Thursday, July 26, 2007

Summer reading

Miss M here. Did you know that I am 2 and 1/2 today? Mom's gift to me was the chance to guest post. I thought that some of the other 2 and 3 -year-olds out there just might be interested in what I've been reading since I turned two.* In fact, the Mayor recently emailed me wonderin' what books were in my beach bag. Besides, with all those Moms and Dads holed up with Harry Potter, a kid's gotta have something to while away the time. Without further ado, I give you:

The 100 Best Books I Read in the Last Six Months: 2-2.5
Legend:
* Canadian
+ poetry collection
bold my top 20

  1. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelans
  2. Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelans
  3. Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton
  4. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
  5. Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown
  6. Hand Rhymes by collected and illustrated by Marc Brown +
  7. Silly Billy by Anthony Browne
  8. --a good book if you're an anxious or even fearful child like me
  9. One Gray Mouse by Katherine Burton *
  10. --a lovely little counting book with clay illustrations
  11. Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
  12. Sometimes I Like to Curl up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill
  13. --what's not to love about a wombat?
  14. Tatty Ratty by Helen Cooper
    --little Miss Smartie Pants Mommy keeps meaning to write a review of this book and Cooper's other book, Pumpkin Soup that made my toddler list. Can I just say that I want Helen Cooper to adopt me? That's how much I loved these books. The cadence of the prose, the illustrations, the subtle humour... ah! perfection. Mom is always grouching about how we need more Cooper at the library and then sighing heavily each time she gets her Visa statement.
  15. Mrs. Wishy Washy by Joy Cowley
  16. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
  17. Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
  18. --Mom sometimes groans that these books are written for adults not children. Too much winking to the adult sensibility but I just don't get it. I love Spider just as much as I loved Worm back when I read his diary just before I was two.
  19. The Little Dog Laughed and other Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Lucy Cousins
  20. Ella the Elephant by Carmela and Stephen D'Amico
  21. The Classic Treasury of Best-Loved Children's Poems illustrated by Penny Dann +
  22. A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes compiled and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton * +
  23. Mud Muddelicious Mud: Verse for the Very Young by Shirley Downie * +
  24. Olivia by Ian Falconer
  25. Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer
  26. Olivia forms a Band by Ian Falconer
  27. Bee Gets a Sweater by Keith Faulkener
  28. Tap, Tap, Tap: What can it be? by Keith Faulkener
  29. A-tisket, a-tasket by Ella Fitzgerald; illustrated by Ora Eitan
  30. Beast Feast by Douglas Florian
  31. A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
  32. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
  33. --as I was saying, "what's not to love about a Wombat?"
  34. The Three Little Pigs illustrated by Marie Louise Gay
  35. Grandma and the Pirates by Phoebe Gilman *
  36. Jillian Jiggs and the Secret Surprise by Phoebe Gilman *
  37. The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman *
  38. Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue by Phoebe Gilman *
  39. Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman *
  40. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
  41. Jessica by Kevin Henkes
  42. Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
  43. -- I think I'm in love with Mr. Slinger
  44. Lily's Big Day by Kevin Henkes
  45. Once Around the Block by Kevin Henkes
  46. Owen by Kevin Henkes
  47. Shiela Rae the Brave by Kevin Henkes
  48. Corduroy Lost and Found by B. Hennessy based on the Freeman books
  49. Sea, Sand, Me by Patricia Hubbell
  50. Hiding by Shirley Hughes
  51. Colours by Shirley Hughes +
  52. Songs for Annie Rose by Shirley Hughes +
  53. Toot and Puddle: Charming Opal by Hollie Hobbie
  54. The Llama Who had No Pajama by Maryann Hoberman +
  55. --OMG, I love this collection!
  56. Our Day at the Seashore by Amy and Richard Hutchings
  57. --my Nan gave me this and a few other beach books to take along on my recent trip to PEI. Now I know what a quohog is.
  58. Katie's Babbling Brother by Hazel Hutchins *
  59. Rollie Pollie Ollie by William Joyce
  60. Take Me Out to the Ball Game by MaryAnn Kovalski *
  61. Lavender's Blue: A Book of nursery Rhymes compiled by Kathleen Lines +
  62. --a reprint of the 1954 classic. Watch out! A few of the rhymes are from a more savage time: sometimes scary, sometimes deliciously dark.
  63. Yummer's Too: the Second Course by James Marshall
  64. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
  65. --loved the book but loved the Scholastic video even more. It's too cool for school.
  66. Chicka Chicka 123 by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
  67. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr.
  68. Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr.
  69. Piggy and Dad Go Fishing by David Martin
  70. Dahlia by Barbara McClintock
  71. The Oxford 123 Book of Number Rhymes by Robert McGough +
  72. The Real Mother Goose Book of Christmas Carols
  73. --ya, so, it's true that I made my mom sing every single one of these far into March. Hey! I wonder just where that book got to anyway?
  74. All in One Piece by Jill Murphy
  75. Peg and the Yeti by Kenneth Oppel *
  76. The Oxenbury Nursery Story Book compiled and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury +
  77. --so far I'm only into the verse section. I hope to start reading the fairy tales this fall
  78. A Bit of Dancing by Helen Oxenbury
  79. The Ocean Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallota
  80. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
  81. --Mom thinks this book will help me make the transition to day care in the fall. Boy, does she have another thing coming
  82. A day of rhymes compiled by Sarah Pooley +
  83. Beneath a Blue Umbrella by Jack Prelutsky +
  84. --a great book of poems for all you kids, state-side. Mom has promised to find me a Canadian equivalent and then she said something about a Kevin Major alphabet book and told me to stay tuned.
  85. For Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your Funny Bone selected by Jack Prelutsky +
  86. 10 Minutes 'Til Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann
  87. The Gift by Barbara Reid *
  88. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
  89. Beach Day by Karen Roosa
  90. Tales from Parc La Fontaine by Roslyn Schwartz *
  91. --the Complete Adventures of the Mole Sisters was on my toddler list. I'm still lovin' it too
  92. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  93. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
  94. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
  95. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
  96. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
  97. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
  98. Casey at the Bat by Ernest Thayer
  99. Mama Loves Me by Mara Van Fleet
  100. --IMHO, the elephant is the most noble and loving creature on the planet.
  101. So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan
  102. --this book is like candy on the tongue: "they sing jibba, jibba, jabba as they jump and run. Jump jabba jabba. Run jabba jabba. Tiny, tiny monkeys having fun."
  103. Frog in Love by Max Velthius
  104. Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest by Judith Viorst
  105. Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
  106. --too good for words: "How goes the work? Quack!"
  107. Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells
  108. I Spy Little Christmas by Walter Wick
  109. "More more more" said the baby : 3 love stories by Vera B. Williams
  110. The King of Capri by Jeanette Winterson
  111. --this book has laxative properties. My all-time favourite potty book. It's just so long.
  112. The Napping House by Don and Audrey Wood
  113. Piggies by Audrey and Don Wood
  114. Here's a Little Poem edited by Jane Yolen +
  115. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
  116. any one of a number of cheap peg puzzle board books
  117. any one of a number of Thomas the Tank Engine cheapo board books
  118. any one of a number of magnetic counting, alphabet, or rudimentary spelling books
  119. --no, I don't spell and I don't pretend to. I just like to play with the letters.
  120. any one of a number of cheapo electronic music, sing-a-long books

