It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  is a fantastic meme hosted over at Teach Mentor Texts.  Here they have a lot of great children’s book recommendations — and lots of picture book recommendations, too.  Please go check them out and link up with them to share what you’ve been reading.

I have managed to max out both library cards this week.  We’ve been reading a lot and enjoying so many wonderful books.  Here’s a list, in no particular order, of some of the great books we’ve enjoyed this past week.

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 The Deductive Detective by Brian Rock and Illustrated by Sherry Rogers

We’ve been reading this book for a few weeks now. My review and author interview is here.  We’ve really been enjoying this book.  I got it from the publisher to review and it’s one of those books I feel lucky to have come across.

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Popper Possum and the Giant Rats by Mary Brugioni and Illustrated by Albert Saavedra

Another book sent to me for review and it’s rather good!  It’s an Alice in Wonderland-like tale but with a possum and a magic flute and scary giant rats.  It’s quite the adventure.  It’s very creative and unusual — but lots of fun.  The vocabulary is also fantastic.  My son thought it was scary but he didn’t want me to stop reading.  He was on the edge of his seat and then wanted me to read it again immediately. There are some excellent self-published books these days and I’m impressed with this one.

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Stuck in the Doldrums:  A Captain No Beard Story by Carole P. Roman.

My son is all about Captain No Beard.  This is another self-published book that outshines a lot big press picture books we’ve read.  My son is addicted to the Captain No Beard series.  We got this in the mail from the author to review and my son was so excited.  The book is great.  Carole Roman’s storytelling is getting better and better and it was good to begin with.

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Three Perfect Peaches A French Folktale Retold by The Wild Washerwoman Storytellers, Cynthia DeFelice & Mary DeMarsh with pictures by Irene Trivas

I love this story.  Sick princess needs three perfect May peaches. Father promises whoever can cure daughter can marry her.  Boy figures out how to get them for her. Father tries to thwart this marriage.  Boy outsmarts father.

It’s hilarious!  I laughed out loud and so did my husband.  My son enjoyed the story, but he’ll like it more when he gets older.  Read it! Read it! Read it!  It’s one of my new favorites.  Sadly, it is no longer in print but there are several used copies available.

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Inside the Books:  Readers and Libraries Around the World by Toni Buzzeo and Illustrations by Jude Daly

A really cool book about the shape libraries take in different parts of the world.  Beautiful illustrations! I am all about getting a book from the Blackpool Beach Library while relaxing on the beach.

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13 Words by Lemony Snicket and Illustrated by Maira Kalman.

I have loved Maira Kalman’s books since I read What Pete Ate from A to Z.  This book has gorgeous and quirky images along with excellent vocabulary and a fun story.  It’s so much fun to hear my two-year-old son say haberdashery.   Young children saying big words always makes me smile.

Trailer for the book is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI1HZFrijeU

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Fancy Nancy: Splendid Speller by Jane O’Connor pictures based on the art of Robin Preiss Glasser

I received Fancy Nancy The Musical The Original Off-Broadway Recording for review and thought I would check out some of the Fancy Nancy books.  I may have a little boy (who is into cars, trucks, dinosaurs, pirates, and firefighters), but he really enjoys the Fancy Nancy books and he loves the sound track to the musical.  I will be reviewing this soon on my site.

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Fair, Brown & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story by Jude Daly

This is another version of Cinderella.  It’s beautifully illustrated and very different than most versions I’ve read.  It’s no longer in print and that’s a shame.  My son had me read it to him several times.  He was shocked and amazed with the fact that one of the women cut off part of her toe as she tried to fit into a shoe.  I got a lot of questions about that one.  Probably not intended for two-year olds, but it was a lot of fun.  This story ends with Trembling (Cinderella) having 14 children with the prince!  Yikes!

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1, 2, I Love You by Alice Schertle and Illustrated by Arnold McCully

This is an incredibly sweet and lovely book with beautiful illustrations.

“1, 2, I love you.  I will give you stars to jingle in your pockets and to put in pickle jars.”  I was surprised by how much my son loves this book.  Usually he likes pirates, dinosaurs, trucks, etc.  but he loves this book and I love reading it to him.  He picked it out at the library himself and has asked me to read it to him several times.  It’s so much fun to see him really enjoy a sweet and gentle book.

It is no longer in print, but there are several used copies available.

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Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming and Pictures by Stacey Dressen-McQueen

Beautiful and wonderful book based on events that happened.  This is by the same author as, Oh, No!.

After WWII, an American family sends boxes of supplies to a family.  The American family rallies for help and they are able to send supplies to an entire town in Holland.  I got very choked up while reading this to my son.  Okay, fine. I cried. A lot.  They were happy tears.  It’s a fantastic story.

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Andrew Drew and Drew by Barney Saltzberg

What a great book about drawing and imagination! The illustrations are deceptively simple, smart, and surprising!  Reading this to my son was a lot of fun.

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hello! hello! by Matthew Cordell

A beautiful picture book about the importance of disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with the world and people around us.  And it does this without preaching!  My son adores this book!  The sparse text and clear message makes it accessible to everyone.

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FTC Disclosures: I received a review copy from the authors for The Deductive Detective, Stuck in the Doldrums, Popper Possum and the Giant Rats, and Fancy Nancy The Musical.  No other compensation was received.  The opinions expressed here are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Some of the links in the post above are  Amazon affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”