Buy it: Hippo and Rabbit in Three Short Tales
Hippo and Rabbit in Three Short Tales (By Jeff Mack) – This early reader book comes highly recommended because my daughter, Ally, age 6, has read it dozens of times and never gets tired of it. Even better, she laughs every time she reads it. The book includes three short stories of two friends, Hippo and Rabbit. Rabbit tries to make Hippo choose vegetables over his cheeseburger; they push each other on a swing to hilarious results; and they comfort each other when they get scared at bedtime. I love the sweet and humorous stories of friendship and the simple words are perfect for beginning readers. It’s an entertaining read that will build confidence in early readers.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Wolf! Wolf!
Wolf! Wolf! (By John Rocco) – Have you ever wondered how the wolf felt in the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”? This book, “Wolf! Wolf!”, is a funny take on the classic tale. An old wolf is weeding his vegetable garden when he hears a boy calling his name. He makes his way to the meadow where the boy is tending goats. From a distance, he watches as the villagers run to help the boy and then realize there is no wolf. After the boy repeatedly plays this trick, the villagers get tired and ignore him. The old wolf, who is no longer able to chase down the goats the boy is guarding, gets an idea. He approaches the boy, but this time no one comes when the boy cries “wolf!” The wolf tells the boy that in order for the villagers to believe him again, a goat will have to be missing. The boy agrees and leaves a goat for the wolf in his garden. But when the wolf sees how well the goat weeds his garden, he realizes the goat would make a better friend than a meal. The story is set in China and the illustrations is this book are amazing.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Ivy & Bean
Ivy & Bean (By Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall) – Bean has short hair and likes to get dirty. Ivy wears dresses and is always reading books. But these two girls find out that despite their differences, they have a lot of fun together. The chapter book, “Ivy & Bean,” is a great choice for kids 6 to 9 years old. Bean plays a trick on her sister and is worried that she’ll get in trouble. Ivy, who lives across the street, invites her to hide out with her. The two girls quickly become friends as they make a witch’s robe and wand for Ivy; dig for worms and run from Bean’s older sister. These two girls find themselves in lots of humorous situations, which my daughter, age 6, loved to read about.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Read to Tiger
Read to Tiger (By S.J. Fore) – In this book, a little boy is trying to read, but he’s finding it difficult because there is a tiger in his living room who is being very distracting! My daughter Ally, age 6, thinks this book is very funny. While the boy tries to read, the tiger is pretending to be a bear, practicing karate and riding on a toy train. The boy repeatedly asks the tiger to please be quiet but nothing works. Finally, the tiger jumps up on the couch and tries to read too. Now the boy can finally read his book … to Tiger. This is a fun book with humorous illustrations that is sure to make your child laugh.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Pumpkin Trouble
Pumpkin Trouble (By Jan Thomas) – “Pumpkin Trouble” is a very funny Halloween story. Duck is making a jack-o’-lantern for Halloween and can’t wait to show his friends. But as he is scooping out the seeds, he falls into the pumpkin and gets stuck. Now Duck is walking around with the pumpkin stuck on his body, with only his feet showing, looking for someone to help him. But when Duck’s friends see him coming, they think he’s a pumpkin monster! When they shout that there’s a pumpkin monster, Duck doesn’t realize they mean him and he starts running. Now Duck is chasing his friends, who still think he’s a pumpkin monster. Finally, Duck smashes into a wall and breaks the pumpkin. Duck’s friends think he’s a hero for saving them from the monster. My daughter, age 6, can read this book on her own and laughs each time she reads it.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: We Are in a Book!
We Are in a Book! (By Mo Willems) – Hands down, the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems are the best early reader books I’ve seen. The entire collection is so funny and clever that my daughter Ally, now 6, reads them over and over and still laughs every time. All of the Elephant and Piggie books offer sweet lessons about friendship and simple words to build early reader confidence. I also love that Elephant and Piggie’s conversations are color-coded, so readers always know who is saying what. We have several of these books, but one of our favorites is “We Are in a Book!” In this story, Elephant (Gerald) and Piggie discover that someone is watching them – a reader! Then they find out they can make the reader say funny words, until they find out (oh no!) the book ends! The story ends with them asking the reader to read their book again. A wonderful set of books for readers, ages 4-8, but Ally has found out that her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all find them pretty entertaining as well. A great collection to get your young child reading!
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 6, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Hit the Ball Duck
Hit the Ball Duck (By Jez Alborough) – My daughter Ally, age 5, and I have enjoyed all of Alborough’s books about Duck and his friends. This is one of our favorites. In this fun rhyming story, Duck, Frog, Goat and Sheep head to the park to play baseball. But Duck’s hit sends the ball up into a tree, where it gets stuck. Duck, who doesn’t always think things through, decides to throw the bat up to knock down the ball, but that gets stuck as well. He then does the same thing with the glove. My daughter always giggles through this story. Then the four friends decide to climb on one another to make a tower and reach the ball, bat and glove. But they fall over. Luckily, their fall shakes the tree and everything falls out. However, Frog catches the ball, which means Duck is out. A cute story and a great gift idea for little baseball fans.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Mercy Watson
Mercy Watson (By Kate DiCamillo) – My daughter Ally, age 5, and I have read all of the Mercy Watson chapter books over and over and over again. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pig named Mercy. Mercy sleeps in the bed and loves to eat toast with butter on it. My daughter loves all of the Mercy Watson stories, whether she is trying to drive a car, having a tea party, dressing as a princess for Halloween or eating the neighbors flowers. These books have bright and colorful illustrations of all of Mercy’s adventures. And these are great beginning chapter books for parents to read to their children or for young readers to read on their own. My husband loves that the chapters are short, so when Ally begs him to read one more chapter at bedtime, he can give in. I love that, unlike most chapter books, Ally never gets tired of hearing these stories. I guarantee that if you buy one Mercy Watson book, you’ll want to get them all.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Knuffle Bunny Too
Knuffle Bunny Too (By Mo Willems) – My daughter loved the first Knuffle Bunny book so much, we just had to get the second one. In Knuffle Bunny Too, Trixie is off to Pre-K with her Knuffle Bunny in tow and just can’t wait to show it off to all her classmates. But when she gets to school, Trixie sees that another student, Sonja, also has a Knuffle Bunny. The two girls argue over how to pronounce “Knuffle” and the teacher takes the bunnies away. But when she returns them, they get switched and the girls take home the wrong bunnies. Both Trixie and Sonja realize they have the wrong bunnies and the girls and their dads rush out in the middle of the night to make the exchange. Trixie and Sonja become best friends, and the next day at school decide to swap bunnies again. My daughter Ally, age 5, loves the Knuffle Bunny books for the funny stories and great illustrations layered over black and white photographs.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Children Make Terrible Pets
Children Make Terrible Pets (By Peter Brown) – A bear named Lucy in a pink tutu finds a little boy in the forest. Lucy thinks the boy is so cute and decides to take him home to be her pet. Lucy’s mother warns her that children make terrible pets, but Lucy says she will take full responsibility. Soon Lucy discovers that her new pet is hard to potty train, ruins the furniture and makes terrible messes. Then one day she can’t find her pet. She looks and looks until she finds him with his whole family. They say good-bye and Lucy realizes that her mom was right – children do make terrible pets. But then Lucy finds another usual pet! This book is very funny and will be sure to make you and your child giggle.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
