Picture This… by Alison Jay

Published by Templar Publishing

Pages: 40

Ages: Newborn and up

Publishers Summary: Words and images combine on each page of this breathtaking picture book to create an introduction to everyday words that children and their parents will want to return to again and again. With a wealth of detail, Jay has created a series of pictures where elements cleverly reappear from spread to spread, providing a timeless book to share.

Sweet Littlebug: “Again! Again! Doggie, where’s the doggie!? Oh, and the Bee!!!? This is definitely my favorite book…EVER! Especially the pages with the flower, the kittie and the BEE! If I could talk my mom into reading this book all day long I would sit down in her lap and giggle the whole day away.

“When I do get her to read it to me (let’s just say it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of about 12 to 20 times a day, wish it was more!) I take her pointer finger and point at all the pretty pictures. As I do this, she tells me what all the pictures are and I’m already starting to learn to say most of the words she’s taught me. This is one of the best books my mom has ever brought home, I just love it!”

Illustration from Picture This... by Alison Jay provided by Templar Publishing

Mom’s Two Cents: “Picture This… is by far one of Littlebug’s favorite books ever and I couldn’t be happier about it. When I originally saw this book online I purchased it almost more because I loved the beautiful illustrations and then hoped that Littlebug would also fall in love. Well, it was a match made in heaven for us both. Littlebug especially loves sitting with me to read it to her and tickle her when we get to the picture with the BEE! I’m in love with it because not only is it a beautiful book, but also I am able to share in the joy it brings to her little face, the very beginnings of reading love.

“Alison Jay’s artwork is beautiful! One of the more remarkable things about this book in particular is how each of the pages connect with the others. From the front cover to the very last page you find some piece that connects. As you can see in the above interior artwork, the image of the flower on the left (as well as the cat in the bottom corner) is carried over into the image on the right with the bird carrying the flower in his mouth. From this image you see an airplane in the background that’s carried onto the very next page. It’s truly brilliant! In a book without many words, there’s a connection just through the images on the page directly to your mind.

“Without a doubt, I would recommend this book to every parent of a newborn and older. It’s simple beauty carries itself throughout each page and connects to young and old readers alike. Beyond being simply beautiful, Picture This… is a book I love reading with my Littlebug. The excitement on her face when she finds it on the shelf each day is more than enough of a reason for me to read it to her almost two dozen times a day (and I’m not exaggerating at all). This is a book we will have in our home for years to come and one I will gladly pass on to Littlebug when she has her own Littlebug in many years from now.”

This book was purchased for our home library. All images were provided courtesy of Templar Publishing. Thank you! Make sure to visit their website or follow them on twitter.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Touch and Feel Farm by Dwell Studio

Published by Chronicle Books

Ages: 1-4

Pages: 10

Publishers Summary: N/A.

Littlebug’s Thoughts: “What can I say? I can’t get away from bumpy, fuzzy, scratchy things! I love every page of this book with all the beautiful colors and animals everywhere. Plus every page has something for me to run my fingers over!

“One of my favorite parts about this book is that I can usually persuade my big brother, The Turkeybird, to read it to me! I love it when he does that, because he will point to all of the fun shapes and I think his favorite page is the one with the tractor on it. He always stays there for a long time.

“This is such a fun book and I think any little girl or boy you know will absolutely love it. I know me and my big brother do!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “This is another book that as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get it for Littlebug. She’s such a texture fiend! Each page is based on some situation you would find at a typical farm. With a tractor, a cow, a pig and even a barn all with varying textures. This book will help teach little ones all about textures and help with their tactile awareness. The pages are beautiful colored, simple but just right.

“I’m a huge fan of the Dwell line of products and though I don’t generally appreciate cross-over into book territory from certain companies or celebrities this was one I actually really enjoyed. Dwell products have a way of taking the things kids appreciate everyday and turning them into something beautiful to look at. And in this case not just something to look at, but also learn/teach from.

“This is a great book any toddler could appreciate and every parent will enjoy!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 0 and up. Toddlers especially will love the textures and animals on each pages of this delightful book.

