Well, you know, I think it would be hard to get too much of Sandra Boynton.  That being said I don’t like ALL of her books, just most of them!

I’d like to tell you I have a deep reason for liking this one.  But, I don’t!  It is just plain CUTE!  I have found in the past 3 1/4 years that I love books that rhyme.  And this one rhymes wonderfully.  And it is silly.  And, if it NEEDS a redeeming factor, it does teach that pigs DON’T say ” La La La,” and that dogs DO say “bow wow wow.” 

This is just a delightful book that ends with the enticing question “It’s quiet now, what do YOU say?”

A friend recently posted about toddler books that depict children from different parts of the world.  I am caucasian and my husband and daughter are asian.  Various other family members are various other …ian’s, so books that my daughter can identify with are really important to me. 

I have no idea in the whole world where I got this book.  Surely I didn’t pay real money for it.  However, as Jun has practically memorized it AND there are children from four various racial backgrounds in the series (only two in this particular book), I think I should introduce it so other parents can give it a shot if they like.

Seriously, I’m not sure why Jun likes it so much.  No rhyme.  No real plot.  No real ending.  No real beginning.  But, apparently it was written by folks who are a lot better at reading a child’s heart than I am.  I guess I won’t be recycling this book for some time either!

I loved the Duck & Goose book about opposites so could hardly wait until this one came out.  I finally got my copy – opened it up – and thought…hmmmm  not what I expected.

The same great duck and goose images were there, but the one word descriptions of feelings didn’t seem to be adequate.  My daughter, however, loved the book.  Then I remembered why these books are so great.  Because someone HAS to read them to the kiddies.  And, hopefully that someone has a clue what the words mean – take “frustrated” for instance – and can talk about the picture, give examples, AND coach the kiddo in what to do when he/she is FRUSTRATED.

This book has given Jun words to many important feelings, and, as I said, I’ve given her some tools to deal with some of them.

For example – frustrated.  Our family takes a big breath and says, “Help me, Jesus!”  big breath, “Help me, Jesus!”  It is amazing how many more things Jun has persevered through using this breathing and praying, now that we have learned the word “frustrated.”

We have a song about being mad.  The book says “angry”, but both work for us.  We say, “count to 5!  1-2-3-4-5!”

The picture of one duck who took ALL the flowers and the others who were so sad and the selfish duck was all alone, and…well, it just naturally leads into a discussion about sharing.

So, this book gets a great grade from me – and Jun (3 1/4 yo)!

If you guessed straight off that THIS book was a phonics book – well, you’d be right.  I have raided my bookshelves at work for books for Jun to read, and there are, therefore, too many phonics books to count.  As Jun is not yet reading these books herself, I “get” to read them again and again.  Phonics books, for anyone who doesn’t know, are often very uninteresting.  The plots and conversations are quite limited to words that, for example in this book, have the short sound for the letter “a” in them.

So, in general, this book is your standard phonics book.  BUT it has a twist – or I wouldn’t bother to finally post about it here!  There is a nice moral in this simple story about a cat who, while escaping from a bee, knocks a birds nest off the branch of a tree.  She takes personal responsibility for her accidental action, and keeps the resident eggs warm, refusing to play with all the little animals that invite her, until they hatch!

I was so glad to find a phonics book that I could use to discuss “trying to make things right” after accidents with Jun.  I guess I’ll keep this phonics book around even after she’s done reading it herself!

We got this puzzle as a present when Jun was 1 1/2.  It was beyond her and my abilities then, but, I found it before going home to the States for Christmas last year and took it along.  Junnie and Grammy and Grandpa ALL loved this puzzle.  Each of the adults tried to get it away from Jun so they could figure out the patterns on some of the harder ones.  Jun has even those nearly down pat now.

Basically, there are pictures with shapes cut out in them.  There are 8 triangle wooden blocks that fit in the shapes.  Some are very easy.  One triangle per puzzle.  Others are harder 7 or 8 triangles are needed to fill in the shape.  I noticed on Amazon.co.jp, that KUMON has a few other puzzles too, like this. 

There is no need to understand a word of Japanese to use this puzzle with your child.  My Mom figured it out just fine! 

I never did well on spacial tests in school, so I hope this puzzle and ones like it will give Jun a leg up in this area.  Jun just enjoys the tickles she “earns” when she gets a puzzle right!

Jun got her very own computer (Leap’s Phonics Pond) for Christmas.  Grammy found it at a recycle shop and got it for a steal.  Of course, being the knowledgeable parents we are – or are not – we didn’t know exactly how much of a steal till I checked it out on Amazon.  Nice $50 price tag.

