Top Ten Tuesday: Last Ten Books We Bought for Our Boys

Share

top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Last Ten Books We Bought for Our Boys

We read a lot of picture books, and in order to keep up with diapers, we can only buy the books that are truly special. Here are the last ten that we bought. For those of you who are new to the blog, Ricki’s son is 19 months old, and Kellee’s son is 16 months old.

Ricki

1. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles

freedom summer

Readers of this blog know that I am head over heels for this book. I am going to read it to him very often when he is older.

2. Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine

Henry's Freedom Box

I purchased this book because I saw many positive reviews. It is based on a true story. I read it to Henry, and he enjoyed listening, but I may wait a bit longer until he is at an appropriate age that I can begin to discuss the serious matters of the book. I look forward to reading it to him often.

3. Playtown: Airport by Roger Priddy

Playtown Airport

My son is madly in love with the Playtown series. He owns the first book of the series and a few more installments are coming out within the next year or two. There is a chance we have to take a six-hour plane ride next month, so I bought this and hid it. I can’t WAIT to show it to him. He is going to be so excited.

4. What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

idea

I read this book in the bookstore and was blown away. I immediately bought a copy for Henry and a copy for my sister (who is a dreamer and constantly thinking of inventions). It is a beautiful book.

5. That’s Not My Train by Fiona Watt

That's Not My Train

This book is quite short and nothing too exciting, but my son loves it. I wouldn’t call it literary, but he always asks me to read it at night.

Kellee

I actually was quite lucky to have worked the Scholastic Warehouse Sale not that long ago, and when you work the sale, you get paid in books! This is perfect timing to get picture books for Trent, and these 5 books are the ones I am most excited about reading with Trent (I haven’t debuted them with Trent yet; we are still reading primarily board books). One of the reasons I’m highlighting these particular books that I got (out of 19) is because of the illustrators. Young, Brown, Santat, and Reynolds are by far on my favorites list of illustrators.

1. Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCost, Illustrated by Ed Young

nighttime ninja

I read this book when it first came out, and I knew that I would need to get it to read it to my son. It is so funny!

2. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, Illustrated by Peter Brown

creepy carrot

I have wanted to read this book since it came out and even more once it received a Caldecott Honor. So excited to get my hands on it!

3. The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Illustrated by Dan Santat

three ninja pigs

This was one of the books that Scholastic put on the posters all around the sale, and it cracked me up every time I walked by. I knew I had to have it.

4. Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds

going places

This is one of those books that promotes friendship, imagination, and creativity. I cannot wait to read it to Trent.

5. Sesame Street Bus

sesame street bus

This is the only one not purchased at Scholastic, but it is the most recent book we bought. Trent is in love with Elmo right now. I am not sure how he learned who Elmo is, but now everything is about Elmo. He saw this book in Target when we were shopping for a birthday present, and I had to get it for him. He loves pressing the Elmo button.

Which books do you recommend for our toddlers? 

RickiSig and Signature

Blog Tour with Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: Go Pea Go! by Joe Moshier and Chris Sonnenburg

Share

go pea go

Go, Pea, Go!
Authors and Illustrators: Joe Moshier and Chris Sonnenburg
Published April 28th, 2015 by Running Press Kids

Goodreads Summary: Pea Junior has to go, go, go, go! The end feels so far away, but with his family and friends cheering him on, Pea knows he can make it and go number one!

My Review: This is a perfect book to use during potty training! The fun illustrations, which remind me of Wreck-It-Ralph, make the whole activity seem like a game instead of a chore. The book comes with a chart and stickers which make the whole training even more fun! Anyone with small children, enter below to win your own copy of Go, Pea, Go! and a prize pack that includes a pea plush, pea beach ball, pea tote bag, pea hair clips, stickers, and a copy of the book. THREE people will win a pack including a pea beach ball, pea postcards, stickers, and a copy of the book. FIVE runners up will receive a copy of the book and stickers.

A Message From The Authors: Everyone loves to cheer and root someone on!

