Children's Books Archives - Mrs. Weber's Neighborhood

Guess What? I Still Love You. Book Perfect For Families {+ Giveaway ENDS 1/16}

I received a promotional copy of Guess What? I Still Love You. to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed belong to me.

I am borderline obsessed with children’s books. Whenever I get the chance, I nab them to flip through. I even confess to preferring to visit the library without my kids so I can read and have time to think through which ones my littles would love best…and avoid my toddler pulling books off the shelves.

I recently had the chance to read a friend’s new book called Guess What? I Still Love You., and I’m excited to say, it’s now one of our family favorites. It truly is the perfect gift for the crazy toddler in your life, and is such a fun read describing the frustrating, yet hilarious, moments of parenting and what unconditional love looks like.

The gal who wrote it — Jessica Simon — is a Michigan native, and a fellow CMU grad. She has three children under the age of 3, so she understands how tough this stage is.

She was inspired to write Guess What? I Still Love You because of the way her family was formed, through adoption and biological births. In fact, I read it to my 4-year-old in the waiting room at the eye doctor, and the lady at the desk proceeded to tell me all about her own foster-to-adoption story — it was so sweet!

I especially love how the book repeats that no matter how crazy our children make us feel at times, we still love them. It’s such a positive message that is perfect to boost a child’s esteem and make them smile while cuddling and reading. Read it, and I guarantee you will smile too!

Great work, Jessica 😀

ABOUT THE BOOK

As parents of young children know, toddlers can sometimes be crazy. But their parents still love them very much — no matter what. Sometimes toddlers misbehave and have to go to timeout. Sometimes they resist going to bed at night or for a nap. Sometimes they color on the walls or throw food on the floor. Sometimes they break things or scream and yell and bawl. And eventually they grow a bit older and don’t want to cuddle anymore. Through everything, their parents love them.

The book is currently available for $14.99 on Amazon for the paperback or $7.55 for the Kindle version. Purchase HERE.

Learn more about Jessica Simon Books on her website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GIVEAWAY

Jessica has been generous enough to offer up an additional copy for one lucky reader. This would make the perfect Valentine’s gift! Giveaway ends on January 16, 2017 at midnight. U.S. residents only. Good luck!

Guess What? I Still Love You Book

Gift Idea: Put Me In The Story Personalized Book {+ Giveaway ENDS 12/4}

Shared by Mrs. Weber 10 Comments

The post below is sponsored by Put Me In The Story; however, all opinions expressed belong to me.

I’ve spoken many times about the 4-gift concept for Christmas:

Something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read

This is something I try to tackle each year in our home. The kids are thrilled to get a couple things they would like, and I am thrilled to not get things we just don’t need.

But there is one thing I will never deny someone getting for us: BOOKS! Seriously, there are so many great children’s books out there. And since we read to our children daily, it’s so great to have a variety so we are able to change it up, especially in between library runs.

At Christmas, I love thinking about which book each of my children would love most. This year, I’ve teamed up with Put Me In The Story for a personalized book for each of my littles. I just know they are going to LOVE them!

Here are the ones I’ve chosen for them:

Each December, our Elf on the Shelf, Trixie, delivers 12 Christmas books to countdown to the big day. This year, the first book she will be delivering will be the one pictured above, Can You Help An Elf?, which I’ve customized for our family.

Info: Can You Help An Elf?

I am hopeful this will really help to bring a little magic to the season!

For my 2-year-old, I chose Don’t Push The Button!. If you’ve never read this one, it’s seriously one of the BEST toddler books ever written. I just know my little guy is going to get a kick out of it.

…and I had some fun writing a special message for my little button pusher!

Info: Don’t Push the Button!

For my 4-year-old, I chose a super hero book because she loves all things action-packed. I know she’s going to love the pictures in this one and hearing the sound of her name incorporated throughout.

Info: Marvel’s The Avengers

For my 6-year-old, I chose an educational book. She loves learning facts and has recently started becoming more curious about space. I love all the National Geographic books, and I know she will enjoy how each question throughout is directed at her.

