Curious Baby: My First Nursery Songs

Introduce children to classic nursery rhymes with the help of Curious George!

Rey, H.A.
Curious Baby: My First Nursery Songs.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Complete with a CD of five classic nursery rhymes (featuring the songs, the music only and a cappella versions), children will take delight in both music and books with the help of Curious George! Included in the book are the lyrics for the five nursery rhymes featured - Humpty Dumpty, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Round the Mulberry Bush and Pat a Cake. Also included (within the illustrations) are the musical scales that show the notes for each song (an interesting approach to introduce the idea of reading music)!

This is a great book infants and toddlers, as it is simple, can be used as a whole or with each nursery rhyme individually. Parents will find it easy to help their child learn the words to the nursery rhymes, as the lyrics for each rhyme make up the text of the story. This would make for a wonderful share at bedtime story-time!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious Baby: My First Words at the Farm: A Book and Baby Hat Gift Set

Introduce your baby to vocabulary with the help of a character they'll be excited to grow up with - Curious George!

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious Baby: My First Words at the Farm.
May 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The latest gift set for babies featuring Curious George contains the book, Curious Baby: My First Words at the Farm and a super-sweet "Curious Monkey" baby hat, complete with little monkey ears! The book, a 12-page board book, contains colorful images of all that one could imagine seeing on a farm. Each of the different farm objects is labeled, acting as an introduction to share new vocabulary with your littlest ones! The small book makes it ideal for a lap-time share!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Visit a local farm (yes, bring your baby along) and while they're riding snug in a stroller or carrier, point out all the different parts of the farm, labeling them each, so your child(ren) can begin to make the connection between objects and words, enhancing their vocabulary later on in life!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Curious Baby: My First Words at the Zoo

A perfect gift to introduce a new baby to books and reading!

Rey, Margaret and H.A.
Curious Baby Curious George: My First Words at the Zoo.
February 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

If you're looking to start reading to your little one or even just want to increase theme-related vocabulary, this is the book for you (and your L.O.). It's not a story, per say, but rather zoo illustrations in which all of the animals are properly labeled and clearly depicted!

I would say this durable board book, coupled with the sweet little "Curious Little Monkey" tee is well worth the $10.19!

If you're looking for more of these same style books, I would suggest checking out:

• Curious Baby Counting
• Curious Baby Music Play
• Curious Baby: My Curious World
• Curious Baby: My Curious Dreamer Gift Set
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Kisses

A delightful bedtime story to share with your little one!

Saltzberg, Barney.
Kisses.
January 2010.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Saltzberg returns in Kisses to provide children and parents with a delightful story that shows all of the ways parents and children can bond with special kisses to show affection and caring for one another. Children will delight in the pull, touch, lift, squeak interactions provided throughout the book, allowing them a sensory experience inside the reading of the book!

This is a wonderful book for children ages newborn to five and I'll definitely be adding this to my list of gives at baby showers and for new babies!



If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!

Gorilla

Even Gorilla's need to feel the love!

Bornstein, Ruth.
Little Gorilla.
October 2009.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Guided Reading Level: J

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Everyone loves Little Gorilla: his mother, his father, his aunts and uncles, Big Boa Constrictor, and all of the other animals living in the forest with him. Then one day, Little Gorilla begins to grow...and grow...and grow, until suddenly, at his birthday celebration, Little Gorilla's family and friends discover that he isn't little anymore!

This book would be absolutely perfect for a child who is bit fearful of growing up. It portrays wonderfully the knowledge that even as you grow up, you're going to be loved just as much... would be perfect as a heading-to-school gift for a child first attending school! It would also probably work as a graduation gift as well!

Activity to Use in Collaboration with this book:

• Listening Activity - The activity directions can be downloaded here.
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

Curious Wednesday... Meets Curious George!

Curious Wednesday!

Who's curious about Curious George?!?!

Rey, Margret and H.A.
Curious George and the Firefighters.
2009 (2004).
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Guided Reading Level: J

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

George and the man with the yellow hat take a trip to the firehouse where George finds all sorts of new things to explore. When one curious monkey meets a company of unsuspecting firefighters, a big adventure is sure to follow.

This is an oldie that's been reprinted! I still have a huge collection of Curious George books from when I was a child and still, to this day, share them with children. The trip to the firestation that Curious George and the man with the Yellow Hat take make this book perfect for a read-aloud before a classroom visit to the local firestation. It will allow readers the opportunity to learn about the things they will see and experience on such a field trip! The book would also make a great read-aloud if children are learning about different career fields as a part of Career Day!

Rey, Margaret and H.A.
Curious Baby: Counting (Curious George).
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Babies will enjoy learning to recognize the adorable farm animals in this board book with wooden beads. Five beads embedded into the book function as a rattle and later as a tool for helping readers count the farm animals along with George. Beautiful patterns and a reasonable price help make this an ideal choice for gift baskets.

I love this new Curious George series! Not only are the books perfect for babies, but they also have the appeal that will allow children to become "hooked" on Curious George for years to come. The very basic concepts are perfect for babies and these will likely appear in future baby gifts that I pass out!


