gdata.io.handleScriptLoaded({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-26T08:12:09.894-05:00"},"category":[{"term":"homeschooling"},{"term":"IEP"},{"term":"liquid watercolor art activities"},{"term":"children's books"},{"term":"siblings"},{"term":"curriculum"},{"term":"OT"},{"term":"busy book"},{"term":"Testy Shop"},{"term":"Testy Homeschool \u0026 Teacher Shop"},{"term":"crafts"},{"term":"CEU Challenge"},{"term":"review"},{"term":"cardsets"},{"term":"quiet book"},{"term":"light box"},{"term":"preschool"},{"term":"language"},{"term":"therapy"},{"term":"Michael"},{"term":"supplements"},{"term":"weeklyreview"},{"term":"daily life"},{"term":"tidbits"},{"term":"blogging"},{"term":"audiofiles"},{"term":"app"},{"term":"giveaway"},{"term":"reference"},{"term":"car ride activities"},{"term":"Apraxia"},{"term":"Ava"},{"term":"SLP"},{"term":"articulation"},{"term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Testy yet trying"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"A Speech Pathologist Mother and Her Daughter Diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/children%27s+books?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/children%27s+books?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/children%27s%20books"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/children%27s+books/-/children%27s+books?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"https://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"15"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-3778731057693254622"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-12T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-12T05:00:03.166-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"homeschooling"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Super Reading and The Magic Tree House Books"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I'll admit it.  I was struggling in the afternoons.  Our mornings are fairly structured.  Time goes quickly.  We get a lot done.  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/07/homeschool-circle-time.html\"\u003eCircle time\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/interactive-word-wall-creating-and.html\"\u003eword wall games\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/04/rightstart-mathematics-level-review-and.html\"\u003emath\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/09/scholastic-news-classroom-magazine-from.html\"\u003eScholastic News\u003c/a\u003e, and our \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/all-about-reading-level-2-curriculum.html\"\u003ereading program\u003c/a\u003e fill the morning.  Then, about 4 hours after we started, we are all ready for a significant break.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I let the kids watch some tv while I prepare lunch.  Then I let them eat lunch in front of the tv while I have some quiet time.  I know it isn't perfect, but I'm human and an introvert and my sanity is important too.  So we all have a mid-day break and I do use the television to make that happen.  The problem was that I was having trouble finding the motivation to pull us all back together afterwards.  I found excuses to delay... and delay... and delay.  Then I had an ephiphany.  I realized that we needed something truly fun to pull us all back together - something that made me glad to leave my little bit of solitude and something that made the children excited about turning off the television.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So now I read to the children in the afternoons.  It's not a lesson.  Michael isn't reading or taking turns reading.  They simply get to listen to me read.  I'm not feeling rushed like I often feel during the reading time that is part of our bedtime routine.  If we're all enjoying it we can just keep reading.  We often read for 60-90 minutes in the afternoon and we all love it.  Michael calls it \"Super Reading Time\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e One of the purchases I indulged in with \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/scholastic-book-clubs-for-homeschool-too.html\"\u003emy first Scholastic Reading Club order\u003c/a\u003e was a Magic Tree House book set.  We now are the proud owners of books 1-45.  (If you want the full set, the best price per book by far is from the Scholastic Reading clubs.  Any library should have these books too.)  The main characters are an older brother and a younger sister who are only a year apart - just like my two.  The older boy is conservative and loves books and knowledge.  The younger girl is imaginative and adventurous and loves animals.  I think part of the reason the children love the books so much is because they identify with Jack and Annie.  Michael has even started using some of the phrases that Jack frequently uses in the books.  I'm not super fond of the phrase, \"Is she nuts?\" but hearing him imitate Jack is pretty cute.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The stories are about two children who discover a magic tree house in the woods near their house.  The tree house is filled with books.  When they point to a picture in the book and wish to travel there the tree house takes them to the location (and time) of the picture in the book.  So far, there are story arcs that bridge several books.  In each of the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375813659/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375813659\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003efirst four books\u003c/a\u003e they discover a clue about the owner of the tree house and they meet her at the end of the fourth book.  At the beginning of the fifth book they discover that the tree house's owner has a spell cast on her and they have to collect four things to break the spell.  They collect those four things over the course of their adventures in the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375822666/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375822666\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003enext four books\u003c/a\u003e and then rescue her at the end of the eighth book.  We've just started it, but the story arc for \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375825533/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375825533\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003ebooks 9-12\u003c/a\u003e appears to be Jack and Annie answering four riddles in order to pass the test to become \"Master Librarians\".  The children enjoy the individual stories, but they also very much enjoy the story arcs as well and definitely keep track of the progress Jack and Annie are making towards the larger goal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Each book is 10 chapters.  