I am attempting to read aloud to the little ones (8 and 6) every day of 2016.... we are finishing up The Trumpet of the Swan as our chapter read aloud and have added a great one-
The Wind in the Willows is perhaps the greatest example of how a classic book is simplified and sometimes changed to become a proper Disney film. While I enjoyed the Disney cartton and the Disneyland ride depicting Mr Toad's 'wild ride,' the book is so much more. The rich, description-filled language makes a great read aloud. I waffle between Rat, Mole and Badger being my favorite character; Toad never makes the list.
Millions of Cats is a simple book with just three characters- an old man, an old woman, and their kitten (plus a million more cats). I love the wood cut-tyeillustrations.
I hope you know Caps for Sale! It is a classic.
The Story of Ferdinand is perfect for my gentle boy. Sometimes it is okay to not be what people expect you to be. Not everyone has to be ambitious and aggresive. I suppose the message of this book is not very American!
I challenge you to read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble to your kids without a tear in your eye! William Steig is a master story teller. It is also refreshing to read a story about an intact family that simply loves each other. The conflict comes from a magic pebble and a lion...
The Tale of Three Trees is a perfect Lent and Easter read aloud. Three trees grow and help Jesus at different times of His earthly life. We are reading much more- but I didn't want this post to be crazy long....
What are you reading aloud to your kids lately? (These are affliate links- this mean if you click on the link and then buy something at Amazon while that 'cookie' is active, I will receive a very very small portion of what you spend- thank you for considering this)
I love posts like this!! I haven't done chapter books yet with my 4 yo twins. I'm itching to, but I don't think they are quite ready. We go to the library at least once a month and have checked out both Caps for Sale and Millions of Cats in the past. The boys loved both of them. We also own a copy of Ferdinand. I love that sweet bull and was shocked that my husband had never heard of the story before. I may move into fairy tales soon since I have several books and there aren't many pictures for them to look at, sort of thinking that may work for a step towards a chapter book. We shall see!! Great post!
ReplyDeletewe need to get to the library more...hmmm.... first chapter book...our first long one was Little House in the Big Woods- but I don't know if your all-boy house would love it enough- when they are older- maybe Narnia? Enjoy this picture book-only time!
DeleteOh, and forgot to mention, the Tomie de Paulo books are a favorite in our house. We've read several of the Strega Nona books, a couple of the Christmas ones, and I recently got the St. Patrick book. My boys love those. We go to the library about once a month and I try to get a variety of books, including some classics. Right now we have Frog and Toad from the library. <3 I love that book too!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Frog & Toad!
DeleteOf interest, a new sequel to"Caps for Sale" titled "More Caps for Sale" was published last year. Ann Marie M. Sayer worked closely with the late author (Esphyr Slobodkina) for the story. I remembered reading the original book so I was delighted to see this new one. It's just as funny as the original book and is beautifully illustrated! Following the story, there's an explanatory text of how "More Caps" was developed.
ReplyDeleteI read a non-fiction book titled "Thames: the Biography" by Peter Ackroyd not long ago. The "Wind in the Willows" was among the examples of how the Thames River influenced British authors in their writings.
ooo- I will have to get that book!
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