Trent – Page 3 – Unleashing Readers

Mission Defrostable by Josh Funk BOOK TRAILER PREMIERE!!! (with Prediction Activity)

February 14, 2021June 5, 2018 by Kellee

We are honored to premiere the book trailer of one of our favorite authors, Josh Funk. Josh has made a huge mark in the field of children’s literature, and we are thrilled to share the book trailer for his third book in the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series (below).

Not only is Josh a favorite of parents and teachers, he is a favorite of kids! Our sons are so, so excited for the new book in the series. As teacher moms, we thought it would be fun to build their anticipation and help them learn about making predictions. We invite you to have this same fun with your own children or students!

We asked Trent to review Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast (Book #1).

Warning: Trent’s review has a bit of a spoiler in it!!!

Trent’s Review: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast were fighting. They both wanted syrup. The adventure through the refrigerator was silly. I liked the broccoli forest and jumping over the strawberry. But the awful waffle is the bad guy. Baron von Waffle makes me grumpy because I wouldn’t like if someone ate all of my food. I do like that they [Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast] didn’t fight eventually. And the rhymes were silly willy!

Kellee’s and Ricki’s Review with teachers’ tools, discussion questions, etc. can be found here.

We asked Henry to review The Case of the Stinky Stench (Book #2).

Warning: Henry’s review has a bit of a spoiler in it!!!

Henry’s Review: I think that there were things in the book that were stinky! At the beginning of the book I thought Croissant was making the smell. The fruitcake was stinky and rotten and sad. I think Baron von Waffle got him that way. I like when the fruit cake stands next to cheese. “Type that, Mommy. It’s important.” The book is very good. I like Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast. I really like the gummy bears on the cover because I am really hungry for one right now. The story is so good. I would give it to a friend to read, but I want to keep it for myself. It’s my book that I like to read a lot.

Ricki’s and Kellee’s Review with teachers’ tools, discussion questions, etc. can be found here.

Then to get the boys excited about the next book, we decided to have them take part in a prediction activity!
Here is a graphic organizer for the activity:

First, we told them what the new Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast title was:

Mission Defrostable

Trent’s prediction: Sir French Toast is going to get frosting. But I don’t know who is the bad guy.
Henry’s prediction: I think Sir French Toast is going to get defrostable. I don’t know what will happen with Lady Pancake. Can I see the cover now?

Next, we showed them the cover of Mission Defrostable and asked them if they wanted to change their prediction:

Henry’s prediction: Somebody is going to drop into the big container! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are going to…maybe they will eat some of the ice cream. I hope they don’t get hurt. I want to have this book. Can we get it, Mom?
Trent’s prediction: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are running from the bad guy. I don’t think the popsicles are the bad guys because they are dancing with their friend, ice cream. Maybe the waffle is the bad guy again.

Then, we read them the summary of Mission Defrostable and asked them to prediction what else they think would happen in the book:

Our favorite breakfast food friends are back and all bready for their next adventure! Can they save the fridge before all the food is iced? It’s mission . . . defrostable.

“And now with the two of you out of the fold,
I’ve got my revenge and I’m serving it cold!”

Brrr! There’s a frost in the fridge—and it’s hardened Pudding Pond and frozen Yogurt Falls. Agent Asparagus is on the case, and she begs Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast to join her superspy team. But when the enemy snatches Asparagus, Pancake and French Toast have only one dough man to turn to for help: the evil Baron von Waffle! Will he help them save the fridge . . . or are they doomed to become frozen food?

Trent’s prediction: Yes. They’re frozen food. Because the refrigerator is really cold, and waffle won’t help because he is a bad guy. The popsicles are dancing because it is cold.
Henry’s prediction: They are going to be frozen food! I think Agent Asparagus is going to become a bad guy and get Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast and catch them and shoot a web over them with sticky slime to get them caught!

Finally, we showed them this WORLD PREMIERED book trailer and asked them what they thought now:

Henry’s prediction: I think the popsicles on the cover are going to come into the book more and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are going to lick them and get their tongues stuck. Baron von Waffle…I don’t know what is going to happen to him. But I think it is bad. I don’t know any guesses about what might happen to him though. We will see in the book when we get it. It’s going to be fun to get to read it. After this one, is there going to be another one coming out? I think there should be, and it should be called Mission Accomplished.
Trent’s prediction: Baron von Waffle is going to ruin the world because his friends, the popsicles, want the refrigerator cold. The bananas look bad also. Maybe the big bad person are in the castle! Maybe the popsicles aren’t dancing, they are laughing and that is why Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are running because the popsicles are bad. I’m excited to see about the popsicles–I want the book!

The boys’ summary (the last part of the prediction activity) and review will be shared when we review the final title!

