Other books we have been reading

Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer
I got this book as an older child and didn't read it much since I was starting in to a chapter book phase. However it was really fun reading what little critter and his grandma did at the beach and how he acted grown up but not quite so grown up. We are little critter fans.

The Tortoise and the Hare retold by Mark Schlichting
We loved the pictures in this version. We read many of Aesop's fables before (you can read about it here) but this one was told slightly different. I think I got it as an older child also with a software program or something.

I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
After hearing Joey read this book on Friends we HAD to get this. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I read this book first towards the end of my pregnancy with Monkey. I bawled as I read the ending. I do it EVERY time I read it to Monkey. He looked at me funny as I read this to him before bed on Tuesday. It's such a beautiful story and it makes me sad that Monkey is going to grow up!

Eight Silly Monkeys illustrated by Steve Haskamp
A classic nursery rhyme turned a little bit more fun. The heads of the monkeys are plastic and go away as you turn each page. This is a great book to teach counting and it's just plain fun too!

Where is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz
This book is sure to get giggles. It's Monkey's favorite. He finds this book and brings it to me to read to him several times per day. Check this one out!!!

Sammy the Seal by Syd Hoff (Level 1 I Can Read)
What a fun book! Sammy the seal explores town including someone's bathtub and a school. This is a classic book!

All By Myself by Mercer Mayer (a Little Critter book)
This is also a fun book to read to a toddler who wants to do everything his or herself. This would make a great story to read for bedtime.

Turtles and Aesop's Fables

We chose to read about turtles for our letter T today. We had an added bonus of getting a book that had a bunch of Aesop's fables though!

Turtle in the Sea by Jim Arnosky
Cute book about a mama turtle who lays eggs on the beach. Talks about the life cycle of a turtle and how it went through so many struggles in life yet still laid eggs.
The Rabbit and the Turtle: Aesop's fables retold by Eric Carle
This is a great book to teach morals to your children. It contains the following stories:
-The Lion and the Mouse (teaches friends come in all shapes and sizes-a mouse helps a lion that's in trouble because the lion didn't eat him)
-The Wolf and the Dog (teaches being free is the greatest gift-wolf wants to be a guard dog until it realizes it needs a collar and would be tied up)
-The Fox and the Crane (teaches treat others as you want to be treated-fox invites crane to dinner but crane can't eat off fox's plates so crane invites fox over and fox can't eat out of a goblet)
-The Cat and the Mouse (teaches that an idea isn't always enough-mice plan to put a bell around cat's neck so they will hear cat coming but no one volunteers to do it)
-The Monkey and the Fox (teaches to not try to be something you're not-Monkey imitates a king so everyone except fox votes for him, he ends up falling for a trap)
-The Rabbit and the Turtle (classic slow and steady wins the race-rabbit and turtle race, rabbit decides to rest until turtle catches up but turtle wins)
-The Wolf and the Lamb (when faced with danger make wise choices-wolf catches a lamb who for her final wish asks for wolf to play her music, eventually the shepherd hears and doesn't recognize the music and comes to save the lamb)
-The Fox and the Ox (be proud of who you are-frog tries to be big like ox and ends up blowing up even though his family told him to stop)
-The Blackbird and the Peacock (don't pretend to be someone you're not-a blackbird wants to be a peacock so it sticks feathers in its belt and everyone makes fun of him)
-The Fox and the Crow (common sense is greater than beauty-a baby fox is hungry so it's mama starts talking about how beautiful everything about a crow is, crow starts singing and drops its food and the baby fox eats it)
-The Grasshopper and the Ant (always prepare for tomorrow today-grasshopper sings all summer while ants work, in the winter grasshopper has no food)