Books of the Week: Sarah Noble, Explorer, Giggler Treatment, Lunch Lady, My Weird School, Tiny Titans

Here are our favorites from the past week:

Tintin, age 9

The Courage of Sarah Noble
Author: Alice Dalgliesh
Genre: Fiction

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
Editor: Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: Graphic Novel

The Giggler Treatment
Author: Roddy Doyle
Genre: Fiction

Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes
Author: Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Genre: Graphic Novel










Johnny Boo, age 6

My Weird School #11: Mrs. Kormel Is Not Normal
Author/illustrator: Dan Gutman/Jim Paillot
Genre: Fiction

Tiny Titans and the Science Fair!
Author: Art Baltazar
Genre: Fiction/Easy Reader

Books of the Week: James and the Giant Peach; Sarah, Plain and Tall; Mameshiba; Tiny Titans

Here are our favorite books this week:


Tintin, age 9

James and the Giant Peach
Author/illustrator: Roald Dahl/Quentin Blake
Genre: Fiction

After losing his parents in a rhino accident, James must live with his two evil aunts--until a giant peach with talking insects suddenly appears and takes James far, far away. Tintin said this is one of his favorite Roald Dahl books, and even though it's a bit different from the movie, he likes it just as much.

Sarah, Plain and Tall
Author: Patricia MacLachlan
Genre: Fiction

Caleb and Anna's mother dies just after Caleb is born, sometime in the late 19th century. When their father advertises for a wife, Sarah responds. She comes to the prairie all the way from Maine, but the children worry she'll grow homesick and leave. Tintin's response after a couple of chapters: "This is actually really good!" And then he finished it the next day.


Johnny Boo, age 6

Mameshiba: On the Loose!
Author/illustrators: James Turner/Jorge Monlonge; Gemma Correll
Genre: Graphic Novel

In their first book, the Mameshiba ("bean dog" in Japanese) rescue their pea-knapped friend and explore outer space. Johnny Boo has read this book every day (several times a day) ever since we got it from the library. I think we're going to have to buy it, along with the bean dogs' next graphic novel, Mameshiba: We Could Be Heroes, coming out next month. Oh, and the 9-year-old likes it, too, although I think he's only read it twice.

Tiny Titans Go Camping!
Author/illustrator: Art Baltazar
Genre: Easy Reader Fiction

The Tiny Titans (Starfire, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, Aqualad, and Bumblebee) go to Sidekick City National Park for a camping weekend. While there, they roast hot dogs, fish with cookies, have a tea party, and encounter a few green beasts. Johnny Boo is excited to start reading his other library find, Tiny Titans and the Science Fair!, in which Barbara Gordon, Terra, and Wonder Girl join in the fun.

5-Year-Old Books of the Week: Bumblebee Boy, Awesome Man, Happy Pig Day!, Hocus Pocus, Super-Dragon

We're back to blogging after a little break! Here are Johnny Boo's favorite books this week (Tintin is in the middle of reading Vordak the Incomprehensible again).

The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy
Author/illustrator: Jacky Davis/David Soman
Publisher: Dial (October 2011)
Source: Public library

Don't expect to see Ladybug Girl in this book--this time it's all about Bumblebee Boy. Oh, and some pirates, dragons and lions, too. Bumblebee Boy's little brother tries to get in on the action, but a superhero like Bumblebee Boy doesn't need an assistant--or does he? Even without Ladybug Girl, Johnny Boo thinks this is a winner.

The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man
Author/illustrator: Michael Chabon/Jake Parker
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (September 2011)
Source: Public library

Awesome Man seems like your typical awesome superhero. He's super-strong and fights evil villains; he flies and shoots positronic rays out of his eyeballs. But what's he hiding? Maybe he's not so typical after all... Mixed reviews on Amazon, but Johnny Boo had me read it twice in a row, so that's all I care about.

Happy Pig Day!
Author/illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion (October 2011)
Source: Public library

Another new Elephant & Piggie book! What's so great about Pig Day, and who are all those pigs? Gerald's feeling a little left out, until Piggie reveals a funny secret. Johnny Boo read this to himself and, as always, we took turns being Gerald and Piggie while we read together.