We are so excited to be able to premiere this book trailer with the world!
Thank you, Josh, for the incredible work that you do. You are a gift to the literary world.
And we cannot wait to share our (and the boys’) thoughts about the newest title!

and

Ten(ish) of Trent’s Favorite Books as of his Fourth Birthday

February 14, 2021February 20, 2018 by Kellee

I cannot believe Trent is four! Time is flying so quickly! He is going into pre-kindergarten next year, he is starting to read sight words, he knows all of his letter sounds, and he is just so inquisitive! I am so proud of the awesome kid that he is.

Like last year, I let Trent be part of choosing the books we would share. If you look at the top left photo, that was us trying to narrow it down. He kept adding more then stopping to read books. It was so hard to get down to ten (and you’ll see we only kind of got down to ten). And this list would have probably been different if I’d asked him yesterday or waited until tomorrow (and this isn’t the books I thought he’d choose), but I let him have complete control.

So without further adieu:

Ten(ish) of Trent’s Favorite Books as of his Fourth Birthday

(In no particular order)

1. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin & James Dean

Trent says he likes this book because “I like all of it. I like all of the parts like singing.” Then he started reciting the book. I really believe that having the song that goes along with books really sucks him into the book.

2. Baby Monkey Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin

Trent says he likes this book because “I like all of the stories. And it is funny. Baby monkey can help!” I agree with Trent! Baby Monkey is such a silly book but it is also way funnier and deeper than you first expect it to be.

3. Triangle by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

Trent says he likes this book because “I like his short legs. And he walks past triangles and shapes. And then there’s squares. Then triangle is running.” This book was an instant favorite in our house. The perfect Klassen illustrations, the humor, and the repetition definitely help.

4. Hi, Jack! by Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzoli

Trent says he likes this book because “I like Jack taking her bag. But Jack is bad. But when he gives back her purse he’s good.” Trent finds this book hilarious! I think it is going to be a great early reader.

5. Boo Who? by Ben Clanton

Trent says he likes this book because “I like Boo flying. I like Boo hiding.” He roots for Boo all through this book.

6. Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton

Trent says he likes this book because “I like his turtle. And I like when you sing it to me.” This book has been around Trent’s whole life. It is a go-to when we sing or read something.

7. Go Dog Go! by P.D. Eastman

Trent says he likes this book because “I like them going to the party in the tree.” Go, Dog, Go! was a favorite of mine when I was younger, and I love that Trent loves it, too.

8. Space books! Including anything Star Wars, Oh No, Astro! by Matt Roeser & Brad Woodard, and Earth! by Stacy McAnulty

In addition to wanting to be a ghost when he grows up, Trent also wants to be an astronaut. Trent says he likes space because “I want to go in space because I want to. I like going to space. I like Mars and the moon. I like the moon because I want to go to the moon.” I also highly recommend a Moon in Your Room if you have a space fan.

9. King Bidgood’s In the Bathtub by Audrey Wood & Don Wood

Trent says he likes this book because “he doesn’t get out of the bathtub because he says get in. He says come in.” This audiobook has singing it in. I really think that music is something that Trent definitely gravitates towards. He also loves the illustrations and points out all of the silly things going on in the bathtub.

10. The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine

Trent says he likes this book because “I love the monsters because they have horns. And I like listening to it because I love it at the end.” I am so glad I randomly found this audiobook on Hoopla, but I know that when our 9 weeks with the library book ends, I’m going to have to buy this one because it is a pretty constant listen in my car.

Honorary. One Lonely Fish by Andy Mansfield & Thomas Flintham

Trent says he likes this book because “I love it eating the fish.” And I love that this is the first book that he completely reads alone.

Which books are we missing in our lives?

Past “Trent’s Favorite Books” Posts

Kellee and Trent’s Favorite Picture Books: First Three Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Three to Six Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Six to Nine Months

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

A First Year Full of Books: Trent’s Journey Through Books
**Check this one out if you haven’t–it is one of my favorite posts ever!**

Trent’s Favorite Books: One to Two Years Old

Ten of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Third Birthday

February 14, 2021February 21, 2017 by Kellee

Yesterday was Trent’s third birthday! Can you believe Trent is three?!?!? I can’t! It blows my mind. My baby has grown into an intelligent, independent, potty-trained, Star Wars obsessed, sweet, little boy! Luckily, the love of books has remained through all three years of his life 🙂

This year for our favorite books post, I let Trent choose his favorites as of right now. So, without any further adieu…

Ten of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Third Birthday

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

2. Llama Llama Board Books by Anna Dewdney

3. Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis

4. Down By the Bay by Raffi

5. Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett

6. Brown Bear Brown Bear by Bill Martin, Jr.

7. ABC Universe by American Museum of Natural History

8. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

9. Who’s Like Me? by Nicola Davis

10. Pigeon Books by Mo Willems

Honorary. Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman

Go Dog Go was the book Trent chose to read as the last book before he turned 3. Once a favorite, always a favorite!

Here’s to another year of great books with my wonderful boy!