*And ya, some of these books are meant for 4 and 5-year olds. It's also true that I still read baby books. Why must they put such limited age ranges on children's books. It's soooo totally oppressive.

I hope you like my list. You know what, though?. My silly mother decided to re-read all the Harry Potter books before finishing off the series. She made this decision in June. Like, duh! This means that she is only finishing up #5 now. Please help me! Can you ask your pre-schoolers to recommend some good books to tide me over until Mom is done? Thanks. I knew I could count on you.

______________

A note from the editor, compiler and chief amanuesnis aka Mad: Miss M puts quite a bit of work into drawing up these lists. She does it because she hopes that they will make helpful library cheat sheets for all her sphere-y friends. Please feel free to tell as many people as you like about them so that her work won't be in vain.

Oh and Miss M insists on writing these posts herself because she doesn't trust my adult editorializing. Not that I would ever do that. She really wants you to know about the books SHE loves regardless of whether her children's lit crit and librarian mother agrees. Little does she know that her mother plans revenge by posting a list of 26 wonderful alphabet books and 10 counting books without consulting her daughter whatsoever. Soon. I promise.

OK, I'm off now to help Miss M put links to this list and to her toddler list on the sidebar. Miss M finds Blogger a bother sometimes. I can't imagine why.

__________

Because I'm not posting as much these days, I thought I would give you all an early heads up about the upcoming Just Posts. You know the drill: if you have read or written a post or posts dealing with social justice in the month of July, drop me or Jen a line. You've got until August 7th. We'll put the linky love list up on Aug 10th. I'm madhattermommyAThotmailDOTcom.

37 comments:

S said...

Miss M.,

You might also like:

Custard the Dragon (Ogden Nash)
The Seven Silly Eaters (Mary Ann Hoberman)
The Caboose Who Got Loose (Bill Peet)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Mo Willems)

Let me know what you think, OK?

Love, Jack

Mad said...

Hey Jack,
Isn't Hoberman great? I'll track some of these down--small town libraries and all, ya know. As for the Pigeon book? I read it and Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late in time for my toddler list. Gotta love that Pigeon!

Mad said...

ooops, I meant to sign off "Love Miss M." Silly me. You probably thought I was my mom or something...

Anonymous said...

