for this yummy strawberry shortcake is included at the end of the story. I'll have to try that sometime soon.

Creak! said the Bed

On a dark and stormy night, Momma and Poppa find that their bed becomes increasingly crowded. Each nighttime noise brings another child into the room until finally, the dog joins them and the bed just can't take anymore.

My kids loved imitating all the fun noises in the story - boys are great at sound effects. I'd definitely recommend this book!

How Many Cats?

At the beginning of the year my goal was to post at least one book a day, and I did pretty well...for awhile. Somehow I missed a day and then it turned into two, then three - you get the idea. So, here I am picking myself up and trying it again. I'm going to finish one resolution this year, darn it!

I'll be honest - it's been a few weeks since I read this book so I don't remember the plot all that well. I do seem to remember that cats kept coming into the house and creating one disaster after another and I'm pretty sure that they left the house just in time for the dog to be blamed for all the destruction. That's just like a cat.

My kids love cats - their Aunt has two - so I thought they'd like this book. They loved it! And the illustrations caused more than one belly laugh.

Waking Up Wendell

My kids love this cute story about one little bird whose early morning tweeting creates a domino effect that eventually wakes the entire neighborhood.  I love the bright illustrations and subtle humor through the book and my kids like the funny sounds on each page.   Definitely a keeper!

Creaky Old House

This a great story about loving what you have. I know I'm always looking for bigger and better, so a reminder that what we have is more than enough is certainly needed from time to time.

The book begins with the family telling how much they love their creaky old house and then the doorknob on the front door suddenly breaks. They try to repair it with a new screw, but when that doesn't work, the family heads off to find a new doorknob at the hardware store. Before long, every fix turns into something bigger until they've drawn up plans to completely remodel the house!

Great story, fun rhyming text and colorful pictures - I love this book!

Good Boy Fergus!

Have you ever noticed people who think their dogs are cute no matter what they do? Well, Fergus' owner happens to be one of those people.

I think this story definitely qualifies as "Laugh Out Loud" funny. I love the part where Fergus gets whipped cream on his dog food and my kids love the part where Fergus leaves his mark all over the neighborhood. I tried to fight it, but when my husband is the one pointing out all the places Fergus has relieved himself, I know that it's a losing battle. Boys will be boys - even grown up ones, so I may as well just go along with it.

David Gets in Trouble

We're back with David for another adventure, but this time he has a new trick up his sleeve - Deny Everything! "I didn't mean to!", "I forgot!", and "But Dad says it!" are just a few of the ways that David tries to avoid trouble.

My boys like this one just as much as the other David books, although I think they were a little shocked when I explained the concept of having one's mouth washed out with soap. Let's hope it never comes to that.

David Goes to School

In the second book of the series, David goes to school and discovers that it isn't just moms who say no - it's teachers too. And if you think time out is bad, just wait until you have to stay after school to clean all the desks.

I think I should say that I was never one of those kids who broke the rules in school. Except for that time in first grade when I was showing off for a boy (I promise - I just wanted him to think I was cool), and cut a smallish chunk of my hair. The little twerp told on me and her reaction was much the same as David's teacher. Ugh - boys!

No, David!

I'll be the first to admit that the illustrations in this series of books are definitely not my style - and a little bit creepy - however, I was able to look past all that long enough to read the books to my kids.

Children hear the word "NO" quite a bit in one day - I should know, because I say it to my own kids. Sometimes, when I have the energy, I try to switch things up a bit. You know, make things sound more positive. But let's be honest - when the kids are going crazy, you're trying to get dinner on the table, the phone rings and for the fifth time that day you catch your son going for the cookie jar, positive language is the last thing the children will hear coming out of your mouth. Really, I'd be shocked to find a child who couldn't identify with David.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that my boys LOVE this book. Especially the part where David runs (NAKED!) down the street. It's a great opportunity to discuss with the kids why certain behaviors are inappropriate.

As for the strange illustrations...it works. This series is all about the kid's point of view so David's weird, triangular nose, beady black eyes and pointy teeth are perfect just as they are.

The Giving Tree

"Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy. The tree gives this little boy everything she can, because she wants him to be happy. The boy, on the other hand, keeps searching for more until he finds in his old age that happiness was right there in front of him.

What's not to love about this classic? Well, if you read the reviews on Amazon there are mixed feelings. Some praise the author for a beautiful story about unconditional love. Yet others find the little boy to be selfish and codependent. I'm not making this up - I did read a review that said "codependent".

I'll tell you what I think. Does it matter? In my opinion, both messages are good. Not that I encourage selfishness, of course. But isn't it a good opportunity to talk to our kids about both sides of the spectrum?

I think it's a poignant story about what really matters in life and it will always be one of my favorite children's books.

Chester's Back!

As much as we loved the first book, I think the second may be even funnier! The dialog in this book has Andrew laughing hysterically each time we read it.

This time, Chester is supposed to be the hero of a fairytale but as usual, seems to think he can tell the story better. Armed with his red marker and a feisty attitude, Chester attempts to make his voice heard.

Not one to put up with such nonsense, Melanie Watt decides to fire Chester and hold a casting call for a new Chester. You can imagine his reaction to that. Before long he's calling the shots again - but who's going to have the last word? Grab a copy and find out!

Chester

If you've been reading my blog, you must know by now what a fan I am of Melanie Watt. I'm referencing the Scaredy Squirrel books here - a must read. l just love Ms. Watt's sense of humor. She's someone I could really get along with.

