Bringing Back Fairy Tales

I discovered an awesome author of two verse books about well known fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. Leah Wilcox wrote her very clever version of these tried and true tales called, Waking Beauty and Falling for Rapunzel. Fun to read and very funny. I love them both so they will share spot number 17 on my list of favorite childrens books.

Adding to My List

I wanted to share my 16th favorite children's book, which is holiday related. It's called, The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis, who also authored another of my favorites, My Truck Is Stuck, mentioned in an earlier post.

I checked out the book from the library and I am sad to say, it is due back soon. This book has been a requested night time read nearly every night...and I never hesitate to read it. It is FUN to read! I will have to buy this book as it needs a permanent home on my book shelf.

Since I discovered two books by Kevin Lewis that I really like...I may have to see what else he's written. He's my favorite to date.

A Couple More to Add...

I just read a couple more that I thought were list worthy. Here are numbers 11 through 15 for my Favorite Childrens Book genre list:

11.) Mom and Dad Are Palindromes by Mark Shulman and illustrated by Adam McCauley
"'More than 101 palindromes hidden inside' is the book's claim to fame. Have fun while you're learning, why don't you?"

12.) Bradley McGogg, The Very Fine Frog by Tim Beiser, illustrated by Rachel Berman
"Loved the rhyme and the fact that it's about finicky eaters...it has a nice twist on what's good to eat and what's not."

13.) My Truck is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk
"The rhyme was fun to read...so fun, I volunteered to read it twice!"

14.) Being a Pig is Nice by Sally Lloyed-Jones, Illustrated by Dan Krall
"Down right funny. Any kid worth his or her salt will enjoy this read about manners."

15.) The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
"The rhymed text is beautifully written and loosely based on a true event. The illustrations are spectacular! I love trying to find the animals near the end of the story...a bonus!"

More Children's Books!

And the list continues! I found more author/illustrator teams that are shelf worthy. These gems are as follows:

6.) Rules of the Wild by Bridget Levin, illustrated by Amanda Shepard
"An enjoyable book about manners. Fun prose and a clever matrix at the end."

7.) It's Spring by Berger & Chanko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
"A sweet story about the coming of a new season. Color palette and illustrations give me spring fever!"

8.) Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram
"A beautiful love story between child and parent. Loved that last line..."

9.) Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
"Fun prose, find the bunnies, and a surprise ending. Easy to read over and over again!"

10.) Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
"Love it when you can find little extras on the page. Colorful and the rhyming has a nice cadence."

Why stop at 10? Back to the library in search of MORE choice reads for toddlers!

Enjoy!

Children's Books

I peruse children's books at our small community library every other week, trying to find the gems that both my kids and I will enjoy. I flip through the stacks judging every book by it's cover, then flipping through pages focusing on the illustrations. If I don't find them inspiring, they don't make the cut.

The books listed below have excellent illustrations and are very well written! When I find the perfect blend of imagery and text, I get excited and want to share it with other readers. Here's my list of gems to date:

1.) A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
"Just plain clever."

2.) Ladybug Girl by Jackie Davis, illustrated by David Soman
"A perfect blend of reality and whimsy."

3.) ABC: A Child's First Alphabet Book by Alison Jay
"Lots of details in the illustrations! A beautiful search and find book."

4.) Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Suess
"While we're rhyming away we get the giggles AND we learn a valuable lesson in each story!"

5.) One Pizza, One Penny by K.T. Hao, illustrated by Guiliano Ferri
"A tale of economics that young kids can grasp. A fun read!"

It's a short list for now...but as I find more, I'll add to it! Happy reading with your little ones!

Random Reads

After reading and enjoying the Twilight saga, by Stephenie Meyer, I got hooked on reading again. I used to be an avid reader but after having twin babies, reading was not an option. Now that they are toddlers, it's nice to get back to the "other worlds" held between pages of books. A great escape! Here are my top ten reads to date:

1.) The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King
"A page-turning, couldn't put it down, unforgettable adventure story."

2.) City of Thieves by David Benioff
"Russians, Nazis, a carton of eggs. It's all there."

3.) Black Olives by Martha Tod Dudman
"Old people have drama too!"

4.) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
"A historical story with a Chinese cultural weave. Gotta like that."

5.) Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
"Laugh out loud funny."

6.) Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
"It's a knee slapper!"

7.) Sunshine by Robin McKinley
"A unique twist on the vampire story."

8.) The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
"Dark, mysterious, steamy...can't wait for book 5!"

9.) The Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris
"A fun speed read. More vampire drama for ya!"

10.) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
"A traveling circus is always a great setting for a mystery/romance/adventure story."

Special Deliveries!

I'll be taking a break from blogging and reviewing as I get adjusted to motherhood! Tomorrow morning, bright and early, my two daughters will arrive!

Depending on sleep deprivation, baby demands, family visits, holidays, time, doctor appointments, inspiration and creativity, I'll be back soon!