Mars Needs Moms

Yes, Mars Needs Moms is a movie, which I have heard is not all that great…I can’t argue or disagree because I haven’t seen it, but…the book is fantastic, and one of the very few books that have brought me to tears.  Actually, the other one was written by the same author, Berkley Breathed… Pattern? Or just a really great writer? I think the latter!

Milo just doesn’t get what is so special about mothers.  They make you do chores and take out the trash, and eat your vegetables! Until one day Milo sees his mom being carried off my some funny colored aliens.  He follows them to the ship, climbs aboard and finds a spare helmet to wear through the night.  When they land, Milo understands why the aliens had wanted his mom so badly…they needed someone to take them to soccer and ballet and pack their lunches.  When Milo is just about to to tell the aliens that he thinks this is all a great idea, he slips and falls out of the space ship breaking the helmet into pieces.  The air is as thick as mustard and one gulp of it stops him in his track (sad isn’t it…just wait!!) His mother turns to see him and without question, takes off her helmet and places it on Milo’s head, saying “I will love you to the ends of the universe,” before collapsing in her son’s arms.  (OH MY GOD!!!) I won’t tell you the rest, I will just make you read it for yourself

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Dinotrux

Chris Gall is a genius! How come I didn’t think of this? Trucks and Dinos together in one book….there’s nothing better to a little boy than that.  Gall has created a species of Dinotrux like the Craneosaurus and and the Deliveradons, who rolled and crushed around the Cretaceous.  Over time they evolved, shedding their claws and teeth to become the faithful hard-working trucks we use on the streets today.  My three year old boy can’t get enough of this book!

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Date Night with My Little Man

Although we hang out pretty much every second of the day, sometimes it’s nice to go out on a special date in the evening with your children.  It’s always great to go out in the day and and take them to the museums and parks, but every once in a while I love to take my three year old son and go on a date, just like I would with my husband.  We usually go to the Americana at Brand in Glendale, which is a large upscale shopping center, much like the Grove in Hollywood.  It’s full of designer stores, a huge water show, like at the Bellagio, constantly at go and a quaint trolley to take you all the way around.

This past “date night” we went to Crumbs Bakery for an exrtemely large but always delicious cupcake covered in mini M&Ms.  Then we jumped on the trolley and took it around while checking out the stores and catching the sparking water shoot high into the night sky.  Afterwards we headed to our favorite place…Barnes and Nobles.  We explored a bit, read some books, and he lined up some stuffed dragons to join us.  Bought a dino lego set on the way out and finished our night with a quick skip across the green grass. What a wonderful night with the little man!

Here are some books we discovered while reading on our date night:

New Library, New Books

So Tyler and I always go to the newest library in Burbank, the Buena Vista Branch Library.  It has a quaint little park outside, gated in, which is perfect for moms with toddlers and babies.  It is a great little place to meet and connect with other moms and kids.  The library is gorgeous, especially the children’s book area.  A huge (man made) tree pushes up through the center, showering shade over the book shelves.  Scarlet Macaws and large dragonflies rest in the branches.  We have always just gone to this one, for all of these reasons.

Today we chose to try the library closest to our house.  Although the parking is less ideal, and seems to be a higher trafficked library, we decided to give it a shot.  The main reason we never went is beacuse I had to drop off the books to the Buena Vista one anyways, so what was the point of dropping off books and then driving to another location.  But I sucked it up, and thought.. “Hey, what’s the harm in having two book bags!”

So we went in and it blew me away how much larger the children’s area was and how many more books were available.  In fact it took up the entire second floor of the library.  I went crazy in there! I had gotten to the point at the Buena Vista branch where I was seeing the same books over and over when searching and not coming across anything new or interesting.  It’s amazing how different a selection can be available at two different branches in the same city.  I ended up leaving with more books than I could carry.  One more and I would have toppled over.

Here they are! Will post about them soon:

Book Store Love

Barnes and Nobles is my favorite place to be, besides my own house.  And it’s so nice to share my love for books with my son and bring him along to fall in love with books too.  Barnes and Nobles has really adapted to kids and created a safe and fun environment.  Most of them have a train table to play with, a lego block table, and a cute little story time area, with benches.  I also love dotting around Barnes and Nobles because I am able to see what has been newly published and is fresh on the market.

Here are some that we read while killing time at B&N:

NOTE:

1.Grandpa Greenby Lane Smith has one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have seen in a really long time.

2. My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry is a beautifully written children’s book about women’s history.  The first time I read it, it actually brought me to tears.  Society has been waiting a long time for a book like this.  It has potential to teach young girls about some of the bravest women throughout history.

Rainy Day Books

Rainy Days are the best for reading books at home with your kids or even for having a day at the library or book store.  Yesterday, Ty and I cauddled on the couch and pulled out a couple favorites from our at home  library.  With all of our library visits, we have been somewhat neglecting our own books.  The great part is that we have spent weeks reading other books, that we have become less overwhelmed by our home library that reading them is almost like reading them for the first time…well sort of lol.

Here are a couple of Tyler’s favorites that we read at home:

It’s A Book

Not sure how this book got into the children’s section because it was definitely way funnier to me than my son. A jackass (which I substituted with the word donkey), is on his laptop and sees a monkey reading a book.

The Jackass has no idea what it is or does and continues to ask some hilarious questions… Does it blog? Tweet? Wi-Fi? Can you make characters fight with it? Monkey is fed up! No! It’s a book!” he says.

The book is funny but true. Kids are growing up in a world of technology, where video games have taken the place of make believe and TV has altogether replaced the world of books. Take your children to the library….teach them to love books.

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Oh Yeah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Birdseye’s book, Oh Yeah!, is a a silly but scary story about two boys going on an adventurous backyard camp out.  The competition begins to arise when one and then the other says he can stay out in the dark with giant spiders hanging from the tent…oh yeah? Well I can stay out in the dark with spiders and 24-foot crocodiles lurking out of the fish pond…oh yeah??  Until one finally says..oh yeah? I dare you! (gasp) not the scare-and-dare!

It’s all fun and games until the big hairy kid-eating monster jumps out! What will happen? Will they be eaten alive, never to be seen again? Come on now…this is a CHILDREN’S book…that wouldn’t happen…or would it? mwahahahaha. Guess you’ll have to read it and find out. I dare ya!

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Freckleface Strawberry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a cute book! Written by Oscar nominated actress Julianne Moore, this book is undoubtedly the sweetest children’s book ever.  Obviously written about herself, little Julianne is very self conscious of her freckled face.  Tired of people calling her “Freckleface Strawberry” she goes undercover in a ski mask.  It works! The kids think she’s a weird new girl who wears a ski mask to school.  Finally she is happy…on the downside, she is extremely hot and itchy.  When she finally takes the mask off all the kids from school coming running over, asking where she was, was she sick, telling her about the weird new girl, and telling her how much they missed her.  Freckleface Strawberry has a revelation and accepts her look because her classmates seem to love her just the way she is too!

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February 2012: Week 3 Book Selection

Here is our book list this week. As we read them we will share the one’s we love the most.