Hocus Pocus
Author/illustrator: Sylvie Desrosiers/Remy Simard
Publisher: Kids Can Press (August 2011)
Source: Public library

Hocus Pocus is a (nearly) wordless book about a rabbit and a dog who live with a magician, who is oblivious to the animals' Tom-and-Jerry-like relationship. When Hocus Pocus (the rabbit) spots a carrot on the counter, he must make his way to it without waking up Dog. Unfortunately for Hocus Pocus, Dog does wake up, and hilarity ensues.

Super-Dragon
Author/illustrator: Steven Kroll/Douglas Holgate
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books (February 2011)
Source: Public library

Drago's family is entering a flying contest, but Drago isn't allowed to enter because he doesn't know how to fly yet. He sits by as his family practices, but at night while everyone's asleep he takes flying lessons from a bird. At the contest two weeks later Drago surprises everyone with his Figure 8 skills and saves the day for his family.

Books of the Week: The Dragon of Doom; Mother & Son Tales; My Father's Dragon; Pearl and Wagner

Here are our favorites from last week:

Tintin, age 8

The Dragon of Doom (Moongobble and Me)
Author/illustrator: Bruce Coville/Katherine Coville
Publisher: Aladdin (January 2005)
Source: Public library

In part 1 of a trilogy, Young Edward gets a job helping Moongobble the Magician, who happens to need a lot of help, seeing as how all of his spells keep turning things into cheese. When Moongobble fails to prove he is good enough to join the Society of Magicians, the head of the society gives him one more chance: Moongobble must face the Dragon of Doom and bring back the Golden Acorns of Alcoona. Edward, of course, insists on coming along, but can he help the magician before being turned into cheese?

Tintin's note: My favorite part was when they found out that the Dragon of Doom was little.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

The Barefoot Book of Mother and Son Tales
Author/illustrator: Josephine Evetts-Secker/Helen Cann
Publisher: Barefoot Books (February 1999)
Source: Public library

Ten tales of mothers and sons from around the world are retold in this book. Each tale tells of the bond between mother and son. There are giantesses and ogres, a goddess and a genie. And boys named Snot-Nose and Cinderello. At the end of the book is a notes section, which covers such topics as the mother-son bond, the mother and luck, separation, and recurring symbols. Tintin has enjoyed listening to me read these tales to him, but he's also brought the book up to his room to read by himself.

Tintin's note: My favorite story was "Snot-Nose" because he kept doing funny things with the ogres.

Find it: Amazon

Johnny Boo, age 5

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon
Author/illustrator: Ruth Stiles Gannett/Ruth Chrisman Gannett
Publisher: Random House (1998)
Source: Home library

Originally published between 1948 and 1951, these three tales--My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland--tell the story of Elmer Elevator and his new friend, Boris the flying dragon. Elmer has always wanted to fly. When a stray cat tells him of a flying dragon in a faraway land, Elmer sets off to find the dragon, save him from his captors, and fly off with him. Elmer goes through a lot to save the poor dragon, but once he finally does the adventure is not yet over. They face a terrible storm and are forced to land on Feather Island, where the king is dying of the island disease, and they must save Boris's family, who are trapped in a cave. I read this with Tintin a couple of years ago, and it became one of his favorite books. Now Johnny Boo has fallen in love with it, as I knew he would.

Johnny Boo's note: I thought My Father's Dragon was great and awesome because I like when his father rescued the dragon because it was a good part and the people who saw the dragon freaked out.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends
Author/illustrator: Kate McMullan/R.W. Alley
Publisher: Dial (September 2003); Grosset & Dunlap (September 2011)
Source: Public library

Pearl and Wagner are best friends. In each of this book's three chapters, they prove what good friends they really are, whether they are losing together at the science fair or making up with each other after one hurts the other's feelings. Not only is this a good book about friendship, it's also one that boosts Johnny Boo's confidence in reading.

Johnny Boo's note: I like when Pearl said, "Do you like my new green boots, Wagner?" It was great and awesome.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

Books of the Week: Disney's Storybook Collection; The Companions; Fortunately, Unfortunately; Ricky Vargas: The Funniest Kid in the World

Here are our favorites from last week:

Tintin, age 8 & Johnny Boo, age 5

Disney's Storybook Collection
Editor/designer: Nancy Parent/Todd Taliaferro
Publisher: Disney Enterprises, Inc. (1998)
Source: Public library

Disney's Storybook Collection includes 23 Disney stories, starting with "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and ending with "Three Little Pigs." With colorful illustrations and gilded pages (a plus for Johnny Boo), the collection makes for a great read-aloud, although both boys insisted on reading it themselves.

