The Word Collector
Peter H. Reynolds

A few weeks ago, the kiddo and I went through her Scholastic page to pick out some books for the October order. So far, this book is my favorite her her selections. Not only are the illustrations emotional and lively, but it speaks of language and learning in a new way. That might be going over the kiddo's head, but she still enjoys the book - mostly because it has been reading "funny" words out lout to her.

Spot, The Cat
Henry Cole

This is a wordless book. On each page, we follow a cat as it wanders out of an apartment to take a jaunt through the city. The little boy owner soon follows on a quest to find his kitty. The drawings are rich in detail with new things to find every time. The kiddo likes to find the cat on every page before we move on.

The Mermaid with No Tail
Jessica Long  (author), Airin O’Callaghan  (illustrator)

Kiddo brought this home from her school library and we've read it multiple times since. This book tells the story of a mermaid with no tail who wants to compete in the mermaid races. It showcases perseverance and how being different is not a bad thing. The illustrations are both beautiful and charming. They are also rich in detail so there's always something new to find. 

Charlie and Mouse Even Better
Laurel Snyder (author),  Emily Hughes (illustrator)

Kiddo enjoys this book because the kids actions are recognizable. They want smaller pancakes, they want to buy a gift for mom, they don't want to wash dishes, etc. I, however, would rather not read this book again. First, the text is repetitive. That's great for earlier readers, but quite a tongue twister for me to read aloud. Second, you say the words "Charlie" and "Mouse" about a million times. The story is cute, but this one is just a slog to read out loud.

Flubby Will Not Play With That
J.E. Morris

This book is adorable. I had cats growing up, and the story is 100% correct. Cats gonna cat. The illustrations are emotionally expressive. Even my kid recognized when the cat is scared. Also, the name Flubby is just too cute.

How do dinosaurs eat their food?
Jane Yolen (author), Mark Teague (illustrator)

I have no idea why the kiddo plucked this off the library shelf - she's not a dino kid - but this book is a delight! It basically teaches meal time manners through dinosaurs being silly. The illustrations are wonderfully expressive. You can read the emotions of the dinosaurs.

Kiddo has not been into books lately. Instead, she's wanted to reread all of her issues of High Five magazine. We get a new issue each month and keep them in our living room where she can grab them at will.

The stories inside are short but directly target kids her age. (Although, I do think I need to age her up to the next magazine by this publisher.) There are also a ton of games to keep her occupied.

These are not my favorite things to read as bedtime books, but they do keep her engaged.

Coat of Many Colors
Dolly Parton (author), Brooke Boynton-Hughes (illustrator)

While on vacation at the grandparents, we visited their local library. Kiddo grabbed this book mostly because the version she found read/sang the story to her. Dolly Parton can do no wrong in my eyes, so I was fine with it. While kiddo mostly adored playing the full song, she did like flipping through the pages. The illustrations are sweet.

Magic Friends
Chelsea Eberly

Kiddo is in her full rainbow, unicorn, sparkle phase. I'm fairly certain she grabbed this book from the library because she found the cover aesthetically pleasing. The story is over simplified and I think it's probably based on a movie. As an early reader, it's fine - but Mom wanted more plot and character development.

Maxie Wiz and the Magic Charms
Michelle Meadows

This is an early reader. Kiddo is reading more and more of it on her own. I discovered this was in a series. That's awesome, because it's the story of an adorable little girl learning to be a witch. Also, the illustrations are charming.

Thea Stilton and the Mystery in Paris

At this rate, kiddo just might read the entirety of this series by the end of the year. This was one of the shorter books, but the mystery was fun (if a bit obvious). Kiddo is getting really emotionally invested in these characters which is charming to see. ​I like that there are insets and pages set aside to tell historical and cultural facts.