Past “Trent’s Favorite Books” Posts

Kellee and Trent’s Favorite Picture Books: First Three Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Three to Six Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Six to Nine Months

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

A First Year Full of Books: Trent’s Journey Through Books
**Check this one out if you haven’t–it is one of my favorite posts ever!**

Trent’s Favorite Books: One to Two Years Old

February 14, 2021February 26, 2016 by Kellee

I cannot believe that Trent is two! He is such a smart, sweet, funny boy who is really coming into his own. Additionally, over the last year, he has gotten a reading personality. I used to be able to force him to listen to whatever I wanted to read, but now he drives the book bus. He’ll still listen to new books I love sometimes, but most of the time, he is choosing what he wants to read, and he definitely has favorites. I will preface with the fact that most of these are board books because that is what he primarily has access too. I cannot wait until he isn’t into tearing book pages, and we can dive into all of his picture books freely!

Here are his favorite books over the last year (in no particular order):

1-2yearsbookcollage

Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter

This book is hilarious! Trent loves the interactive parts, and I love how clever it is.

Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman

A classic! Trent says good bye at the end of the hat scene which is adorable! I also love how it teaches colors, prepositions, and opposites.

Thomas the Tank Engine Me Reader

This lets Trent be in control. It has a reader that allows him to pick which book he wants to read then each page he is reading has a symbol that he presses and it reads the page to him.

Friends by Eric Carle

A new favorite of his. There is a part in the middle where the character is on an adventure to find his friend, and Trent loves the onomatopoeias that are within this section.

Race Car Count by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

I am so glad we got this book because it may just be Trent’s favorite. He loves the orange car the best. I really think this book is the reason why he knew all of his colors by 22 months!

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (Sound book) by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Trent is a fan of sound books and construction machinery, so this is a perfect mix and a great bedtime story.

Big Friend, Little Friend from the World of Eric Carle

Another sound book which looks at big and little animals that live in the same habitat. Another combo of two things Trent loves.

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

This has been a favorite of Trent’s from the second we read it the first time. He loves his owl book. He’s also started having us read Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan, so I can see it sneaking in and being a loved owl bedtime story too.

If I Were a Penguin by Anne Wilkinson

Another favorite for his entire life. He loves the touch-and-feel aspects and penguins.

Rainbow Rob by Roger Priddy

This book is such a great mixture of humor, touch-and-feel, and learning. It teaches about different animals and colors within a humorous story with each animal having a different textured aspect.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

At first Trent had no interest in Goodnight Moon, but recently we had started saying goodnight to everything around the house, so I decided to bring it back out. Now it is the book that we end every day with. He crawls into bed, and I read it to him right before kissing him goodnight.

The Monster at the End of this Book and its sequel by Jon Stone

My boy is a Sesame Street kid (and proud of it), and we love both Monster books.

Little Monsters and Oh My a Fly! by Jan Pieńkowski

These are both pop-up books that we had when I was younger, and my mom passed on to me. They are a little gross and weird, but Trent just thinks that’s hilarious.

Peek-A-Zoo and Peek-A-Boo by Nina Laden

This along with Pete the Cat and Llama Llama are the first books that Trent “read” because he memorized what to say (or parts of what to say). He loves turning the page and “scaring” himself with the animal or Halloween-themed thing beneath the page.

Llama Llama Zippity Zoom and other Llama Llama board books by Anna Dewdney

Llama Llama Zippity Zoom is one of my favorite books to read with Trent because he reads along with you and loves the different rhyming words throughout. He yells VROOM VROOM VROOM every time–it is so great! He is also starting to like the rest of the Llama Llama board books we have, so I see him being a huge Llama Llama fan in the future.

Pigeon books by Mo Willems

We have progressed through many of the pigeon books over time. Originally, we read mostly the board book The Pigeon Has Feelings Too, but one day Trent saw The Pigeon Needs a Bath on the shelf and asked for it. The rest is history. He now has Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus in the mix as well.

Pete the Cat books by Eric Litwin and James Dean

We love Pete. The original is still our favorite and probably always will be, but Trent is good with reading any Pete book.

Disney Sound Storybook Treasury and other Disney books

We are a Disney family, so Trent is a bit obsessed with some of the characters (Anna, Olaf, Ariel, Mike Wyzowski, Sully, Buzz, Woody, Mickey, and Minnie to name a few), so he often wants to read our Disney books.

Reading with my child is something that I cherish. And I love that he is a fan of reading and has been since birth:
A First Year Full of Books
Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Nine to Twelve Months
Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Six to Nine Months
Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Three to Six Months
Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: First Three Months

I cannot wait to see what the next year in books looks like for my sweet boy!

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

February 14, 2021March 4, 2015 by Kellee

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:

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

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

February 14, 2021February 25, 2015 by Kellee

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 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 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”!

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

February 14, 2021February 20, 2015 by Kellee

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?!?!

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 Cat, Fifteen 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!