Tintin's note: I like Disney's Storybook Collection because it has lots of good adventures and it's cartoony.

The Companions
Author/illustrator: Lygia Bojunga-Nunes
Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux (November 1989)
Source: Public library

Three animals meet and become fast friends. One has been abandoned and the other two have run away. The rabbit is afraid of being alone again and can hardly believe his luck when he finally finds others who want to be around him. But the animals' fun doesn't last long--the dog is found and brought back to her owner and the bear is caught and brought back to the zoo, where he falls in love with a selfish zebra. The Companions is a touching story of friendship that shows just how much these three friends will risk to stay together.

Tintin's note: I like how they became friends, and it shows a lot of friendship.


Johnny Boo, age 5

Fortunately, Unfortunately
Author/illustrator: Michael Foreman
Publisher: Andersen Press (January 2011)
Source: Public library

A monkey named Milo is asked by his mother to take an umbrella back to his grandmother. Unfortunately, several things go wrong along the way to Granny's house, such as when it begins to rain and when Milo falls off a cliff, gets swallowed by a whale, lands in a lost world atop a volcano, etc. But fortunately a lot of good things happen to Milo, too, and he finally ends up at Granny's house. The umbrella's a little beat up, but at least he gets to eat cake and enjoy it with some friends he made on his adventure. Johnny Boo had me read this over and over again. Fortunately, it was so good that I didn't mind.

Johnny Boo's note: I think the whole book was good and marvelous.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

Ricky Vargas: The Funniest Kid in the World
Author/illustrator: Alan Katz/Stacy Curtis
Publisher: Scholastic (June 2011)
Source: Scholastic book fair/home library

Ricky Vargas is a funny kid. Funny enough to make kids snort milk out of their noses, even when they're not drinking milk. Ricky is funny at the spelling bee, during class picture time, and when he creates a new language, but he quickly learns that it's not always good to be funny. With three short stories and illustrations that take up much of each page, Ricky Vargas is perfect for readers who aren't quite ready for (or are sometimes intimidated by) longer chapter books.

Johnny Boo's note: I liked it so much that I laughed.

Books of the Week: I Saw Esau, Mercy Watson, I Broke My Trunk, The Nutshell Library

Here are our favorites from the past week:

Tintin, age 8

I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book
Editors/illustrator: Iona & Peter Opie/Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Candlewick Press (October 1992); first in 1947 by Williams and Northgate as I Saw Esau: Traditional Rhymes of Youth
Source: Public library

I Saw Esau is a collection of 174 rhymes chanted by generations of children. As Iona Opie says in her introduction, these rhymes "pack a punch" and are "a feast of laughter." Ranging from insults and teasing to counting-out and game rhymes, the book is a great resource for bullies everywhere, and a humorous read for everyone else. Sendak's illustrations add to the fun. And, for the adult interested in folklore or etymology, the notes section explains the origins and variations of many of the book's rhymes.

Tintin's note: I liked it because it has different levels of rhymes and it's silly.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

Mercy Watson Books 1-6
Author/illustrator: Kate DiCamillo/Chris Van Dusen
Publisher: Candlewick Press (2005-2009)
Source: Public library

Thought of as a porcine wonder to some, Mercy Watson is a pig who likes toast with a great deal of butter on it. Her love of buttered toast sometimes gets her into trouble, as it does when she consumes a great amount of other people's buttered popcorn at the drive-in in Something Wonky This Way Comes, and it sometimes helps her solve problems, as it does when she wakes up to find toast to eat but instead captures a thief stealing her precious toaster and other kitchen appliances in Mercy Watson Fights Crime. The Mercy Watson series is a hit with both boys, and it was the obsession of the week for Johnny Boo last week. They're easy reads for 2nd grader Tintin, but they're so hilarious to him that he doesn't care.

Tintin's note: I think it should be a movie.