It is in our nature as humans to cheer for someone to win a race, to hit a homerun, to score a goal, to ace a test, or even to be brave and make a new friend. As parents, we cheer on our children from day one from their cute little coo’s to their first roll-over and then to their first steps and on and on and on it goes. It feels good for everyone involved. Cheering is a positive feeling, and happiness, like a smile, is contagious.

Our new book, Go, Pea, Go! is all about cheering and rooting on Pea Junior as he races towards the giant Pea Bowl, ignoring all the fun distractions along the way.  Children who read the book get to interact and yell out the phrase “GO, PEA, GO! “at the end of every page to show their support. Just like in real life, there is a point in the book where Pea Junior starts to loose his focus and doubt himself. It’s during these times of struggle and difficulty that cheering from loved ones and friends has an even stronger impact.

As with Pea Junior running the race, there will be obstacles, there will be distractions but there will also be victories and there will always be someone who loves you to cheer you on!

Make sure to visit the other stops on the blog tour: 

4/22 A Girl and a Boy

4/23 Stacking Books

4/24 Geo Librarian

4/25 Art, Books, Coffee

4/27 Coffee for the Brain

4/28 Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms

4/29 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books

4/30 Booktalking #kidlit

5/1 Unleashing Readers

Signature

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A First Year Full of Books: Trent’s Journey Through Books

Share

During Trent’s first year, we took a photo of every book we read to him. This slideshow documents our journey through books with Trent from three days old to one year old. Enjoy!

I love seeing him grow up among so many great books!

To see more about what Trent read and liked during his first year:

Favorite PBs 3 months 3-6monthbooks

Trent6-9monthsfavbooks Trent's Fave Books 9-12 months

Here’s to our next year filled with love, family, friends, good health, lots of learning, and amazing books!

Signature

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Nine to Twelve Months

Share

Trent's Fave Books 9-12 months

This has been such a wonderful year! Being a mom has changed my view of the world and made me think about my place in the world; however, watching my son grow has been the most amazing thing in the world, and I have loved sharing all of the things I love about my son and being a mom.

My favorite thing to share with you all, though, is all of the amazing books Trent and I read. Check out our 0-3 month post, 3-6 month post, and 6-9 month post. Today I wanted to do an overview of Trent’s favorite books over the first year. Although there are so many wonderful books we read over this first year, these are the ones that we find ourselves reading over and over (includes primarily board books because those are easier for Trent to manipulate and sturdier so there is no tearing). To see all that we’ve read and see all of my ratings, check out my Goodreads shelf.

Trent’s Favorite Books
These are the books that Trent will dig through a pile to find when it is time to read.

Fifteen Animals! cover v3.indd personal
pete1 ifiwereapenguin

Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton
This book will help Trent with both animals and counting. Also, it has a super fun song that goes along with the book which makes it so much fun to read!

Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton
I love this book! It is super cute, about an unusual friendship, and also has a great song (sung by Davey Jones).

Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin
 Pete is probably Trent’s favorite! As we read, he points at Pete and is mesmorized for the whole book. It also has a fun song (see a trend?!?!). 

If I Were a Penguin… by Anne Wilkinson
This book takes us through characteristics of penguins and is a touch-and-feel book. Trent has a favorite page in this book that he’ll open up to and just rub the penguin’s wing and stare at the page for minutes.

Other Favorite Books
There’s a chance Trent will pick these too!

kiss kiss good night are you my mother five black cats goodnight goodnight a book of sleep go train go

Kiss Kiss Good Night by Ken Kesbitt
This is probably Jim’s favorite book to read to Trent at bedtime. It is a very sweet bedtime story with animals.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
A classic! We love watching the You Tube video that reads the story with us as well as reading the board book. This was the first book that Trent took with him in place of a toy then read in the back seat as I drove him to daycare. This warmed my heart.

Five Black Cats by Patricia Hegarty
This Halloween story is more about some rambunctious black cats. The prose is so much fun to read and the pictures are colorful which holds Trent’s attention.

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Sound Book) by Sherri Duskey Rinker
I love this story filled with goodnights to our favorite construction machines, and I think the sound makes it even better! The rhyming story with the sounds makes it a wonderful bedtime story.

