gift guide 2017: the best for baby!

It's that time!  Gift guides are popping up everywhere, and everyone has the "perfect" list of "it" items that you absolutely, without a doubt, no ifs ands or butts, must have.  Let me convince you that the perfect gift for anyone in your life is the gift of a book.  

1. A book is easy and affordable to buy, easy to wrap, and easy to transport if you are travelling away from home this holiday season. 
2. Parents will appreciate a gift that doesn't require batteries, isn't noisy, doesn't have five million pieces that will inevitably get lost, and stimulates their child's creativity. 
3. Books are the gift that keeps on giving!  They can be read over and over, enjoyed again and again.  Books are the gift of time - time spent peacefully reading alone or time spent with a parent or caring adult reading it together. 

Have I convinced you yet?  

When my first child was born, I read him picture books everyday, and honestly, it made me feel silly.  He was an infant!  Surely, it was silly to read to a baby who can't really understand the words.  I was wrong!  It is so important to read to babies beginning at the newborn stage.  Here is a list of the latest new releases that are sure to please those babies in your life and the parents who read to them too! 

*contains affiliate links 

Quantum Physics for Babies (Baby University)

By Chris Ferrie

The Baby University series features colorful and sturdy board books that illustrate simple science concepts for your future rocket scientists! 

Digger, Dozer, Dumper

By Hope Vestergaard

Books about vehicles are always, I repeat, always a winner!  This one has sixteen bouncy, rhyming poems about all kinds of construction trucks.  

Indestructibles: Things That Go!

By Amy Pixton

This book features fun pages filled with all kinds of vehicles that fly, drive, dig, or sail.  See my previous point about vehicles.  Babies love them!  What makes this book special is that it is part of a series of board books called "Indestructibles", and they are just that - indestructible!  They are designed to stand up to whatever your baby can throw at them - drool, teething, spilled snacks, anything! 

Dinosaur Dance!

By Sandra Boynton

A dinosaur party by classic and beloved author Sandra Boynton! 

Little Wood: Wolfie Paints the Town

By Sabina Gibson

This first book in a new series called Little Wood is like Calico Critters meets picture books.  A sweet story and even sweeter artwork. 

Bears in the Snow (Bears on Chairs)

By Shirley Parenteau

An entertaining and simple story about bears playing in the snow that teaches sharing. 

Everything Is Mama

By Jimmy Fallon

A funny look at the world from your baby's point of view from comedian Jimmy Fallon. 

Red Car, Green Car: A Changing Colors Book

By Roger Priddy

A fun way to learn colors with interactive pull tabs that make the colors change on each page. 

kids books about the mayflower

It's that time again - time for turkey and stuffing and gathering together as a family, Thanksgiving time!  Let's take some time before we stuff ourselves silly to learn about the lives of those first pilgrims and the ship that brought them to our shores, the Mayflower. 

*contains affiliate links 

1. If You Sailed On The Mayflower in 1620

We have several books in this history series for kids.  This one covers what it was like to sail to America with the pilgrims from England.  This series has a question and answer structure where questions about the time period are asked and then answered in length with lots of good pictures.  

. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

By Ann McGovern, Anna DiVito

2. On The Mayflower 

This book for ages 4-8 follows the over-the-sea adventure of pilgrim kids William and Ellen as they make their way to the new world.  Based on actual historical documents of two child passengers. 

On The Mayflower

By Kate Waters

3. You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower! 

This is another great history series for kids.  Best for ages 8-11 and what makes it a fun read is the way it is written in second person putting the reader in the action.  What would it be like for you to be a pilgrim child emigrating with your family on the Mayflower. 

You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower!: A Trip That Took Entirely Too Long

By Peter Cook

4. M is for Mayflower 

A part of the state-by-state alphabet series and featuring a New England style alphabet. 

M Is For Mayflower: A Massachusetts Alphabet (Discover America State by State)

By Margot Theis Raven

5. The Mayflower 

A version of the harrowing trip from England to the New World on the Mayflower that is perfect for kindergarteners. 

The Mayflower

By Mark Greenwood

picture books about peacocks

You have probably read your fill of picture books about chickens, or ducks, or geese.  You could probably rattle off a quick list of picture books you have about red birds or blue birds or owls.  But what about peacocks?  The peacock isn't featured in a lot of kids books, and why not because they are so pretty!  The deep turquoise color of their feathers is just one of my favorite colors! 

