Charlie the Ranch Dog

Amusing ranch dog, Charlie, narrates his typical hard day's work on the ranch with Suzie. Who's really to praise for all the hard work that's done?

Drummond, Ree.
Charlie the Ranch Dog.
April 2011.
HarperCollins Publishers.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Charlie, Ree Drummond's much-loved basset hound comes to life for children in Charlie the Ranch Dog! While Charlie spends a great deal of time introducing children to the work of a ranch dog, adults will pick up on the humor that is all talk and no play when it comes to the actual work of a ranch dog! Charlie makes himself out to look like the hero of the ranch - being a morning dog who's job is to:

• chase cows out of the yard they shouldn't be in
• keep critters out from beneath the porch
• helping out in the vegetable garden
• rounding up cattle
• fixing fences
• catching fish
• keep cows away from the garden

What Charlie really does is pretend he's doing all the work while his best friend Suzie doesn't have all that he has (in looks and ability), which happens to be what is required to be a ranch dog. However, while Charlie believes Suzie is off running, digging and jumping - tiring herself out so much that she spends the rest of the day resting. And Charlie figures he may as well follow suit! But, while Charlie's resting, Suzie's out being the real ranch dog!

Young children are sure to enjoy the story of two farm dogs, as pets are always a favorite topic for children. Older children and adults will enjoy the humor found deeper within the pages, teaching the subtle lesson to give credit where credit is due!

Looking for a vacation idea this summer? Why not think about spending time at a working dude ranch and seeing what the work is all about! For a list of working dude ranches, check out: www.duderanch.org. There are also ranches that are family-friendly and provide children's programs for children ages 3-17, as well as, cattle work activities... sounds like fun to me!

You can also check out these other related reads:

• At Home on the Ranch/Mi Casa en el rancho by Sharon Gordon
• Ranch by Roxie Monroe
• Long Hard Day on the Ranch, Audrey Nelson

Tweet

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!

Day 6 of the 25 Days of Christmas: A Gift Basket for Toddlers

Set your toddler on the path to enjoying learning with adventurous new books and toys in this gift basket!

Huelin, Jodi.
Fisher Price: Shapes All Around!
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Basic shapes are introduced through colorful lift-the-flap illustrations, engaging questions and basic text. Children will be actively engaged in the story and will quickly learn about squares, circles, ovals, rectangles, diamonds, triangles and stars, both the name and basic shape, as well as objects (i.e. kites, picnic blankets, eggs). This book is great because it can be used in the most simplistic manner or looked at more in-depth.

Huelin, Jodi.
Fisher Price: Counting Animals.
July 2010.
HarperCollins.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

The idea of counting and making a one-to-one correspondence is reinforced in this simple, yet brightly illustrated board book that is ideal for children 6+ months. Sometimes the numerals are shown, along with an illustration that depicts the number of animals to represent that numeral. Other times, animals are shown and the reader is prompted to count how many animals there are. The lift-the-flap illustrations really engage your children in the reading and counting process, ensuring a little bit of the hands on activity that young children so desperately need! Overall, the book is great for beginning to introduce counting concepts to young children.

Inside your Toddler Learning Gift Basket, include Fisher Price: A Day on the Farm, the two titles mentioned above and:

• the Melissa and Doug Shape Sorting Cube,
• Smart Snacks Counting Cookies,
• and the Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm
  

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!