Author: Judy Smith

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Dog Breath, The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Dog Breath, The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis            By:  Dav Pilkey

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

This fun book has been around for awhile, but remains a favorite.  In our story, the dog Hally is a wonderful pet, but has very bad breath.  His breath is so bad that the Tosis family decide that he has to go.  No worries, a miracle happens and Hally is saved and becomes a hero.  This story is so funny and and the illustrations really help tell the story.

 

 

 

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A Bear is a Bear (except when he’s not)

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life!

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

A Bear is a Bear (except when he’s not)            By:  Karl Newson            Illustrated by:  Anuska Allepuz

Ages:  Preschool through First Grade

 

Poor bear woke up in the middle of hibernation and forgot that he was a bear.  He tries to be many other forest creatures, but none of them seemed to fit.  Fortunately, he figures it out after a restful sleep.  Children will love following the bear as he tries to discover his true identity.  The story is done in rhyming verse and the pictures are adorable.

 

 

 

 

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The Brave Little Crab

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

The Brave Little Crab            By:  Beth Costanzo             Illustrated by:  Ekaterina Illina

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

This is a lovely story about respecting each other and accepting our differences.   Little Crab is very small and only has one claw.  In our story, Little Crab saves the day by helping a larger crab who gets stuck in the kelp.  This delightful story is done in rhyming verse and fosters vocabulary development.

 

 

 

 

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Are You My Mother?

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Are You My Mother?            By:  P.D. Eastman

Ages:  Toddlers through First Grade

 

 

Are You My Mother? is an oldie, but a goodie!   A few of our friends have requested this one and even though it is over 60 years old, it is timeless.  In our story, the little bird hatches while his mother is away, so he goes in search to find her.  He encountered many animals and objects, and with a little help from a friend, makes his way back to the nest and his real mother.  Children will love going along with the little bird and his adventure.

 

 

 

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Little Sunflower

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Little Sunflower            By:  Suzanne Fossey            Illustrated by:  Gina Maldonado

Ages:  Toddler through First Grade

 

This adorable book chronicles the life cycle of a sunflower seed from the point of planting, to being a beautiful flower, the pollination process and its return back to seeds.  This book is not only educational for young children, but its rhyming verse is beautifully done.  If possible, be sure to plant sunflower seeds to let children watch this amazing process.

 

 

 

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Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love            By:  Amy Krouse Rosenthal           Illustrated by:  Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer

 

Like its prequel,  Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, this beautiful book helps young children understand vocabulary expressing “love” through the task of making cookies.  Children will explore words such as compassionate, adore, admire, etc. through the process of making delicious sugar cookies.  The recipe is included in the back of the book.  Enjoy reading this lovely expression of love to the children in your life.

 

 

 

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What the Road Said

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.  

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

What the Road Said            By:  Cleo Wade            Illustrated by:  Lucie de Moyencourt

Ages:  Third Grade through Adult

 

Sometimes a special book will come into our lives that is thought provoking and motivating at the same time.  What the Road Said is one of those books and would be a perfect gift for a new graduate or someone going through a difficult time.  The author leads us through many situations and lets us know that the “road” will lead us in the right direction.  Remember, picture books can be for grown-ups, too.

 

 

 

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Can I Be Your Dog?

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Can I Be Your Dog            By:  Troy Cummings

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

Anyone who has ever rescued a dog or just loves dogs will love this book!  Arfy is homeless so he decides to write letters to the folks on his block to find a home.  Mitzy, the letter carrier, delivers all of Arfy’s letters and the rejection letters that he received.  Don’t worry, our story has a very happy ending and will show children how to write letters, which is becoming a lost art.  It also provides insight on the importance of pet rescue.   You will fall in love with Arfy!

 

 

 

 

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If You Plant a Seed

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

If You Plant a Seed            By:  Kadir Nelson

Ages:  Toddlers through First Grade

 

This is one of the most beautiful books that we have ever found and has an amazing message. The illustrations are beyond magnificent and tell the story all by themselves.  Kadir Nelson is an award winning illustrator.  This is not only a book about planting a garden in the spring, it is about planting the seed of kindness and sharing.  Please take a close look at this one and add it to your read-aloud list.  Children will want to hear it over and over and you will love reading it to them.

 

 

 

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Finders Keepers

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Finders Keepers            By:  Keiko Kasza

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

The squirrel in our story left his red hat to mark the place where he had buried an acorn.  The hat had quite a journey as many of the forest creatures found good uses for it.  Ultimately, the hat made its way back to the very place where our story began.  This is such a fun tale with many twists and turns that children will love.  It also gives  the opportunity to discuss what you should do if you find something that belongs to someone else.  The author and illustrator, Keiko Kasza is one of our favorites.

 

 

 

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