This book is a perfect match for Sadie, since I’m always telling her that she cannot have a Bratz doll (although now it’s a mute point since they’ve been taken off the market.  Yeah!).  I think Sadie finally understands why it’s important to go your own way, and she plays with her homemade “Steve” cat and her handknit “Penny” doll even more now. We both highly recommend this book!

I wish I were Goldilocks and could check out this cool pad.  I want ALL of the bears’ furniture.  I’ll take the crazy chili bowls, too!

Sadie adores bugs as long as they stay put outdoors.  So, this book was sure to please.  I think boll weevils are what have attacked my flour in my cupboards, so I wasn’t especially looking forward to this book.  But, the real star of the book is a teeny tiny ladybug who finds true love with a cute firefly.  The illustrations are magical, and the story is very sweet, too.  Sadie’s asked to read this one over and over again, so I’d call it a winner.

This girl reminds me an awful lot of Sadie, only Sadie prefers to prance around in her bumblebee outfit.  Ladybug Girls knows what it’s like to be a younger sister.  She’s great at finding her own way and making her own fun.  The illustrations in this book are so evocative and spot-on.  We could read this book over and over again.  A real winner!

Sadie loves the gingerbread man in this story because she thinks he is cute.  He also looks kind of worried, like B.B. Wolf is going to eat him at any minute.  The thing she likes about the book is that B.B. Wolf is kind of afraid that he might burp, but he says “excuse me” before he burps, which is pretty funny.  You’re recognize lots of your favorite storybook characters on the pages of this amusing cautionary tale.

The entire family loves the sweet nature of this book — it really gets to the heart of Christmas in an earthy, non-commercial way, which is a rarity these days. The story is dreamlike and profound. And the best part comes at the end when Sadie gets to push the magic button. That sound has become a symbol of Christmas for all of us.

We have this huge box of Chirstmas books that I bring out every year on December 1st. Sadie’s first choice from the box was this book. She loves all the little surprises that the jolly postman delivers to his patrons. And the surprise at the end is magical. This book is sure to get the whole family in the mood for the holiday season

Sadie likes this book because all of the animals are silly. The animals don’t listen to the poor conductor; they just do as they please, and they eventually cause the train to break. And then they have a picnic with their friends in which they clean up the terrible mess that they made. Then they fall asleep. The end!

The illustrations in this book are adorable — it’s done in an old-fashioned colored pencil style, and the animals have wonderful expressions.

We have all four books in this series (red, yellow, green & blue), and they’re all great. Jasper and Sadie have committed almost every single rhyme in these books to memory. In the yellow book, you’ll find some old favorites like Jack Sprat and Hickory Dickory Dock, and there are few lesser known gems, as well, such as Queen Queen Caroline and There Was A Bee. Sadie’s personal favorite is Gregory Griggs and all his wigs.