Fiona here.

Look out, Miss M. My mom is making me write down the titles of all the books I read. I told her this morning, "Writing is not playing!" but she was unfazed.

Anyway, I dare not recommend anything, in case your mom makes you write about it. IM me later.

Jenifer said...

I am supposed to be packing for the cottage, but could not resist. I will add to the list when I am back.

That is awesome though and both my girls love the Pigeon books.

What a great list to print and keep handy for visits to the library.


Thanks Miss M! Rosebud and Papoosie Girl will most definitely love this.

Bea said...

I don't think I realized before the Pie and Miss M are exactly six months apart, to the day.

I see some of our favourites on there - Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and One Grey Mouse, for instance. I'll have to keep my eye out for the others.

Susanne said...

With these lists I'm always a little sad that most of them are not translated in to German. While I enjoy reading in English, my son not as much. I loved Olivia joined the circus and my son too for about a day and then he never wanted to look at it again. Sigh.

ut I have nothing to complain since we just read (or in my case re-read) the two Jim Button-books by Michael Ende. Real books! It took about a month to read each of them.

There is something to be said for having a four-year-old...

Run ANC said...

Happy Half-Birthday! The Boy's was on July 14, so he and Miss M are very close in age.

As soon as I saw your post, I was going to recommend #96. I bought it originally for the dinosaurs, but the story is great!

The Boy is also hooked on "A House is a House for Me". I didn't realize it was Hoberman. I will have to look for others by her. I've already written down the Llama one. The Boy loves llamas.

Anonymous said...

I love booklists. Most of the favorites have been packed away with our moves and I wish I had a list to refer to.

I would have put Where the Wild Things are higher than 77 on my list.

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Dear Miss M,

We have read fewer than 10 of the books on your list, so I have told my mother to take me to the library immediately. Well, as soon as my brother stops puking.

I really like the Boynton dinosaur books, like O My O My O Dinosaurs! Some others:

* Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller
* The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
* Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Love, Sasha

Melanie D. said...

GREAT list.

I'm currently going for Mom of the Year by reading the Harry Potter series for the FIRST time this summer. It's all I've done for the past week and a half and I'm halfway through Year 5. I'm so engrossed in it now, I'm starting to just want to be DONE! :-)

Thanks for the list anyway, that age range would be great for books that both my kids would like - since it falls right between them.

karengreeners said...

Happy half-birthday, Miss M!

Great list - a few of Bee's favourites are featured, but there are lots of others that we'll have to check out. She will be especially pleased to know that there are Bill Martin, Jr. books that we haven't read yet. (when did baby bear come into the picture?)

Beck said...

Fantastic list.
It's funny the differences in same-aged children's attention spans, isn't it? The Baby is 27 months old, and she couldn't sit through most of these - although she is passionate about books. She made me read her Old Hat, New Hate TWENTY TIMES TODAY. Ick!

Mad said...

motherpie: the list in in alphabetical order by author--not ranked.

sasha: the Hoberman collection has the perfect poem for you and your bro' in it. It goes like this:

My sister saw a dinosaur
At least she said she saw one.
I said that dinosaurs are dead.
She said she saw it in her head.
A dinosaur inside your head?
"Remarkable!" my mother said.

Beck: Miss M is a book-reading freak. What other 2-yr-old will demand to sit on the potty for 45 minutes because it means even MORE stories? The girl will sit and listen to all of Where the Sidewalk Ends in a single sitting and then demand a Mother Goose collection as a chaser.

crazymumma said...

Ah.

The Phoebe Gilman and Lavenders Blue brought a rush of memory.

Just wait until she is whatever, between 7 and 10, and walking around everwhere with a book in her hand.

You will love it, as I do mine.

But Miss M. Any Shakespeare for children you can recommend?

Magpie said...

Totally wonderful list!

A couple of new favorites of my Miss M: Let's Go Pegasus, and There's a Monster in my Backpack.

And yesterday I got her a new Puff the Magic Dragon - the text is just the song lyrics, and there are sweet illustrations, and the sad ending is finessed by the introduction of a new girl to take Jackie Paper's place in Puff's life.

ewe are here said...

I am a terrible, terrible mother.

The book list is fantastic. But, although MF has lots of books, he won't let us read to him too much. He 'reads' to us regularly; we're 'not allowed' to read to him.... so I suspect after reading this list we have failed him somehow. Sigh.

Bon said...

Oscar wanted to contribute something, i could tell, but he just said "MMMM" and banged his copy of "Personal Penguin" on the floor. so pass that on to Miss M, will you, as a recommendation?

Unknown said...

