Tap into a good book...yes a play on words but only because I am talking about the book, Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson.  It reminds me of one of my favorite books Push Here by Herve Tullet.  Push Here is an interactive book about colored dots.  The story is instructions on what to do with the dots.  Children love the book, it immediately engages and keeps their attention.  

Tap the Magic Tree begins...There's magic in this bare brown tree.  Tap it once;  and is the same premise as Push Here but with the leaves on a tree.  And that makes it even more fun because it teaches about nature and the life cycle of a tree.  I think  books make great gifts and this one will be loved by all the children on your list.  It's just a good book to own.


I recently read... Toys in Space by Mini Grey and I did enjoy it.  It's not the easiest book to read to someone because so much is going on it's hard to be clear with the person listening.  It is however very enjoyable to a child that can read and understand on their own.   The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud is a fun story, mostly because the artwork is amazing in this over-sized book.  You and your child will enjoy looking at all the wonderful detail and seeing just what you can find on each page.  No, it's not an Eye-Spy book, just a lot going on.  A sweet story and a good read!

So, curl up on the couch with your child and their favorite book and READ.

Photograph by Anthony Realmuto

Autumn:  The season of the year between Summer and Winter, lasting from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice and from September to December in the Northern Hemisphere.  A Full moon in Autumn is called the Harvest Moon.  In other words Fall is here and we all love everything about it.

Since 2009, The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen sets the tone for Fall.  It is a gentle story of a Scarecrow that gets caught up in a breeze and begins to dance  Ms Yolen's rhythmic prose take you through his journey of movement and discovery that ultimately let's him see firsthand his true worth.

Note:  the illustrations are by Bagram Ibatouliine who is known for his stunning artwork in Kate Dicamillo's must read chapter book:   The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  Which by the way is the perfect book to read with your 5-9 year old at bedtime or quiet time.  It's one of those books that because a precious memory that you shared this story together.

One bright fall day, Sophie chose a squash at the farmer's market.  Her parents planned to serve it for supper, but Sophie had other ideas...begins Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow and Anne Wilsdorf.  This book reminds me of the child that enjoyed playing with the box the toy came in instead of the toy.  This is a charming fall story that of course has little lessons, like not caring about what other people think.  It is truly a sweet story with a few giggles and fall is here, so read it soon.

Hello, My Name is Ruby is a brand new book by Phillip C. Stead.  The illustrations are so unique, I almost predict it will be in the running for a Caldecott Honor.  Ruby is a bird that is not afraid to introduce herself to others.  As children that is how we make friends.  I remember on the first day of middle school (we called it Jr High back then)  I didn't know anyone on my lunch shift. ( a tween/teen's nightmare) I noticed a girl sitting by herself.  I approached  her and asked if I could sit with her and eat lunch.  She said yes and became an important friend in my life.  So the beginning of the book is a good way to explain to young ones how to make friends.  Now, you will need to read the book to discover the twist about the name Ruby, it is delightful and you are going to wish you had thought of it yourself.

When the colors of life look muted and everyone else is happy with the way things are, Mr. Tiger is a pop of orange and he wants to run wild and be crazy.  This story is about how we all feel sometimes, the illustrations tell the story in a most contrasting way.  Mr Tiger Goes Wild is by Peter Brown.  Go "wild" and READ  it soon!

                                                               Photos by Anthony J Realmuto

In addition to the many ABC books that are out there, "the counting book" is also in great abundance.  Almost every story character and animal have there own counting book, so leave it to Mac Barnett, Kevin Cornell and Disney to come up with an interactive twist.  Count the Monkeys is funny, inventive,  and delightfully illustrated.  I read the whole book and then went back to the title page before I noticed Disney had something to do with it.   It really does have the Disney feel to it, almost like you just watched a mini animated short film.  The book is interactive in that every page has something for the reader to do, you are part of the story.   I read this book to a small group of girls at "Fancy Nancy" Camp at the Dance Studio where I work and they loved the book so much, they wanted me to  read it again.  It caught there attention immediately and one student loved it so much she said she needed to read it again on her own, took possession of the book and I did not see it again until the end of the "Fancy Nancy" day.  So...check this one out, I have a feeling you will have to buy it.

Another book I must tell you about... THIS IS NOT MY HAT BY Jon Klassen.  The tale begins...This hat is not mine.  I just stole it.  I stole it from a big fish.  Does he think he can get away with it, I'm not saying you have to  read this book.  I will say it is a great story about consequences to actions.  This make it an excellent learning tool for parents to use.  If you say to your child there are consequences to your actions, they have NO idea what the heck you are talking about.  It's one of those things you must see an example of to understand and this book will give you that. 

Another  reason to love  this book is it won the Caldecott Medal for Picture Book Artistry.

I bet you are wondering what the heck is a Caldecott Medal and why when I see that Medal on the cover of a book do I have great expectations about what is inside.  Well...look for my next post and I will answer that question for you.

Hi, I am Kimberlin and I love books, specifically, I think we learn the most from children's books.  When my son was little (he is now 23) we would go to the library and check out lots of them, like 20 to 30 a trip.  We would bring them home, sit on the couch together and I would begin to read to him, one book after another.  Each one like a gift we bought  for ourselves.  He had his favorites as all children do and those books got read over and over again like a well worn velveteen rabbit. (one of my favorites by the way)  Though my child is all grown up I still keep up with what's new in children's books and hope to lead you to new and rewarding experiences with your child as you share the delight of a clever story.  Speaking of clever stories there is a new book out called, The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.  There is no way to even walk past a book with that title and not pick it up eager to know what it is all about.  I was immediately intrigued and had to sit and down and read it right away.  The book begins...one day in class, Duncan went to take out his crayons and found a stack of letters with him name on them and yes, it's going to be exactly what you are thinking a VERY Clever story.  I was always a little possessive of my box of 64 crayons, it was a big deal to get the "big" box and I didn't want anyone using midnight blue, my favorite color...didn't want to use it up. You will love the illustrations by Oliver Jeffers who also illustrated This Moose Belongs To Me.  As you read this story if you ever colored with crayons as a child you will completely relate to this tale of delight and enjoy the ideal resolution.

Some books are just fun to read and getting them at the library is all that is needed, but there are those books that must be bought and owned forever.  My favorite gift  to a child and sometimes adults are children's books.  So, both the book store and the public library are essential in your quest for great knowledge and understanding of what everyone should know about life.

With that being said...The Day the Crayons Quit is a book to buy, own and love.  Two other notable recently published books are:

The Story of Fish and Snail by Deborah Freedman
Often we have a friend that is not as adventurous as we might be but a good friend all the same and sometimes we are asked to step out of our comfort zone.  Fish and Snail is a charming story about friends and the relationship between them.  Read and enjoy this story and at some point it may be relevant in your child's friendships and that would be a good time to read it again.

123 Versus ABC by Mike Boldt
Oh my goodness.. another ABC book but honestly this one is really good.  I really didn't think there could be but another angle to the age old story but Mr. Boldt did just that.  He puts 123 against ABC and that is all I am going to say, you have to read it for yourself.

I am a huge Harry Potter fan and there isn't much to say about that except JK Rowling is a genius.  It is however, good to know that the "Books on CD" versions of the books are great to listen to in the car and can be checked out from the library.  Jim Dale the actor reading the books is AMAZING, he does all the voices and honestly it can be as entertaining as the movies.  I have listened to the books several times on CD as I drive around Winter Garden;  It's crazy how I learn something new every time and now that I know the ending I see all the foreshadowing and clues so clearly.  So, something to keep in mind if you are a Potter fan.

Keep Reading!