Here is a list of some great picture books about peacocks. 

*contains affiliate links 

1. Flora and the Peacocks 

You probably already know Flora from her books Flora and the Flamingo and Flora and the Penguin.  Flora is an adorable ballerina who loves her fine feathered friends.  This story is all about the delicate balance of being in a group of three friends. 

Flora and the Peacocks

By Molly Idle

Buy on Amazon

2. Feathers For Peacock

This blends folk and fairy tales to come up with an original legend answering how peacocks got their feathers. 

Feathers for Peacock

By Jacqueline Jules

Buy on Amazon

3. The Golden Peacock 

This fantastical tale features pirates, adventure, rhymes, and great illustrations. 

The Golden Peacock (Beginner readers bedtime stories book)

By S Adler

Buy on Amazon

4. Just Plain Fancy 

When two Amish girls find an unusual egg, they take it home to care for it.  They keep it warm and watch it every day, waiting for it to hatch.  When it does, they get a big surprise! (Spoiler: it is a peacock.)

Just Plain Fancy

By Patricia Polacco

5. The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock 

This is the classic Ugly Duckling tale meets a peacock's tale.  Prewitt the peacock's tale doesn't look like the other peacock's tales.  They aren't nice to him because he is different, but he learns to be proud of who he is. 

The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock

By Bill Peet

Buy on Amazon

5. Up! Tall! And High! 

This award-winning and interactive picture book is all about loving what makes you different and special.  Each bird in this has something that makes them different and instead of feeling self conscious about it, they make it work!  

Up, Tall and High

By Ethan Long

Buy on Amazon

get self confidence on and off the sports field! the playbook by kwame alexander

What do you do to instill self-confidence in your kids? What about instilling it in yourself?  I love reading lifestyle books that teach me ways to live a better, less chaotic life because when my day-to-day runs more smoothly, I have more confidence to go out there and take a bite out of some of my bigger life goals.  My fave lifestyle book series is the Madame Chic series by Jennifer Scott.  Love, love, love those books!  

The Playbook by Kwame Alexander is perfect for giving tweens and teens that shot of self-esteem and motivation that will help them succeed in life, not just on the basketball court or soccer field, but in all aspects of their life. 

I saw Kwame speak at a writers' conference this summer, and his work is enthusiastic, powerful, and his passion for writing and motivating youngsters is contagious! In The Playbook, you will find a collection of motivational quotes and snippets of advice from sports superstars like Serena Williams and Michael Jordan.  You will also find short stories about overcoming obstacles in real life and sports life and what Kwame Alexander terms "52 rules to follow on and off the court". 

My son is not much of a sports guy, but I still think he needs to read this.  I think even though each lesson is presented through the lens of a sports analogy, the takeaway from each is valuable whether you like basketball, soccer, or not.  

recommended age: 10+

for beatles fans both big and small

Are you a Beatles fan?  Here is a book that you absolutely NEED in you collection - The Beatles Were Fab (And They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer with pictures by Stacy Innerst. 

"From the time they got together as lads until they became superstars, the Fab Four made music, made history, and made people laugh."

There are about one million books about the Beatles.  Why do you need one more, right? Well, I feel like if you are going to write a book on a well-worn subject like the Beatles, you need to find a unique take on the subject, and this book definitely does that.  The story follows the same line of following the Fab Four through their climb to fame and the pop charts, but what makes it different from other Beatles books is its focus on humor and how important the ability to laugh and make jokes was to the band.  As the title says, the Beatles were really, really funny people.  This is a great read for Beatles fans, but I think there is a lesson in there somewhere for us all, too.  Laughter and a good sense of humor is so valuable in helping us enjoy the good moments and survive the bad moments.   

Recommended age group: 6 and up

This portion of my post contains affiliate links which means that I might get a small fee at no cost to you if you purchase something from the page.  This does not influence my opinion stated here and helps keep my blog going.  Thanks! 

If reading this book has sparked Beatlemania in your little one, here are some cute things I found that celebrate all things Paul, John, George, and Ringo! 

The Beatles Colouring Book - Yellow Submarine Sgt Pepper Lennon Ringo Mcartney

Hot Wheels 2016 HW Screen Time No. 225/250 1:64 Scaled The Beatles Yellow Submarine

Mattel

Kiditude Beatles Yellow Submarine Toddler T Shirt, Navy (5)

one of our favorite new books: dance is for everyone by andrea zuill

Do you have a little ballerina in your life? One that lives in her tutu and leotard even when it isn't a dance lesson day?  Do you know a child, especially a little boy, that thinks that they can't dance or don't belong in a ballet class?  You need to read Dance is For Everyone by Andrea Zuill. 