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Animals and Farm Animals by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells

Published by Usborne Books

Ages: 4-8

Pages: 10

Publishers Summary (both books): Contains four delightful two-piece jigsaws, each one featuring a different touchy-feely texture. Perfectly designed for tiny hands, these simple puzzles promote sensory awareness and the concept of matching. The brightly coloured illustrations are accompanied by clear and simple text that introduces each animal.

Sweet as a Littlebug: “Fuzzy, bumpy, scratchy and more! Of course I’m in love! Plus, they have one of my favorite animals ever, a chicken and her baby chicks. So cute and their wings are soft and fluffy. You know me…I’m a texture girl, what can I say?

“It’s also so great to see all the great things the animals eat and where they live. Did you know a Koala eats eucalyptus trees and that my mom is allergic to them? So, this is probably as close to one as I’m going to get! I could stare at the pages for days and never get tired of it. Almost everyday I go to my bookshelf and pull this one off, crawl with it to mom and hand it to her to read. I like it that much. Because…I get to play with my mom, since the animals on each page come apart and go back together again and I need a little help now and again. It’s so much fun!

Mom’s Two Cents: “Of course I completely agree with her. These are fabulous books that every little one will enjoy. Not only do they teach with words on a page, but they’re also interactive with the puzzle pieces embedded on each set of pages. Great for early readers and little hands.

“As I mentioned, each set of pages has one side with a puzzle embedded inside. The nice thing about this, besides helping with hand-eye coordination, is that it will help to keep a little one occupied for quite a bit of time. We generally take these books with us to church, the doctors office, to the park so the Turkeybird can play while I read to Littlebug, and so many other places. I keep them on hand in a lot of situations.

“Animals and Farm Animals are wonderful books. I’ve been very excited to see more and more of these types of puzzle books for early readers coming out, because they can be so useful. Their bright colors and cute illustrations show children the very basics of animal life and get them started toward learning more. Absolutely delightful. A great addition to a beginning library!”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 9 months and older. The Turkeybird, at age 3, still tries to steal these from his sister from time to time and don’t see him losing interest for quite a while.

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

So, we’ve all been there. You’re in a book store, online or in the library and there it is…the most beautiful, colorful and wonderful children’s book ever! It even has one of those bright and shiny stickers on the front. You’re thinking, “They thought it was great, why wouldn’t my son (or daughter)? I mean I LOVE it!” You take it home and that night you sit down, eager to read it to your little one for their newest bedtime treat! You’re both excited, and then…page after page, the book falls flat with your little one. Instead, they push it aside abruptly only to pick up that same old book about the car with the mouse driving it (let’s not even mention you’ve already read it every night for the last three months).

What’s a parent to do? How do you handle the disappointment when your son or daughter just doesn’t seem to appreciate the “finer” things in life? Do you hide it away and hope for another day? Or do you secretly stash it for your own personal enjoyment?

This topic came up with a friend of mine the other day. We were discussing how difficult it can be to find books that match both our little one’s tastes and our own. It can get cumbersome to read the same book night in and night out, especially when it’s one you are completely sick of and never really loved to begin with. For me, it’s a fine line, you need to keep the kiddo interested or they may never learn to love reading, but it’s also important to expose them the wonderful options out there. If we continue to allow the same book to be read every night they may never learn to love another and one that may be one they love even more.

So, tell me, are there any books that you just love that your son or daughter (old or young, I think it applies to all ages) still hasn’t learned to appreciate? And what do you do to encourage your children to try other books?

Here are a few I’m IN LOVE with that I’m really hoping Littlebug or the Turkeybird “grow” into (I know, some of you will be appalled, but that’s just how it goes!):

Toy Boat by Randall de Seve illustrated by Loren Long

Published by Philomel Books (A division of Penguin Books)

Pages: 40

Ages: 4-8

Publishers Summary: A little boy has a toy boat. He made it out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable, until one day when the wind pushes the toy boat out into the wide lake. Alone now, the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat. How the little boat misses the boy! But if he is going to survive, he must figure a way to do it on his own.

