Best of 2016 - Little Reads Edition

We read some fantastic books this year!

Isla's getting a little older (she's 4 now - how has this happened?) so we're started introducing early chapter books. While still reading a ton of picture books. This girl loves to read and I love to read with her.

Flora and the Flamingo might just be my favorite picture book of all time. It was the very first book featured on our instagram page and the first picture book we reviewed on the blog. It simply doesn't get more beautiful than the Flora books by Molly Idle.

Chrysanthemum is a delightful story about a little girl learning to accept herself as she is. You can never go wrong with Kevin Henkes, right?

The Princess in Black series is awesome! They are such fun books with lots of girl power. We've checked all of these out from the library a couple of times, so I think it might be time to just buy them for our home library.

The Elephant and Piggie series is a modern classic. These books are so silly and so fun and Isla has memorized several of them cover to cover. Our favorites are We Are In A Book, There Is A Bird On Your Head, and I Really Like Slop.

Mother Bruce is hilarious. This poor grumpy bear accidentally adopts some baby geese and has to raise them all on his own. Hi-jinks and hilarity ensue.

Poor Little Guy is the story of a little puffer fish who has had enough. It's a great example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover and also a great example of standing up for yourself. Plus the illustrations and lettering are beautiful.

Rosie Revere Engineer is a wonderful book for little girls (and boys) about following your dreams. Deep down in Rosie's heart she wants so badly to be an engineer, but has been laughed at in the past, so she keeps her dreams to herself. Until her Great Aunt Rose shows up, that is. This story has excellent rhythm and rhyming and is a delight to read while delivering a great message.

Swatch is another beautiful picture book. It's about a little girl who wrangles and collects color, until one day she realizes that colors need to be free. It's wild and gorgeous and vibrant.

Once Upon An Alphabet is a book of short stories for all the letters. It's a great big orange book that looks amazing on a shelf. (And when you open it.) You can't go wrong with Oliver Jeffers, either. It's funny and silly and has those quintessential Oliver Jeffers illustrations.

Max the Brave is the story of a brave little kitten who chases mice. Or he would chase mice, if only he knew what mice looked like. After a run in with a monster he believes is a mouse, Max decides he doesn't need to be brave all the time. Only when chasing monsters (who are actually mice.)

What were your little's favorites this year?

Little Reads: Rosie Revere, Engineer

Last week seemed to be Big Reads week, so lets focus on some great Little Reads this week.

Rosie Revere, Engineer was a book I picked up from the bookstore by chance. I had heard of Iggy Peck, Architect, but hadn't read it. When I saw he had a lady counterpart, I knew Isla needed it.

Rosie Revere is an Engineer, but only in secret, because her inventions have been laughed at in the past and she's afraid to show them to world again. Until, her great-great Aunt Rose comes to visit (Rosie the Riveter 40 years later.) Aunt Rose, who Rosie is named for, has accomplished so much in her life, and the only wish she has left is to fly, but she thinks she's too old for that now.

Young Rosie can't stop thinking about how she can make her Aunt's dream comes true and decides to take a chance and show her creation again. She creates a helicopter powered by cheddar cheese spray, which works for only a second before it comes crashing to the ground. Rosie hears Aunt Rose laughing, thinks she has made a terrible mistake, and vows to never invent again. But Aunt Rose convinces her that failing is part of the process and she needs to keep going and they work all day and night trying to make the cheesecopter fly again.

It's a wonderful lesson to try, try again and that we learn the best lessons from when we fail and they only true failure happens if we don't try at all. The illustrations are beautiful, the rhymes have amazing rhythm when read aloud, and it teaches an important life lessons. It's everything that a great picture book should be. And just check out those undies!

Undies: The cover of a hardback once you take off the dust jacket. I love it when they're different than the cover.

 Rosie Revere, Engineer is a favorite in our house and is sure to be one in yours too.

What leading ladies learning life lessons are favorites with your little people?

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