Hi Everybody!  Welcome to my Library Haul Post.  This is where I do a short and sweet rating of the best children’s books we scored from our library trip last week.  We tend to read a lot of kids books and I haven’t quite worked up to giving them all their own post, but this is my compromise.  Enjoy, and happy reading!

#1. On My Way To the Bath by Sarah Maizes

On My Way To the Bath is a description of the distractions facing a toddler named Livi as she makes her way to where her momma is calling her to the bathtub.  Snakes, architecture, gymnastics, and a potential future as a rock star are just some of the obstacles in her path as Livi’s mommy keeps calling her for bathtime.

This is a board book with a zippy little story line that illustrates the many and various ways a toddler can be distracted from the task at hand.  I can attest to the fact that toddlers are easily distracted, and this book makes that trait a bit more humorous.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#2. Knit Together by Angela Dominguez

Knit Together is a story about a little girl who loves to draw and her mommy who loves to knit.  The little girl is not good at knitting, and her mommy is not very good at drawing, but when they work together they make something unique and exciting.

We loved this book.  It tells the story in just a few words and captivating illustrations, but it is a really special little story about a mother and daughter working together on a fun project that they both love.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars

#3.  If You Hopped Like A Frog by David M. Schwartz

Have you ever imagined what it would be like if you could hop as far as a frog?  Or maybe what it would be like to slurp your food up off of your plate with a tongue like a lizard?  This book is an educational exploration of those possibilities.  It’s pretty short, with just a sentence or two on each speculation, but the back pages had short paragraphs on each animal that went a little deeper into the science of those speculations.  This was a fun way to gain a little more insight into the animal kingdom beyond the traditional animal sounds.

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#4. Shout: Little Poems That Roar by Brod Bagert

April is National Poetry Month, so our library had a neat little display set up in the kids department, full of poetry for kids.  This is a compilation of poems about issues that all kids face.  The difficulty of math, and a sincere, undying love of ketchup are not forgotten.  It’s a fun collection of ditties that roll right over your tongue.  Super fun to read!

We really liked it: 4 out of 5 stars

#5. Rose’s Are Red, Violet’s Are Blue and Other Silly Poems: Compiled and Illustrated by Wallace Tripp

Also in honor of National Poetry Month, this is a collection of traditional children’s poems.  Some of these were familiar to me, whereas others I had heard of, but never actually read.  The thing that impressed me most about this book was the vocabulary.  You don’t really notice the difference in the vocabulary that we consider normal for kids versus the vocabulary of centuries past until you read a book like these side by side with a similar modern book.  I actually looked up words in the dictionary while I was reading through this one.  Call me crazy, but I love that.  I love the idea of stretching my kids’ vocabulary from the youngest ages.  They’re already learning new words, and soaking it all up like a sponge.  Why not expose them to as many unique words as possible, and help them learn to understand context and definition from the very beginning?  I think everybody should have a book like this to read to the kids.

We loved it: 5 out of 5 stars