Phoenix read The Little Engine that Could yesterday, I think I can, I think I can!

 

Phoenix read The Little Engine that Could yesterday, we have the board book of this classic in the shape of a train, which is cute and it's fun to say to Phoenix look the train and go choo choo and travel the train the board book on his legs. The train shaped board book story is shorter than the original version, but you can get the full story as well (see below for links).

 

Our readers know we love board book sized books, perfect for little hands to hold and try giving your baby the book to hold whle watching him/her carefully, they will be bound to want to chew on the book first, but show them how to turn the pages and hold the book, I betcha they will with intrigue!

 

I love the simple but powerful message of trying something that at first might seem challenging, believing in yourself to do it, and not giving up. The Little Blue Engine doesn't think he can make it up the mountain but he wants to help the toys.

 

"I'm not very big. And I've never been over the mountain. But I will try."

 

As he makes it up the mountain the Little Blue Engine says to himself, "I think I can I think I can," and "thinking you can" leads to taking the steps of trying to accomplish it!

 

This is such a great mindset to have in life.

 

Self-belief is an important confidence building emotion to share with your baby or toddler, your child is never to young to start learning about having inner-strength and to believe in ones self, which carries through in all they experience.

 

 

 

Get the board book at BN.com and other editions.

   

Get this board book at Amazon.com

and the full edition.
 

Get this book from Indiebound.com

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Read on! Check out other popular post involving the board books we love at the Phoenix Baby Book Club! Where inspiration soars!

Phoenix is wearing a Burberry dress shirt and cashmere sweater and jeans from Children's Place.

Phoenix read The Very Hungry Caterpillar today

 

Phoenix is a little over three months old and we read the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carl today. Before we read Phoenix was a little fussy but when I placed the book in front of him and told him it was time to read he calmed down and looked at the cover curiously.

To be honest I don't remember reading this as a kid and I wasn't drawn to Eric Carl books originally but being at the bookstore I saw this book on the table and the colors grabbed me and was inspired to flip through it. I quickly felt intrigued by the story about a caterpillar eating through all different types of foods to finally become a beautiful butterfly. It's a nice book to teach your baby fruits too, and other foods like ice-cream, pickles, Swiss cheese, salami, watermelon and others. I found it cool that at the end of the book the colors of the butterfly reflect the colors of the foods the caterpillar ate, hehe and I like that toward the end of the book he ate something green (a leaf) to ease his stomach ache.

After reading this book I totally became an Eric Carl fan.

Let your baby touch the pages of the book, turn the pages and chew on the book too! Let your baby discover that books are their favorite toy and activity and you're baby will bond even more with bookswhile you are reading together.

Here's a video of Phoenix turning the pages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar today and some photos I snapped after we read when I let Phoenix read through the book again on his own.

 

Also while the book shares all the foods the hungry caterpiller eats and it allows you to count with your child the fruits and foods along the way. Keep your reading session with your baby thematic: You could bring the foods mentioned in the book, or as many as you have in the fridge, out on a plate while you read and let your baby/child look at and smell them or touch them to get his smell and sensory senses grooving.

Here's The Very Hungry Caterpillar on Amazon, I the board book size, perfect for little hands and the diaper bag, find the book also on BN.com here and Indie Bound here. This book set comes with a stuffed caterpillar, which I gave our nephew for Christmas.

Read on!
~Isobella

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When we were in Texas over the Christmas holiday I lost Phoenix's library lion stuffed animal and needed something he could play with and chew on during our two week stay, I bought a pengiun at Janie and Jack and also I bought this developmental elephant toy by Eric Carl at the Katy Mills Mall BAM! Books A Million and we both really love it. Phoenix loves grabbing the elephants nose and the rings and the star that hang off it.  Also check out this Very Hungry Caterpillar teether.

Phoenix reads Little Blue Truck Leads the Way and visits Santa!

Well, although we forgot to wear our caps when we read Caps for Sale but Phoenix has some really cute caps and he wore one when we read yesterday afternoon when we read Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle.

We love this book and have the board book size which is easy to bring with us around the city too. Phoenix enjoyed looking at the great illustrations by Jill McElmurray and all the details, the tree, the birds on the wires of the poles, the stars, the motercycle going over the bridge, buses and more became extra points to mention to Phoenix while we read. I especially loved the illustration with the bird's-eye view of the city and finding the Little Blue Truck among the traffic jam.