Find them: Amazon


Johnny Boo, age 5

I Broke My Trunk!
Author/illustrator: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children (February 2011)
Source: Public library

Gerald the elephant has broken his trunk. He can't wait to tell Piggie how it happened, but it's such a long, crazy story and Piggie gets a little frustrated waiting for the end of it. When Piggie finally hears what happened, she gets as excited to tell others as Gerald was to tell her and ends up with an equally crazy story of her own. Johnny Boo loves reading the part of Gerald while I read Piggie's lines, and we both think the illustrations are especially funny.

Johnny Boo's note: It was good and useful. My favorite part is when Elephant and Piggie broke their trunk and snout and the squirrel said, "What happened to your snout?" and Piggie said, "It's a long, crazy story."

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

The Nutshell Library (Alligators All Around: An Alphabet; Chicken Soup With Rice: A Book of Months; One Was Johnny: A Counting Book; Pierre: A Cautionary Tale
Author/illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper & Row (1962)
Source: Public library

In these four small books, Sendak teaches the alphabet, the months of the year, counting, and the importance of caring. They are amazing books on their own but even better accompanied by Carole King's Really Rosie CD, which includes the four Nutshell Library books in song. Get them all--after a couple of weeks of reading the books and listening to the songs, we haven't tired of them. And check out our Word of the Week post on Chicken Soup With Rice.

Johnny Boo's note: They were good writing. I like it because there was lots of freakin' out.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

Books of the Week: Geronimo Stilton, Owen, George and Martha, Sticky Burr

This week we decided to record book commercials to get the boys more excited about sharing their opinions (they love looking at themselves). Here are our favorite books from the past week, with excerpts from our commercials:

Tintin, age 8

Geronimo Stilton: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid
Author/illustrator: Geronimo Stilton
Publisher: Scholastic (February 2004)
Source: Half Price Books

Geronimo Stilton is one of the most popular series at Tintin's school library, and now it's popular with Tintin as well. In The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid, Geronimo is sent to Egypt by his grandfather, the founder of The Rodent's Gazette, to interview a famous archaeologist and learn about the new energy source he's discovered. The archaeologist takes Geronimo into Cheops's pyramid to show him the hieroglyphs that inspired him to come up with the secret ingredient for his new energy source. On the way to the pyramid, Geronimo learns about hieroglyphs and other Egyptian facts, but he also learns about the terrible curse that falls upon anyone who desecrates a pharaoh's tomb. Of course, Geronimo's archaeologist guide reveals that he in fact has desecrated a pharaoh's tomb. Can Geronimo find out the secret ingredient before the archaeologist gets hit with this curse?

Tintin's note: It was a great book and I liked how he went into the pyramid because that's so cool. I got to see the god of the pyramid. My favorite part was when that scientist guy tripped on a stone and then when he got up he didn't remember anything.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound


Johnny Boo, age 5

Owen
Author/illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (September 1993)
Source: Public library

Owen is a lot like Johnny Boo. He's always with his yellow blanket (although Johnny Boo doesn't like to get his blanket dirty). But we don't have a nosy neighbor who tries to talk us into getting rid of Johnny Boo's most prized possession, and Johnny Boo's dad would never go anywhere near vinegar to put it on Johnny Boo's favorite corner. And Johnny Boo has already accepted the fact that he can't bring his favorite blanket to school with him. If he had had a problem with it, I know he'd forbid me from ever trying what Owen's mom did.

Johnny Boo's note: It was great and it was awesome. My favorite part was when Owen had his nightie [blanket] in his pajamas.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

George and Martha: The Complete Stories of Two Best Friends
Author/illustrator: James Marshall
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (September 2008)
Source: School library

We wrote about George and Martha six months ago. It's still a favorite.

Johnny Boo's note: It was really concentrating. I like when George peeks in on Martha.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound


Tintin and Johnny Boo

Sticky Burr: Adventures in Burrwood Forest; Sticky Burr: The Prickly Peril
Author/illustrator: John Lechner
Publisher: Candlewick (2008 & 2009)
Source: Public library

Sticky Burr isn't like most of the other burrs in Burrwood Forest, and Scurvy Burr doesn't waste any time letting them know it. Adventures in Burrwood Forest is Sticky Burr's story, about how Scurvy and his friends chase Sticky out of the forest for not acting prickly enough and how Sticky ends up being a hero. In The Prickly Peril it's Scurvy's turn to tell a story. Once again he tries to get rid of Sticky Burr, and once again Sticky Burr comes back the hero. Each book has a song at the end, just right for beginning piano students.

