Don't Pigeonhole Me! by Mo Willems

4 stars
(This is not a kids' book.)

It's no secret on this blog that I adore Mo Willems.  I think the man's a genius.

This collection of sketchbooks was so fun to read.

I especially loved learning that the Pigeon was a doodle who just showed up and insisted on a starring role.

(I have totally had characters do that.)

There is definitely some adult content here, though.  Don't make the mistake I did and leave it sitting around for your six-year-old to read before you get to it.  Not ideal.

Nope, this one's for the grown-ups.

And I totally recommend it.

That Is NOT A Good Idea by Mo Willems

5 stars

We all know I love Mo Willems' books.  How can you not?  They're awesome.

This new one is a great twist on any classic tale involving a fox or wolf.

Being able to see it coming didn't diminish from it being fun.

Okay, so maybe it's a little creepy if you stop to think about it for too long, but it's hilarious.

Just go read it.

Let's Go For a Drive by Mo Willems

5 stars

We all know how I feel about Mo Willems.

Okay, maybe if you're new to the blog you don't.  Just a quick recap for you, then: THE MAN IS A FREAKIN' GENIUS.

There.

So, this new Elephant and Piggie book certainly does not disappoint!  Oh my gosh, so funny!!

You need lots of things to go for a drive....

Like a car.  LOL

But, **spoiler alert** a pig with a car? That would just be silly!

Awesome.

We need to buy this one, I think.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

by MO WILLEMS

First off, HUGE HUGE THANKS to Harper Collins for sending us a review copy!!!!!  SO exciting!

I've said it before and I'll say it again-- Mo Willems is a genius.  G E N I U S.

This hilarious adaptation of Goldilocks has got to be one of the best picture books ever.  Definitely earns a "FAVORITES" label from us.

All three kids find it fun and amusing, though of course Boo gets more of it than the younger two.

If you are buying books for Christmas, this is a perfect pick for any kid.  Or adult. :)

(If you aren't buying books for Christmas, why not???  What's wrong with you?!!?  lol)

CONGRATULATIONS

to Mo Willems

And Gerald and Piggie

I Broke My Trunk is a Geisel Honor Book!!

One of our favorites!!!!!!!

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems

5 stars!
Picture Book

Okay, this book firmly cements my belief that Mo Willems is a genius!  To be able to do something so different so well.... amazing.

Because this is very different from his other books.

The text is still minimalistic, but rather than illustrating this book himself, Willems teamed up with Jon J Muth, who created beautiful watercolors!  They are gorgeous.

The story is sweet and poignant.  There's a lot that probably goes over a child's head, but both my kids still absolutely LOVE and ADORE this book!!

Very highly recommended!  Whether you have children or not, you must read this book!

(And it totally fits the theme this week-- you've got the relationship between the dog and the frog and then the loss of the frog, and then the continuation of the cycle with the chipmunk.... totally symbolic of reincarnation!  Or not, lol.  I've just got reincarnation on the brain after reading all 3 of those books in just a few days!)

Summer Reading Saturdays!-- Progress

Or, a lack thereof, maybe....

I am so not good at this....

So, I decided that this year the kids have to do at least part of each reading session on their own.  Now granted, neither actually reads yet, but it's the concept of reading alone that is what I'm going for.

Largely because Boo keeps going on strike about the whole thing.

Cat the Cat Who is That? is one of Mister's favorite library picks right now.  It's hilarious to listen to him go through it himself singing out "Cat the Cat, Who is that?" on every page.

Anyway, the way things are going, I'm having to keep a constant tally in my head of how long we've read to each child vs how long the child has "read" by themselves.  It's exhausting. ;)

Here's where we stand thus far--
Hubby, 3 books down.  He's reading his fourth and he's done at least one free choice.
Me, I'm done.  It's only 8 books after all.
Boo, 10/30
Mister, 6/30

Mister would have more, but he fell asleep while we were reading.  lol

Saturday with Boo-- To Read To A Puppy

So today's the big day.  (Well, tomorrow.  I'm writing this up ahead of time.)

Reading to the puppy at the library.  This is a BIG DEAL.

And this is what she's picked to "read".  Really, we're not reading on this level yet, but hey, she's had it memorized for weeks now.

And she loves it.  Because, hey, it's Mo Willems.  And who doesn't love Mo Willems?

I will try to get a picture or two to post.  Should be lots of fun!

(And seriously, if you haven't read this one, you need to.  It's hilarious!)

Saturday with Boo and Mister-- Big Frog Can't Fit It

Big Frog Can't Fit In
By Mo Willems

5 stars!
Pop-up book

You all know we LOVE Mo Willems at our house. This new book is AWESOME.

Pages that pop and have interactive tabs... what more could a kid want?! Plus a really cute and simple story.

The kids love it.

BUT I gotta say, these kinds of books terrify me as a parent. I simply do not trust my children not to destroy the poor thing!

In fact, I'm convinced that the only reason the library copy is in such nice condition is because it's fairly new. Give it a couple of months...... *shudder* I don't even want to think about it.

Am I the only one with serious pop-up paranoia? Yeah they're cool, but how do you make them last more than a day????

More Picture Books

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Fabulous in classic Mo Willems "fashion" (pun absolutely intended), Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed is the story of Wilbur, the NMR who likes clothes. The others are, of course, entirely disgusted by this. NMRs do NOT wear clothes!
This is a really cute story. And if you look closely, the pigeon makes a brief appearance-- which I think may have been Boo's favorite part.

Skunks! by David T. Greenberg

I heard about this one from my friends over at BOOKSCOOPS ('cause let's face it, they have all the best picture book ideas) and we finally got it from the library. It's extraordinarily silly, and having read it, Boo came to the following conclusions-
1. Skunks smell worse than her little brother.
2. Skunks would NOT make good underwear.
3. She is afraid of skunks.

So, I guess that kind of backfired.... (You really have to read the post on Bookscoops to fully appreciate this.)

Do you have a favorite picture book?? Because we need to go to the library again, and I'm always looking for new ideas....

Buying Books!

Inspired by Amy's Challenge and Cari's post, and armed with gift cards, I went shopping over the weekend!
Yep, I bought myself books for my birthday. (Or were the gift cards from Christmas? No, definitely birthday.)
Gotta love browsing the bookstore!

I got The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! because the library only lets you renew things so many times.... Same with Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and I popped my SIGNED BOOKPLATE from Lisa Shearin in it! I had to have them order Armed and Magical, but I should get that next week!

Deanna Raybourn's Silent in the Sanctuary was the only one of hers they had, but I do have a used copy of Silent in the Grave, so that works. For now.

And they didn't have Tasha Alexander's Fatal Waltz, so I could only get And Only to Deceive and Poisoned Season. But hey, it's all good.

And I LOVE the paperback copy of Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, so I'm waiting for the paperback to get Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Wand too. Gotta love Gail Carson Levine!

:D:D

I love buying books!

Mo Willems

This guy's great. He could be my daughter's favorite author. Not that she'd admit to it.... I'm not sure she's figured out what an author is.
My favorite? The Pigeon Wants a Puppy. This picture book cracks me up. I strongly suggest you go get it from the library.
Other awesome Pigeon books-- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus; Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late; The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog.... I'm sure there's another one, but I can't think of it.

Read them with your kids.... read them even if you don't have kids (if you feel silly checking them out from the library, you can always claim they're to read to nieces or nephews or neighbors or something.)

He also has a fun book for adults-- You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons
It's all about his year wandering around the world after college (I think it was college). He drew a cartoon every day. Some are funny, some poignant, some I just didn't get. But hey, it was fun.