Info: National Geographic Little Kids Book of Space

I look forward to having special reading time with each of my children with these books, and just know they will love finding them under the tree this year.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Put Me In The Story has tons of great books from Disney, Nickelodeon, National Geographic Kids, Sesame Street, favorite children’s characters like Pete the Cat and Fancy Nancy, and great books for the holidays. They even have adult coloring books that can be personalized!

Learn more by visiting www.putmeinthestory.com or checking them out on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter.

GIVEAWAY

I’m excited to partner with Put Me In The Story to give away a book {with free shipping} to one lucky winner. Follow the prompts below. Giveaway ends on December 4, 2016 at midnight.

Good luck!

Put Me In The Story

Books and Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers To Make Mealtime FUN

Shared by Mrs. Weber 5 Comments

Winter can be dreadful as a parent. My kids love playing outside, and it’s just not always possible with three kiddos, especially when it’s close to mealtime and layers of clothing are needed to go out.

Like most parents, our worst time of day is the hours between 4-6 p.m. when I am preparing dinner and the kids want to “help.” So, this winter I’ve made it my goal to do more meal-time theme nights to keep everyone happy. I have found when I give each of my kids a job, meal time runs MUCH smoother, even if it is messier.

After renting TONS of food-related books from our library, here’s what has been on our menu of books and coordinating meals and activities:

Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle

This book is fabulous for starting the discussion of where food comes from.

Meal: Pancakes, of course. My kids also love when I add a few drops of food coloring to make their ‘cakes blue or green.

Activity: Have your child help you stir in the ingredients, or add special additions such a blueberries {perfect for counting} or they can mush bananas to toss in the batter. My kids love using chocolate chips to make faces, too.

Peanut Butter and Jelly by Nadine Bernard Westcott

This book is based on the play rhyme and has illustrations kids love.

Meal: PB&J of course!

Activity: Spread a blanket out on the floor and have a picnic! My kids absolutely love doing this. We usually just coordinate with easy-to-pick-up foods.

Enjoying a picnic for dinner a few years ago. Yes, that’s MY beer. Sometimes that is needed after a long day!

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

This book is perfect for stirring imagination.

Meal: Spaghetti and meatballs

Activity: Use Play-Doh to make pasta! Kids love rolling out the dough and making snake-like pastas. Make a few balls for meatballs too. For older kids, discuss what foods you would like to see fall from the sky.

Pete’s A Pizza by William Steig

This book is perfect for kids who like to act as you read. Also perfect for sensory seekers.

Meal: Pizza. We love using whole wheat English muffins or Naan bread, and letting the kids put on their own sauce and toppings. Even if it looks like a mess, it still tastes great!

Activity: Pretend your child is pizza {this is what the book is about} — roll them out, toss them in the air if you are able, and place “toppings” on them, such as red checkers for pepperoni or pieces of white paper as cheese.

My 2-year-old loves helping in the kitchen, so I always put her to work!

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

This rhyme will get stuck in your head and the kids will want you to read it over and over.

Meal: Add some green food coloring to eggs and serve with pieces of ham.

Activity: Make an egg bar and let kids mix their own batch of eggs, adding in the toppings they like.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

This book will make your kids giggle…and you too!

Meal: Tacos

Activity: Make tortilla chips using corn tortillas to go with your taco meal. Cut up the tortillas into triangles to discuss shapes and talk about how the shape will go from soft to crunchy in the oven. Buy a few different salsas and let your child taste test them and rate their favorites.

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

This book is perfect for teaching about healthy eating habits.

Meal: Veggies. Can accompany just about any meal of course 😉

Activity: Make faces using veggies! Use cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, sliced cucumber, mushrooms, etc. and let your children experiment. {My kids will eat ALL their veggies if I just let them play with them first!}

How do you shake-up meal time at your house? I’m always looking for new ideas!

10 Children’s Books by Michigan Authors Every Kid Needs

Shared by Mrs. Weber 11 Comments

Amazon affiliate links used below. When you purchase items from these links, you support my blog {and the author too!}.