It teaches lower case letters, gives a quiz on those letters, teaches and tests on phonics, does some basic spelling and…the reason for this post – has a song or some kind of music assigned to each letter.  Well, my musical Junnie LOVES the music feature.  However, there are no words to the songs.  I have been trying to recognize the songs and remember/search for the lyrics so I can teach her the songs too.  So far I have come up with the following.  I hope it might be helpful to someone else too!  There are a few I can’t figure out.  If you can…PLEASE tell me!  THANKS!

a – Part one of the ABC song:  a-b-c-d-e-f-g

b – Billy Boy

c – Clementine

d – Do you Remember Sweet Betsy from Pike?

e – fun sound

f – Farmer in the Dell

g – Same sound/rhythm as “k”

h – Part two of the ABC song: h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p

i – I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

j – Jimmy Crack Corn

k – Same sound/rhythm as “g”

l – London Bridge

m – fun sound

n – Sounds like the tune of I’ll Fly Away.  Again  – should start with an “n”, though, shouldn’t it?

o – ?? but sounds like some song!?

p – Pop Goes the Weasel

q – Part three of the ABC song:  q-r-s-t-u-v

r – Row, Row Your Boat

s – She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain

t – This Old Man

u – fun sound

v – fun sound

w – Part four of the ABC song: w-x-y-z, Now I know my ABC’s, next time won’t you sing with me!

x – fun sound

y - Yankee Doodle

z – fun sound

Any ideas on the question marks?

What can I say???  I love this book!  Growing up, we had the full version and I loved each page of it.  Especially the phrase “I think I can!”

I wanted to share the message of “I think I can!” with the Mamas and Kids in my Toddler’s class.  However, the full story would have been more than the Mamas would have been able to learn to read to their kiddos.  So, I searched and searched and searched. 

This particular book is a Beginning Reader’s version.  Not many words, same cute pictures, and “I think I can!” nicely repeated.  Of course, when I read it aloud, I multiply the times we shout “I think I can!” while bouncing up and down, to my heart’s content.

So, this is not the full story – but it is great for ESL.  Give it a try.  This particular book has another story about the Little Engine and a Hippo.  Hmmm.  We won’t use that one in class, though, if you have a child, they may enjoy it too.

We have really been going to the dogs around here!  HA!  This is the current craze at our house.   We actually have The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog!  It has five stories in it.  This book has so many things going for it!

• The stories are short and cute.
• The illustrations are colorful and easy to understand with no words.
• The text repeats A LOT!  This book will be great when Jun is reading by herself.
• The human illustrations are just perfect for the adults reading the book. 
• Each story ends with a cute twist.
• Big Dog and Little Dog are GREAT friends!
• Those two dogs remind me SO much of my daily life with a two year old!  Too funny!

If you haven’t read a Big Dog and Little Dog book, give it a try!

Jun’s fascination with dogs is growing, so I decided to raid my stash of English kids books and see if she was ready for my prized “Go, Dog. Go!”  I remember this book as a child.  I loved the trees.  Do you know what kind of trees they are????  The book is 64 pages long.  I didn’t think it would keep Jun’s attention for long, but … it did!  We had to read it again.  Not too many words on each page – thankfully!

Soon after our reading marathon I asked Jun if she liked corn flakes.  “I do not!” she replied, shoving them in her mouth.  If you have read Go, Dog! Go! you may remember the conversation repeated throughout:  “Do you like my hat?”  “I do not!”  Well, what do you know!?!

There was only one caveat for Jun.  Don’t tell anyone, BUT – the dogs don’t have any clothes on!  LOL!

When I first (or second) lived in Japan, I was walking down a very narrow pathway between houses to get to church.  I met a DOG!  A yapping dog.  I spoke to that dog in English.  That dog did not understand English, and was not impressed that I could speak it.  I thought, “Even the dogs understand more Japanese than I do!”

If I had only had this book, I would have done fine, I’m sure!

This was Jun’s first “dog” book.  This dog book teaches 10 different barking voices for dogs.  Ten.  Did you understand that?  10!  And Jun memorized quite a bit of the book, so we could have it even when we were out and about.  One of the dogs voices is even a whine.  Add those 10 voices to Japanese’s wan wan.  Well…  I think we can communicate with any dog we come into contact with.

As always, Sandra Boynton books are a big hit with us!  Bow wow wow!