In each story they travel to a new location in time or space and there is a lot of science and social studies content embedded in the books.  That is a great bonus while homeschooling.  We read half a book (5 chapters) each day so it takes us two days to read each book.  Many of the books also have a nonfiction companion book.  So, for example, the fictional story \"Mummies in the Morning\" has a nonfiction companion book \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375802983/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375802983\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eMummies and Pyramids\u003c/a\u003e\".  The nonfiction books are fairly dense with a great deal of interesting information.  They are written from the perspective of Jack and Annie with the story being that when they got back from Ancient Egypt they wanted to know more about it.  So they went to the library, learned more about it, and wrote this book to share the information with other children.  I tried the Fact Trackers on a whim.  I was almost positive the reading level would just be too high for my 4 and 5 year old, but they seem to like them.  So each day we read 5 chapters of the next Magic Tree house book, and then a couple chapters of a Fact Tracker book about one of the fictional books we've already read.  So far we've done \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375802975/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375802975\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eKnights and Castles\u003c/a\u003e\" and most of \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375802983/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0375802983\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eMummies and Pyramids\u003c/a\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e Another great thing about reading this book as a series is the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.magictreehouse.com/\"\u003eMagic Tree House companion website\u003c/a\u003e.  There you can print out a passport.  Each time you finish a book you can earn a passport stamp by answering three questions about the story.  My children LOVE this.  You can also earn passports for the Fact Tracker nonfiction companion books.  The site also has a game where you can complete missions by answering questions about four different books (earning a clue for each answer) and then solving a puzzle at the end.  You earn a medallion for each successfully completed mission.  This part of the website fascinates my children and I would love to let them do it.  Unfortunately, the missions seem to choose randomly between ALL the books.  If they would limit it to just books the children have already read (ones they've earned passport stamps for) then you would be able to play the mission game and begin to earn medallions no matter how many of the books you've read.  As it is, we can't really play that game at all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e \"Super reading\" and the Magic Tree House books have completely transformed our afternoons.  Now we all look forward to the time after lunch and we come back together for some snuggly reading time on the sofa together.  It has become a really special time of our homeschooling day.  "},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/3778731057693254622/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/09/super-reading-and-magic-tree-house-books.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/3778731057693254622"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/3778731057693254622"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/09/super-reading-and-magic-tree-house-books.html","title":"Super Reading and The Magic Tree House Books"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-5762217210950169875"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-23T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-23T05:00:01.255-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"4 Fun Halloween Picture Books"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"What is it about monsters, ghosts, witches, ghouls, and goblins?  My children love stories about them (as long as they're nice, and not scary).  We discover them when they're out and about during the Halloween time of year, but we tend to keep them on the shelf and enjoy them year-round.  Here are four of our favorites that we've been enjoying for several years now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pII5BtARppU/Uf-6kOYEBsI/AAAAAAAAEhQ/K0Cyj5cEkck/s1600/4+Fun+Halloween+Picture+Books.jpg\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pII5BtARppU/Uf-6kOYEBsI/AAAAAAAAEhQ/K0Cyj5cEkck/s400/4+Fun+Halloween+Picture+Books.jpg\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  Three are meant to be sung and one is just a great story.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545174805/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0545174805\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Spooky Wheels on the Bus\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by J. Elizabeth Mills.  This is a Halloween version of The Wheels on the Bus crossed with a counting book (up to 10).  It begins, \"One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE. One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE, All through the town.  It continues with 2 white wipers (skeleton arms), 3 black cats, 4 glowing wheels (jack o'lanterns), 5 big spiders, 6 singing mummies, 7 silly monsters, 8 wacky witches, 9 magic brooms, and 10 goofy ghosts before returning to the original lyric.  The children enjoy the lyrics and love the pictures.  They are not scary at all.  They are full of detail.  We had read / sung the book at least a dozen times before we notices that each picture gives a hint of what is to come on the next page.  You can actually guess who is about to get on the bus next.  All in all, it is a fun adaptation that we enjoy every time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439158044/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0439158044\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eTen Timid Ghosts\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Jennifer O'Connell.  I sing this book. For the life of me, I cannot think of what the tune I use is so that I can tell you.  Hopefully it will just come to you as you read the book.  You could also simply read the book.  It is enjoyable either way.  It is a countdown book.  It begins with 10 and counts down to one.  