One super simple way to support our state is by purchasing books written by local authors. As a mama who is passionate about early literacy, I am constantly looking for fun books to read to my minions. Lucky for me, we have a pool of insanely talented authors right here in our home state.

These are 10 books I think every infant and young child needs to start their Michigan library. These would all make fantastic presents this holiday season 😉

Baby’s Bucket Book by Carol McCloud, illustrated by Glenn Zimmer — This colorful, rhyming board book starts the process of teaching infants that they each have their very own invisible bucket. The book illustrates how happy a little one is with a bucket full of love and light and how sad when something causes that love and light to disappear. You’ll quickly see that the love and light in a baby’s bucket is the joyous result of simple, caring interactions that fulfill a baby’s essential needs for security, love, belonging, independence and fun. {This is my new must-give for showers to start baby’s library!}

See a past review of some of my other favorites from Bucket Fillers Inc. including Bucketfilling from A to Z and Have You Filled A Bucket Today? These are excellent books for kids of all ages!

Daisy and Josephine by Melissa Gilbert {you may know her from Little House on the Prairie. She lives in Michigan!} — Everyone has a favorite person, and Daddy is Daisy’s. But when the two of them are on the road for Daddy’s work, Daisy sometimes feels lonely. So Daddy gets Daisy a surprise: a puppy named Josephine. This charming story of an unlikely friendship, based on actress and New York Times bestselling author Melissa Gilbert’s own childhood and her very own French bull dog named Josephine is one that everyone can relate to. {We adore this book!}

A Moose in the Basement by James Miller and Leslie Kelly — Take a tour of Willoughby’s home full of wild animals. You’ll have fun exploring with Willoughby as he shows you animals you may or may not know exist. {My daughters also both love A Spider Lives In My Belly and A Monstorous Smile by the authors, too! Our copies are very well loved.}

Who I Am, Not What I Am! by Tara Michener — Janelle is a fun girl who discovers the secret to happiness is loving herself for who she is, not for fitting into what others want her to be. Join her on her adventure as she learns that true beauty comes from who she is not what she is. {Such great lessons to be learned here, and we love the colorful illustrations! Check out Tara’s other books for pre-teens too.}

Priscilla McDoodlenutDoodleMcMae Asks Why? by Janet Mary Sinke — This wonderful rhyming storybook is delightfully rich in meaning and simple symbolism. Through the courage of one little girl, the inhabitants of one tiny moon are forever changed when Priscilla dares to ask why. {I absolutely LOVE reading this and the message to stand your ground when faced with ignorance — so perfect for little ears to hear.}

Willow and the Snow Day Dance by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Cyd Moore — Mr. Larch is not a very neighborly neighbor. He avoids everyone and everyone avoids him. But now Mr. Larch has a new neighbor — Willow and her family. She can’t wait for the first snowfall because she has found the perfect hill for sledding, right behind Mr. Larch’s house. Can Willow melt his cold heart in time to enjoy a Snow Day? {Another one I love by her that is specific to infants and toddlers is Little Michigan. So cute!}

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan by Susan Collins and Deb Pilutti — It’s holiday time in the Great Lakes State! Travel with Katie and her cousin to see the Motor City, drive down the country’s first concrete highway, tour some of Michigan’s 115 lighthouses, take a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh and more. Collins also has an adorable board book highlighting the story of Noah’s Ark.

The Twelve Months of Michigan by AnnieMarie E. Chiaverilla — Travel through Michigan with a family of field mice, lead by Pirate Paul and Ana Mae Mouse. Learn about state symbols and travel through the unique and beautiful places that make Michigan great all year round. {Read to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The illustrations are darling!}

A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe and Michael Glenn Monroe — This charming tale of an overgrown pine always being passed by for Christmas, and what his woodland friends do to help him, is sure to become a Christmas classic in your home. {Such a beautiful book!}

Memoirs of an Elf by Devin Scillian {you may know him as a Local 4 reporter in Detroit} and Tim Bowers — It’s Christmas Eve and Spark Elf has the very important job of keeping Santa Claus on schedule as he travels the globe in 24 hours delivering presents. But wait, there’s something left in the bag–but it isn’t a present at all–it’s a family dog! Momma Claus comes to the rescue with a plan to get the dog back to his family. Can Santa return the family’s beloved pooch in time to keep their Christmas merry? {Devin has lots of other books too!}

What are your favorite books to read by Michigan children’s authors?