But on to the story! Chester is a cat who fully believes he's in charge of his owner (Melanie) and is less than thrilled to find that she's writing a story about a mouse rather than him. So Chester does what any self-respecting cat would do; he rewrites the story using his big read marker.

Of course, Melanie isn't about to be pushed around by Chester and she makes every attempt to reclaim her story.

Filled with hilarious illustrations and clever banter between both authors, this quickly became one of Andrew's favorite books. Luckily, there are two more Chester books out there. He doesn't know about the third one yet, because I just found out about it myself. His birthday is coming up, so I think all three Chester books will be finding their way to our house very soon.

A Bad Case of Stripes

I LOVE this book. Really, I'm surprised that I don't already have a copy of it. I check it out from the library every so often and I'm amused each time I read it. The moral of the story is one that we should all take to heart: It doesn't matter what other people think of you and trying to please everyone will only cause you grief.

Camilla Cream is a sweet girl who loves lima beans. However, she's afraid to admit it because of what people might think. After all, who loves lima beans?

On the first day of school, Camilla is getting dressed and suddenly finds herself covered in muli-colored stripes. Unsure of the what to do, Camilla's mother sends her to school anyway. How embarrassing for a girl who worries so much about what others think! The problem only gets worse when Camilla breaks out in red, white and blue stripes while repeating the pledge of allegiance.

Sent home from school, Camilla spends her days inside enduring visits from all kinds of specialists who only make matters worse with each remedy they try. Eventually, word spreads about Camilla's condition and news crews begin to camp out on her lawn. Soon, a nice old lady comes to visit and claims to be able to help, but Camilla has to move past her desire to please everyone else.

I Saw a Bullfrog

This is yet another book that I judged by it's cover.  The illustrations and title caught my eye and I just knew I would love it.   I apologize for the small picture though - it was the best I could find.  I don't think it's a very popular book which is sad, because it's really great.  

Andrew and I laughed at the illustrations as well as the prose.  It's a very creative way of looking at different animals.   What if they really did look the way their names sound?  I think children can identify with this because they must imagine all sorts of things when hearing words they don't know the meaning of.  

At the end of the book there is information about each animal as well as a drawing of what they really look like.  I definitely learned a few things I didn't know before and Andrew is excited to look them all up tomorrow on Wikipedia.  Definitely a 5 star rating in my opinion.

Ira Sleeps Over

In my humble opinion, this book is a classic! It was written in 1975, so there's a good chance many of you have read it. Isn't it wonderful?

Ira, having been invited to spend the night at his best friend Reggie's house, thinks nothing of bringing his teddy bear, Tah Tah. That is, until his sister points out that only babies sleep with a stuffed animal.

Suddenly, the excitement Ira felt about the sleepover has been replaced by anxiety as he wonders how to handle the situation.

I think this book echo's a child's concerns perfectly - it's great writing. My own kids must have their stuffed animals tucked in next to them at night or there will be no sleeping in our house. So I can imagine that this issue might come up once or twice in the next few years.

Oh, Daddy!

I saw this book in the library and knew instantly that it would be coming home with me. Why? Because my little 3 year old is 100% attached to his daddy! I think it has something to do with the fact that Chris did middle-of-the-night feedings so that I could get a little extra shut-eye. Yeah...my hubby is a pretty great guy!

This silly Daddy needs help with all of the every day things - good thing he has a little guy to show him the ropes. Little hippo instructs his dad on the proper way to get dressed, to eat carrots and give hugs.

This is a great story with fun, entertaining illustrations that definitely made us laugh. Amazon has it on sale right now for $6.80 - I think I'll have to order a copy!

Gullible's Troubles

Little Gullible (a guinea pig) is visiting his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin and seems to be more of a bother than anything.

When Gullible tries to help Aunt Sarah in the kitchen, he makes quite a mess. In order to get him out of the kitchen, Aunt Sarah tells him that if he eats 50 carrots as fast as he can then he'll become invisible. Cute, right? Not so much. She gives Gullible a basket of moldy carrots and sends him on his way. I'm still not sure why, but Gullible eats the carrots only to get sick and turn "a little orange."

Since the invisibility thing doesn't work out, Gullible decides to see if he can help Uncle Bernard tidy some papers. As you can imagine, he makes a mess there too. So Uncle Bernard sends him to wash a bucket of dirty coal. Interesting. Gullible does it and is surprised to find that the coal simply washes away.

After asking Cousin Lila where he get more coal, she gives him a pair of her old high heels to play with, claiming that they are actually "soccer shoes". Then she sends him to the basement for the coal, but tells him that he must walk all the way downstairs on his hands or a monster will eat him.

Eventually, all three relatives make their way into the basement - without walking on their hands - and poor Gullible thinks that they'll never come back. He wants to run home, but is afraid of the monster in the garden (another one of Cousin Lila's tales), so he runs to the kitchen, eats 50 non-moldy carrots, puts on his "soccer shoes" and now, finding himself invisible, runs home to his mother.

I thought I'd love this book since I liked The Red Wolf so much, but I found it strange. I'm sure it's meant as a comedy, but I just couldn't get past how mean Gullible's relatives were to him. Doesn't his mother have any idea of what's going on over there? Besides, I think Gullible's biggest problem is that he lacks common sense. I read mixed reviews on Amazon, so who knows? Maybe you'll find it amusing.