It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus. The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. These weekly roundups are a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share some of the titles you’ve been enjoying, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.
Did you catch my collection of picture books celebrating women in STEM earlier this week? You can find it here (you can go check it out now, don’t worry, I’ll wait). I also wrote about some of my favourite story time songs, which are especially useful when trying to salvage a sinking story time ship. Fun times!
Who’s That Scratching at My Door?: A Peekaboo Riddle Book
So…this is pretty much a straight rip-off of Dear Zoo. A boy wishes he had a real friend to play with (instead of a pet), and he opens flaps to discover all sorts of animals with major drawbacks, before finally discovering the perfect pet – I mean friend – a puppy! Many of the animals are the same (a lion, a giraffe, a monkey, a frog, a puppy), though there are a few additions (a bear, birds, a mouse). It’s pretty much the exact same book.
But you know what?
I’m not mad at it, not by a long shot. My story time groups are obsessed with lift-the-flap books. My toddlers in particular have taken to chanting “open it up!”, which is pretty dang adorable. The suspense just about kills them! Sure Who’s That Scratching At My Door? an almost page-for-page knock off, but it does allow me to give my kids more of what they want, while still introducing them to new books. It has simple, colourful, cartoonish illustrations, those all-important flaps, vocabulary-supporting repetition, and opportunities for audience participation in the form of animal sounds. My little ones delight in the surprise reveals, while I can have funny conversations with my older kids about the pros and cons of having each animal as a pet. Predictable? Yup. Original? Nope. But definitely still worth including in your storytime repertoire.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
We’re heading back to the classics with this one, which has been beloved by children, caregivers and educators for decades. And for good reason! Simple rhyming text, large, colourful illustrations and animals! It’s fascinating to use this one with groups of different ages – toddlers are typically perfectly content to accept the purple cat and blue, but preschoolers often struggle with these creative liberties – horses should be brown, and cats should not be purple! You can have inspire some great conversations about art, creativity and personal expression.
Monkey And Me
Monkey and me, monkey and me, monkey and me we went to see….this simple, repetitive, lovely picture book! I’ve been using this one for years, and I still love it. Adorable animal illustrations are combined with limited text and fun actions to act out, making it perfect for babies and toddlers.
Well, that’s it for this week – have a great one, everybody!!
I haven’t read Brown Bear, Brown Bear in years. It was always a favorite when I taught first and when my kids were little.
You know a book is a classic when you always find yourself coming back to it. So many picture books come out every year, but there are a few standbys that I know I can always rely on!
Cute picks as usual! Don’t think I ever read any of these but Who’s That Scratching At My Door looks fun…
I’m in a bit of a recreational reading slump, so if it wasn’t for the books I read for work, I probably wouldn’t have anything to share.
Darn this reading slump!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear makes me think of when I used to teach first grade. I haven’t read it in so long. I love Eric Carle’s illustrations!
They’re so distinct! I read “The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse” a few weeks ago, and when I pulled out “Brown Bear”, a number of the kids recognized the art!
The riddle book looks fun! I hope you enjoy your books.
My It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? post.
They are definitely fun!
I love Monkey and Me! So fun to share with little ones!
Isn’t it great? I used to share it at my baby-and-me programs, and it was so fun to get all the caregivers chanting along to their babies.
What is it with lift-the-flap books? My lower elementary age kids also love them. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Isn’t it funny? Watching kids literally bounce with anticipation is pretty hilarious!
It’s been years since I’ve read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? but I still have it memorized. Both my kids were OBSESSED with that book.
It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
It’s so ridiculously simple, yet works so very well. Sometimes less really is more!
Hi Jane,
Reading about your interactions with the little ones makes me want to show up and be part of the action. I love Brown Bear and the sequels. I love Eric Carle so much that I have brown bear fabric that I am using to make baby quilts for my grandchildren to be.
Can I make a recommendation to help with your reading slump? Sometimes a fun audiobook works for me, or even a book that brings joy. If you haven’t read Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont is a great read that is both profound, hilarious and joyful. It might help.
Thank you for the suggestion! I absolutely agree, sometimes there’s nothing like a feel-good book to bring back to the joy to your reading life! I’ve just put a hold on Nobody Cries at Bingo.
Sweet books! My own children loved Brown Bear so much back in the day.
Such cute books! I don’t have any toddlers to read to, but I may have to check them out anyway! Have a great week!
I’m lucky to have toddlers and preschoolers I can share these lovely stories with!
my kids ADORED “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” just looking at the cover triggers so many wonderful memories
<3<3
I loved it as a kid, too, so it’s fun to share with the kids I work with!
I agree with you: Brown bear is indeed such a classic.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to have created something so legendary? And it’s so ridiculously simple!
Such fun books. Brown Bear is always appreciated though some children definitely notice the odd color choices.