Monday multitasking

While I did Reid's hair this morning (I can read and braid at the same time), I read Valentine by Carol Carrick This story about a little girl who helps care for a newborn lamb on Valentine's Day offers a concrete example of love in action without being moralistic in the least.

At gymnastics, after discussing why books would be at gymnastics, we read:

• Winnie the Pooh and His Friends Blackberry Surprise based on A.A. Milne, illustrated by Atelier Philippe Harchy - a much better story than I'd expected. Many Winnie the Pooh stories disappoint me as the characters aren't as I remember them, even in the original stories. Pooh is greedy, Rabbit is grouchy and Tigger is incredibly self-centred.
• Rose and Dorothy by Roslyn Schwartz - Reid's empathy is well-developed. She was said that Rose said mean things about Dorothy and Dorothy moved out of their shared house.
• Tickle Me Elmo by Stephanie St. Pierre and illustrated by David Prebena - I wasn't sure about this one but it turned out to be a fun discussion of what a tickle looks, smells, tastes and sounds like. It's important not to judge a book by its cover - or licensed character.

Reid had insisted on bringing Diego and Papi to the Rescue by Wendy Wax and illustrated by John Hom to read in the car on the way to daycare and so we had it with us, too.

Thursday night reading

When we're at Melissa's, we usually read a book or two - it's nice to pick from someone else's bookcase but we read nothing this week. At home we read:

• Stella, Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay - Reid laughed at the idea of shooting stars learning to swim.
• The Stormy Day Rescue, a Clifford the Big Red Dog book by Kimberly Weinberger and illustrated by Del and Dana Thompson - poor Clifford, everyone tells him not to dig in this place or that but no one tells him where it is okay to dig.
• The Little Red Sled, a Clifford Puppy Days book by Tisha Hamilton and illustrated by Steve Haefele - I like the resourcefulness of the Sidorskys and wonder what happened to them when Clifford, Emily Elizabeth and her parents moved to Birdwell Island.
• Clifford's Busy Week by Norman Bridwell - Reid is interested in days of the week and Clifford; this book delivers both.

Monday, Monday - what did we read?

It was a full day with gymnastics and guests, but we read:

• A Second is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time by Hazel Hutchins and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton - this is a really neat book. I tend to stay away from non-fiction books but this one is fun to read and informative, too.
• Disney Winnie the Pooh Friendly Stories Musical Treasury by Guy Davis and illustrated by Gil DiCicco and the Disney Storybook Artists - this book belongs in the home of every small child so that their parents will know all of the words to Winnie the Pooh's theme song, not to mention the tune. The stories are pretty good, too.
• Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin and illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz - this book has a good message, that parents can learn from their children.

Friday night books

Swimming and reading are a great combination for a Friday night. Add in the long-delayed pizza, we read:

• Dora's Pirate Adventure by Leslie Valdes and illustrated by Dave Aikins - I hadn't ever thought to look for Dora books at the library until our last visit. Reid was pleased that I did but Ken and I haven't been as enthusiastic about reading them. They sound like they were adapted from the tv script and we aren't really fans of the show. Still, reading is an end in itself, I guess.
• Miss Spider's New Car by David Kirk - there are many bugs in this book, I need to talk about them with Reid the next time we read it.
• At the Carnival (a Dora the Explorer book) by Leslie Valdes and illustrated by Robert Roper - Reid likes this book because she needs to count to keep track of the number of yellow tickets that Dora and Boots are collecting.
• All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Barbara Lavallee - a book that reminds me that we haven't built a snowman yet this year but that makes Reid smile.
• Without You by Sarah Weeks and Suzanne Duranceau - a story about a baby penguin and her dad who are waiting for the mama penguin to come back to them. It tells quite a bit about how penguins live and raise their young through simple text and lovely pictures.
• Meet Diego! by Leslie Valedes and illustrated by Susan Hall - we have this book as a video but Reid has never commented on it.
• Diego's Safaari Rescue by Ligiah Villalobos and illustrated by Alex Maher - Reid is a big fan of African animals and so welcomed this new book into her collection.
• Valentine Surprise, a Clifford the Big Red Dog book by Quinlan B Lee and illustrated by Steve Haefele
• Time for Bed by Mem Fox and illustrated by Jane Dyer - I love this book. I love the illustrations of parent and baby animals and the soft, soothing rhyme. Reid rarely chooses it anymore. I told her that I was shutting the light out if she didn't bring me this book and she finally snuggled in and listened to it.
• Kisses by Nanda Roep and Marijke ten Cate - a story about a little girl who wants a kiss from her dad and all of the different kinds of kisses that he offers her.
• Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman - I'm a fan of any book featuring Bear. The illustration, the rhythm and gentle story reel me in each time.