It begins, \"Ten timid ghosts in a haunted house - A witch moved in and wanted them out.\"  She proceeds to do a series of practical jokes on the ghosts each one scaring off another ghost.  The children love searching the illustrations to figure out how the witch is pulling off her trick and if you look you can always find her.  At the end, the last little ghost figures out that it was the witch all along and tells his friends and the witch gets her comeuppance in the end.  It is fun to sing, the story is cute, and the illustrations are well done and add something fun to the experience of reading the story.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760745552/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0760745552\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Joe Troiano.  This is a great story that celebrates differences.  Spookley is the only square pumpkin in the pumpkin patch but that quality about him saves the day during a storm.  When the farmer realized how special Spookley was he saved his seeds for the next season.  The next season all the pumpkins in the patch were unique and people came from miles around to choose a special pumpkin.  My retelling doesn't really do the story justice.  The pictures complement the story beautifully and the story is told in a rhyme that it fun to read.  Excellent book.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061767980/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0061767980\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eLittle Goblins Ten\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Pamela Jane.  This is an adaptation of the song/nursery rhyme \u003ca href\u003d\"http://more2.starfall.com/m/talking-library/over-meadow/play.htm?f\u0026d\u003ddemo\"\u003eOver in the Meadow\u003c/a\u003e (click here to hear \u003ca href\u003d\"http://lavendersbluehomeschool.com/song-over-in-the-meadow/\"\u003ea lovely version sung\u003c/a\u003e).  I've always loved the melody of this song and I've always loved singing the traditional nursery rhyme version.  It is just as much fun, if not more to use the same melody while singing this book.  This halloween version begins, \"Over in the forest, Where the trees hide the sun, Lived a big mommy monster, And her little monster one.\"  The song hits 9 other types of halloween monsters.  The illustrations are gorgeous and not at all scary.  The children love seeing the various Halloween creatures and their parents.  The final page has all of the creatures together setting off to Trick or Treat.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you liked these children's book suggestions, I have \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/children%27s%20books\"\u003eseveral others\u003c/a\u003e ranging from board books through early chapter books.  Check them out.\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/5762217210950169875/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-fun-halloween-picture-books.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/5762217210950169875"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/5762217210950169875"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-fun-halloween-picture-books.html","title":"4 Fun Halloween Picture Books"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pII5BtARppU/Uf-6kOYEBsI/AAAAAAAAEhQ/K0Cyj5cEkck/s72-c/4+Fun+Halloween+Picture+Books.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-1352782921743392193"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-16T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-16T05:00:01.468-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"4 Outstanding Picture Book Variations on the Classic Gingerbread Man Tale"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I always found the classic fairy tale of the gingerbread man to be a little boring growing up. It felt like just another story with a moral.  Then I discovered a captivating version of the classic tale with adorable illustrations and the story written in verse.  The tale became a fun one to tell and I even turned the \"catch me if you can\" verse repeated throughout the story into a little song.  The children and I loved it and we read it weekly for several months and continue to read it at least once every couple of months two years later.  I began looking for other well done variations on the tale.  Not all of them were great, but I highly recommend these four.  We have been reading and re-reading these four in our household for several years.  The children liked them as toddlers and still love them as preschoolers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s6MyH73VkZg/Uf6V9saRdiI/AAAAAAAAEhA/SGDVdigeIo8/s1600/4+Excellent+Picture+Book+Variations+on+the+Gingerbread+Man.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s6MyH73VkZg/Uf6V9saRdiI/AAAAAAAAEhA/SGDVdigeIo8/s400/4+Excellent+Picture+Book+Variations+on+the+Gingerbread+Man.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  They are all short, simple, and sweet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545235146/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0545235146\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Gingerbread Man\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Jim Aylesworth.  It's all in the telling.  This is the classic story of the gingerbread man, but the rhyme and rhythm make it a pleasure to read and so much more engaging for the little ones.  You'll want a great telling of the classic story for several reasons.  First, you need something to compare the others to if you're doing a unit on how fairy tales are often retold in different variations.  Also, the Gingerbread Girl stories I'll be talking about shortly set themselves up as direct sequels to the Gingerbread Man story often referring to what happened to the original Gingerbread Boy.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399250522/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0399250522\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Gingerbread Man Loose in the School\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Laura Murray.  This variation of the gingerbread man takes place in a school.  He is baked by a class of children who leave for recess while they wait for him to cool.  He thinks he's been abandoned and searches the school to find his class only to discover at the end that they've been searching for him as well.  The illustrations are done in a comic panel format which usually irritates me, but it isn't overdone in this book.  In fact there is a lot of detail and humor to be found in the illustrations and it really does add layers to the story to take the time to fully examine the illustrations.  