It's the once a quarter where instead of just writing about all the things I like, I write about the things the boys like instead. Usually books but I'm also doing bigger book posts right now (like here) so a few things besides books this time! Don't worry, we still have been reading PLENTY of picture books!
Luke
To the Beach! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
I had this book packed to take on our recent camping trip (the beach vacation would have been more appropriate but I didn't know about it then) and when Luke was bored on the drive up (and Sam was sleeping), I gave him some of the books I had packed to read aloud to them. He really enjoyed reading this one himself and was so excited for me to (eventually) read it aloud to them because he said it was really funny. I'd like to claim we did much better packing for the beach but our laundry also spent a week in Cincinnati instead of making it all the way to Florida.
Who Would Win? Series by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Rob Bolster
My sister told us about these and I kept forgetting to get them from the library. Then she was watching Sam and she gave me one they had read before it needed returned to the library and the boys LOVED them. AND our branch actually owned them all with most on the shelf so on my next weekly library trip and we read all 20+ of them within a few weeks. They are a bit wordy but very interesting, we learned a lot about a lot of different animals!
Kids' Wake-Up Alarm Clock
We bought this for the boys' room right at the end of the school year, in an attempt to make Luke more responsible for getting himself out of bed in the morning. He got up immediately the first day, ignored it the next school day, and then the last 9 school days he was up BEFORE the alarm and downstairs in a good mood. I don't understand how that worked but it was magic. We don't have the alarm on now but it does turn green when they are allowed to get up in the morning (vacation reallllly helped them start sleeping in). They've stuck by it so far and now are sleeping later than the green light (it's set for 7:30). It really helps me though to know I should have until 7:30 at the earliest before kids are downstairs. Definitely a worthwhile purchase. Fingers crossed it's still working it's magic in August.
Camping T-Shirts
I don't feel like I've had luck finding matching shirts for the boys at Target until this year. They have always been in a different size grouping and I feel like the designs frequently didn't overlap. This year I'm finally having some success and bought them each these Happy Campers t-shirts. Luke's favorite color is red and I like them having a camping shirt in the summer, especially that we are attempting to be campers this year. (They DID both wear these most of our camping trip!). These even glow in the dark so the boys extra liked that.
Dogman Books by Dav Pilkey
I know these were on Luke's list last month but he likes them so much that it is worth repeating. He's bought FIVE of them with his own money (as well as 2 he was gifted for his birthday) and will read and reread them again and again and again. He stays up too late reading them nearly every night (something that matters much less in the summer and during the school year) and this is what he reads nearly every time I tell him to do silent reading. They might not be what I would pick but if they make him want to read and help turn him into a confident reader than I am perfectly fine with them (for now).
Sam
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
We've owned this one for a few years, bought it on our Michigan vacation in 2019, but Sam has really gotten fond of it this year. I think because my seasonal book basket is working so well. The pictures are fantastic and the story is bittersweet - about a lighthouse keeper and his life until new technology puts him out of a job. Why this appeals to a 3 year old, I don't know but it is a good book.
Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
Sam LOVED this book about a kingfisher bird who looks like she was falling out of a tree but really needed to fall before she could fly. I deemed it a spring book so it's back at the library now but we read it almost daily in April and May!
Hello, World! Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald
Sam has been very interested in bugs the last few months, especially worms as we've spent a lot of time in the dirt getting the raised beds ready for our garden. This book didn't feature as many bugs as he would have liked but he does like seeing all the other bugs! He excitedly names all the bugs he can when we see them in the backyard.
Don't Forget to Remember by Ellie Holcomb, illustrated by Kayla Harren
This book was an instant hit in our house for the variety of animals it includes - in particular ring-tailed lemurs (Luke's all time favorite), red panda's (Sam's favorite at the zoo), and Foxes (Sam's favorite stuffed animal). The message is fantastic too, about God's love. I bought it pretty quickly after we read the library copy.
Hammerhead Shark Shirts
I got these for both boys for the summer. Last summer they had (non-matching) shark shirts that they often wore together, this year I was on the hunt for shark shirts in their current sizes when I found these which was PERFECT because Sam has declared hammerhead sharks to be his favorite sharks (for reasons unknown). They wore these about every other day on vacation since the beach necessitates daily laundry!
I'm always open to picture books recommendations, send them to me if you've got them!
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