book pick: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

typically I focus on books already in print. they're usually cheaper that way. but this week i bring you a new book! that's what your local library is for, after all. and that's exactly where we picked up Mo Willem's latest. the author is one of the reasons for highlighting Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. he's won all those awards for a reason. and when i find an author (or musician) to whom the girls and i go back to again and again, they're worth getting all rah-rah over.

in this retelling, Goldi gets lost in the wrong story. in this one, it's some hapless carnivores hoping to lay a trap for a poorly supervised child, and failing on the level of the Pearls Before Swine crocs. older children will appreciate the goofiness of the substitutions for the familiar story line. (porridge? are you kidding me? what kid would go for porridge? now, chocolate pudding, that's a different story ... no, really, a completely different story.)

like many modern picture books, there are plenty of little inside jokes peppered here and there to give parents a chuckle. Willems comes close to going too far to the parental nudge-nudge-wink-wink side of things, but does a good job of keeping things ridiculous enough that, in reading the story aloud, the kids laugh along with Mom and Dad. (ever wonder how a Norwegian dinosaur's evil laugh might sound? you can finally put the question to rest with this book. i know, phew, right?)

as usual, the tone of the story starts with the inside cover pages of the book. on them, working titles are tried out and then crossed out. Goldilocks and the Three Nutrias? no. Goldilocks and the Three Cyclopes? uh, no. Goldilocks and the Three Major Networks? my favorite, but alas, no.

this reminds me of the fractured fairytale post from forever ago, and how much i'm still crying my eyes out because none of you silly little readers shared your own creations! i'm holding onto mine until you do. i may even add a new one to make my favorite Goldi spin-off come true.

c'mon people. you know you've got that inner snark just waiting to spring forth. it's a new school year, so here's your homework: send your best retelling of The Three Little Pigs or of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to sillyissane@gmail.com.

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book pick: Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash

anybody want some zucchini?

bwah, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

ok, ok! you have too much, too. i should have guessed.

Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, this week's book pick (ok, so the pick for last week, officially speaking ... hey, i just moved!), celebrates the prolific nature of squash by taking it to a whole new level. you think you're trying to figure out how to use all that squash? be thankful you're not Mrs. McNosh!

this book is so fun to read. the rhyming is fantastic. it's short, too. and sometimes i need a really short book for my word-hungry kids. it's perfect for wiggle-worms and still draws giggles from the mature kindergarten crowd.

this is the second of three books by Sarah Weeks featuring Mrs. McNosh, who seems to have a bit of trouble keeping things under control in her little world, but always finds a solution with a smile on her face. that's silly enough for us!

fine print: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. learn more here.

new feature: lines to use on your kids

remember Super Sillypants? well, i've got some more silly lines to use on young children who seem predisposed to being oblivious to the obvious. introducing silly sanisms. is that a word? sanism? no. do you care? no. you just spent all night nursing a fussy infant, "waking up" to make the kindergartner a semi-healthy school snack (hey, the Goldfish are whole grain), and somewhere in there managing to actually brush your hair and look half-way presentable (dude, i totally put on clean jeans today!).

the first silly sanism i would like to present for your use answers the onslaught of requests that grow exponentially with (a) each additional child in your brood and (b) the number of nanoseconds from the first query to your response.

books with a beat

i'm now also writing for a wonderful children's music company over at the Studio3Music blog! watch for regular posts under the banner of "Books 'n' Beats". the first one, linked here, tells a bit about what i'll be focusing on over there, bending more to the musical side of things and recommending all those books that are fun and have a beat (but maybe are not silly enough for this blog!). children's music selections that won't have Mommy want to claw her face off also will be highlighted (you're welcome).

we had Sweet One in Kindermusik classes through Studio3Music and highly recommend them to anyone living in the Puget Sound region! (you can preview a class for free.) the teachers are fantastic. we especially love Miss Beth!


ps: like this blog, i welcome suggestions from you dear readers for book and music recommendations. you can reach me at sillyissane@gmail.com.

book pick: Cindy Moo

The Diddle herd faces a dilemma. Did the cow really jump over the moon? Cindy Moo bounds with bovine glory to prove it's true – and not just some silly nursery rhyme. The fact that Cindy Moo is written in rhyme, however, takes this book over the shiny hunk of rock in the sky.

The message of this book is that anything is possible, you just have to know how. Well, that, and not to take things too literally of course.

fine print: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. learn more here.