Malamud, Rachel.
Curious George 2: Follow that Monkey.
2010.
Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

One of the most memorable and charismatic characters in children’s literature, Curious George was the creation of the talented husband-and-wife team H. A. and Margret Rey, who fled Nazi Germany for America. Their lovable monkey (and his mischievous exploits) have entertained several generations of readers.

I was not familiar with this new "Curious George 2" series... after reading, I've come to the conclusion that the 2 must come from the television series? Anyone have any ideas about this? The story itself was cute, but the animated-style illustrations left me longing for the tradition H.A. Rey-type Curious George works... to me, it just wasn't the same. However, children may like these more because of the added color that catches the eye...

Rey, H.A.
Curious George Learns the Alphabet.
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Guided Reading Level: N

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Readers learn the alphabet along with George as the man in the yellow hat teaches the curious monkey how to read.

The difference between the edition pictured and the edition that I received in the mail is the cassette tape. The volume released in earlier this summer in June comes with a CD recording of the book, with and without page turning prompts. I love books with cassettes and/or CDs because they allow more freedom to children who have not quite mastered reading, allowing them a sense of independence and freedom for their reading pleasures. This book not only would be great for teaching children the alphabet, but also beginning sounds, and, with older children nouns vs. proper nouns, as each letter is taught as both capital and lower case. However, not all of the capital letters should really be depicted with a capital, as they are not necessarily propper nouns! Over all though, I'm definitely glad to be adding this to my Curious George library!

Rey, H.A.
My Adventures with Curious George: A Build-Your-Own-Book Kit.
2009.
Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Children will have fun being author and illustrator as they join Curious George to create their very own adventure! Younger kids can use storyline stickers to get their imaginations rolling, while older children may prefer to use headline stickers or create their own themes.
The boxed activity kit includes:
* A hardcover, jacketed book...with die-cut to include your photo
* Over 200 stickers
* A CD of 200 images of Curious George artwork children can print
* Bookmarks and bookplates
* Fill-in About the Author pages
* A Writer's Notebook
* Customizable life-the-flaps
* A note to parents

This book would be perfect for children who are Curious George fans! This would allow children to see that writing can be fun - they can build a Curious George adventure of their own! I love the concept... it's a book in itself that allows children the opportunity to use their imagination and see where their dreams are capable of taking them! A must have for Curious George fans!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.

National Blueberries Month

National Blueberries Month is celebrated from July 1st through July 31st to make the public aware that this is the peak month for fresh blueberries.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Get out there with the kids to a local blueberry patch... pick yourself some berries... snack on a homemade blueberry pie and read some blueberry-related literature!

Here are a few links you might also check out:
National Blueberries Month
8 Children's Books About Blueberries

McCloskey, Robert.
Blueberries for Sal.
1976 (1948).
The Viking Press.
Guided Reading Level: M

Summary from Amazon:

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk go the blueberries into the pail of a little girl named Sal who--try as she might--just can't seem to pick as fast as she eats. Robert McCloskey's classic is a magical tale of the irrepressible curiosity--not to mention appetite--of youth. Sal and her mother set off in search of blueberries for the winter at the same time as a mother bear and her cub. A quiet comedy of errors ensues when the young ones wander off and absentmindedly trail the wrong mothers.

This book was one of my favorites as a child... and consequently, the first one that came to mind when I was trying to think of appropriate stories for National Blueberries Month! The book, despite its more than 50 years in print, is great for numerous reasons! Any number of math activities could be incorporated with the story... It's a perfect read-aloud and depicts bears in an entirely different way than most of us envision them!... And, this would make for an interesting discussion about how books have developed over time.

Lesson Plans/Extension Activities:

• Blueberries for Sal Math Activities
• Blueberries for Sal: Counting and Correspondence
• Blueberries for Sal: Teaching Plurals
• Cooking Experience with Blueberries for Sal

Low, Alice.
Blueberry Mouse.
2004.
Mondo Publishing.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Blueberry Mouse is convinced that a blueberry pie is the best place to live, especially when she runs out of berries and begins to nibble the floor and walls.

I read this book late at night... like 1:00 am... and the first thing that came to mind while reading was, Gosh, I would kill for a warm blueberry pie right about now!. I would definitely use this as a read aloud... it's cute and funny and I really think kids will enjoy!

Gaiman, Neil.
Blueberry Girl.
2009.
HarperCollins Publishers.

Summary from Barnes & Noble:

This is a prayer for a blueberry girl . . . A much-loved baby grows into a young woman: brave, adventurous, and lucky. Exploring, traveling, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by the wonders of the world. What every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her child, what every girl dreams of for herself.

Well... after reading this, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a "blueberry read"... even though the main character is a blueberry girl. I would dub this more appropriate for a baby gift for a new daughters... it's soooo appropriate for as a gift for a baby girl, as it shares "a prayer" of sorts, but more a well-wishing for a little girl's life... this title will definitely be tucked away in the back of my mind to use as a baby gift in the future (I love giving books as gifts)!

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.