This story is about what happens when a 450 pound alligator shows up in a ballet class one day and wants to learn to dance. At first, the students and teacher don't know what to think or do.  They'd never had such a different type of student in their dance school before.  The alligator, later named Tanya, is so enthusiastic about ballet and so happy to dance that everyone overlooks their differences and looks for ways to work together to put on the best ballet show ever! 

We loved everything about this book.  The story is really funny. (Have you ever seen an alligator try to do a ballet twirl?)  I love the message of inclusiveness and acceptance, especially at the end, when instead of changing the alligator to fit in with the class, the class learns to find a place for Tanya's strengths.  

Andrea Zuill's illustration style is so charming and adds so much character and humor to the story.  This is Andrea's second children's book.  If you want to learn more about the author and her books, check out her website here. 

what are your kids reading this summer?

UPDATE:  It's hard to believe, but my kids go back to school in less than two weeks!  I am ready/not ready, of course.  My type-A side is ready for more structure.   I am craving my schedule and the ability to blog to my heart's content.  I wanted to update this post based on what my fourth grader, almost fifth grader loved the most from the summer reading list I chose for him.  He liked   most of the books.  He LOVED one of the books.  First place winner this summer goes to The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart.  We were on a long car trip home from vacation when he decided to pick this one up, and for the next two days, he couldn't put it down!  It's got elements of mystery, suspense, and excitement.  Trenton Lee Stewart is really skilled at world building, and my son was completely absorbed in the world of The Secret Keepers.  Second place winner this summer goes to the Nathan Hale Hazardous Tales series.  He carried these around for a month, reading and then re-reading them.  I think the comic book format made the historical information easy to digest.

Can you believe it is time to start thinking about your summer plans?! By the end of this month, our kids will be released out into the wild with no homework to do, no lunch boxes to pack, and no piano practice to attend.  My kids will be with me 24/7.  (Gasp!) 

What's your summer style?  Do you plan lots of structured activities and camps, or do you just go with the flow and let things happen more spontaneously?  I probably fall into the spontaneous camp which works for a couple of weeks until the house is a wreck, we have no clean clothes, and my kids are trying to eat Oreos for breakfast.  Then I start to regret my lack of planning and long for my iron clad schedule that dictates our school year.  This summer I am doing my best to land firmly in the middle of each extreme.  I don't want to plan every second.  Kids need to have enough free time to get bored.  At the same time, I want to pepper some structure here and there.  One thing I am definitely planning out is a good reading list for each of my kids.  I picked lots of books to keep my fourth grader's mind busy over the school break.  I wanted them to be fun reads, nothing too academic or serious.  It is his vacation, after all.  However, I did want him to learn new things from what he reads and not have the books I chose be total fluff.  I think I found a solid list.  Here is what I chose. 

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

"When Reuben discovers an extraordinary antique watch, he soon learns it has a secret power and his life takes an intriguing turn."  This book looks like a fun mystery-thriller, and it is written by the award-winning author of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale

"In the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history's roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format."  My one rule for choosing books for his list was if they were non-fiction or historical, they needed to be presented in an entertaining to read way.  I wanted his summer reading to be for pleasure.  This graphic novel series fits that bill.  Each one focuses on an event in American history and presents it in a fun but very detailed way. 

The Door by the Staircase by Katherine Marsh

"Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes can't stand her orphanage for another night.  But when an attempted escape through the stove pipe doesn't go quite as well as she'd hoped, Mary fears she'll be stuck in the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever."  This book gives me a real Roald Dahl/Lemony Snicket vibe. It looks like a juicy summer read with a bit of an edge.

The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz

"On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children.  Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon."  This is illustrated throughout and has won the 2017 Newberry Award.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin

"Winston Breen says the only thing better than discovering a puzzle is stumping someone else with it.  But when his sister uncovers mysterious strips of wood with words and letters on them, even Winston himself is stumped.  Soon the whole family is caught up in the mysterious scavenger hunt that just may lead to a ring worth thousands of dollars!"  The product description of this one says that fans of the classic kid's mystery novel, The Westing Game, will enjoy this.  This is one that I might borrow from him after he reads it because I still love The Westing Game!

the secret life of squirrels plus more kid's books about squirrels!

