Feed Me Books Friday: Halloween for the Younger Crowd

The Good, the Bad, and the Scary

What I love about Halloween for toddlers and preschoolers: a day devoted to pretend and imagination and playing dress-up! What I don’t love about Halloween: filling little minds with ideas of ghosts, witches, haunted houses, or otherwise scary creatures or places. Call me naïve or accuse me of sheltering my children, but aren’t there enough scary things in the world without telling them about imaginary things to be scared of “for fun?” When I taught middle school and my students devoured Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark, it made for a good discussion of urban legend and fun, chill-inducing read-alouds at Halloween time. However, finding books appropriate for younger children, engaging books that highlight the fun without giving the creeps, has proven a little challenging for me!


Costume Fun

The best part of Halloween for young children is the dress-up. Deciding what to dress as, selecting or crafting a costume, and showing it off at parties or trick-or-treating is plenty of excitement for little ones. I was drawn to Here Comes Halloween, by Caroline Jayne Church, because the illustrations so closely match those in one of my favorite books, I Love You Through and Through (reviewed here). I was not disappointed once I got a look at the text. It is a board book, including some touch and feel features and flaps, but even at 4 years old B continues to enjoy it. A child explores his Halloween costume choices through dress-up and imagination. What fun!

Also centered on the choice of costume but including other seasonal elements as well is And then Comes Halloween, by Tom Brenner. This picture book has more advanced text and detailed illustrations. The feel is just magical as the family goes about seasonal preparations for Halloween, which include costume selection as well as decorations, pumpkin carving, and changing weather. The conclusion of the book is trick-or-treating and happily off to bed, which is exactly the kind of Halloween experience I hope for my boys.


Seasonal Selections

Last week Maggie of Red Ted Art linked her review of Apples and Pumpkins to Feed Me Books Friday, and I just had to check it out. It was an excellent follow-up to our trip to the pumpkin patch with B’s preschool class. The harvest season is more emphasized in this story, but it does include carving the jack-o-lantern and trick-or-treating.

Prior to our pumpkin patch trip, I checked out Kids’ Pumpkin Projects, by Deanna F. Cook, from our library. It’s not a read-aloud, more of a reference for parents or a project book for older kids. Great year-round projects though, including planting a pumpkin garden, caring for it, harvesting, enjoying, and preserving pumpkins. We enjoyed several recipes and B is adamant that next year’s garden include a pumpkin vine.



Some Friendly Tricks

So how do you explain the phrase “trick-or-treat” without being too scary? B and I talked about tricks like riddles or fun surprises. B is a lover of riddles in general, so I used that interest and understanding to make a friendly introduction to some of the Halloween icons he’ll see in the stores, decorating the neighborhood, or costuming older kids. How Do You Know It’s Halloween, by Dian Curtis Regan, presents riddles in the form of listed clues and a revealing flap. Some of the items revealed include a jack-o-lantern, a skeleton, and a ghost, but the illustrations are friendly and nothing menacing is suggested by the clues. We used it as another opportunity to talk about real and pretend.

A similar lift-the-flap riddle book is Boo, Who? by Joan Holub. It introduces Halloween stand-bys like a ghost and a witch with simple, rhyming riddles and light-hearted illustrations. The final riddle reveals the “scariest monster” in a mylar mirror! Great reminder that the costumes kids encounter hide kids just like them and are nothing to fear.
Appropriate for: toddlers, preschoolers, primary grades.


Any suggestions for making Halloween fun and friendly? Leave me a comment or link up a review of your own (whether or not it’s Halloween themed).
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway on Wednesday’s review post!

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Feed Me Books Friday: Rags are Riches

Books without the Sharp Edges

I’ve got nothing against board books, hardbacks, or paperbacks, but there is something so soothing about literally cuddling up with a soft cloth book, also called rag books. When I was pregnant with my first child I bought books that he still hasn’t grown into, but I also found cushy-soft books that seemed just right for a delicate baby. B didn’t show too much interest in them; he preferred the bouncy rhythm of Boynton board books or stimulating touch-and-feels. The rag books mostly languished in the toy basket until T was born. T finds tearing paperbacks apart and flinging board books across the room entertaining, so the cloth books have suited him much better. He can wave, flap, pound, or chew them to his little heart’s content and the books (as well as my furniture, my nose, and my own books) are none the worse for wear. So today I’m sharing my favorites from the rag category.


The Attention Getter

Not much plot to follow in Sweet Dreams, from the creators of Taggies, but babies find plot overrated. There are three 2-page spreads featuring a kitty, a bunny, and a puppy. Each features a textured appliqué as well as a two-line wish good night. The unique feature of this book, however, is the addition of ribbon loops, or taggies, all around the edges of the page. Between the tags and the textures, this book is a tactile treat! T has given those taggies a real workout of tugs and twists, and they’ve held up beautifully.


The Classic Revisited

Pat the Bunny was a childhood favorite for me – I still have the worn, spiral bound copy my mom saved. It was important to me to share that particular book with my own baby, and as I went looking for it, I discovered many branches in the Bunny family tree. Pat the Bunny Sleepy Bunny is a rag book that follows the bedtime routine of the familiar Bunny. A ribbon tethers a 3 inch stuffed bunny to the spine of the book, so the reader can play-out the actions such as putting away toys or finding a book. The last page includes a cloth pocket on top of the bed illustration so the Bunny can be tucked-in to sleep. The illustrations are reminiscent of the classic, but I wish there were a little more interaction on the other pages – perhaps a pocket to tuck the toys in, or cloth flaps from which to choose the book. It would be more engaging and better development of dexterity. As a bedtime book, it fits the bill. The rehearsal of routine helps little ones anticipate their own approaching bedtime behaviors and prepares them to settle down for the night.