Happy 2 1/2 from Little Puppy who has finely started to enjoy sitting long enough to read...now we have a great list - Thanks Miss M, hope you had half a cake, too! - LP

Mad said...

ewe: NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! That is simply not true. It is no more true than my being responsible for my daughter being socially awkward or physically timid. Our kids are our kids and we can guide them but we cannot change their who they are. Miss M came out of the womb a reader AND a scaredy cat. I cannot take credit for the former nor responsibility for the latter. This is partly why I write these posts in her voice even though I feel awkward about doing so. You see, I really don't think I can pat myself on the back for creating her love of books.

Mad said...

mmmm, let me state that last comment a little differently. Miss M is a reader despite me. Even though I am a children's lit librarian I know that feeling of blind panic when you walk into the library with a kid and you have no idea how you will find a few good books that are age-appropriate and that your kid may like. With the help of my daughter, we have stumbled across lots over the last year and so I simply want to share our findings with others in case it makes those library visits easier. It's also why I ask for suggestions back b/c Miss M is outsrtripping my knowledge-base with her sheer voraciousness.

ewe are here said...

Thank you for responding to my comment as you have. It does make me feel better.

I think what really gets me particularly, is that I was Miss M when I was little. I read every thing I could get my hands on. Everything. I adored the library. And I guess I just kind of assumed MF would be the same way, and haven't quite known what to do with him in regards to books as he isn't... except keep buying them. He does like them an awful lot, we just don't 'read' them from front to back.

Julie Pippert said...

Miss M,

Thank-a you! I love-a da books. My Tissy isn't too keen but I love-a dem. Mom says this soothes her soul.

I like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Napping House too.

But Georgie* is my favorite. I sleep with all of my Georgie books. Do you like Georgie?

I also like

Is Your Mama A Llama
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Wheels on the Bus

The last two because you can sing them, too, and Itsy Bitsy Spider has pretty pictures.

Your friend, Persistence

* Georgie = Curious George, Persistence's Patron Saint.

Julie Pippert said...

P.S. I am just a little bit older than you! Persistence

Mad said...

Persistence:
I haven't read any Georgie yet. I don't know what mom was waiting for. I'll make her bring some home this week. I hear he gets high on ether. Waa-hoo.

OhTheJoys said...

Dear Ms. M,
Thanks for sharing these. I am excited!
xo,
The Mayor

p.s. I'm in momz blogr accnt usn hr id!

mamatulip said...

Miss M, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is one of our favourites over here. Good choice!

Kyla said...

Little Fur Family! I loved this as a child. I had an edition where the book was actually furry. *sigh* Memories.

Miss M allows you to read these to her? I can make it through 1-2 pages of a story with KayTar and then she grabs it from me and begins labeling objects. She isn't too much about the actual stories yet.

Christine said...

#35--Chrysanthemum --my nick name!!!!

loved the list and we'll be coming back to it for ideas over and over!

mo-wo said...

Alison's Zinnia is a nice one at any age.. Looking forward to the alphabet books. Hmm.. with ABZ make the list?

Nice tip on the Ella and all the rest we will check them out.. when the libraries open again...

Now for Miss M. Girl Friday says this.. Don't miss.
Noises at Night
Orange Pear Apple Bear
Perfect Man
The Giving Tree
Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes by Zita Newcombe
Clever Katya by Mary Hoffman
Liliput 5357*
Mabel the Tooth Fairy
My Truck is Stuck
Penguin
Tom and Pippo Read a Story
Baby Brains
Lovely Day for Amelia Goose (this makes a nice parting gift for caregivers)
Noisy Nora (of course ;> )

ps.. If you do make to the West Coast and want to read half your favorites they are all in Girl Friday's Room.

mo-wo said...

And of course Knufflebunny!

Lawyer Mama said...

Some of my favorites and my kids' favorites are on that list! But I'm going to check out some of the others. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was one of their favorites from a very early age. Even my 19 month old can recite parts of it.

NotSoSage said...

Miss M,

I don't know about you, but when I'm on the potty, I settle in only for the incomparable Veggie Soup by Dorothy Donohue.

I know that the fact that it's always the same book makes my parents want to tear out their eyeballs, but they can't complain because it has an uplifting ending wherein Miss Bun opens a soup kitchen...and there's the delightfully disgusting yuck factor.

We should hang out sometime.

Mme L

kittenpie said...

Hey, if we love wombats so much, did I just miss Wombat Divine?

Too many things to comment on in this list. Suffice it to say, I love much of it. (And Nancy van Laan's Little Fish Lost is fab, too, though sadly OOP. sigh.)

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Love that dinosaur poem, it made me laugh!

mo-wo said...

Thanks for your lists. I am literally begging for books this Christmas. Your lists have helped me post a great wish list to friends and family

ps.. and I'll be springing for the DVD Jumbo Box of Classics this year, sheesh.

-- thanks for the support today. means a lot coming from you.

mo-wo said...

also -- we do a Miss Fancy book club each Christmas.. this year the pick is The Day the Babies Crawled Away -- thanks to you!