Did you know that squirrels do their own laundry?  Or loves to bathe with a rubber duckie?  Me neither!  Author Nancy Rose is exposing the secret world of those cute furry forest friends that we see collecting acorns on a walk through the park every day. 

In The Secret Life of Squirrels by Nancy Rose, Mr. Peanuts is a very sophisticated little critter!  He loves to read books at the library.  He is very responsible and makes sure to clean up after himself, even using a tiny vacuum cleaner.  This sweet and funny board book follows Mr. Peanuts throughout his day in the cutest miniature world with tiny kitchen tools, camping tent, book shelves, even a tiny, tiny ice cream parlor! Cuteness overload!!

This went over big time well with my kids.  They loved it.  Once we read it, we really wanted to know how in the world the author got squirrels to pose for this photos.  After we sat there concocting our own theories on how she got a squirrel to mail a letter, we decided to do some internet research.  Author Nancy Rose is an avid photographer who actually trained squirrels from her backyard to respond to treats.  That coupled with her adorably crafted miniature furniture and scenes make the fantastic world of Mr. Peanut! You have to check out her website because it has tons of fun Mr. Peanut photos plus videos about her training process.  Click here to see it.

**The next portion of my post contains affiliated links which means that if you buy something, I get a small fee at no cost to you.  You get a new book and I get a little money to keep the blog going.  Win/Win!

Here are more great squirrel reads!

Those Darn Squirrels!

$6.39

By Adam Rubin

The Secret Life of Squirrels: A Love Story

$11.03

By Nancy Rose

Scaredy Squirrel

$7.63

By Mélanie Watt

The Busy Little Squirrel (Classic Board Books)

$3.99

By Nancy Tafuri

retro clifford the big red dog!

Did you love Clifford, the big red dog, when you were a kid?  I loved this book series, and now my kids do too.  There are so many great titles in the Clifford series by Norman Bridwell.  What's your favorite?  I love the Halloween story where Clifford goes trick or treating. 

I was at my local bookstore recently, and I found these two little cuties on display.  These are reproductions of the original Clifford stories.  I love the hard covers, the original red, black, and white illustrations, and even the way they "aged" the edges of the pages to make it look like it's an old copy. They have the same great stories of everyone's fave big red do with a dose of retro cute. 

These vintage style books got me thinking about the history of Clifford.  Here's what I found out.

• The first Clifford book was written by Norman Bridwell and published by Scholastic in 1963.
• Clifford is still the official mascot of Scholastic Publishing.
• Bridwell wanted to name the dog "Tiny" but his wife convinced him to name the dog Clifford after her childhood best friend.
• If you were to meet Clifford in real life, he would stand at about 25 feet tall!
• There are over 80 Clifford titles as well as movies and a tv show.

10 kids books about the letter c - cats, cakes, carrots, cows, and cars!

Let's read about the letter C - cats, cakes, carrots, cows, and cars!  What else could we add to the list?

The Cat in the Hat

By Dr. Seuss

Buy on Amazon

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

By Eric Litwin

Buy on Amazon

If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (If You Give... Books)

By Laura Numeroff

Buy on Amazon

Let's Color Cupcakes - Coloring Book for Kids

By Speedy Publishing LLC

Buy on Amazon

BUNNY CAKES (Max and Ruby)

By Pearson Early Learning Group

Buy on Amazon

Sand Cake (A Frank Asch Bear Book)

By Frank Asch

Buy on Amazon

The Carrot Seed Board Book

By Ruth (Author) on May-30-1993 Hardcover The Carrot Seed Board Book THE CARROT SEED BOARD BOOK by Krauss

Buy on Amazon

Creepy Carrots!

By Aaron Reynolds

Buy on Amazon

Are You a Cow? (Boynton on Board)

By Sandra Boynton

Buy on Amazon

If I Built a Car

By Chris Van Dusen

Buy on Amazon

my kids book shopping list

What's on your book shopping list?  There are new releases that I have my eyes on, and I can't wait to read them!

**This post contains affiliate links, and that means Booktomato gets a small fee when you buy something through the links on this page.  However, all opinions stated here are purely my own.

Bunny's Book Club

By Annie Silvestro

Buy on Amazon

Bunny loves to hop on over to story time at the library. This looks like a sweet read for preschoolers.

