Another numbers hit

Ten Little Bears by Kathleen Hague was a big hit today. With the little ones, the rhymes hint as to what number comes next - so it is a huge help to those who do not know how to count backwards. Loved it so much, I'm bringing it home for the girls tonight.

Numbers numbers numbers

So we did numbers for babies and numbers for big kids today. I was inspired by V's kindergarten teacher - she is teaching the children sign language. So I took it upon myself to learn along with V. This week, I taught the babies how to count in sign language and supplemented with Karen Katz's Counting Kisses and Ten Tiny Tickles.

For the big kids, I love singing Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and even though Christelow's book is great, the children just love the jumping part. So we Little Quack by Lauren Thompson and Ten Go Tango by Arthur Dorros. I love Little Quack's counting bar at the bottom and for one on one sharing, it is wonderful. Ten Go Tango's pix are just hilarious. The children especially loved the fancy outfits.

School approaching

Now with V going to Kindergarten, we've been reading books about school. She doesn't seem nervous out all - social situations are her strength. I don't think she realizes yet that this is a learning institution and not her platform for fashion and such. Where did my little diva come from? I am so not fashionable, or as my husband likes to repeat constantly, I am not as hip as I think I am. Whatev. So Jamie Lee Curtis' I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem is a great one b/c V tends to be very hard on herself if she does something embarrassing or "wrong". V is exemplified in "I'm gonna like me / wearing flowers and plaid./ I have my own style / I don't follow some fad." Perfect. Curtis' It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work my Control Panel is also great - reminding me that she is going through so many changes that it is hard for her to control herself. And Nancy White Carlstrom is always a classic. Her Jessie Bear series has flown out of every library I've ever worked. I like It's Your First Day of School, Annie Claire because Annie Claire has all of the worries that every child has - what if no one likes me, or I spill milk, or I am not as smart as the other kids. And best of all, what if you miss me? Projecting her own feelings of missing her mother, onto her mother, is typical of this age. And her mother's response that they will both have to get used to school because it is new is a great answer. Reminding Annie Claire that she is not alone in this next step. It is new for both of them. And no matter what, near or far, her love will go with her. Perfect. That message of love going with you wherever you go is in The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, without being sacchrinely sweet.

S, at six months, is discovering books but she likes the soft ones that she can chew. Anything with sparkles or shine. Baby Girl (Bright Baby) by Roger Priddy often makes the car trips because it has a shaker and a teether and has held up since V was a baby. So has Animals by Teether Cloth Rattles. These pages are soft and the animals are in bold colors. Scout will just gnaw an anything soft and so finding this for your teether makes them look literary at such a young age. Haha.