Since we live in the city, I also like that city scape and the city concept of it being busy, loud and crowded and the lesson of patience and taking your turn in this book.  Also I'm petite/short so the book based on a short statured underdog truck was really great! We are going to have to check out other books by Alice Schertle, I'm a mom intrigued! Then my husband read the book to Phoenix again and he liked it too.

Check it out for the Nook too or Kindle here.

Phoenix also visited Santa at Macy's yesterday too!

We hope your Christmas stocking is filled with books! Happy Holidays!

~Isobella and Phoenix

Let us know what you're reading and send a pic of your baby enjoying the book for a chance to be featured on the Phoenix Baby Book Club Blog #phoenixbabybookclub #pbbc or to petitepride@yahoo.com

P.s. we bought the book at Barnes and Noble Fifth Avenue.
 

Valentine's Day Phoenix Baby Book Giveway: Guess How Much I Love You + a signed copy of Careful

To celebrate Valentine's Day we are holding a giveaway of the board book Guess How Much I Love You, this is a precious book to read to your baby and as you do stretch your arms like the characters, and reach to the moon, to express how much you love each other.

For this Valentine's Day giveaway I'm including a signed copy of my YA novel Careful, the first book of the Careful, Quiet, Invisible series.  Submit below or email me at petitepride@yahoo.com your name with V-Day Giveaway in subject.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Be sure to include your first name AFTER you hit submit! Read on!

Isobella & Phoenix

Giveaways are not pre-owned books, they are purchased by the Phoenix Baby Book Club for the giveaway.

Two new children's books with leaves for fall 2013 to add to our bookshelf

Oh yes, I let my baby run through the leaves, why not. CRUNCH CRUNCH, leaves make such a fun sound. I grew up jumping and playing in the leaves and lately we've been using the words: Leaf and Leaves on a daily bases. I look forward to sharing the changing leaves and the pretty colors of fall soon, I love the fall landscapes of yellows, orange and maroons. On a recent trip to Barnes and Noble I recently picked up Leaves by David Ezra Stein, with Phoenix running all around I only had a few seconds to flip through it but I liked the illustrations and the bear element reminded me of The Bear Snores On (one of our constant bedtime reads) since the bear hibernates after seeing the leaves fall. This board book is a quick read before naptime or bedtime and has a sweet drifting to sleep like the leaves drifting off the trees vibe and then welcoming spring after the long winter. My favorite part: When the bear tries to put the yellow and red leaves back on the tree but it doesn't work and is sad for a moment but gets savvy and uses the leaves for his cave. It's sweet when we see other animals passing by the bears cave and they notice a peek of the leaves, or don't because of the snow. You'll like how the bear celebrates the leaves and it's a sweet book to share with your baby about the changing seasons.

(Phoenix opening Leaves by David Ezra Stein)

We also recently received the book Leaf by Stephen Michael King, and I'm still figuring it out but enjoying this book for it's innocence and meaning of the leaf. It's a book without words, the pictures tell the story or more like you (the reader) creates the words. The story starts off with the boys mother wanting to cut his hair and he runs outside, as if saying "Noooo!" Outside he plays with his dog and a bird poops on him, well I that what I thought at first but then I thought maybe it was a stone, a pebble or something that PLOPS on the boys head and a leaf appears, growing out of his head.

Perhaps the boy is trying to water the leaf and have it grow and he takes his dog on an adventure trying to get wet. Or maybe they are just really enjoying the rain and water and love getting all soaked! He has a scary dream about other plants hurting the leaf on his head and big clippers coming at his head and wakes up and plays some more but finally accepts his mother's clippers and let's her cut off all his hair.

It was sad when the boy's hair is all cut off, I'm thinking WHY while reading this to Phoenix, is his mom THAT mean? Does he have Cancer? What? Why all the hair gone! But I smiled when the boy uses the hair that was cuff off to create a nest for the leaf that he plants in the ground and it becomes a big tree and we see the boy through the ages, like The Giving Tree.

~Isobella & Phoenix

Five books for the Easter Basket

The PBBC book picks that would be thoughtful and perfect to put in your baby or toddlers Easter basket, and even read throughout the year.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, it's not based on Easter but it's a delightful book baby boys and girls and I like the board book size to fit in little hands.

Clifford's Happy Easter, I'm getting into the Clifford series and love the lessons and good spirited stories about acceptance and helping for others.

Ollie's Easter Eggs, I'm also getting into the Ollie series, they are quick reads and have lessons of friendship, sharing, patience, and this one is based on dying Easter eggs.

The Runaway Bunny, not screaming Easter but it's an adorable book about love and family, which is perfect for the holiday and year round.