Some of the common core standards involve using illustrations to add information so this is an added bonus in the book.  Like all the other gingerbread man tales I'm featuring, this one is written in rhyme and is a pleasure to read.  My kids love this one too.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525476679/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0525476679\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Gingerbread Girl\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Lisa Campbell Ernst.  This book is so much fun.  One year later, the little old man and little old woman decide to try again but this time they bake a gingerbread girl.  As she bakes she overhears the old man and woman discussing what happened to her brother and she decided that she will not meet the same fate.  Later in the story she ends up face to face with that fox and I still clearly remember the anticipation the children felt when they didn't know if the fox would get her.  It is fun to read and sing (if you like, just make up a tune) and is a delightful twist on the gingerbread man tale.  (One small caveot.  The fox uses the words \"airhead\" and \"dumber\" in reference to the gingerbread girl.  You could either read as is and take the opportunity to discuss why using those words is unkind, or you can simply substitute something less offensive like \"silly\" while reading.)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525422595/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0525422595\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Gingerbread Girl Goes Animal Crackers\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e is a sequel to The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst.  This sequel is at least as awesome as the original, possibly better although you wouldn't enjoy it as much if you hadn't read the first one.  This time the gingerbread girl has been with the little old man and little old woman for a year and they give her a present - a box of animal crackers.  She loves it because she's always wanted friends like her, but then the noisy mob of animal crackers runs away.  The overall story structure is familiar, but the individual pages are so well done.  Each page features a different animal cracker rhyme.  \"My legs move so fast, I'm practically flyin'. You can't catch me, I'm the wild cracker lion!\"  You can pause before the last word and treat it like a riddle and ask the children if they know which animal cracker the verse is about.  There's an excellent balance of tension in the scene with the fox and a great resolution at the end.  Outstanding book.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you liked these children's book suggestions, I have \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/children%27s%20books\"\u003eseveral others\u003c/a\u003e ranging from board books through early chapter books.  Check them out.  As soon as I get a chance, I'll share 4 fun books for halloween.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/1352782921743392193/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-outstanding-picture-book-variations.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1352782921743392193"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1352782921743392193"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-outstanding-picture-book-variations.html","title":"4 Outstanding Picture Book Variations on the Classic Gingerbread Man Tale"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s6MyH73VkZg/Uf6V9saRdiI/AAAAAAAAEhA/SGDVdigeIo8/s72-c/4+Excellent+Picture+Book+Variations+on+the+Gingerbread+Man.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-1956093840890348279"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-13T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-13T07:29:24.728-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"homeschooling"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Scholastic Book Clubs for Homeschool Too"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I remember getting Scholastic Book club flyers as a child and poring over them for hours choosing exactly what to spend my allowance on.  I remember turning in the paper form and the money to my teacher and I remember the joy of getting my little pile of books each month when they came in.  It made me sad to think that my children wouldn't have that fun because our family is choosing to homeschool.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e As it turns out, you can participate in Scholastic Book Clubs (now called Scholastic Reading Club) as a homeschool.  You simply go to the \u003ca href\u003d\"https://clubs2.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/LogonForm\"\u003eClub Sign In Page\u003c/a\u003e and click on the \"Don't have an account? Register now\" button.  Choose to register as an \u003cu\u003eeducator\u003c/u\u003e and then on the next popup page after entering your basic contact information you choose \"Homeschool\".  You'll pick the grades you're teaching (you can choose more than one) and they'll send you paper flyers, but you can also do everything online.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Right now, if you make a $25 order, they'll send you a 10 pack of books with a teacher's guide for free (the book pack will correspond to the highest grade level you picked in your profile - if you want to receive a pack for a lower grade, simply temporarily remove the higher grades from your profile and add them back in later).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They have another amazing deal going on right now too.  Teachers (including homeschool teachers) can purchase packs of 24 birthday coupons for $25.  The coupons can be redeemed for books from any of the flyers for books up to a $5 value.  So your $25 now can be redeemed for up to $120 in books during the rest of the school year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e I just made an order where I'll be getting 104 books for about 77 cents each (yes, I went a little crazy, but the deals are often best in the first flyer of the school year.  The bonus points you are earning with the current order can actually be spent on the current order if you go into checkout and then back out again to make more changes.  I used the points I earned on this order to \"buy\" additional books which is how I got the books down to 77 cents each.  Well, that and I got a lot of multi-packs that were a good bargain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I highly recommend the book clubs.  It is difficult to find books elsewhere that match Scholastic's prices and they often have exclusive softcover versions of books that are only available in hardcover everywhere else.  