Writings, Wanderings

Hard to believe June is almost over! I've been enjoying my time off by reading more than I have in some time. I added a few more children's books to this year's list--and I even had an audience for one! I babysat my not-quite-two-month-old niece earlier in the month and in between holding and walking her around, I got to read my first story with her :) Mamasaurus by Stephan Lomp was a fun, quick read--this is the first book I got to read to my baby niece! I loved the simplicity behind the illustrations but also that it did not shy away from using the long names of the dinosaurs. There was one moment that hinted at danger, but even that was glossed over. I think this would be a fun read-aloud to preschool-aged kids starting to get interested in dinosaurs. Miguel and Amazing Alebrijes by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford and Aaron Rivera-Ashford is a follow-up to the Disney movie Coco. I love this movie and was excited to see more its culture. While I enjoyed the book overall...

Looking to buy a book for a child for Christmas? Check out what I've read in the last month to get my opinion on some choices! Dinosaur vs Santa is my top pick for reading with little ones for this season. This book followed an adorable if slightly mischievous dinosaur kid as he prepared for Christmas. I had a lot of fun reading this story out loud with its dinosaur sound effects as he made presents, decorated the tree, and more. The illustrations are simple but engaging. Enrichment idea: discuss Dinosaur vs Halloween (or another holiday). What activities would he need to successfully conquer for this holiday? Draw some of your own pictures. Wombat Walkabout was another fun read although it did have me nervous about the fate of the wombats until nearly the end! What I loved about this book was its integration of words used in Australia. There was a glossary at the front of the book, but I actually missed it until I had read the story. However, the story and ...