The Cognitive-Motor Combo


The favorite rag book of both of my boys has been Good Night Little Bear. It’s distributed by the Books are Fun company, and I purchased it from a display in the teacher’s lounge of my school before I was even pregnant. Bought one for our nephew and saved another for “the future.” It was a good investment. Little Bear is also on a ribbon tether to the spine of the book, but he has something to do on every page, and he even comes clad in removable red pajamas. This book is based on the same kind of cognitive routine rehearsal as Sleepy Bunny, but it includes more of the course of the day. Little bear plays, eats, washes, brushes his teeth, listens to a story, gets hugs from Mummy, and then tucks in bed on the last page like the Bunny. Each page has a pocket or flap to manipulate, which is great for motor development. Little Bear had a period of popularity with B when he transitioned to falling asleep in his big boy bed – it was a combination of a familiar story, a bit of a lovey, and a sense of control of the situation. T enjoys him more already - he is getting more and more adept at tucking him in the pockets with each reading.
Appropriate for: babies, toddlers


Did you or your children have rag books? Were they enjoyed or overlooked?
Please link up your recommendations for the week below!

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Books for Little Fingers

Within Reach and Not on the Floor

Between six and ten months, most babies learn to enjoy the “drop-it” game. You hand them a toy, a sippy, your keys, etc. They drop it, then fuss. You pick it up. Repeat ad nauseum until you get sick of it. It really does have a purpose. They are developing the cognitive understanding of cause and effect, as well as a physical understanding of the space around them. However, there are times and places that developing this particular understanding is not exactly ideal: like in the shopping cart at the market or cruising the neighborhood in the stroller. Enter attachable toys. You’ll find them in many varieties: links, magnetic bands, clips, velcro. As a mama fond of reading and desirous of a childhood attachment to books, I am all for attaching books to (ok not really) but near my child! T is in a stage where he’s not real patient to listen to the stories, but loves to flip through the pages.


Variety Close at Hand

Soft Play publishes sets of baby-friendly books on clip-able rings that are just the right size for little hands. Each book is about 4 inches square, and my favorite set comes with two board books, two cloth books, and 1 bath book (no ring). The cloth books have dimensional animals on the front, and are great for babies in the chewing stages. I’ve successfully laundered the cloth books after they’ve lived in the diaper bag for a while. One of the board books is touch and feel, and the other has sparkly patches in the illustrations, both highly entertaining. The bath book has a squeaker in the cover. Each features a different animal and has short rhyming text on each page. The stories are not prize-winners, but they’re fun and entertaining when you’re in line at the grocery store or the bank. This is one of my favorite gifts to buy for baby showers because of the variety and the fact that they are appropriate from infancy on with the soft cloth books and small size.


Appropriate for: babies, toddlers


Come Play at the We Play link-up!


Come back Friday with your book recommendations for Feed Me Books Friday!

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Baby-Proofing: Where Do You Draw the Line?

Protecting Little Explorers

My house has been reasonably child-proofed years longer than I’ve had children. We always wanted our home to be a welcoming and safe place for friends and family with little ones, so breakables are up high, chemicals are locked away, and outlets are not exposed. When B came along, we added a baby gate here and there (mostly to corral him so I could accomplish something in one room) and the brick fireplace hearth got a foam bumper. T has been crawling for months, but he gets speedier by the day and he’s recently taken up “cruising” along the couch and cabinets so I know it won’t be long before he’s off and running! In my mind, there is some gray area between protecting your child from obvious hazards and letting him explore the world around him. Err on the side of caution or watch baby like a hawk? Depends on the situation.

Cruising the kitchen

A new view of the exersaucer

How Often Do You Tell Your Child No?

I’m not of the camp that believes “no” is a dirty word, but I also don’t want it to be the only word my sons hear all day. I’d rather have a kid-friendly home than fancy furniture and gallery displays, so my kids have pretty free reign in the house. In fact, a guest recently commented, “There are toys in every room!” I’m not sure whether she was amazed that we allow the toy sprawl, or merely surprised, but toys in the kitchen mean dinner gets cooked, toys in my bedroom mean laundry gets sorted, toys in the dining room mean we get to eat after we feed the kids. B knows his boundaries by now, but even 4-year-olds forget the rules and go for the occasional bounce on the couch or climb up the counter. T is just learning the boundaries, and testing them every time I turn around. Babies only begin to grasp the meaning of “no” around 7 months, and don’t have the cognitive development to fully process its use until nearly 18 months, so redirects and distractions are the most successful for T, while B usually gets a question to remind him he knows better. (Where do your feet belong?) That doesn’t mean “no” goes unspoken, but I try to reserve it for dangerous or urgent situations in hopes that it doesn’t fall on deaf ears.


Off Limits for Exploring

I’m not sure if B is naturally very curious or if I created the “why” monster myself by trying to explain actions and expectations – it’s one of those which-came-first kind of situations. I hope that he (and soon is brother) is more likely to follow rules if he understands the reasoning behind them. Sometimes his insistence for an explanation is a little infuriating, but that’s part of the age, right? A book that was first B’s and has been passed down to T is Don’t Touch, It’s Hot by David Algrim. It came from a discount store, but the message is great and the touch and feel, scratch and sniff pages are very entertaining! Each page features a food or cooking area that may be too hot to touch. The oven is hot, but the smell the tasty pepperoni when the pizza cools! The boiling pot is hot, but blow on the curly, stringy spaghetti and it’s ready to enjoy! The repetition in the text both drives the message home and allows pre-readers to learn the pattern and read along. B still thinks this book is a lot of fun and now he’s the experienced teacher issuing the “Don’t Touch” warnings.


Appropriate for: babies, toddlers, preschool


Linking Up With:
Tackle It Tuesday
What My Child is Reading this Week

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