Library Books - week of November 5, 2007

Last week we checked out a bunch of books from the library that were not very exciting to Eleanor. If they are not of interest to her, they do not get reviewed. Now, however, we have a fabulous stack of books, which she finds much more appealing, so I figured it was time to do another library book roundup.

1. Peek! A Thai Hide-and-Seek by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade
Eleanor is just starting to get into hiding and seeking so this book is perfect. The daddy in the book is looking for his little girl all around the yard, which happens to be filled with all sorts of exotic creatures making interesting noises. The rhyme is nice and I've even learned that "Jut-Ay" is the Thai equivalent of peek-a-boo. An added bonus -- the little girl is semi hidden on each page and Eleanor takes great pleasure in pointing her out.

2. Construction Zone by Tana Hoban
Tana Hoban created the Black on White book that I wrote about here. This book is equally as captivating but for an older (toddler-ish) audience. Actually, Henry enjoys it too. Anyway, Construction Zone features full color photos of heavy machinery, perfect for the truck/train/digger obsessed crowd. Each page simply has the name of the machine featured and the last page showcases thumbnails of each machine with a brief description of what it is doing. Eleanor enjoys pointing at the machines on the last page and having me read the descriptions in the order of her choosing. This usually involves reading the garbage truck and the dump truck much more frequently than any of the others.

3. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by Loren Long
This is the classic Little Engine that Could with fantastic new artwork. This wonderful story is complimented so very nicely by the exquisite paintings. I love reading this book to Eleanor and giving the different engines that come along different voices. And, the images make you really believe that the dolls and toys are really about to cry -- slumped shoulders, sullen faces. If you haven't read the book, or can't remember how things turn out, don't worry, it ends well with the help of the sweet little blue engine.