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What My Kid is Reading Wednesday

Time For Bed, Fred! by Yasmeen Ismail

The current bedtime book of choice in our household is Time For Bed Fred. Usually I will read Minky two books at bedtime (sometimes three if he asks really nicely, or if the two are pretty short), but since I got back from a trip to Denver this one has been the reliable last book before going down. The book is short and sweet, basically Fred needs to go to bed and finds all sorts of ways to delay bedtime (I am sure no parents can relate to that). Because of the exasperated tone of the narrator I find this one is fun to read out loud. The illustrations are playful and full of action, and capture Fred doing all sorts of goofy things which Minky finds hilarious.

If you have a kiddo who is a fan of animals, or you are looking for a new bedtime book for your collection I would highly recommend Time For Bed, Fred!

-Kat (Transparenting)

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What My Kid Is Reading Wednesday:

Tikki Tikki Tembo.

My daughter has been wanting her daddy to read this to her or over a month! She absolutely loves this story, but I think it’s mostly because daddy has to read a super long and funny sounding name throughout the whole thing! It’s a requirement every night at bedtime now. 

The story originates from China (some say Japan) and is a myth about why Chinese people never have long names anymore. So the basics of this particular story is that there are two boys. One is named Sam ( or at least that’s what our version of the story we have says, from what I’ve looked up his name is Chang?),and the other brother is named Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo! It’s a super long and funny sounding name, and my daughter gets a kick out of it every single time my husband says it (which is often!). It starts off with the brothers playing around a well, and the one named Sam (or Chang) falls in. His brother runs off to his mother, father, and lastly the gardener to tell them, and to get a ladder to take him out. And they reach him in time because his name is short and easy.Then the brothers start playing near the well again, and this time the other brother falls in. Now whenever Sam goes to tell his mother, father, and the gardener, he has to say Tikki’s ENTIRE name each and every time. So when they finally get back to the well, well....you can probably guess what’s happened to Tikki Tikki Tembo. 

My daughter loves it because of the “long and funny” name. We all get a little laugh every time it’s read. But it is kind of interesting how it says that after that, the Chinese never named their children long names again. Since there couldn’t be any nicknames or anything after naming your firstborn son with a super long name. It’s definitely a staple in our home with an underlying message that touches our hearts. Although I still find it weird that after the first son fell into the well, wouldn’t they not want to play around the well anymore?! :-) 

( And I think we may have gotten a different version of the story, so if you also have the same story as us, what are the differences and similarities?)

What are your kiddos reading? Submit or tag your post with #whatmykidisreadingwednesday to share! 

-Melissa ( emrysina )

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What My Kid is Reading Wednesday

Mix it Up by Herve Tullet

Herve Tullet’s Press Here may be his better known title, but our family loves Mix It Up, which is a fun exploration of mixing colors. The book is super-interactive. On each page is a set of colors and some simple instructions encouraging you to pretend to mix the colors. You start with a primary color palette and then move into mixing more colors and shades. Some of them you are supposed to rub, some pages encourage you to mash the book together, some you are supposed to spread around with your hand. To me the book feels like someone reverse engineered a simple color mixing app into a children’s book and it is really fascinating how engaging it is in print.

At 2 1/2 Minky loves the interactive nature of it, and while he has not quite figured out the color mixing patterns perfectly, he gets pretty interested in watching what happens and engaging with the book’s instructions .And the simple, playful, almost messy style suits him (and me) well.

Whether you have a kid who enjoys reading, or does not, I think this could be a great book to try out. It rewards engagement from both parents and kids, and the exploration of colors is a pretty universally enjoyable theme.

-Kat (Transparenting)

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What My Kid is Reading Wednesday

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson

The number of LGBTQ inclusive children’s books out there is small, but thankfully growing. As I shared in post on my own blog back in March there are some great titles to explore if you want to add a little diversity to your own library - and in honor of our “Mom Appreciation” week I decided to share a favorite “mom” book along those lines from our house, Mommy, Mama, and Me.

The author, Leslea Newman, was also the writer of the first widely published children’s book with two openly lesbian moms - Heather Has Two Mommies (recently revamped and rereleased) - back in 1989. One that has received numerous challenges for simply portraying a child with lesbian parents.