If you avoid the few ridiculously high prices items thrown into each flyer you can easily get 7-15 books a month for about $1-$1.50 each.  You can also skip a month whenever you like.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e If you happen to be in a homeschool organization one person can sign up as an educator and then distribute flyers to everyone else.  The other parents can sign up for parent (rather than educator) accounts and use a code given to them by the coordinator to place their orders and pay for them online.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Enjoy!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/1956093840890348279/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/scholastic-book-clubs-for-homeschool-too.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1956093840890348279"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/1956093840890348279"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/scholastic-book-clubs-for-homeschool-too.html","title":"Scholastic Book Clubs for Homeschool Too"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-6933108364088303916"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-09T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-09T05:00:00.646-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"4 Simple and Sweet Picture Books about Kittens to Read To Your Toddler"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Do you have a child who loves cats or kittens in your house?  These books are perfect for babies and toddlers because they are simple and sweet.  However, as I was cleaning the bookshelves of my 4 and five year old children I found I wasn't quite ready to put them away yet.  Sometimes you just want to read a short and sweet familiar favorite even if they've moved beyond the reading level of that particular book.  These books have been favorites of my son and daughter for years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s1600/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s400/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  They are all short, simple, and sweet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416913564/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1416913564\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eHello Calico!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Karma Wilson (of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416949224/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1416949224\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBear Wants More\u003c/a\u003e fame).  This book is in rhyme.  I always enjoy picture books written in rhyme and this one is no exception.  It introduces a curious kitten and the mama who loves her and follows the kitten as she explores during the day.  The illustrations are vibrant and beautiful and always catch the attention of my little ones.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141691904X/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d141691904X\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eUh-oh, Calico!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Karma Wilson.  This is a sequel to Hello Calico!  This time, the kitten suffers several mishaps (spilling cream, trampling flowers, etc) and finds that her mama loves her even when she makes mistakes.  The children love chiming in with \"Uh-oh, Calico! and predicting how her behavior will lead to the subsequent mishap on the next page.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761458417/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761458417\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eKitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Bill Martin Jr (known best for \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805087184/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0805087184\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBrown Bear, Brown Bear\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442450703/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1442450703\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eChicka Chicka Boom Boom\u003c/a\u003e).  This is a gentle, sweet story of a kitten who needs to get out of bed and ready for school and yet needs gentle reminders from his mama to stay on task.  Each page follows a predictable format with the mama asking a question and receiving a reply from the kitten.  There's a mouse hiding in each picture and my children always adore finding the mouse and discussing what he's up to in each new situation until finally the mouse and kitten meet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761459464/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761459464\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eKitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going to Sleep?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e is a sequel to Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat Are You Waking Up? by Bill Martin.  This sequel is at least as sweet as the original.  This time the kitten is getting ready for bed and it is his teddy bear who is tagging along through bath time, getting dressed for bed, brushing teeth, and story time. The two Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat books are some of my daughter's favorites.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you liked these children's book suggestions, I have \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/children%27s%20books\"\u003eseveral others\u003c/a\u003e ranging from board books through early chapter books.  Check them out.  As soon as I get a chance, I'll share 4 truly good variations on the gingerbread boy story and 4 fun books for halloween.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/6933108364088303916/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-simple-and-sweet-picture-books-about.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6933108364088303916"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6933108364088303916"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-simple-and-sweet-picture-books-about.html","title":"4 Simple and Sweet Picture Books about Kittens to Read To Your Toddler"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s72-c/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-7641140709104138459"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-02T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-02T05:00:01.001-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"5 Board Books to Enjoy Singing to Your Baby (or Toddler, or Preschooler)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I needed to clean out the children's bookshelves again.  