Picture Book Extravaganza

Today I was so excited to find four boxes of brand new books waiting for me in our mailroom at school! It's just like Christmas when new books arrive- especially ones that I didn't have to pay for personally and will enjoy looking through and finding ways to incorporate them into my lessons at school.

Tonight I took a few home to read before bedtime and enjoy with my girls, and ended up reading some stories more than once - always a sign of enjoyment!

Night Lights by Susan Gal - short and sweet, each page illustrates a different type of light. Just right for my 3 year old, but even my eight year old enjoyed the illustrations and the idea of finding so many different types of light.

Too Purpley by Jean Reidy - I am sure this one got the nod because of Pinkalicious and Purplicious- but to me it reminded me of the old favorite Old Hat New Hat by the Berenstains from my childhood. Cute illustrations - my kids enjoyed seeing what the girl was wearing in each picture and how that related to the text.

Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - In this story a young girl puts her mother to bed. Mom uses the same excuses as many kids before they settle down. I also liked the use of speech bubbles - this provides a great example of this type of writing.

My Mother Is So Smart by Tomie De Paola is a sweet picture book that De Paola dedicated to his mother, Flossie, sharing the many ways his mother is smart. This is also a cute look back at Tomie's childhood, and for my children who have read and loved the entire 26 Fairmount Avenue series and the picture books also chronicling real events in De Paola's life, this was another fun look at a favorite author/illustrator.

These books will all be going back tomorrow so I can bring another handful home for bedtime story time.