Duck and Goose, Here comes Easter, this is a fun Easter read to introduce the series to your baby and keep in mind there are also many other cute and colorful Duck and Goose books about friendship and kindness to share year round with your little one.

HAPPY EASTER AND GOOD LUCK DURING THE EASTER EGG HUNT!!

Isobella & Phoenix

Phoenix reads First 100 Animals by Priddy Books

We are traveling to Texas for the holiday and I wanted to get a couple books that are small board book size and easy to travel with, and I found a great animal book called First 100 Animals by Priddy Books at Barnes and Noble in Union Square.

Get First 100 Animals for your Nook here!

In our toy basket we have a lion stuffed animal as well as an owl, moose and others so I use the stuffed animals and toys to show Phoenix when the name of the animal comes up in the book as another reference.

After reading the first 100 animals we watched The Lion King and can also find many of these animals on TV shows or at the zoo. The circle of life, the circle a book can create.

A video of Phoenix checking out First 100 Animals.

 

Phoenix loves looking at the world, looks at everything and he is so curious about the world.

Some parents might think hearing the ABC's being sung or counting numbers is too advanced for newborns but we don't, cute baby songs are fun...peek a boo I see you, but from day one we've been also reading words big and small in books big and small, and I sing the alphabet song or count outloud to ten while changing him and getting dressed in the morning.

Babies can handle more than only hearing nursery rhymes, in fact your voice is so exciting and interesting to them, hearing your voice talk and read outloud is what inspires your babies to talk and express themselves.

By the way, we signed up for Barnes and Noble's Kids Club today, you should too, join free here: https://kids.barnesandnoble.com/kidsclub/

Check out other exciting Priddy Books here: http://www.priddybooks.com/
And here is the Priddy Books Blog: http://blog.priddybooks.com/

We hope you have a memorable holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

~Isobella & Phoenix


Do you read to your baby? Tell us about your reading adventures, what are you reading? Use the Twitter hashtag: #phoenixbabybookclub or #pbbc

Go-to bedtime children's books for simmering down the day

Here are my go to books for simmering down the day and your little ones when they are restless during their bedtime routine. 

Also I suggest: Dim down the lights in the livingroom or wherever your baby/toddler is playing before the bedtime routine starts. Setting the mood can help, it doesn't need to be drastic but bright lights signals awake and diming the lights down a bit is a way, without even saying it, to calm down the body and mind. Usually before bathtime I like to dim down lights and after bathtime also have just a little light in Phoenix's room while changing for bed clothes/pajamas. Then after brushing teeth, the lights are turned down more to just the lantern.  

If your baby or toddler isn't calming down after a few books and songs here the books I recommend based on creating the "bedtime or naptime tone" that these books have. These are my "go-to-sleep" books and besides being favorites, I also bank on them whenever my monkey is still jumping on the bed or not settling down when it's getting to be way past his bedtime. These longer stories allow one read through, when it's a restless night then 2, and by that time your little one should be in dreamland. The board book of Baby Beluga I co-side with Goodnight Construction Site, etc. And for The Bear Snores On I read it very quietly and slow so some of the more exciting emotions in the book are taken a tone down. These books also have a quiet tone, meaning when you read it your voice will naturally become softer easily and they read sort of like a song or poem, and the flow of the story is soothing and calming. Sometimes

I start reading while my little precious is still restless but the tone of the story gives him the cue. 

A children's book like Caps

For Sale, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the Otis series are books we love but books involving excitement and surprise, for us, are better for day time reads because they can rile up a little one (and that's great for when it's time to play), or best to read them first before a calming-down and relaxing bedtime children's book. 

After you've been animated and made animal noises and paled and had some jokes, these books might help relax the day down. 

Phoenix reads Five Shiny Stars-We love stars! A mini intro to the celestial bodies of outer space

 

We recently got Five Shiny Stars, a counting and numbers book, for Phoenix at the SoHo Scholastic bookstore. We love stars and Phoenix's wall above his crib is a starburst made of stickers that I created before he was born. Here's a pic. (Instead of Marilyn Monroe, now there is a wood plaque with Phoenix's name on it and a star ornaments with a P on it.

The first day we brought Phoenix home

 

We go over the word 'star' daily when we look at the wall mural.

I love that the cover of this book says Baby-3 years old. The word BABY is right on the cover! So there is no doubt you should be reading this to your baby. The more words your baby knows the better his language development will be, so fill your baby's library with a diverse amount of books that all bring new words to your reading sessions.