We had gotten to the point where they were so overstuffed that we had taken to stuffing books across the tops of the other books, piling them up on the floor, and so on.  Some books I donate.  I find I don't like them as much as I thought I would when I bought them.  Other books the children are too old for, but I'm attached to them, so I ferret them away in a storage box to read to my grandchildren some day.  All the rest, we keep.  As I was doing my recent cleaning, reducing, and organizing of the children's bookshelves I found several board books that still play well around here.  I love to sing, and the children love to listen so it all works out.  Here are five of our favorite board books that are songs.  The children loved them as babies and toddlers and they still love them today at the ages of 4 and 5.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s1600/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s400/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  They are all wonderful.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761130675/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761130675\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eSnuggle Puppy!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Sandra Boynton.  I'll be honest.  I didn't like this book at all when I first bought it.  I got it because I love Sandra Boynton as an author of baby board books.  I got it home and didn't like reading it at all.  And then I realized it was adaptation of a song from her \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ADB6Y/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003dB0001ADB6Y\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003ePhiladelphia Chickens\u003c/a\u003e album.  I own both the board book and the album and they are great.  As soon as I heard the song I fell in love and the children adore it too.  If you just want to learn the tune to go to the song in the book, check out this \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dqxbeoIU9B54\"\u003eYouTube video\u003c/a\u003e.  The story/song is about a mama dog telling her puppy how she loves him.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761143726/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761143726\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eYour Personal Penguin\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Sandra Boynton.  This is another sweet book adapted from a Sandra Boynton song.  It is about a penguin who wants to be friends with a hippo and tells the hippo all the wonderful things they can do together as friends.  If you scroll about halfway down \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.workman.com/boynton/\"\u003ethis page\u003c/a\u003e, you can listen to the song sung by Davy Jones of The Monkees.  My children love this one too.  Careful, it'll get stuck in your head.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580890148/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1580890148\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Itsy Bitsy Spider\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  You'll know this tune.  It is the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  What I like so much about this one is that although it begins with the traditional lyrics, there are five more as well, all beautifully illustrated.  It tells the story of persistence.  The spider continues to try to find a place to spin her web until finally, at the end of the book, she succeeds.  You can have fun finding the spider on each page and cheering her on.  I have read this story and sung this song hundreds of times at this point and I still actually enjoy it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580890717/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1580890717\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBaa Baa Black Sheep\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  \u003ci\u003e(The link leads to the paperback version.)\u003c/i\u003e This is another expanded nursery rhyme by Isa Trapani.  It begins with the traditional Baa Baa Black Sheep song and is expanded another nine stanzas.  The story is about a cast of animal characters asking the sheep for various items she does not have.  The animals wonder why she won't share only to find she's been knitting them gifts all along.  The moral of the tale is that each person shares what they have to give.  The illustrations are particularly rich and add much to the tale. Once you know to look, you can see the sheep working on her gifts all throughout the story.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e5.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158089030X/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d158089030X\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eHow Much Is That Doggie in the Window?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  \u003ci\u003e(The link leads to the paperback version.)\u003c/i\u003e This may be my favorite of the Iza Trapani expanded nursery rhymes.  It is expanded by an additional 12 stanzas.  It tells the story of a boy who wants to buy a doggie from the pet store, but doesn't have enough money in his piggy bank.  He works all week to earn money, but during the week he also spends money while being generous to his family members.  At the end of the week he realizes he doesn't have enough money for the doggie and goes to the store just to say hi to the doggie.  He discovers that the doggie has been sold.  When he arrives at his house after sadly walking home he finds his parents have bought him the doggie to reward his generous spirit.\u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI found several other groups of books I want to share (cute, kitty-themed early picture books, halloween books, and gingerbread boy variations), but this is probably enough for a first installment.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE children's books?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/7641140709104138459/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/5-board-books-to-enjoy-singing-to-your.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/7641140709104138459"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/7641140709104138459"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/5-board-books-to-enjoy-singing-to-your.html","title":"5 Board Books to Enjoy Singing to Your Baby (or Toddler, or Preschooler)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s72-c/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}}]}});