friday's five

Seriously, these are becoming my favorite posts of the week. This time around, we have laughs, gorgeous illustrations and one fabulous elementary school class project turned into a picture book. Fun times.

1. Vincent van Gogh's Cat by the Second Grade Students of East Washington Academy in Muncie, Indiana -- I love this book! We picked it up at my son's school's Scholastic book fair last weekend, and as a former early childhood educator, I have had lots of fun with the creation of class books. This one is adorable, including original art and text written by this class and submitted to the Kids Are Authors competition last year. While the story and artwork are enjoyable, it's also a huge bonus to read this to my own kids and tell them that it was created by a class of kids just like them!

2. What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks -- When a normally silent ladybug overhears a sneaky plan to steal the farmer's prize cow, she has no choice but to speak up. She has a plan that involves all the farm animals to work together to trick those thieves, and it's a noisy barnyard success! Pudge and Red have requested this library book again and again over the last couple weeks, and I love the interactive nature of the story.

3. Hide and Squeak by Heather Vogel Frederick and illustrated by C.F. Payne -- It's bedtime and Baby mouse is giving Daddy mouse a bit of a chase. Where is he hiding? Daddy knows how to find him and get him ready for bed. This is a sweet turn at a common theme, but I especially appreciate that Daddy is getting a turn in the spotlight that's usually reserved for Mommy. This is a great addition to the pre-nap or bedtime reading session.

4. Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Kevin Waldron -- Look at that cover! I adore this simple story for its size contrasts- tiny little fly meets up with several great, big animals and the illustrations emphasize these differences. And the illustrations themselves are so captivating. The brush strokes and lines make the tiniest of details on the animals just perfect.

5. The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes -- Oh my. A friend loaned us this book, and we've been laughing ever since the first read. Get out your best Maine/New England accent for this read aloud, because lines like "hihowaahya?" require it. ("Hi, how are you?" just wouldn't be the same!) There are tons of little details in the illustrations that add to the story of this wicked big toddlah, and I'm thrilled to see that a sequel is being released next month in The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York.


Ready for our library trip tomorrow to restock,