Library Haul

Let's talk libraries. I've mentioned several times before that I need to take advantage of my library more, so I decided to take my own advice and hopefully help my budget out a little bit (provided I return the books on time...) There's just one caveat:

The library stresses me out. I try to take Isla with me, because it's good for her to get familiar with libraries. And I want her to be able to pick out books for herself. But guys, she's so loud. She's only 3, so we're still working on inside voices/outside voices. She's also hearing impaired. I'm not sure if that contributes to how loud she is (she wears hearing aids) or if it's just a kid thing. Maybe it's both. I don't know. She's loud. 

Here's how the visit went: We talked the whole walk from the car to the front door about how we need to whisper inside, but as soon as we stepped in the door, everything we talked about flew right out of her mind. She wanted to talk to the librarian working at the front desk. She was jumping all over the place while I was trying to pay my late fines from last time. She said she had to go potty, even though we literally just went before we left school (that's her go to when she doesn't want to do something.) When we finally got over to the kids section, she headed straight for the baby books, picked up 5 copies of the same book and said, "I'm ready to go home."

And she continued to say that she was ready to go home the entire time we were there.

Plus it's always to hot in there, so between Isla being hella loud, squatting and standing to look on the tiny shelves, chasing her all over the place when something catches her attention, trying to self checkout (recommended by the librarians) and having half my books not scan...

I was definitely sweating by the time we left. But we got some books, so I'll count it as a success.

Here's the best of what we left with. 

Sam and Dave Dig A Hole is so cute. It's the story of two little boys, Sam and Dave, who decide to dig a whole looking for something amazing. They keep changing their path, since they aren't finding anything amazing. Unbeknownst to them, *just* before they change directions, lies something amazing. Also, they dig so far that they fall out of the sky back to where they started. You really can't go wrong with Barnett and Klassen. See below:

Extra Yarn: One of my all time faves. I'll definitely have to feature it soon because it is just so beautiful the way the colors build over the course of the story.

Imaginary Fred, a bookstagram favorite right around it's publication date. It's the story of Fred, the imaginary friend, who has had a lot of real friends, but none that last forever. Until he meets Sam. And Sammi. And Frida. Complete with classic Oliver Jeffers illustrations.

If Bunny Roo, I Love You looks familiar, it's because of the illustrator, Teagan White. She wrote and illustrated the Barefoot Critters books, Adventures with Barefoot Critters and Counting with Barefoot Critters. Her illustrations are just beautiful and this book is so sweet. It would be a good baby shower book, I think. If you like the illustrations as much as I do, Teagan White has a Society 6 page where you can buy prints, t-shirts, pillows, phone cases, etc with her art work on them. The prints would look amazing in a nursery or playroom.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is a fun read. In a very dark, sort of Industrial Revolution era London feeling city live a bunch of formerly wild animals. Formerly wild, because they are all very prim and proper now. But Mr. Tiger is over it and decides to be just a little wild at first. Before he knows it, he's completely naked and running through the forest. Of course, the other animals soon see that he's got the right idea and join him. This is another on that uses color brilliantly. It's mostly black and white at the beginning, with only Mr. Tiger in color, and the wilder he gets, the more color is on the pages.

Knuffle Bunny seems to be a favorite for a lot of people. It's even a Caldecott winner. I thought it was ok. The illustrations were very interesting - sort of mixed media illustrations over black and white photograph settings. But I didn't love the story as much. It's the story of a little girl who runs an errand with her dad to the laundromat, but she leaves her beloved bunny behind. She tried to tell her dad what's wrong, but he doesn't understand her. When they get home, Mom immediately knows what's wrong, so all three of them rush back to the laundromat and find the bunny. 

So, that was this weeks library haul. Do you visit the library? Kids in tow or alone? Please give me tips to make me sweat less at the library!

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