Some Bedtime Book recomendations from Leopard

My little Leopard, who is six, has re-discovered Mo Willems books. She would like everyone to know that The Pigeon Needs a Bath is a funny book and she loves it. 

We picked up the new Pigeon book last week and have already read it a couple dozen times. She still laughs each time. We have been alternating reading it - I read it to her and then she reads it to me, which is lots of fun. She really likes talking back to the pigeon (like telling the Pigeon 'NO!' when you read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.)


Leopard has also gotten enamored with the Elephant and Piggie books. We checked a few out from the library and she has been reading them to herself over and over. There is much play acting and emoting involved, so it is lots of fun to watch :)

The best part for her are the expressions of the characters. She loves it when a character bats their eyes, sticks out their tongue, or twirls around saying 'La La La!'

Her favorites so far are Watch Me Throw the Ball!, My New Friend is So Fun! and There is a Bird on Your Head! (So far it has been which ever one is the newest, really).

This mother senses many, many more Mo Willems books in our future.  Leopard is already demanding the rest of the Pigeon books. 

 
One last recommendation from Leopard - the Gossie & Friends by Olivier Dunrea. We have read Gossie, Gossie & Gertie, Ollie, and Ollie the Stomper so far and I am under orders to get more of these books as well. They are really cute books that had previously been available only as board books but have recently started showing up in early reader form. They are really cute and have turned into bedtime reading for the past couple of weeks. These books also have room for emoting and giggling.

Note from the Mommy - these books are all geared towards young children (6 and under) so they are very short. My daughter is very visually orientated and for bedtime really seems to like uncluttered clear drawings that have a lot of character. Mo Willem and Olivier Dunrea books are fantastic with this - their characters show a huge range of emotions even though they drawings are quite simple in design. Plus - they are quite cute and there are enough of them out there I am not losing my mind reading the same book over and over and over and over ... at least too much.