Day 208: Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons

Sometimes when we're at the library and I don't have my list of "books-to-find," I turn to the shelves to find particular authors whose works we've enjoyed in the past.  Other times, my searches are more random, but last week, while I quickly perused the shelves for a few new books and my kids played with the puppets and trains, I employed the former strategy.  I was in the Q-R-S section, so looked to see what other stories Amy Krouse Rosenthal might have waiting for us.  We've enjoyed Duck! Rabbit! and Bedtime for Mommy, so I thought she might be a good bet.  When I saw a book called Cookies, I immediately took it off the shelf and added it to our pile.  We love baking cookies almost as much as we love reading, so I knew my kids would be excited to read it, too.

What a gem of a story!  Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons explains the meaning of 21 different words -- some common, some new -- by defining them in terms of scenarios to which kids can easily relate.  The idea behind this adorable story is so creative and brilliant.  I just love it!  The illustrations are lovely, too.  Here are a few of my favorite examples from the book:

Cooperate means, How about you add the chips while I stir?

Modest means you don't run around telling everyone you make 

the best cookies, even if you know it to be true.

Trustworthy means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, 

when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie.

Open-minded means, I've never seen cookies like that before, but, uh, sure, I'll try one.  

Regret means, I really wish I didn't eat so many cookies.

Sweet, isn't it?

My kids are always asking me what words mean, and sometimes I struggle to define them in a way they can easily understand.  When this happens, I've found it is better and more meaningful to use the word in context rather than giving them a more traditional definition.  Cookies does just that, only far better and more creatively than I ever could.  It's sweet, clever, and a great way to teach children about some of life's most valuable qualities.  Combine reading this story with baking cookies of your own and you've got a perfectly fun-filled afternoon!

Enjoy!

Day 206: Oh No, George!

Teaching our kids to do the right thing -- even when no one is looking -- is a challenging and important job.  We've been stressing this a lot with our five year old lately ("How did you see that?"), and Oh No, George! is the perfect story to help deliver this message.

In this adorable story, George the dog is left alone at home while his owner, Harry, goes out.  George promises he'd be good while Harry is gone, but there are simply too many temptations for him resist!  A big plate full of cake, dirt to dig in, Cat to play with...  When Harry returns home to find his house a mess, George feels terrible.  "I said I'd be good, George thinks.  I hoped I'd be good, but I wasn't."  In what is perhaps my favorite moment of the book, George then brings Harry his favorite toy as an offer of forgiveness.  Harry takes George out for a nice walk, and along the way, George encounters more of his favorite things.  This time, though, George is able to restrain himself, proudly passing by a cake, Cat, and a lovely pile of dirt.  Well done, George!

At the story's end, George comes across his favorite thing of all.  A trash can!  "There's nothing more George likes more than digging in trash.  What will George do?  George?"  We love how we're left to decide for ourselves what we think George is going to do.  Will he be good and pass by the trash can, or dive right in?  My kids sometimes change their minds about what they think George is going to do, but mostly, they think he's going to be good and leave the trash alone.  We all get such a kick out of this cute story, and my kids just love chiming in on the early chorus of "Oh no, George!" each time he gives in to temptation.  They are just as happy towards the end, too, when George is able to do the right thing.  It's always cute to watch their reactions to this story.

George might be a dog, but he provides the perfect analogy for young children.  He's sweet and means well, but sometimes he just can't resist the temptation to do certain things, even when he knows he shouldn't.  As my son likes to say, "I just want to do what I want to do!"  I love the way this story gets children to think about the difference between knowing the right thing and doing the right thing, as well as see the way their actions can affect other people.  The illustrations are funky and unique, and the story line is one to which you and your kids can both easily relate (especially if you have a dog.) Next time you're at the library, look for Oh No, George!  It's fun, sweet, and an all-around great read.

Day 159: Little By Little

We first heard about Little By Little in one of our monthly issues of Your Big Backyard.  I knew it was about a little otter learning to swim, so when this summer rolled around, I decided to track this book down at one of our local libraries.  I'll admit that the first few times I read it, I thought it was very cute, but nothing particularly special.  My son, however, really loves this book, and the more we read it together, the more I appreciate the way it resonates with him.  He finds it silly and fun, but most importantly, really seems to have taken its message to heart.  Otto can do lots of things -- forward roly-poly, make sandcastles, be kind to frogs -- but there is one big thing he can't do:  swim.  He dreams of the day when he will be able to jump off the Highest-Ever Rock into the Deepest-Ever Pond like his friends.  Seeing his disappointment, his sister encourages him to start small and take things one step at a time.  Little by little, Otto learns to swim... starting small and finishing big!  We have been working on teaching our kids to swim this summer, and the last time we were at the beach, my son kept talking about this book while he was practicing in the water.  He'd put his hands down on the sand in the shallow water and kick his feet behind him saying, "I'm learning to swim like Otto!"  Its message that big things can be accomplished by taking one small step at a time certainly makes this charming story worth reading to any child, particularly one who is learning to swim.  My little ones haven't mastered swimming just yet, but little by little, they know they'll get there!