Lost and Found Cat: The True Story of Kunkush's Incredible Journey

By Doug Kuntz, Amy Shrodes

Buy on Amazon

This is the true story of a pet cat's journey to be reunited with his family after they are forced to leave their home country and become refugees.

North, South, East, West

By Margaret Wise Brown

Buy on Amazon

This is a never been published Margaret Wise Brown book with new illustrations by Greg Pizzoli.

Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing

By Kay Haring

Buy on Amazon

This would be perfect to inspire artists-in-the-making!

the madeline legacy continues!

Did you grow up reading about the twelve little girls in two straight lines, and that old house that they lived in, covered with vines?  I treasured my Madeline books, so I was curious when I saw that Madeline author, Ludwig Bemelmans, had a grandson who was taking up the Madeline torch and continuing the stories. 

You never know when a remake is going to be great or going to be something you wish never happened as to not tarnish the image of the original in your mind. (I'm looking at you, sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird.)  I love the originals so much that reading a new Madeline story had me a bit nervous.  But, rejoice!  I liked them, and my preschooler found them just as entertaining as the originals.

John Bemelmans Marciano is the grandson of the original author, and he has written three new Madeline stories: Madeline in Rome, Madeline at the White House, and this one, Madeline and the Old House in Paris.

In this story, Lord Cucuface, that meddlesome, snooty-tooty, sometimes mean Head of School, pays the girls a visit.  While he is inspecting the place, he discovers a beautiful, old telescope and decides to take it home. 

With the telescope gone,  the girls start to hear strange, ghastly noises coming from the attic.  They investigate to find that the ghost of a scientist haunts their house, and he wants his telescope back!  Fortunately, he is a friendly ghost, and Madeline and Pepito (the bad hatted boy next door) hatch a plan to get that telescope back!

I found the writing style with its bouncy fun rhymes to be just like the originals, maybe even, dare I say it, a little better because it was a tad more on the modern side.  It used the type of language we use today, so my preschooler understood the rhymes better.  The illustrations aren't quite as detailed as the originals, but they still bring us into that Madeline, Parisian world.  We really enjoyed it.

friends forever by roald kaldestad and bjorn rune lie

When you were a kid, did you ever have a best friend move away?  I was six when my family moved to a new city six hours away from where we were living and six hours away from my best friend who lived next door.  I was devastated.  Big life changes are just as hard for kids as they are for adults, maybe sometimes even harder.  Kids are still learning to process and make sense of their emotions, and losing a best friend can be difficult. 

I like to use age-appropriate books to help my kids handle big life lessons.  Reading about a character that is going through the same thing my kid is going through really helps in so many ways.  They get to see how the character deals with the same problem. They are comforted by the fact that they aren't the only person in the world dealing with the issue.  Reading about life lessons gets the ball rolling between me and my kid, and we have more meaningful conversations after reading.  With this in mind, I was so excited when Berlin-based children's book publisher offered to send me a copy of one of their latest books, Friends Forever.

This Norwegian-translated picture book by Roald Kaldestad and Bjorn Rune Lie is a perfect choice for kid dealing with losing a friend. 

A boy misses his best friend every time it rains. Since she moved away, he feels lonely and isolated from everyone around him, even his classmates and family.  One day, the mailman brings him a surprise letter from her with a chocolate bar inside.  The treat makes him feel a little better, but a chocolate bar isn't the same as having his friend back.  In the end, a new girl moves into the house next door, and the boy opens himself up to making new friends. 

The emotional mood in this picture book is very strong, and the illustrations by Bjorn Rune Lie create scenes on the page that use the boy's outer world to reflect his inner world.  Gloomy, rainy, overcast, and with swirling winds blowing everything up in the air are the best ways to describe his outer view and also his inner view.

I like that this story didn't try to solve the boy's problem right away.  So many times, when my kids are struggling with something, I tend to rush in and try to make things better.  Even though the story ends on a hopeful note for the boy, this book doesn't try to rush him through his emotions.  He is allowed to be sad and mad about losing his best friend.  That notion that every one grieves on their own time is a lesson that I found very valuable in this story. The publisher labelled this as a book best suited for ages 6-9, and that sounds about right.  

Thank you to Little Gestalten for sending me a copy of Friends Forever! If you haven't checked out the book publisher that the New York Times Style section says "marries thoughtful storytelling with supercool visuals", go to the Little Gestalten website to browse from their amazing selection.  On the front page of their web shop, they quote George Bernard Shaw, "Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself."  I couldn't agree more!