Story time is the best time of the day. Whether we're snuggled up on the couch or cozy in our pjs before bed, reading stories with my little ones is one of my favorite things to do. Everyone has a favorite book they remember from their childhood, and every day, parents and kids are discovering new classics of their own. There are many fabulous children's books out there, some of which everyone knows about and others we would have never discovered had my son not simply pulled a random book off a library shelf. I created this blog to share some of these wonderful stories with you. Think of it as a year's worth of the best children's books around, since no day should be without a great story. In the end, I hope we'll all have discovered at least a few new titles that will have made their way onto our list of family favorites. Enjoy!







Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 112: Listen, Listen

Fall has finally arrived here in New England and it is by far my favorite season of all!  It's why I love living here, and is what makes me tolerate the long, cold winters and those hot, humid summer days that can be so unbearable in a house without air conditioning.  The air turns crisp and the days, though growing shorter, are positively lovely.  I love the smell of the air as the nights get cooler and the leaves turn their gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, and red... even when I know that soon enough, we'll be spending countless hours raking them off of our lawn.  I love the sounds of leaves swishing and crunching under our feet, and the way the late-afternoon light hits the trees and makes those radiant colors glow.  The change in seasons can be magical, and I am always very happy to live in a place that has such variety among them.  Listen, Listen is a beautiful story that captures the wonderful sounds of the seasons as they gracefully turn from one to the next:  summer to autumn, winter to spring, and back to summer again.  Phillis Gershator's rhythmic verse and Alison Jay's beautiful illustrations complement each other perfectly, making Listen, Listen a delight to read, hear, and see.  "Listen, listen, what's that sound?  Insects singing all around! Chirp, chirp, churr, churr, buzz, buzz, whirr, whirr... Plop, plop, acorns drop.  Hurry, scurry, squirrels hop... Crunch, crunch, boots clomp.  Grown-ups shovel, children romp... Pop, pop, bulbs sprout.  Leaves grow, flowers shout."  The rolling verse is soothing and engaging to children at the same time, and Jay's crackle-varnish illustrations evoke a sense of timeless wonder and nostalgia.  Take your time to look at the pictures in this book, as well, for there are lovely little details to be found on each page.  Both my son and daughter love reading this story, and it is definitely one of our seasonal favorites.  My daughter loves hearing all of the different noises and sound effects throughout, and my son especially loves the hide and seek pages for each season that appear at the back of the book.  Available in both hardcover and a large board book format from Barefoot Books, Listen, Listen is a beautiful addition to any child's library.  What are your favorite sounds of the seasons?

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