Charley Harper 123s by Charley Harper

Published by AMMO Books

Pages: 20

Ages: 4-8

Publishers Summary: Charley Harper 123’s, is a board book companion to the skinny version of the ABC’s. In this book, counting from 1 to 10, is demonstrated through a colorful and playful range of creatures. From 1 Ladybug Lounging, to 2 Birds Nesting, to 3 Chimpanzees Playing, all of the animals featured are active, delightful, and easy to count.

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton

Published by Little Simon (A division of Simon and Schuster)

Pages: 14

Ages: Baby-Preschool

Publishers Summary: It’s BIG fun from Sandra Boynton in this big, big size of this favorite title. Great for laps and sharing, this oversized edition on thick, sturdy board material is perfect for oversized fun for children of all ages. This raucous story about the sounds animals make — including three pigs who say la la la! – is just right for reading aloud.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 40

Ages: 4-8

Publishers Summary: One boy’s quest for a greener world… one garden at a time.
While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

The winners of Littlebug’s Birthday Bash!!!

The two winners, each receiving books of their choice up to $20 are:
Nicole of The Blooming Button
and
Shy of The Bibliophile’s Journal

The winners of the fabulous bookmarks (and a surprise, book from their comments) are:
Jenn of Book Crazy
Abbie of Abbie Rufener Photography
and…a third thrown in at the last minute!
Michelle of Michelle’s Masterful Musings

Here’s a little reminder of what we celebrated, this was taken just shortly after her birth a year ago:

Thank you again to everyone who entered! We had a wonderful time celebrating Littlebug’s 1st birthday. Don’t dismay, those of you who didn’t win…The Turkeybird’s Birthday is coming up next month and we’ve got something special in the works for that as well! So stay tuned!

All have been chosen via random.org and are being notified via email. If I don’t hear a response within 48 hours of sending the email a new winner will be selected.

So, the cake is gone, Bug is enjoying her gifts and is now feeling extremely generous! She has asked that I up the stakes…so, without further ado:

Littlebug’s Birthday Bash will be extended to not only ONE lucky $20 winner, but TWO! Also, there will be TWO winners who will each get one of the adorable book marks! Everything is doubled! We’ve been having such a great time we couldn’t resist!

To see the details of the giveaway head back to the original post and make sure to wish Littlebug a very Happy 1st Birthday!

If you haven’t already filled out the form go ahead now and do so. Look for the winning announcement on Monday February 8th (you have until Sunday the 7th at midnight CST to enter)!

Littlebug is One Year Old today! In celebration of this wonderful day we’ve decided to throw a giveaway for all of our fabulous readers! You!

The Details:

ONE lucky winner will win their choice of book(s) up to a $20 value! We will pay shipping & handling, do the ordering and such. All you need to do once we’ve emailed the winner is let us know which title(s) you’d like, not to exceed $20.

One other winner will be the lucky recipient of ONE of these lovely bookmarks! Aren’t they perfect? (If you’re interested just click on the picture to be taken to the Etsy shop where you can purchase them as well as some other fabulous items!)

That’s it! Two winners! Two wonderful prizes! The giveaway winners will be announced Monday morning the 8th of February (you only have until Feb. 7th at midnight CST to enter).

All courtesy of There’s A Book because of one special Littlebug.

*Please remember to read our Privacy Policy and know that only persons over the age of 13 are allowed to enter the giveaway.

In an attempt to inform you my readers about the happenings with both The Turkeybird and Littlebug I decided a State of Things was in order. I mean heck, The President can do it, why not us?

Recently, I mentioned that Littlebug had acquired, quite literally, a taste for good books. Well, the proof is in the picture:

Needless to say this is a disgrace to all books…so sad.

I stumbled upon Jan’s wonderful blog this week (Eating Y.A. Books) and found this quote, “Very young children eat their books, literally devouring their contents. This is one reason for the scarcity of first editions of Alice in Wonderland and other favorites of the nursery.” by A.S.W. Rosenbach.