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
This beautiful look at animals’ bedtime has such amazing artwork. Trent and I love to look at the different animals.

Go, Train, Go! by Wilbert Awdry
Such a fun Thomas the Train story. This is one that Trent has just started picking up often. We’ll have to see what happens!

I so look forward to seeing what books Trent loves over the next year!
What books should I make sure we get to? 

Please also check out the video I made of photos of all 300+ books we read with him in his first year: “A First Year Full of Books”!

Signature

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday by Jane Yolen (& Can You Believe Trent is ONE?!)

Share

0-545-15353-0

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday?
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Published September 1st, 2011 by The Blue Sky Press

Goodreads Summary: Everyone has a birthday, and from riotous birthday parties to the excitement of being one year older, having a birthday is the highlight of a young child’s year.

All little dinosaurs love to get presents, and this new board book will be an immediate favorite. From birthday hats to Ceratosaurus-sized cakes, America’s young readers will laugh out loud as the celebration moves from “bad” birthday behavior to just the right amount of silliness and sharing. Bestselling duo Jane Yolen and Mark Teague have created the perfect introduction to birthday parties, with the same beloved humor and warmth of all their previous bestselling “How Do Dinosaurs” books.

Here’s a wonderful way to say “Happy Birthday!” to any dinosaur…young or old!

My Review: I bought this book to read to Trent on every birthday, and I cannot believe that today is the first one! I decided that this was the perfect birthday book because it is super fun to read, has great dino illustrations by Mark Teague who is such a great artist, and it even teaches a nice message that will be a perfect reminder at each birthday. I am so excited to share it with him for the first time today (and his 1st birthday party is dino themed, so it’s perfect!). Which brings me back to…

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT TRENT IS ONE?!?! 

10968485_10204751501839684_8044731243118281140_n

This year has gone by super quickly. To commemorate, I wanted to share some of my favorite things about Trent and being a mom:

1) Trent likes books. I was so worried that I would read to him every day and that it would never lead to Trent liking books; however, that is not the case! He likes to grab his favorites (Pete the CatFifteen Animals, and Personal Penguin) and flip through them or have us read to him. He’s even chosen books a few times as his toy to bring to the car on the way to daycare. I love listening to him in the back seat “reading” to himself.

2) Trent laughs with his whole self. I love when he laughs. He is a full body laugher, and it just fills his whole self and the whole room. And he does that thing where your laugh isn’t just on the exhale, it is on the inhale too. So great!

3) Trent is a super chill, super happy baby. Of course he has his melt downs, he cries when he doesn’t like something, and he cries when he’s tired/hungry/waking up; however, for the most part he is a super chill, super happy baby. His demeanor and attitude make me so proud!

4) Trent loves pop punk, dream pop, the Beatles/”Across the Universe” soundtrack, and the Snoopy song. He loves to listen to music. Trent dancing is SUPER adorable. He kind of shakes his hips and moves back and forth. It is so cute! Also, if he is upset, pop punk music surprisingly calms him down. I really think he likes all music, but these are the ones that he seems to enjoy the most.

5) The way he looks at me. Wow. That way that he looks at me is a look that could melt anyone’s heart. I knew how to love before, but this is a different type of love. It is a love that fills me up and makes me complete.

6) The way he looks at Jim. The whole son/dad thing is just the best ever. I love spying on them and watching them be so cute.

7) Watching him learn. To think that a year ago he was born and couldn’t do anything but poop, pee, and eat, and now he walks, talks, learns, etc. is just the most amazing thing in the entire world. My favorite things he’s learned recently are: how to play by himself, sign language for more, how to turn the propellers on his helicopter, pointing, and the SO BIG game.

8) Everything. I just had to cover my bases in case I forgot something 🙂

Being a mom may just be the coolest thing ever!

Happy birthday Trent! I love you!

Signature

Books Trent Got For Christmas

Share

No one would probably be surprised to hear that Trent got an actual box full of books for Christmas. I want him to grow up around books and reading and readers because I know how important it is for development, a love of reading, and overall long-term intelligence. This means that most Christmases Trent will find many books under the tree. This year, I wanted to share with you the books that Trent received from me and my family.

