Day 170: Wheels on the Bus

I just love listening to my daughter sing.  I wish there was a way to bottle up her sweet little voice and save it forever and ever.  Sure, I bust out the camcorder now and again in my best attempt to do so, but I know watching it years from now, I'll still miss her sitting in my lap, singing and clapping and dancing to the music.  She has really gotten into sing-alongs lately, and the Wheels on the Bus is one of her favorites.  As she requested to read and sing this book for the umpteenth time this week, I realized that I hadn't yet written about it here on the blog... So here it is!  I'm sure you know the tune to "The Wheels on the Bus," but if you don't, I promise it will be stuck in your head after just one listen.  Sometimes, with classic songs such as this one, I think it's a little silly to put it in book form -- I mean, can't you just sing the song on its own and have just as much fun? -- but there is something really engaging to little ones about reading along while you sing.  There are several book versions of the Wheels on the Bus, but this is the one that we have:  a sturdy little Raffi board book that I got at our local library book sale for $.25.  I've heard good things about some of the more interactive versions of the book where the wheels actually turn and the doors open and shut, but to be honest, I don't think those fun features would last more than a week in my house.  For now, the board book version is just perfect.  The illustrations are simple and colorful with a quaint European flair, and the music to the song appears at the back of the book.  Baby Beluga is another of our favorite "Raffi Songs to Read,"and both books get my two year old's ultimate seal of approval.

Day 149: Driving My Tractor

We have thoroughly been enjoying the spring weather we've been having lately, and one of our favorite new places to visit is a community organic farm that is just a few towns away.  They have all sorts of adorable animals to see (including, at the moment, 2 week old piglets!), trails to explore, log bridges to cross, and even a child's nature center hidden away in the woods.  Both of my kids love visiting there, and I am always so thankful for places like this farm who open their doors so graciously and offer such fabulous learning opportunities for children.

Our visit to the farm got us thinking of (and singing) one of our favorite sing-along books, so I thought it only appropriate to feature it today.  I'm also excited because after borrowing it from the library on several occasions, watching its animated video on youtube repeatedly, and singing the song more times than I can count, I'm finally giving my son his own copy of Driving My Tractor as an Easter gift.  I can't tell you how many times I've had this song stuck in my head, and yet, I'm still happily willing to add this sing-along to our home library.  That's got to say something about how great it is, right?


Driving My Tractor is an upbeat, fun, toe-tapping sing-along that is a favorite of both my son and daughter.  Watch the video clip mentioned above and you'll immediately see what I mean. The colorful, bold illustrations are wonderfully appealing to toddlers and preschoolers, and the fact that is a counting book about animals makes it perfect for that age group, as well.  The end of the book also features some fabulous information about other types of farm machines (such as combine harvesters and balers) and a beautiful two-page spread about various types of crops that farmers grow (including at what times of the year they can be planted and harvested.)  I love books that include informational "extras" like this, and love watching my son soak up all of that knowledge even more.  The other thing that is so great about this book, as with so many others from this publisher, is that it truly grows with your child.  My daughter (20 months) loves the bold pictures and the silly sing-along song, just as my son (age 4) has for quite some time.  Now that he is a little older, though, he appreciates other things about the book, such as the information about the types of crops at the end.  Plus, the book comes with a cd featuring the vocal talents of Steve Songs, so you'll know just how the tune goes and be able to add the song to your child's music collection.  In fact, the tune is so catchy and easy to sing, I don't think I could read the book without singing it now even if I tried.  Driving My Tractor is a perfect book to have in the car for road trips, afternoon story time, or any time you simply want to stop what you're doing and sing and dance with your kids.


** One last little thing... Driving My Tractor was one of the first Barefoot Books we read and came to love, and was part of the reason why I became a Barefoot Ambassador last summer.  I am continually impressed by the quality of Barefoot Books and their passion for art and literacy, and I always find it refreshing to know that there is a publisher out there whose books I am pretty much guaranteed to love.  I felt I needed to add this disclaimer here because I don't want anyone reading this to think that I am only featuring this (or other Barefoot Books) out of possible personal gain.  On the contrary, I just want you to know about them because they are truly great books that I think everyone with children should know about!  Find them in your local library and see what I mean.  After all, this is the whole mission of my blog:  to share fabulous children's books that are well worth reading so that no day goes without a great story.  No pressure, just great books!  That's what it's all about.

Day 127: Bear On a Bike

Books are some of my favorite things to give and receive as gifts.  With both Christmas and my son's birthday coming up, I have been trying to put together a list of gift ideas for him and my daughter.  We are fortunate to have many family members who love giving our children gifts, and this year, as in the past, I am putting many books at the top of that list.  I, of course, always like to get them each a few books, too.  One story that I am excited to give them this Christmas is Bear On a Bike by Stella Blackstone.  There are several books in the Bear series, but this one is our favorite.  In fact, when we were reading it today, my son said, "I want to jump in that book!"  Can't ask for a better endorsement than that!  My children just love following Bear as he travels around on various vehicles -- a bike, raft, steam train, boat, carriage, and rocket ship -- to different magical places.  For a book so simple, it is wonderfully descriptive, and the repetition and rhyming prose make it a wonderful read aloud for even the youngest readers.  "Bear on a bike, as happy as can be.  Where are you going, Bear?  Please wait for me!  I'm going to the market, where fruit and flowers are sold.  Where people buy fresh oranges and pots of marigold."  Then there is my favorite (the page my son wanted to jump into):  "I'm going to an island, where magic star fruits grow.  Where herons fish in secret groves and sparkling rivers flow."  Making the book even more engaging and fun to read are Debbie Harter's illustrations.  Bright, bold colors jump out of the page, instantly capturing kids' attention, and I love the way she incorporates black and white stripes and shapes into her pictures, as well.  Between Harter's striking illustrations and Blackstone's repetitive verse, this is one of those rare books that is equally appealing to babies and preschoolers.  I just love watching my son and daughter read it together!   Many of the Bear books are also available in foreign language versions, with the English words on one side of the page and French or Spanish on the other.  Bear books make great baby gifts and are fabulous additions to any child's library.  I can't wait to add them to ours!