The Kissing Hand

I took some time off from our featured book of the week, but now am back ready for more fun in reading. The timing of this return could not be better suited as we just finished our first week of Kindergarten. What a rush of emotions it has been leading up to this week. I couldn't be more pleased with her school and am excited to take part in all the adventures this year holds. When I picked her up from school and probed for all the great details, she stated with enthusiasm, "Dad, I didn't know Kindergarten would be this much fun!" What a relief! Even more exciting was how she told me they read the very same book we had read a few nights before, The Kissing Hand. What a comfort to know that in every new adventure Mommy, or Daddy, would be right there with her the whole time. This book is a great way to ease those back-to-school worries. Thank you, Cara, for the recommendation!

You Have What it Takes

I am taking the liberty this week to depart from my usual post about our favorite children's story to recommend a book just for you, Dads. My good friend, Brian, lent me a book by John Eldredge entitled You Have What it Takes. It is a short read and only took me 30 minutes to devour this treasure chest full of super-dad principles. This book will force you into the corner of self-examination and I promise that when you emerge, you will find yourself better prepared to face the responsibilities of fatherhood. As men, we are driven to leave our mark on the world. How empowering it is to know that we have what it takes to leave the most important mark we could possibly leave - the mark of identity on our children. This booklet has reminded me of the adage that less is more. I hope you will get a copy and keep it close to you throughout your life.

Care Bears Plant a Garden

In her second hand-picked book, my daughter chose this Care Bear favorite to share. With the passing of Spring, we have watched flowers bloom and fill our neighborhood with delightful colors and fragrances. I wasn't surprised when she chose this book, one that we have read two nights in a row. In this book, the Care Bears teach us about teamwork and the fruits of its labor.

Puppy Love

These next two featured books are hand picked by my little girl herself. As I thought about why she chose this book, it became increasingly clear to me that my little girl was growing up before my eyes. You've heard me talk about her interest in boys, so it seems fitting that she would be asking herself what this word 'love' is all about. I am amazed to watch her process these feelings and begin to express them to me and to the people she cares about. Follow along as Clifford explores the emotion of love and how he finds joy in discovering how wonderful it can be.

A Bad Case of Stripes

My daughter went through a phase of coloring in stripes. Everything she colored got a splash of rainbow. I don't know if it was her indecision or if she really just liked all the colors, but it was her trademark for several months. I remember my mother telling me one time about all of the cute little trademarks each of her children had growing up. My brother Mark was known for giving everything a belly button. Perhaps her interest in stripes drew her to this book. A Bad Case of Stripes is a cute story of a little girl who likes lima beans and goes through all types of headache before realizing that liking lima beans is not the worst thing in the world. While lima beans may never make my list of favorite foods, this book has made our list of favorite books. We hope you enjoy it too!

Swallowed a Fly

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...I don't know why she swallowed a fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

This favorite children's song has such a playful adaptation in a book by Simms Taback. You'll find yourself tapping your foot as the old lady grows more and more adventurous in what she swallows. Will she die? I know I would if I swallowed a cat. Despite its lunacy, my daughter has fun with this book and I know you will too.

Oliver & Company

I guess it is only fair to talk about Disney Princess this week since we gave our props last week to a non-Disney princess. Disney's Princess Collection is filled with short story versions of our favorite Disney ladies. Hidden between the pages of mermaid fun and glass slippers is one of our favorites - Oliver & Company. To say that my little girl loves kittens is an understatement, so it is no surprise that she has been choosing this one over and over. Fittingly, in Walt's way, there is a happy ending to the story and our hero saves the day. We highly recommend this story for a little feline fun!

Rapunzel

This week I'd like to draw attention to one of the stories in our Treasury book we talked about previously. Lately it seems we have been coming back to the story of Rapunzel. It contains all the things that make a story great (a hero, a villain, adventure, romance, and for my little girl - a beautiful maiden with long braids of shiny golden hair). My daughter has reached that age when she is infatuated by boys - older boys at that (yikes!). At this point it is innocent so I'll leave my shot gun in its case (truth be told, I don't own a shot gun, but I have no problem getting one when the time comes). But at the speed in which these boys are running from her, I don't think it is them that I need to worry about for now. I guess it is no wonder she loves stories where a handsome prince comes in to save the day, and he and the fair maiden live happily ever after. In a world inundated with Disney Princess, I forgot there were classics out there that are still just as much fun to read. Give it a try. I know you'll like it!

Clifford's Day with Dad

This book is one of our favorites and made it on our list today because of all the fun we had yesterday. Saturday was the perfect day with dad! It was the first truly perfect day of Spring and we had a day full of activity. We started the day off with a Family Fun Day which included BBQ, an inflatable bounce, and all our friends and family. Then we played in the final soccer game of the season. That evening we went to the park and had a picnic. And of course we ended the day with a stop off at Andy's Frozen Custard! In Clifford's Day with Dad, our big red friend spends a day with his dad and has lots of adventures of his own.

