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!







Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Day 121: John Pig's Halloween

Halloween has come and gone, and with all of the festive excitement here in our house, I wasn't able to get this post out in time for the big day.  I know I'm a day late now, but I still thought I'd share what has been our favorite Halloween book of the season.  My friend and co-worker, Julie, recommended this book to me, saying that she and her boys (the eldest of whom is in middle school) still make it a point to read this every year.  That's a ringing endorsement to me, so I just had to check it out.  Not many libraries around here have John Pig's Halloween, but I was able to borrow it through our inter-library loan system.  What a cute, fun, entertaining story!  We just love it!  Little John Pig is too nervous and scared to go out trick or treating with his housemates, so decides to spend the evening alone at home.  He thinks he's in for a long, lonely night... until a witch and her cat crash into his door and show him how to celebrate Halloween in style!  Jan L. Waldron's rhyme and meter make this book wonderfully fun to read aloud, and we are always left wanting to join in the fun (especially the baking part!):  "John and the witch began sifting and stirring.  She cracked the eggs as the blender was whirring.  He scooped out pumpkin and mashed it all up.  She mixed heaps of sugar and cream in a cup.  He rolled out the dough for the tarts and the pies, While the witch made witch cookies with raisins for eyes.  "Now we are cookin'," she said with a grin.  "Open the oven, we've got food to put in."  Soon more trick-or-treaters began to stop by.  They seen the lit pumpkin and smelled the warm pie..."  John Pig's evening grows more festive by the minute, and when his friends finally return home from their own night of fun, they can't believe their eyes!  I love the clever rhymes and the ease with which they flow from one page to the next, and there is some fabulous vocabulary in this book, as well.  How often do we see words like chic, chapeau, boisterous, gussied-up, and wavering all in the same book?  My son loves the illustrations, too, and is always looking for silly details, especially in the characters' costumes.  I have a feeling that he will keep wanting to read this even though Halloween is over, and I've already decided I want to get this story for my kids for Halloween next year... If I can wait that long, that is.  I hope you and your little pumpkins all had a wonderful Halloween! 

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