5 Books a Day: week 5

Okay, yes it has been a while since we participated in this fantastic literacy challenge, hosted by Anna @ The Imagination Tree, but I've decided it is high time that we jump right back in (so to speak) with some of the new books my darling daughter (DD) received for her big 3yo birthday just over a week ago.

I have only taken one picture of our books this week ...

When I'm Feeling SAD, written and illustrated by Trace Moroney.  Everyone feels SAD sometimes.  It's a quiet, lonely feeling.  But it can often help to talk to someone about it. (blurb)  
I love this series - its such a great tool in helping you to talk about the various feelings we as humans experience throughout our lifetimes with our little ones.  This is one in a series of eight books I gave my daughter in a box set this past week.  The pictures are both cute and emotive.  They really help you delve into the topic (or feeling of note) and give children a safe context in which to discuss what they feel and how they can work through and experience that emotion in healthy, positive ways.


When I'm Feeling HAPPY, written and illustrated by Trace Moroney.  So many things can make you HAPPY.  Playing with friends, a special treat - or just a big hug. (blurb)
A second book from the same series.  Bright, bubbly and fresh illustrations alongside fantastic text that helps little ones explore what it feels like to be happy, ways they might explore happiness - even that "feeling happy helps me to have more patience and helps me not to get angry over small problems ... and makes me feel more kind and caring towards others."


The Magic Balloon, written by Oakley Graham, illustrated by Dan Crisp.  Many, many years ago, in the city of Montreal, lived a boy called Will, who was very, very tall.  Will was a great inventor and was over the moon, when he created the world's first magic balloon.  New and emerging readers will love to read about Will's adventures in his magic balloon, and will be captivated by the colour-changing balloon light. (blurb)
Such a creatively thought-up adventure for children, written in rhyming prose and illustrated in seemingly hand-painted imagery.  A gorgeous little story with a balloon light in the centre of the page which changes colour and gives it that little added-extra, though the amount of detail included in the illustrations is amazing.  A much loved gift from her god-mother.


Sesame Street My First Library: Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time, by P.J. Shaw, illustrated by Tom Leigh.  
The much loved Sesame Street character Abby explores rhyming words - "you know, words that end with the same sound, like bat and cat!  Rhymes are so fun to find!".  As Abby goes along she does just that - looks for a word and then thinks up other words which rhyme with this original word.  A very cute book that explores this ultra-important concept; with gorgeous, dynamic illustrations featuring all your favourite Sesame Street monsters and puppets throughout.  As soon as I saw this one in the store I knew I had to get it for DD!

And last, but definitely not least ....

Sesame Street My First Library: Elmo Goes to the Doctor, by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Tom Brannon.
This month DD and I have had at least one visit to the doctor each week for various reasons and so when I saw this one at the shop I thought that this would be a good one to help us talk about what had happened when we went there - we really hadn't been all that regularly before this at all, and then five visits in as many weeks?!!!
This book is a delightful tale of a worried little Elmo ("Elmo really feels fine, Mummy," he said.  "Let's just go home.") who has to go to the doctor for a checkup and a shot.  The doctor checks his height, weight, breathing, heartbeat, ears, throat etc... A cute little story about all the different things a doctor might check when you go to the doctor for a routine health check - and later, if you eat "all the monstermallows out of the Monster Flakes cereal box"!  A fun, simple tool to help facilitate a discussion about going to the doctor in a positive way.

** Well, they are the books we are looking to read each day this week.  We didn't get to them this week (only just decided on our selection), but will make a great effort to read each at least once a day.

If you are looking for some more great options for reading with little kids, why not head over to Anna's host post for the challenge this week and have a look at the other book selections the other wonderful mothers are reading with their children this week.  I often find titles I'm either introduced to new (to me) titles, or reminded of beloved one's I've forgotten about from my own childhood, when reading the other participants' posts.