Can I just say perfect? I can’t tell you how many times both the Turkeybird and Littlebug have been asked, “to take the book out of their mouth!” Books are for the eyes and the heart not the mouth, but it doesn’t do much good saying this at such a young age. So, in my reluctance to have “nicer” books “eaten” I have a pile of these few books sitting in a very accessible place on the bookshelf in the case I can not reach them quickly enough to rescue said book. Yes, I know, shot me! I sacrifice one book for the life of another, but it’s what you have to do around here. And actually it’s working quite nicely. I’m happy to say that with the implementation of this particular program we have successfully saved all other books on the shelf.

Mission accomplished. Expect more State of Things in the future as well as a few reviews this coming week.

Now, back to your regular scheduled programming.

Little Pea, Little Hoot, Little Oink

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace

Published by Chronicle Books October 2009

Ages: 4-8

Pages: 80 Total (3 Individual books)

The Turkeybird Takes Over: “Let me just take the reigns while Littlebug goes off to chew on some other book. I’m not sure exactly why my parents thought that these books would be more appropriate for Littlebug, but they were wrong. She received them this Christmas and no sooner had she received them did she toss them to the side for a more flashy glowing singing worm thing. In my opinion, she’s made a grievous mistake. These books will soon become classics, as anyone with any taste will obviously see upon their first reading.

“Now, I’m not going to say that Littlebug doesn’t have any good taste (she must, she likes my “That’s Not My Truck” book), it just so happens that in this particular case she has fallen a bit short. In fact, I think she may have fallen asleep.

“But that’s besides the point! These books have everything! From skateboarding to playing with dad to going to school and even cleaning up my room (which believe it or not, I like to do). Just incredible books with wonderful fun friends I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Pea, Hoot and Oink are some of the best characters in modern literature and you would be just silly not to pick these up!”

Mom’s Two Cents: “When the Turkeybird speaks, he speaks. I won’t argue one bit. We judged a book by it’s cover so to say and by so doing gave the wrong book to the wrong child. That’s not to say that Littlebug won’t enjoy these in a year or so from now, because I’m pretty sure she will, she just doesn’t today.

“He’s right though, these are great books! For me as well as for the kids. I honestly LOVE reading these aloud to The Turkeybird. They’re so fun and entertaining, but also have a twist of teaching to them. Each book focuses on a different point of a child’s life of learning, be it sleeping, what to eat or cleaning up. Each one is taught in such a way that it makes each task seem like the enjoyable part of the day and not the chore to be completed. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. And overall wonderful books, great for the whole family. (I think I’d even read them without children.)”

The1stdaughter Recommends: Age 3 and older, boys and girls alike will love these delightful stories.

“If you’re still thirsty for more take a look at this adorable book trailer for the third book in the series Little Oink”:

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

Just thought I’d share a bit of what Littlebug has been up to recently before our next review. This:

For some reason, she’d prefer to pull every book off the shelf before making a selection! Which, I may add, she always does. All of this occurs in the time it takes me to run down the hall take care of something The Turkeybird may need and come right back, say maybe 2 to 3 minutes tops. I return to find her sitting on top of the pile of books, which were on the shelf when I left, with her “book of the moment.” I love it! Well, I can’t say I love cleaning it all up, but I do love that she takes the time to enjoy her books and find just the right one.

Which happens to be:

Baby Einstein: Let’s Look! Baby’s First Look and Find

Not my favorite book, but I will say that this is a “hand-me-down” from The Turkeybird who also adored this book. What I do like about it is that it spans many age groups. Even now The Turkeybird is able to look at the book with a different purpose than Littlebug who is looking to learn about the animals in the pictures, as she gets going in her reading. The Turkeybird picks it up now and we can sit together looking for different shapes and objects using the guide in the back of the book. The official age range says 4-8, which I’m not so sure about, but we’ll see.

Though I personally am not drawn to this book, little ones definitely are and if you’re looking for a great beginning book that will get years of use this is it. It’s inexpensive and educational. A great book for a beginning library.

Have a Baby Einstein book review you’d like to share? Do it here:

This book was purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.