Saturday stories

It was a tv-free day for Reid (Hooray for us!) and so we had lots of reading time. We read:

• The Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Heidi Petach - one of a number of books she has written based on Clement Moore's classic but Reid enjoys the rhythm and is beginning to anticipate Valentine's Day.
• If I Had a Big Blue Boat by Susan James Frye and illustrated by Laura Desantis - this is one of the books from Reid's Kindermusik session and so features great sounds woven into the story.
• Tippity Tippity Too by Claire Clark and illustrated by Dudley Mosely - this is the other book for this Kindermusik session and has illustrations that are rich in detail and a strong rhyme.
• Going on a Field Trip, a Read and Roll book - Reid could recite this book if she tried but she still chooses it to be read to her.
• Biscuit Loves Father's Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Pat Schories - this book has a page-tall flap along each right page, which meant that Reid had to open each one while I was trying to read the words. She loves lift-the-flap books but I find them to be a bit frustrating.
• Cat Christmas by B Kliban - the illustrations in this book draw Reid in and I like them, too, but I know enough of the carols that he spoofs to enjoy them just as much.
• Carry Me! by Rosemary Wells - the little bunny in this story has many reasons to be carried, talked to and sung to.
• A Dragon in a Wagon: A Book About Ways to Travel by Jane Belk Moncure and illustrated by Linda Hohag - I like the rhythm of story and the way that the little girl encounters new animals as well as new modes of transportation.
• The Day Snuffy Had the Sniffles by Linda Lee Maifair and illustrated by Tom Brannon - Ken does a great impression of a congested Snuffle-upagus, I learned .
• Love You Love Me - the lines, "Love me, love my bear; Love the oatmeal in my hair" alone make this book worth a read.
• The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton - I'd told Reid we were done reading but she wanted to read this one to me. When she started, though, it turned out that she doesn't remember it well and I ended up doing the reading. I'm easily tricked, I guess.

Wednesday books

Reid was down with a cold. She'd fought it while we had visitors but by Wednesday it was full-blown. We read:

• The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin by Betsy Bang and illustrated by Rachel Merriman, one of the Discovery Toys Reading Together at Home collection - I was a bit worried that Reid would be frightened by the animals intending to eat the old woman but she was more interested in what the old woman was eating to get so fat.
• The Big White Ghost, a Clifford the Big Red Dog book by - I don't know if everyone reads Halloween books in January but I do since Reid still chooses them off of the bookshelf.
• Dinosaur's Day Out by Nick Sharratt, one of the Discovery Toys Reading Together at Home collection - Reid is getting better at transferring what she sees on the map to the pictures on the pages that follow. Given my lack of map reading skills, I am hopeful that she will continue to develop these abilities.
• The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr Seuss - I started by asking Reid to tell me the letters of each of the little cats but she was so tired that I decided I'd best read them myself and get her to sleep.

Tuesday books

Grandma Joyce, Uncle Roger, Aunt Lisa and Brock left just after supper. Ken, Reid and I were pretty tired but still read:

• Giving Thanks, a Clifford's Puppy Days book by Sarah Fisch and illustrated by Bob Roper - the way that everyone is too busy for Clifford makes me a little sad because it is true that sometimes we are so focused on the trappings of a holiday that we forget the reason for it.
• Hippos Go Beserk! by Sandra Boynton - Reid likes this book for counting and also number recognition (she is odd that way) and I am a dedicated Sandra Boynton fan.
• Someday by Alison McGhee and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds - this book brings tears to my eyes. It might be intended for mamas but Reid and I both like to read it.