Tintin's note: I like how they go on adventures. They're really cool adventures.  

Johnny Boo's note: It was a great book. It was ridiculous. It was kind of diaryish.

Find them: Amazon (#1, #2), IndieBound (#1, #2)

Word of the Week/Bink & Gollie

It's time for our Word of the Week feature here at LitLad. Here's how it works: Every Sunday the boys and I read a book from which they pick their favorite-sounding unfamiliar word. They each write the word that night and we try to use it in conversation as much as we can throughout the week. According to The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, "the only words children learn having heard them only once are the words you wish you had never said in front of them."

This week's word is implore, a verb meaning "to beg for urgently," as Johnny Boo does when he says, "I implore you to read Bink & Gollie to me again."

And we're reading Bink & Gollie, in which a note on Gollie's door says, "Bink: I implore you, do not knock."

Bink & Gollie
Authors/Illustrator: Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee/Tony Fucile
Publisher: Candlewick (September 2010)
Source: Public library

Bink and Gollie are marvelous companions who are complete opposites. Bink lives in a small cottage at the base of Gollie's modern tree house, and they see each other every day. Whether it's to share pancakes or peanut butter sandwiches or to fulfill their need for speed and adventure, the two are almost inseparable. In the book's three humor-filled short stories, the two learn to compromise and overcome jealousy. They go to a sock bonanza, followed by a "compromise bonanza;" after several interruptions from Bink, they meet up at the top of the Andes Mountains (which just happen to be in Gollie's living room); and, after the purchase of a fish named Fred, they learn that fish don't actually long for speed (at least not when roller skates are involved). The digital illustrations (black-and-white with some splashes of color) show off Bink and Gollie's personalities and add to the humor. This book is now a favorite in our house for both boys, especially as a read-aloud. I think we must have read it at least six times in the last couple of days.

Tintin's note: I thought it was really good. It's a fantastic book. I like when the river was frozen and the fish was still swimming under there.

Johnny Boo's note: I liked when Gollie makes pancakes. I liked when Bink got a fish. I recommend this book to people who like people.

For more about Bink & Gollie – the book and the girls – go to the Bink & Gollie website.

For more on Kate DiCamillo, check out Happy Birthday Author.

For more on Bink & Gollie and Kate DiCamillo, visit Johnny Boo's favorite blog, Watch. Connect. Read.

And here's the book trailer:

















Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

5-Year-Old Boy Books of the Week: Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye; Owly; The Silly Gooses

Here are Johnny Boo's favorites from the past week:

Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye 1: Hamster and Cheese
Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye 2: And Then There Were Gnomes
Author/illustrator: Colleen AF Venable/Stephanie Yue
Publisher: Graphic Universe (April 2010)
Source: Public library


Sasspants is a bookish guinea pig who lives in a pet shop, but when she loses a "G" from her tank, one of the hamsters mistakes her for a PI and insists that she solve a case for him. Hamisher the hamster, who thinks he's a koala (the pet shop owner isn't very good at telling animals apart, and so the snake tank is labeled "Llamas" and the mice tank is labeled "Walruses"), refuses to leave Sasspants alone until she agrees to find out who keeps stealing the pet shop owner's sandwiches. In And Then There Were Gnomes, Hamisher again convinces Sasspants to solve a case for him, but this time they need to find out who the ghost is and where the missing mice are. At the end of each graphic novel, there is a section called "Hamisher Explains": In the first book Hamisher tells us about snakes and in the second one his subject of choice is mice. And because Mr. Venezi, the pet shop owner, gets his animals confused, the last page of each book explains the differences between the real animals and the ones he mistakes them for. Tintin likes these too, although he hasn't been able to get the first one away from his brother yet.

Johnny Boo's note: I like when Sasspants meets that hamster. In the second book I like the title because it's kind of scary.

Find Hamster and Cheese: Amazon, IndieBound
Find And Then There Were Gnomes: Amazon, IndieBound

Owly, Vol. 5: Tiny Tales
Author/illustrator: Andy Runton
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions (October 2008)
Source: Public library

The fifth volume of Owly includes a new Owly adventure and a collection of the first Owly stories from the original mini-comics. There are also two Free Comic Book Day stories, as well as sections on how Owly came to be and how to draw Owly. In this all-ages wordless graphic novel, and in the other Owly volumes, the adorable Owly and his friends show a love of nature and the importance of helping friends in need. Johnny Boo loves it when we read Owly together, but I think he wishes a lightbulb would appear over his own head whenever he gets an idea.