Bears on Wheels

The Berenstain bears date all the way back to my childhood and perhaps a little longer. Bears on Wheels is a simple book that illustrates the fun of counting. Even in its simplicity, the thing that impresses me most about this book is how the illusstrations exercise the imagination and let the story take on a life of its own. We come back to this book time and time again and have just as much fun today as we did when she was 3.

Behold, No Cavities

At our first visit to the dentist, I could barely get my girl to sit in the dentist chair, let alone convince her that the dental hygenist had bubble gum flavored cleaning paste. So it ended about as soon as it started. This last visit, however, was picture perfect and I owe it all to Spongebob Squarepants! We have been reading Behold, No Cavities and she has loved learning about going to the dentist and getting that perfect report of no cavities. After we were done, we had to rush home and make a tooth with her name on it so we could hang it on our own "no cavity tree".

Pinkalicious

If you are the father of a little girl then you probably know exactly why this book made our list this week. Pinkalicious gets to the heart of all that is wonderful in my little girl's life.

Pink, pink, and more pink!

Someone should create pink vegetables because I am sure that my girl would gobble them all up if it were so. I admit that it can be infectious and I encourage you to try a little pink this week.

A Treasury of Children's Literature

I am cheating a little this week because this book is really a collection of classic children's stories. I found it hard to choose just one so I decided that the entire collection was worth mentioning. I bought A Treasury of Children's Literature for my little girl when she was performing Hansel and Gretel in the children's ballet series. I wanted her to be familiar with the original story so she would enjoy it more in the ballet. It reminded me that there are scores and scores of great stories out there that she has never heard of, and that it is up to me to make sure she is exposed to them. Stories like Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, The Brementown Musicians, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Ugly Duckling have enchanted children's story books for years, and now they are a part of our storybook collection.

Bottoms Up! Jokes From Bikini Bottom

What can I say? My girl loves SpongeBob Squarepants. It isn't something I am most proud of, but I have to admit that the little yellow sponge is amusing. What she loves more than SpongeBob right now is what we call potty humor. She laughs at the words pee pee and poop. She giggles at the word bottom and laughs hysterically when she sees Patrick wearing his underwear on his head. Maybe that is why this book is a particular favorite right now. So if you are in the mood for a good laugh, Bottoms Up! Jokes From Bikini Bottom will cheer your spirits.

Snowmen at Night

The thing I love most about reading to my little girl is watching her imagination come to life through the stories. Reality has taught us that snowmen don't really come to life, but what if they could? What if, in our world, snowmen could come to life...then it would only be natural that at night they would play games and go sledding down the hill. That would explain why they look so lop-sided in the morning. That is what it is like in the mind of a child because in their world, anything is possible. Snowmen at Night is a delightful read and is sure to exercise the playful part of your child's imagination.

Guess How Much I Love You

This is one of my original favorites and has become a game I play with my little girl. We have so much fun trying to out-love each other. I smile at hearing how far is really far away in her little mind. I am sure that Guess How Much I Love You will take your reading time together to a far off place...and back!

Teddy Bears Cure A Cold

Our book this week is a simple illustration of life's most common...cold. See how the bears work together to nurse William back to health. There is so much we can relate to in Teddy Bears Cure a Cold.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

In this week's feature, I am drawn by the exciteable jam session you can have with your child while learning the ABC's. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has been a favorite for me ever since the first time we picked up the book. I cannot tell you how much my daughter likes it, but speaking for myself, this book is one of the best. There is no better way to learn than by making it fun (even for dad). Every dad should be drawn to this one because...let's be honest, Dad...we all think we can rap. Beastie Boys, MC Hammer, and even the Ice Ice Baby's among us will get a kick out of this children's adventure through the ABC's. Throw in a few bebops and do your worst to compete with American Idol favorite Blake Lewis. It'll bring you back for more.

Where The Wild Things Are

In my very first post I talked about reading to your kids. This has become such a close thing to my heart and is the reason I have decided to start featuring one of our favorite books each week. It is my hope that we can share this passion for reading, learning, and adventure together. Please leave me comments and tell me about your favorite storybook adventure.



Our first official featured book of the week is this children's classic and winner of the Caldecott Medal, Where the Wild Things Are. (Thanks Grandma Quack Quack for this gift.) This adventure of a boy named Max brings a smile to my face each time we read it. There is a familiar truth to the sassy mischief Max displays. His imagination runs wild and his journeys take him to far off lands to where the wild things are. I love the simple way in which Max shows that the monsters of his imagination are completely in his control and are nothing to be afraid of.