Martin Waddell Great Books about Mom

Martin Waddell's books are perfect for preschoolers who need to be reassured that mom is around and indeed very special. Two of our favorites by Waddell are The Big Big Sea and Owl Babies. What I love are the gorgeous illustrations and simple words.

We read Owl Babies over and over and over when the children were young. The baby owls have awakened to find their mother missing. Waddell writes, "She'll be back," said Sarah. "Back soon," said Percy. "I want my mommy!" said Bill. The owls repeat this throughout the book and soon children are joining in. IL: LG - BL: 2.4 - AR Pts: 0.5

The Big Big Sea is about a special late night walk to the sea with mom. The little girl finds the moon and will always remember this unusual late night adventure. Sometimes it is the crazy things we do with our children that make them remember us. IL: LG - BL: 2.1 - AR Pts: 0.5

Add Non-Fiction to Children's Story Hour

Our youngest child was much more interested in learning about the world than reading stories, so we bought and read a lot of non-fiction when he was little. One of my favorite series was "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" by Mike Venezia.

The series incorporates artists' works and cartoons into the story. If the artist is influenced by another artist, or friends with a contemporary, their work is often displayed as well. One of the first books I picked up was Edgar Degas. This book, which lists at $6.95 includes 20 works of Degas' and 9 paintings by other artists. Degas was friends with Mary Cassatt and so Venezia also includes 2 paintings by Cassatt.

These images and the text really provide a strong introduction to Degas. The books are engaging for young readers and a quick read for older children. Degas is my favorite painter, so I have included his book first. I will feature other books in this series. These books are probably at your local library. Check it out. (This book was not in the AR system I checked. Other titles in the series had a BL ~5 and awarded .5 points)

Everything on a Waffle is Delicious

What a great story! Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath is certainly about relationships, cooking and missing parents. We just listened to the unabridged production read by Kathleen McInerney driving around Atlanta. Kathleen sounded just like Primrose. This is a book set in Coal Harbour, Canada about a young girl whose parents are lost at sea.

Primrose ends up forging a relationship with her Uncle and several other adults. She prevails throughout the book. During her many adventures she frequently introduces the readers to new recipes. Horvath has a sincere style and ability to help the reader really get to know her characters. The recipes totally appeal to me as a mother and owner of CulturedKid.com.

From AR:  IL: MG - BL: 5.8 - AR Pts: 5.0