Mommy, Mama, and Me is a board book that shows a pair of moms and their kid doing pretty basic family things - playing at the park, making food, brushing hair, getting ready for bed. The book is all made up of short rhyming phrases accompanied by simple, nicely done illustrations. As someone whose family does not exactly look like most of the ones portrayed in children’s books I was really happy to come across this book (even if it is not an exact fit for how we talk about ourselves). Even as our kiddo outgrows the simple rhymes of the book I look forward to using it as a conversation starter on the diversity of different family types in the world.

Whether you are a family with two moms, have some friends, or simply want to introduce a child to the concept of same-sex families Mommy, Mama, and Me is an easy and positive introduction to the concept. And if you are looking to further expand the diversity of your kids’ library there is also a dads version of the book: Daddy, Papa, and Me.

-Kat (Transparenting)

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What My Kid is Reading Wednesday 

Cars And Trucks And Things That Go by Richard Scarry

Our kiddo is a vehicle fanatic. And if there ever was a book designed for kids who like vehicles this might be it. Richard Scarry was a prolific author and illustrator who wrote over 300(!) books during his career, many of which focus around his fictional setting of Busytown.

Cars And Trucks And Things That Go does have a storyline, following the adventures of the Pig Family on a roadtrip, but when I am reading it with the Minky we usually set aside the narrative and just have a drawn out page-by-page conversation around the vehicles and what is happening to them. There are dozens of these sort of “mini-stories” on each page, and all sorts of fun little surprises and totally oddball zany vehicles to find. If you have a kid who likes vehicles and details, this is about as perfect as they come.

And if your kiddo does happen to get engrossed in the world of Busytown there are not only plenty of other books out there, but two tv spin-offs: The Busy World of Richard Scarry and Busytown Mysteries. For a long time the “Best Counting Video Ever” was my go-to if I was the solo parent had to keep the little guy occupied if while I was doing some cooking or something similar.

Cars And Trucks And Things That Go was one of my own favorites as a little kid, and it has been so much fun to watch the little guy get into it in the same way!

-Kat (Transparenting)

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What my Kid is Reading Wednesday

Skip through the Seasons by Stella Blackstone and Maria Carluccio

Since we’re talking about Spring here what better book to read than one about the seasons?   

I love this book for a handful of reasons.  Aside from learning about the seasons and you also go Month to Month.  It’s a great way to introduce your little one(s) to the name of each month along with the seasons and weather changes.  There are also prompts at the bottom of each page - a list of words for you  and your little one to  then look for on each page.  You can even turn it into a friendly race.  Turning reading time into  a game is always a bonus in our home! 

 - Eileen  (breastmilkontherocks)

What book are you & your little ones cuddling up with this week? Share with us your favorite Spring books by submitting or tagging us!

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What my kid is reading Wednesday:

What Mommies Do Best/ What Daddies Do Best

by Laura Numeroff (Author), Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

I bought our copy of this book from a used book shop when Carmela was still an infant. [Fun Fact: I spent over $60 during this shopping trip and this is why I'm not allowed to book shop alone.  I have an addiction to books]  I wanted to get something geared towards daddies for my husband to read to her.  I'll be honest, I saw the cover and didn't really look IN the book.  I just trusted it and purchased it. It was my pleasant surprise, when I brought it home, I discovered it has TWO stories in it.  After  reading the first, you flip the book over and you have What Mommies do Best.  (!!!!!)

Do you want to know the greatest part about this book?  Both stories are identical!  The illustrations are different, but the story teaches your little one that both mommies and daddies can teach you to ride a bike, bake a cake, and sew amongst other things.  I think  it's such an important lesson to teach our children.   Whatever Mommy can do, Daddy can do and the other way around. 

It's fun reading this because one story  turns into  two and gives both mommy and daddy a chance to read.  A double treat for you and your little one with an important message. 

- Eileen (breastmilkontherocks)

  What are your kid(s) enjoying this week?  Be sure to share by using #whatmykidisreadingwednesday, submit, or ask.