Little Nelly's Big Book

What's gray, has large ears, a skinny tail, and weighs 11,000 pounds? Answer: a mouse! Little Nelly has determined what kind of animal she is by reading "The Big Book of Knowledge." There's only one itsy, bitsy, teensy, weensy problem: the book has no pictures.

At Little Nelly's insistence, a mouse family takes her in. Granny Mouse makes this unusual situation work in spite of everyone's reservations--until Little Nelly realizes that something's not quite right. After an Internet search, Granny convinces Nelly that there are other mice just like her at the zoo. While Little Nelly settles into her new home, her friend Micky reads "The Big Book of Knowledge" and discovers he's an elephant! (Albeit a mighty small one...)

The phrase, "Just the facts, ma'am," takes on an entirely different meaning as Micky and Nelly explore their identities in Pippa Goodheart's chuckle-inducing Little Nelly's Big Book. Thanks to Andy Rowland, the illustrations are filled with "subtle" sight gags that complement this sweetly-humored story about kindness, friendship, and self-discovery.

MightyM

Lullabies: Powerful Sleep Aid

Are you having trouble getting your little one to sleep?  Try a lullaby.  The slower cadence and repetitive melody soothes your baby to sleep while also relaxing you and relieving any frustration you may be feeling.  Singing while holding your baby strengthens your bond with each other and signals to your baby that you understand his/her feelings.   Singing at stressful times shows empathy, support, and respect for your baby's feelings, and models for baby a positive way to calm and soothe himself/herself.  Children who are sung to regularly often learn to sing themselves to sleep.  How's that for a powerful sleep aid?!!

You can find some wonderful lullabies in the library.  In fact, you might learn a new one when you attend Babytimes!  Once you're there, you can ask your children's librarian if he/she has any suggestions.  Another good start is Wee Sing for Baby, which includes lyrics to the songs on their accompanying CD.  For a full list of CDs featuring lullabies that you can borrow from the Pima County Public Library, click here.  And remember, the only voice your baby wants to hear is yours, so have fun singing!

Family Fun Time

Trying to limit screen time at your house?  Does Peter McCarty have a heroine for you!

Chloe, (the love interest from  Henry in Love), is an exceptional young rabbit who lives for family fun time. Being a rabbit, Chloe naturally comes from a really large family.  She has "ten older brothers and sisters, and ten younger brothers and sisters,"  which places her exactly in the middle.  McCarty's illustrations of Chloe's family are charming, and you and your child can have fun picking out the subtle differences that make each member of this family unique.   

One day Dad brings home a brand new television for the family to watch after dinner. Chloe is less than enthused. Watching TV doesn't feel like family time to Chloe, so with the help of her littlest sister she entices her other siblings to play with the cardboard box and pop the bubble wrap that the television came in.  Eventually, they make their own "television show" by climbing into the cardboard TV.  Thanks to Chloe, family fun time rules the day.

She may not know it, but Chloe is right in step with  The American Academy of Pediatrics  which recommends no television viewing for children under two, and no more than 2 hours of TV per day for older children.  So, when it's time to turn off the television, try reading a book, playing a simple board game or even putting on your own show like Chloe and her family did.  In order to promote your child's development of early literacy skills, just remember to read, sing, talk, write and play with your child every day!

For little "pea-ple" everywhere!

Do your kids like to eat peas? Maybe, or maybe not. But I believe they will find the little green peas, (other wise known as "pea-ple") in Keith Baker's concept books very likeable.  In LMNO Peas the pea-ple are busy being artists, builders, climbers, dancers, etc., as they highlight an alphabet of occupations. Each giant, colorful letter is contrasted by many tiny green peas illustrating a variety of careers and activities.   This delightful book, as well as 1 2 3 Peas can be enjoyed on many levels.  Teach your child the alphabet and how to count with these books that are packed full of color, action, rhyme and  lots of new vocabulary.  Keith Baker's illustrations are so clever and just plain fun.  Play a game of finding the Ladybug who appears in every two page spread.  Take your child's pointer finger and help them count each of the pea-ple from 1 to 100.  And if you don't mind messy fingers let them press their pointer finger in a green stamp pad then onto clean white paper to create their own story world of little pea-ple. Those uneaten peas on their plates just might become the new characters in their pretend play.  So go ahead, let them play with their food and check out these books at your local library!