Have You Filled A Bucket Today? Book Giveaway {ENDS 10/26}

Shared by Mrs. Weber

I don’t think I’ve made it a secret: My 2-year-old LOVES to read. Seriously. Anything and everything…She even flips through her daddy’s accounting magazines when desperate for material!

So when a neighbor graciously left a few books on our porch after seeing we had kids, she automatically scored points with her. I later researched and discovered the books are a part of Bucketfillers, Inc., which includes an adorable series of books, lesson plans, speaking engagements and more for teaching children about kindness. The author is Carol McCloud and the illustrator is David Messing.

The bucketfilling concept is simple: When you share, play nice or say nice things, you fill a bucket. When you’re mean, bully, or take things from others, you are a bucket dipper. It’s described as a new twist on the golden rule. It’s adorable…and genius!

For us, this idea totally works – even with a two-year-old. We love praising her when she “fills our bucket” by putting toys away, listening and saying “I love you.” And she perks up and looks sad the instant we say she is being a bucket dipper when she doesn’t want to share her toys or is being sassy with us (2-year-old temper tantrums, anyone?).

Between the simply put scenarios and colorful illustrations, these books seem to get through to her where we weren’t in the past. I love that the concept is from a Michigan gal who has turned the books into a successful business to help teachers and parents around the country — and world — teach kindness.

{If you’re a teacher, be sure to check out the free resources section here for great ideas to use in the classroom.}

I decided to reach out to the business to say how I’m a fan and mention I’d love to write about what they are doing on this blog. And guess what? I received a signed copy of Have You Filled A Bucket Today to give away! I highly recommend this book for kids of ALL ages. It’s wonderful for teaching kids about kindness, and after all, can’t we use more kindness in this world and less bullying? {This would make a great Christmas present, ya’ll!}

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. I will choose a winner next Friday, Oct. 26. This is open to all U.S. residents.

I was in no way compensated for this post. Words and opinions expressed are my own.

Learn more about Bucketfillers Inc. on Facebook | Twitter | Purchase book and more

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fab5: Books For Babies

Shared by Mrs. Weber 10 Comments

I am no expert in children’s literature, or a teacher for that matter, but I have a child who already loves to be read to. She’s not really into her toys – she is happiest when the hubby and I read book after book after book to her (maybe because we have a special chair and we cuddle her?!). Thank goodness we can go to the library for books because I get pretty sick of our typical rotation.

Of the ones we do own, there are a few that stand out as her favorites based on her excited, legs pumping, gibberish-talking reaction. Here are her favorites:

1. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. – Not gonna lie, this is my favorite one to read to her, so maybe that’s why she likes it. I love the fun rhyming! And Little K loves to point at the letters now. The bright colors keep her interested and I hope one day we can use this as a catalyst for practicing our ABC’s.

2. Five Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth – (also available with 10 ladybugs) – Little K loves to runs her hands over the little bugs. Here favorite part is at the end – when we point out all the creatures on the last page. Cute, quick read that is great for learning to count.

3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?…or anything by Eric Carle – This was one of my favorites as a kid. Little K seems to like the yellow duck and the teacher the best. This one will be great down the road to help with colors. And I just LOVE the way Eric illustrates.

4. Moo, Baa, La La La…or anything by Sandra Boyton – Another one that’s fun for me to read…because who doesn’t like to make animal noises?! Little K finds it pretty amusing – especially the snorting and snuffing part. Sandra’s other books ROCK, too. Love Pajama Time and Let’s Dance, Little Pookie, especially.

5. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown – Little K is a gal after my own heart, as this was my favorite book when I was little. I think it was that darn bowl full of mush line. What is mush exactly? I also think this is a great one for baby’s eyes due to the switch between black/white illustrations into color.