what we're reading now...may 18

You might notice that our recent reads are, ahem, lacking in substance. This is totally justified because baby A has truly begun to take notice of his multi-sensory books.  Granted, I probably have not spent enough time with turn-the-flap, touch-and-feel, scratch-and-sniff, etc.  Instead, I often select the books that I personally love.  Hopefully, this is not completely to A's detriment.  I am beginning to rectify the problem!

Tails.  I read about this book on a message board when I was trying to assuage my growing panic about our upcoming transatlantic flight to Europe and in search of any good "entertaining the baby without medicating them" ideas.  As it turns out, I think it's a bit bulky and unwieldy for travel, but it was a completely inspired purchase.  Baby A LOVES it.  He's not so much into touching the furry tails, but he likes opening the flaps, which are extra large and easy for him to manage.  Lately, he's been wriggling all around in our arms and craning his little neck towards the shelf where we keep this book, and it's the only one that calms him down immediately.

Inside Freight Train. I feel a pang of bittersweet nostalgia when I think of Freight Train, Donald Crew's 1979 Caldecott-honored book.  It was a beloved former student's favorite book, and every time I see it, I can still hear him chanting the simple text boldly and exuberantly, "...a black tender and a black steam engine!"  The aforementioned dear librarian friend purchased both Freight Train and this companion book for baby A shortly after he was born, and we are really enjoying them now.  Inside Freight Train is a sliding board book-open the partitions and the contents of each car are revealed.  Baby A laughs every time I slide open the paper "doors."  He's always enjoyed the original Freight Train, and I carried it in my diaper bag for emergency entertainment for months.  Now that he's so interested, however, I've put it back into our regular library rotation.  I usually read one or the other every few days.

Dear Zoo.  Here is a classic turn-the-flap book. It's one that I'd often seen in classrooms and libraries but never read.  A shame I missed it, because it's absolutely adorable and truly a perfect beginning for showing babies and small children how to turn flaps.  I must warn you, should you purchase your own new copy, that the flaps are quite secure and also constructed of fairly thin stiff paper.  You'll need to go through the book first and open all of the flaps, because they'll be impossible for baby to manipulate when the book is brand new.  Sadly, baby A experienced his first paper cut when he enthusiastically attempted to open one of the crisp, new flaps.  I am pleased to say it has not affected his interest in the book.

Moongame.  There is a whole series of "Moonbear" books by Frank Asch, but this is the only one with which I'm familiar.  It was a random find in my set of classroom books, probably from a book fair or an extra copy shared by my mother.  I pulled it out on a whim a few days ago, and we've both enjoyed reading it.  I can imagine it will become even more interesting as A gets older.  The illustrations are simple, but bright and sweet, and the story is relatable.

The Lorax.  To be fair, baby A's attention span does not allow for a complete reading of The Lorax in one sitting.  We usually break it up over about three sessions.  I did not fully appreciate the wonder of this book when I was young.  It really warms my heart to think that I sort of "discovered" it again while reading with my baby.  I am confident it won't be the last time, either.

We had our weekly visit to the library yesterday, and I'm really excited about some of the things we (okay, I) picked out.  Maybe a few of them will make the next list?

Happy reading!