Tonight's Bedtime Stories

I read to my sons every night. I began reading to my oldest T when he was as young as 6 weeks. I suppose my second son M was read to from day one because I would read to T while nursing.

We read without fail at least 3 books every night. Sometimes it is 3 for each boy. The books vary from old favorites to new library books.

Today I went to the library with the boys and checked out a few board books that I remember reading to T when he was little. Many were from one of my favorite author/illustrators Sandra Boynton. T really loved her illustrations and her wacky humor, and I thought M might get a kick out of them too.

I told T how he would laugh hilariously about the book Blue Hat, Green Hat, and he was happy to hear it again. It is a simple plot--and Elephant, Bear, Moose and Turkey each try on different colored clothing items. Turkey always puts the clothes on in an unexpected way. There are four figures to the page and each figure has different colored clothing items. The last figure is the Turkey and on every page he puts the clothing on in the wrong place with the corresponding "oops." Michael laughed uproariously at the "oops" on every page. I had to read the book 4 times by request of both boys. Then T decided to read it to his little brother. The pictures and text are simple enough where he could easily narrate to M. This book is great to teach colors, and proper clothing placement, as well as introduce the ideas of same and different.



T and I read a picture book called Gumption by Elise Broach illustrated by Richard Egielski. The main character, a boy, goes with his adventurous uncle on a Safari to find a rare gorilla. The uncle tells him that he can get through the challenging adventures before him by using "gumption". As they travel to the mountain to find the gorilla, the uncle and boy find themselves facing many obstacles. The uncle presses forward and is unaware that the boy is having an adventure all his own, shown in the background of each illustration. The boy faces a python, an elephant, an alligator, and the rare gorilla himself, while the uncle all the while presses forward with warnings to the boy about watching out for the wild animals. T enjoyed how the uncle was unaware of the exciting adventures of the boy. I wonder if he will want to read it again. We had a small conversation about what gumption means, and I think a few more readings of the book will cement the meaning of the word with the story line.

T wanted a rereading of a book that I read to him a few years ago, but that I found again recently at the library. We read it twice last night and once tonight, so I think he really likes it. It is called John Willy and Freddy McGee by Holly Meade. It is the story of two Guinea Pigs that escape their cage to go on an adventure across the house. The eventually find themselves in the pool table and are bemused by the balls that begin to roll into the tunnels pushed by a curious cat above them. The illustrations are very interesting with lots of detail that can be discussed. The colors are unexpected. The text utilizes some repetition, and some onomatopoeia with the "bonk" and "wompity" of the balls dropping into the pool table. T wanted to know at one point what "double dart" meant in the description of how the animals ran out of the room. The Guinea Pigs make their way back to their cage only to head out again with the warning to "watch out." The cat is looking for them under a chair and they peek out from under the ottoman next to it.