We love the die-cut board element of Give Shiny Stars, the stars are cut out and so fun to touch. As you count down the stars with your baby and in the end they are together in the sky to wish upon.

At the end the book plays music, kind of like a birthday card that plays a tune when you open it, when you turn the last page the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star tune plays and the words are there on the page to sing and read to your baby.

I love the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, doesn't every Mom?  But my reason is a bit deeper, I love looking at the moon and stars, I'm a star and moongazer, and this book is a little introduction to  the celestial bodies of outer space, just like this Twinkle Twinkle Little Star book is. I'm planning to get a telescope in the near future, and it would be thrilling if Phoenix also enjoys thinking and learning about the universe.

~Isobella & Phoenix

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Phoenix read The Snowy Day today

 

 

There are bears like Pooh, Peter Rabbit, penguins, racoons, Little Critters, Cat in the Hat and many books with different animal characters, but also there are picture books with ethnically diverse main characters. Where are the Asian, Hispanic and African American children's book characters, you may wonder? Mmm. Well, they are out there, and I plan to feature more books that involve characters of many backgrounds.

Phoenix read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats today!

I will be honest, I picked it up because I remembered reading it as a kid and also the character is African American and I want our at home library and Phoenix's warm, observant, perceptive eyes and bright mind to know and appreciate stories of all types that involve faces of all types. Although he's very little, it starts now, it already has begun: the understanding of human beings as being the same inside even if they look different than you on the outside. I want to introduce him to the diversity out there, I want him to be aware that although who a person is- is formed inside their soul, the skin that covers our souls comes in an array of colors and there are all types of people out there, with all different backgrounds, and THAT is a beautiful thing and is what makes our world and existence so incredible and great!

Read on!
~Isobella

Want more picture books with African American characters? Then check out these:

I Like Myself! board book by Karen Beaumont, Illustrator David Catrow
Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora
Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, Illustrator Jon J. Muth
Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Illustrator Kadir Nelson
Violet's Music byAngela Johnson, Illustrator Laura Huliska-Beith Baby Dance by Ann Taylor, Illustrator Marjorie Van Heerden

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Crazy about Animal Alphabet: Slide and Seek the ABCs

I love Animal Alphabet: Slide and Seek the ABCs board book we picked up at Babies R Us. Mainly  because Phoenix is so engaged and curious when we read it, each page shares 2 letters of the Alphabet and part of the animal/s is/are seen (such as the tail of an alligator) and then you slide over the panel and the whole animal is seen. It's a great pick as a baby's first ABC's book and when your child starts using his hands more he/she will watch you slide the panel and begin to as well :)

Animal Alphabet on Amazon
Animal Alphabet on BN.com

Phoenix reads a There's a Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss

We read this one ALOT!! It's a fun one to read to your wee one because the rhymes are silly and fun to say. The illustrations are humorous too. We like the board book size so Phoenix can better hold the book as we read and turn pages. Reading this with enthusiasm is key because it's a high energy read.

My favorite rhyme is: Sometimes I am quite CERTAIN there's a JERTAIN in the CURTAIN.

I like how the ryhming words are in capital letters.

Phoenix's Dr. Seuss onesie! He wore it while we read Green Eggs and Ham.

 

 

Dr.Seuss ROCKS for babies and toddlers, make sure you have these books on your child's bookshelf

 

Read on!

~Isobella & Phoenix

 

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New Books from Bookworm.com are on the way!

We recently bought books from www.bookworm.com, it's in the same landscape as www.diapers.com, www.beauty.com , www.soap.com and others. We got 30 % off our first order too which was great! You should check them out and you can shop all the sites for the same order.

We have on the way:

Look, Look! by Peter Linenthal, Board Book I liked the cut-out illustration element, seems stimulating and creative to read.

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman, we love Bear Snores On as a nightly ritual so this will be good for during the day time and this Spring and Summer at the park. I look forward to the Spring-like bright colors of the illustrations.

And Harold & the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. I swear I read this as a kid and I remember it being good but I look forward to the refreshment when reading it again to Phoenix.

Find our reading adventures also on Twitter www.twitter.com/isobellajade

#SpringReading

Phoenix reads Clifford the BIG RED DOG

We read Clifford the BIG RED DOG today! I love board size books. It's the intro book of the Clifford series and we meet Elizabeth and her big red dog. I like the way the story shows us that Clifford is different and makes mistakes sometimes, but he's helpful and caring too, it's cute how Elizabeth shares the good things Clifford does and how much she loves him.