Hey friends!

It’s been awhile. I had an idea 4 years ago to post about quality children’s books because I’ve been frustrated with the random judge-a-book-by-its-cover library pulls. And 4-10 years is about how quickly my ideas are rolling out! The plan is to put out a few fantastic children’s books every few weeks.

These won’t all be new books because some of the best are oldies I’ve never heard of. And that makes me think of a midlife crisis.

I’ll spot-light those quality authors/illustrators that make reading more fun for kids and adults. Because if you like the book, you’ll be happier reading it 5,000 times.

The three this week have a theme: learning (aka: the fun kind… where you don’t know what’s happening, you’re just suddenly smarter)

#1 Crazy Like a Fox A Simile Story by Loreen Leedy

This book cleverly teaches kids about similes through a story of a fox chasing a sheep. Don’t worry, it has a very happy ending. My 4-year-old was spouting off similes in her everyday speech after reading this book and her simile abilities quickly outwitted mine. Here’s a quote: “In the quiet forest, Rufus is sleeping like a log. He snores like a chain saw! It’s as loud as thunder!”

#2 Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur, A First Book of Manners by Judy Sierra illustrated by Tim Bowers

The illustrations are so engaging in this cute story about a little girl meeting a hip middle-aged dino who at one point drops her hot pink glasses. The little girl hands them back and in the process teach kiddos about when to say “please” and “thank you”. And it rhymes! Here’s a quote: “The dinosaur then gives you four banana chips (which you adore). She asks you, ‘Would you like some more?’ How do you answer the dinosaur?”

#3 Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld

If you want to introduce the concept of exclamation and question marks without being boring, this book brings those punctuation tools to life. The exclamation mark is overly excited and the question mark asks too many questions! Such as… “Do you like frogs? What’s your favorite ice cream? When’s your birthday? Know any good jokes? Do you wanna race to the corner? Is there an echo in here? is there an echo in here?”

I’d love to hear about your favorites too! Enjoy the end to summer with some quality reading on these hot afternoons!