What We Found At The Library, #3

Mia's Favorite: Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners, by Laurie Keller

Usually, I really like the books that Mia chooses to read over and over, but this one took me awhile to enjoy. It's goofy and quirky, with lots of little conversation bubbles in addition to the text. I could never tell how to work those into the story - so I didn't. The main point of the book was a good one - teaching lessons about being considerate and kind, helpful and honest - and I'm just hoping that with all the reading we did, she internalized some of its messages. And when I got to about the 12th reading, I started to appreciate the childish humor - including the illustration of an otter, um, tooting. As an example of when to say 'Excuse Me', of course.

Lauren's Favorite: Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters and Ian Schoenherr (Illustrator)

Lauren carried this book all around the house with her, searching for someone to read with. In the story, a tired bear is looking for a place to nap but can't seem to find anywhere that's not buzzing or whirring with bugs. He rolls down hills, splashes in ponds, and eventually winds up in a meadow full of butterflies. Lauren loved the close up illustrations of the sleepy little bear cub along with all the bugs and shenanigans along the way. The rhyming text was fast paced enough to keep her attention, and she quickly mimicked it's cadence with her own babbling interpretation. This is a very cute book for little ones with short attention spans.

This Heavenly Mama's Favorite: Sing, Sophie!, by Dayle Ann Dodds & Roseanne Litzinger (Illustrator)

This book was another one that took a few readings to become truly enjoyable, but once it did, I was in love. Sophie's a little girl who loves to sing her own songs, and she does so throughout the book. But nobody else appreciates her talent, and her family keeps shooing her away. One of my favorite lines comes after yet another family member begs her to stop singing: " 'Oh, chicken feathers!' Sophie said. 'I've got a song in my heart and it needs to come out!' " The key to enjoying this book to the fullest, was to really get into it. Southern drawl, twangy singing, enthusiastic narration - anything to savor Sophie's silly songs and frustrated exclamations. This has the added benefit of making the kids love the book, too. Because anything that has mama or daddy crooning and swaying is considered top notch. I can't wait to get this book again.

Have you found anything worth sharing from the library lately? Do tell.