Anyone Up for Some Adorable Picture Books?

Mondays stink. Even my girls think so. They are OK with school, and they love their teachers and friends, but still, Monday mornings at my house are filled with moans and groans (mine included).

Everyone needs some cheering up on Mondays -- so here are a few picture books for girls (all right, for boys too) that will make you smile on a Monday or any day....

First, give Plaidypus Lost, by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel a try. Susan came and did an author's visit at my kid's school last spring, and I was lucky enough to be in the audience. Once you've read a few of her books (which she collaborates on with her illustrator sister Janet), you can imagine how funny she was in person.

Plaidypus Lost (that's right P-L-A-I-D) is a tribute to best loved toys everywhere -- most especially those stuffed friends that go everywhere -- the ones that parents live in fear of losing (see my posts about Knuffle Bunny). This stuffed creature is made out of, yep, you guessed it -- a plaid flannel shirt -- and is constantly in danger of being lost forever. Of course, he is always found by his owner who swears she will "never, ever, ever" lose him again.

With clever, sing-songy prose that is as fun to read as it is funny -- this is one of those books that girls of all ages will love to read -- whether by themselves or with a grown-up.

Another great picture book for girls is Cha-Cha Chimps by Julia Durango. This counting book is filled with hilarious illustrations by Eleanor Taylor and clever rhyming verses. Girls will love this literary dance lesson and mom readers will especially will love the end, when Mama Chimp escapes for a little cha-cha-ing of her own.

I love books that leave us laughing and reading together. These are a few that are sure to leave you and your girls doing the same.

Remember, EVEN Mondays can be fun when you sit down and read a book with your girls!

Enjoy!

Books, Books, Everywhere! Part II: Discover the Bugs

Tomorrow is Wednesday and the carpet man cometh -- I am still clearing out the top floor in anticipation of the event. If you told me 20 years ago that I would be Christmas-Eve-excited about getting my carpets cleaned I would have laughed out loud!

The books downstairs are no longer in piles -- my 7 year old (God bless her) hunted through them last night and now they are spread out all over the dining room -- a virtual carpet of books. Scattered within the books, though, I notice the Bug magazines.

When my girls were babies, my mom bought them a subscription to Babybug, a fantastic publication that features short poems, songs and illustrations on tough card-stock paper --custom made for babies and toddlers.

As they moved out of the baby years, they began to receive Ladybug, the next step up in this series of magazines. Ladybug appeals to the slightly older child (and emergent reader), with whimsical illustrations, a continuing series in every issue, crafts and poems.

Now the girls read Spider, the Carus publishing magazine made for 6-9 year olds -- perfect for my kiddos.

Through the years in our house, these magazines have been collected and dragged everywhere from the doctor's office to the beach -- and have been invaluable on long road trips.

When the girls were too young to read the words, these magazines were a great excuse for me to sit down with them for some quiet time. Now they are more inclined to read them on their own, curled up on the sofa or before lights out at bedtime. The best thing about these magazines is that they will grow with your girls -- with first-rate titles all the way through the high school years.

I consider these publications top-knotch -- with consistently quality material -- kind of kiddie literary magazines. And these three titles are just the tip of the iceberg -- check out the Cricket website to preview issues of many others -- including Click and Ask. And don't let the price of a yearly subcription throw you off -- you'll find that any Cricket magazine is worth every penny.

Give these great magazines a try -- and enjoy reading them with your girls!

Classic Picture Book: Brave Irene

Every two weeks my girls and I go to the library and check out an enormous pile of books (though I do encourage the girls to store them in one place it can get awfully difficult to keep track of them all!). I am often surprised by the amount of picture books that they bring home and dismiss relatively quickly -- I keep a close eye on these things and take note of the books that they want to read again and again.

One of the books that they can't get enough of is the picture book classic Brave Irene, by William Steig. Perhaps best known today as the author of the original Shrek!, Steig hits the nail on the head with this sweet picture book -- and in my capacity as a "girl book" reviewer, I see tremendous value in this story. Why do my girls like this picture book so much? I think they can see themselves in the main character, Irene.

Irene is a good daughter, who must deliver a dress that her sick mother has made for the duchess. On the way to the duchess' house, Irene encounters a fierce snowstorm. The storm becomes a character in the story that battles against Irene's equally fierce determination. But just when the storm seems ready to declare victory, Irene's ingenuity shines through and she finds her way past the trouble.

Steig's illustrations bring Irene to life, and I love the writing especially as Irene shouts at her nemesis, the wind. But my favorite part is the end, when we see so clearly the love between Irene and her mother.

This book makes a great gift from one generation to the next -- my own mother sent my oldest daughter a copy several Christmases ago. It's a wonderful story of adventure, hope and determination -- a wonderful message to send to any girl.