Monday Children's Picks of the Week

The following are just three of our recent reads. During the last few weeks I've tried to focus a portion of our books on Autumn and Thanksgiving. Now with that holiday behind us and another one on its way (plus the change of seasons) I am on the look out for books about Winter, Christmas, Snow, and the like.

Our library is only a few months shy of moving into a brand new (and much larger) building. Because they will be growing in space they are starting to add to their collection, particularly in the children's department. The new release/newly purchased shelf has become my first stop when we arrive at the library. There are some great books out there. One such new release is:

All the Seasons of the Year by Deborah Lee Rose is one such new release (Published by Abrams Books, October 1, 2010). Beautifully illustrated by Kay Chorao this story tells how children are loved and cherished while incorporating some of the favorite moments of each season of the year. As we approach winter I've been discussing season changes with my daughter. I found All the Seasons of the Year to be an adorable story and a fun way to discuss the change of seasons. She loved the little kitten and the pretty pictures.


"I'm not Santa!" by Jonathan Allen is a funny and festive read-aloud that was published in 2008 by Hyperion Books for Children (a division of Disney). In "I'm not Santa!" Baby Owl is playing in the snow when he is mistaken for Santa Claus by Baby Hare. An argument ensues and it isn't until Santa himself arrives that Baby Hare and Baby Owl are finally set straight as to who-is-who. Personally I don't like to put too much emphasis on Santa during the Christmas season, but this story was really funny and I couldn't pass it up. My daughter has really enjoyed it and I've heard her "reading" it aloud several times. I've since noticed that Jonathan Allen has written at least one other book about Baby Owl, so I'll have to look for it during our next library visit.

Another old, but good read is The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader. Published in 1948 by Macmillan Publishing Company this story won the 1949 Caldecott Medal and has since been reprinted several times, including the most recent edition by Scholastic in 1990. The Big Snow tells the story of animals preparing for winter and the first Big Snow. The illustrations are a mix of color and black and white and have that charming style characteristic of books from the mid 20th century. My daughter loves all the animals and it is a delightful read for us as we learn about winter and look forward to our first big snow.


That's it for this week. I hope to be back next Monday with another list of books we have enjoyed together.

Happy reading!