Books I got for Trent at NCTE/ALAN (SIGNED!)

battle
I think this is one of the most clever books ever written. I was so happy to be able to get it signed by Jon Sciezska.

0-545-14314-4
I love Jane Yolen. And I want Trent to love dinosaurs. And I love this series. A perfect combination. I was so honored to meet Jane Yolen and get her to sign books for Trent.


H080_O1.tif
I actually had this book at home, but when I heard Jane Yolen and Melissa Sweet would both be at NCTE, I knew I had to bring it and get it signed by both. It is a sweet book about loving books.


balloons
This is one of my favorite nonfiction picture books I have ever read. I am glad I could get it signed for Trent and that I will be able to share it with him when he gets older.


gifts
I loved Invisible Boy and although this is different, I knew I had to get it for Trent (and me!). I also had a wonderful conversation with Tracy Ludwig at NCTE.

Other Books I got for Trent

Each Kindness
I think every person should own/read this book, so I had to get it for Trent.

construction
Jen Vincent always told me how much her sons loved this book, so I knew Trent would like it as well.

crayons
Such a wonderful book; I was surprised I didn’t own it already!

foreveryoungifdogsrunfree
Bob Dylan is very important in our home, so I am making sure that Trent has all of Bob’s picture books.

pigeon
We need to own more Mo!

birds
Trent loves watching birds, so I though this book would be a fun one for him.

god'scritters
Kadir Nelson. That is all.

smelly locker ogre
I really liked funny poems when I was younger, so when I saw these at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale, I snatched them up for Trent.

knut living color
Nonfiction is important! I chose these two because Knut is so cute (though his story is sad), and Steve Jenkins is brilliant.

home run touchdown
This was a set of sports board books and since we watch a lot of sports in the Moye house, I thought they were a good intro.

peanutsscan
My mom is a huge Peanuts and Scanimation fan, so I thought this would be a fun book to own.

Books my Family Gave Trent

whoo dragonstacos GALLOP FINAL (Page 1) pete1 pete2 pete3 0-439-71836-8 cars artforbaby fox

Books my Friends Gave Trent

charliebrown rudolph santa

Books from Kohl’s Cares
We’re suckers for Pixar and Disney 🙂 And it is for a good cause!

toystory2 monstersinc mickey

I am so lucky to have a son who likes books and family and friends that help grow his library!

What books did you receive/give for Christmas? 

Signature

Henry’s Goodnight Moon Party

Share

IMG_8175

My beautiful baby boy was born the day after the ALAN Workshop last year. I started having contractions in the NCTE Exhibit Hall (and anyone who has been to the Exhibit Hall will understand this). We named him Henry after the great Henry David Thoreau and have attempted to flood him with books. He loves books and is especially in love with Goodnight Moon, so his father and I read it to him every night. The theme of his party was a no-brainer. Because you all enjoy books as much as I do, I thought I’d share the pictures.

 Henry's Goodnight Moon Party

The cake, which only took me four hours to make! It required three cake boxes (and a lot of patience)!

IMG_8239

Because even though there is cake, there must also be a bowl full of mush.

IMG_8187

I wanted to use Goodnight Moon colors for this wreath I made, but I worried that I wouldn’t be able to use it next year!

IMG_8196

As much as I wanted to paint my living room green, the streamers were a cheaper option.

IMG_8190

We actually had more than just one pair of mittens.

IMG_8185

The head of our kitchen table.

IMG_8178

These little chairs held name tags for our wedding, so they were sentimental for my husband and me.

IMG_8174

Each room had a red balloon. The kids loved them.

IMG_8172

My younger sister painted this for Henry, and we will be putting it in his bedroom.

IMG_8180

These stars were a great find at the Christmas Tree Shop. (The sponge paint is from previous owners. Don’t judge me.)

IMG_8184

Star and moon cookies and chocolate stars.

And the highlight of the party? This ONE-YEAR-OLD!:

IMG_8270 1688694_10102406609946198_1278917781470380650_nIMG_8257 IMG_8136

 

RickiSig