The Great Picture Book Culling: Day 12

Time to check in again on the Great Picture Book Culling - though not much culling is actually happening yet. I'm kind of dreading the point where we start to get down to the dregs of the collection - but we're still a long way from that happening.

Jo's favorite of last night was Please Do Not Open This Book! It's another "interactive book" - this one based on The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone with art by Mike Smollin. Despite what I said about "interactive" books here, this one is really a winner - maybe because the original book begs for just this kind of interaction. Every time I read the original to a group of kids I have them all begging for a turn at turning the page.

Here's Jo's favorite page - her favorite because it's a big gatefold page with the little note that says "Do NOT lift here!" That always leads to something like me saying, "Jo! Why are you reaching for the page? It says NOT to turn it." Jo giggles, I repeat and then she turns the page and laughs and laughs. It really is fun.

For those (understandably) worried about the durability of these books, I can say that the whole line of Bright and Early Playtime books from Random House - mostly inspired by Seuss and Eastman titles - are really rugged. If a kid wants to destroy them - they sure can. But they won't fall apart with normal use.

My favorite of the night was Time to Pee! by Mo Willems. I love Mo Willems and this is my favorite "potty book." Is it sad that I have a favorite potty book? I sold children's books for more than twenty years so sometimes I have a skewed sense of what's normal. . .

Anyway - I love the whole troop of mice that run throughout the book, holding up all the text on signs and banners. And this big group waiting in the bathroom with a tiny red carpet for the kid about to use the potty is just awesome. We didn't make a big deal about potty training Jo. When she turned three we said, "OK. You're three. Time to start wearing underwear." On the first day she went through every pair of underwear we had bought. 12 pairs - for the record. The next day she went through one pair. And that was pretty much it. So maybe that's why I find all the hoopla so amusing. Or maybe there's something wrong with me.

Alan's favorite of the night was How Are You Peeling? Foods with Moods by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. The art is definitely the star of this book. Just look at this! So those were our favorites of the night - but we read another good one too. Is This Maisy's House? is probably my favorite lift-the-flap Maisy book. Lucy Cousins is a master at using flaps that are actually relevant to the flow of the story. I like that.

Read-a-thon total so far: 46 books read