Johnny Boo's note: Owly has no words, but I like it. I like it because it has lots of pictures. I like every picture of Andy Runton.

Find out more about Owly at Watch. Connect. Read.

Find it: Amazon, IndieBound

The Silly Gooses
Author/illustrator: Dav Pilkey
Publisher: Blue Sky Press (1997)
Source: Public library

The Silly Gooses is six chapters of silliness. Mr. Goose is not proper and serious like the other geese in his flock. He plays the accordion and wears a jester's hat, and he rests on a beanbag chair instead of in a nest. While all the other geese are ready to be married, Mr. Goose just keeps on being silly. But when another flock of geese appears, one goose (who happens to be riding in a hot air balloon and playing the banjo) catches his eye. They fall in love and get married, and instead of having a cake and throwing a big party, they have a party and throw a big cake (at the proper and serious geese). They eventually have two silly babies who put ketchup and mustard on their ice cream sundaes and hot fudge sauce on their burgers, and they all go on to lead a very silly life. I'm not sure how many times we've read this book this week, but it's been a lot.

Johnny Boo's note: Dav Pilkey – his first name is really funny. I like when the silly goose falls in the water.

Find The Silly Gooses activities

Find the book: Amazon

Midway Monkey Madness

Review by Johnny Boo, age 5

Midway Monkey Madness (DC Super-Pets)
Author/illustrator: Sarah Stephens/Art Baltazar
Publisher: Picture Window Books (January 2011)
Source: e-galley from NetGalley

Midway Monkey Madness is about Gleek and Beppo and Grodd. Gleek and Beppo are super-pets. Grodd is mean to them. Beppo hears crying and Grodd lets the carnival animals get out of their cages. I like this book because it's my favorite book and it's ridiculous, preposterous and lovable. My favorite part is when Grodd locks Beppo and Gleek in the cage. And I also like when Beppo and Gleek throw the cherry on top of Grodd. I would recommend this book to kids who are lovable and like books about animals.

LitLass's note: Written by the author of Bean's Games, the first board book we bought before Tintin's birth, and illustrated by the author/illustrator of the Tiny Titans graphic novels, Midway Monkey Madness is one of six new books about the DC super-pets. With colorful pictures and short chapters, it's just right for reluctant readers. Beppo is Superman's pet and shares his powers, and Gleek belongs to the Wonder Twins, who make an appearance in the book and help the monkeys save carnival-goers from the evil Gorilla Grodd. Johnny Boo really wants the rest of the DC Super-Pets books now, and his 8-year-old brother does as well.

Capstone Kids, which along with Picture Window Books is operated by Capstone Publishers, is having a DC Super-Pets writing contest for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. The contest runs until February 28, so I guess have your kid enter if you think he can beat mine.

Oh, and because Beppo, a monkey, loves chocolate-covered bananas, we made our own frozen chocolate-covered bananas:

Little Mouse Gets Ready

Review by Johnny Boo, age 5

Little Mouse Gets Ready
Author/illustrator: Jeff Smith
Publisher: Toon Books (September 2009)

Little Mouse Gets Ready is about a mouse who talks. He put on clothes and his mother said, "What are you doing? Mice don't wear clothes!" I liked this book because it's bookyish. My favorite part is when he takes off his clothes and goes running to the barn. I would recommend this book to silly kids who like mice.

Editor's note: Little Mouse Gets Ready is one of 11 beginning graphic novels put out by Toon Books that are aimed at the preschool and early elementary crowd. This is one of the easier ones (the other Level 1 books are Jack and the Box and Silly Lilly), and although Johnny Boo can read the Level 2 and Level 3 Toon books all on his own, he still loves the little mouse's story, and also enjoys taking turns with me reading the mommy part and the kid part.

To find out more, go to the Little Mouse Gets Ready page at Toon Books, and be sure to check out the Professor Garfield Toon Book Reader, which includes all 11 Toon books, and the Cartoon Maker, which helps your child create his or her own cartoon using Toon Book characters.

