Monday Children's Picks of the Week

I love the fact my daughter loves books. She loves to be read to and she loves to "read" by herself or with her baby doll or stuffed animals. At some point in the last month or two my husband and I noticed that she will ask by title for her favorite reads. While she occasionally abbreviates or renames a book, for the most part she remembers the exact titles and will hunt until she finds that book.

Here are some of her favorites from last week's visit to the library. If you have a young reader or bookworm in your home check to see if these are available at your library.

Ridiculous! by Michael Coleman. (August 1997). A turtle is told it's "ridiculous" to be out in the winter, but the young turtle thinks otherwise. Cute and funny story. My daughter loved the word "ridiculous" pronouncing it "dic-u-luss".

Jump! by Scott M. Fischer. New release, March 2010. A fun rhyming, action-packed picture book. On each page an animal (e.g. a lady bug, a frog, a cat, a dog, crocodile, etc.) jump to escape from a bigger animal who is chasing them. My daughter loved to shout "Jump!" on each page when she read this book to her baby doll or with me.

Seven Hungry Babies by Candace Fleming. Another new release in March 2010. As a busy mother I especially enjoyed the irony of this story, while my daughter loved the little baby birds. Mother bird tires herself out flying here there and everywhere to find food for her babies. Finally they are fed and asleep and mother bird can rest... Or not. The babies are awake again and ready to eat. Time to get back up and take care of her family... but just in time Daddy bird arrives to lend a wing. Mother bird can rest after all.

Chickens To the Rescue by John Himmelman. (October 2006). A silly story about chickens on a farm who come to the daily rescue of Farmer Greenstalk and his family. A watch down a well? No problem, chickens to the rescue! The illustrations add to the hilarity of the story with each turn of the page. My daughter loved shouting out "Chickens to the rescue!" when she read this book to her baby doll.