The Great Picture Book Culling: Day 5

Jo picked longer books last night, so we only made it through two. (She normally reads as many books as she can in about half an hour.) So - long books - but good ones.

First up was Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell. Way back when I was a bookseller, this was one of my favorites to recommend to people who were looking for a good "daddy book." This is one of the best, with an awesomely patient Big Bear putting his afraid-of-the-dark Little Bear to bed. Little did I know that it was also belly-laugh funny. At times Jo could barely read because she was laughing so hard. Every time Big Bear goes back and asks, "Can't you sleep, Little Bear?" the response and routine is the same. I always thought this was a pleasantly soothing repetition - great for a bedtime story. Jo thought it was hysterically funny. She also loved spreads like the one here.

It says "Little Bear tried and tried to go to sleep, but he couldn't." Jo's response was to giggle and point to the baby bear doing flips in his bed and say, "It doesn NOT look like he's trying to go to sleep." A fabulous book that got thumbs up from everyone.

Jo also read Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes - my absolute favorite Kevin Henkes book. I love Chrysanthemum and the joy she takes in her name, I love her parents and the joy they take in her, I'm sad to see her wilt when her new classmates tease her about her name, and I love, love love Mrs. Twinkle. The children think Mrs. Twinkle is "an indescribable wonder" and I have to agree. Just look at her!When she reveals that her full name is Delphinium Twinkle she puts an immediate end to all the name-teasing and we get to see Chrysanthemum bloom again - definitely her natural state. Oh, how I love this book.

Read-a-thon status so far: 20 books.