And to add to our "bookyish" adventure, we made a felt "Little Mouse," complete with clothes (underwear over pants is funny to 5-year-old boys, for some reason), for our flannel board:

Disclosure: We are an Amazon affiliate, which means that if you click on the first link in this post and purchase anything, we will earn a small commission through our relationship with Amazon.

Books of the Week – January 8, 2011

Here are our favorites from the past week:

Tintin, age 7

Babymouse #13: Cupcake Tycoon
Author/illustrator: Jennifer L. Holm/Matthew Holm

The latest installment in the Babymouse series, Cupcake Tycoon is, according to Tintin, the best one yet. Babymouse accidentally destroys the school library and participates in a cupcake fundraiser to help replace the damaged books. Unfortunately for Babymouse, it's a little rough going at first, what with her nemesis coming up with better plans and outselling her. Along the way, however, Babymouse uses her imagination to press on and even realizes that the grand prize maybe isn't the most important part of this whole fundraising thing. Once again, we loved Babymouse's daydreams, plus, cupcakes! And, at the very end of the book, we find out that coming in May are Babymouse #14: Mad Scientist and a new Holm graphic novel series about an amoeba named Squish. Tintin can't wait!

The Adventures of Daniel Boom AKA Loud Boy
Author/illustrator: D.J. Steinberg/Brian Smith

This week Tintin read Sound Off! and Game On! (numbers 1 and 3 in a series of 4), more than once each. Daniel Boom is a boy who lacks an inside voice and learns to use this to his (and the world's) advantage. Loud Boy and four others – his sister Chatterbox, Destructo Kid, Fidget, and Tantrum Girl – soon find that the things for which they usually get in trouble are their biggest strengths. They try to conquer the evil "Old Fogey," who can't stand noisy children and of course is in search of world domination. Johnny Boo picked these out for Tintin and, when Tintin got home from school, these were the library books he went to first (keep in mind, we usually have 50 out at a time).


Johnny Boo, age 5

Astroblast! Code Blue
Author/illustrator: Bob Kolar

Radar the monkey issues an emergency warning and must get his animal crew back to the snack shop before the surprise emergency occurs. Along the way, the reader (if he's in the mood for interacting instead of just listening to the story) must help the crew get back by matching, finding differences, and navigating through mazes. Johnny Boo loves the cute animals and the surprise ending.

I Can Read! The Chronicles of Narnia
Author: Jennifer Frantz

We've got a bit of a Narnia obsession here (and a little crush on the youngest Pevensie, Lucy). Johnny Boo has little Lego people that stand in as the four children and a wardrobe we made from a box. Occasionally he turns the rest of us into Pevensies (he's Lucy, Tintin is Edmund, Daddy is Peter, and I'm Susan). He's read all of the books in this I Can Read! collection and got the newest ones, adaptations of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, for his birthday this week. We saw The Voyage of the Dawn Treader a couple of weeks ago, so it's fresh in his mind, again. These books are based more on the movies than on the books by C.S. Lewis, and are full of photos from the movies. There are words in these that you wouldn't think a preschooler would know how to read, but I think since he's so into Narnia, the books have helped him master them. Also, it's cute to see him read these while his big brother reads the originals.

Other books we've enjoyed (or are still enjoying) this week:

Picture books

Toy Story: Ride 'em, Cowboy!, by Kate McMullan and Lorelay Bove
I'm Bad!, by Kate and Jim McMullan
It's Hard to Be Five, by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell
The Fantastic Mr. Wani, by Kanako Usui
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, by Dr. Seuss
Thesaurus Rex, by Laya Steinberg and Debbie Harter
Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse, by Judy Schachner
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming: A Christmas Story, by Lemony Snicket and Lisa Brown

Graphic novels

Ed's Terrestrials, by Scott Christian Sava and Diego Jourdan
The World of Quest, by Jason T. Kruse
Little Mouse Gets Ready, by Jeff Smith

Chapter books

Ivy and Bean (books 1 & 2), by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
Sir Seth Thistlethwaite and the Soothsayer's Shoes, by Richard Thake and Vince Chui
How to Train Your Dragon Book 1, by Cressida Cowell

Chapter book/graphic novel

Pirates of Underwhere, by Bruce Hale and Shane Hillman

To see what other kids have been reading this week, go to Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.