Happy Pig Day! | I love kids books

I had this great idea but Max and Calvin had their own plans.

One way I get them to practice reading is “suggest” they each take on a character in a book. This works with Mo Willem’s delightful Elephant & Piggie books.

They love this so much, I thought it would be cool if I could record them reading Happy Pig Day! for this blog.

But when we would read, they would get really wound up, make funny voices and laugh hysterically. I would try to get them to “be serious.”

What was I thinking?

I realized I had to let go and quit trying to stage manage them. The end result is so much better when they are being themselves.

So here it is – scroll ahead to 1:03 if you want to see Calvin joyfully cracking up.

And do yourself a favor – adults and kids – go get an Elephant & Piggie book.

One of the best Christmas presents I ever received was the Little House on the Prairie set. It was a gift I enjoyed for years and still do since I recently pulled them out with my own kids.

Before you head out with your holiday shopping list, I asked Max and Calvin for their input:

Max’s holiday picks:

Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
“It shows what people eat and what animals they love. It shows what sports they play.” All ages.

Peter Power and His Not-So-Super Powers by Brandon T. Snider, art by Dave Bardin
“I like that he has ice cubes for super powers.” (This book was written by my friend and Mariemont alum Brandon Snider!) 7 and up.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
“I love Wimpy Kid because he went on a hike and it was very dangerous.” 8 and up.

Calvin and Max check out Maps.

Calvin’s holiday picks:

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson “People might like it because they might like the roller derby.” 7 and up.

Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems
“I love it because it is very funny and I love doing the voices.” (Look out for a future blog post on this one.) All ages.

Calvin loved Roller Girl and I did too!

The three of us agreed on:

I am Helen Keller by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
It’s amazing to read the story of Helen Keller and the book has braille in it. All of Meltzer’s books are winners. All ages.

My suggestions, Max and Calvin approved:

The Night Gardner by Terry Fan and Eric Fan
This book is beautiful! One of our favorites this year. All ages.

The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher
A lovely tale about a girl and her grandfather. We adore this book, illustrated by the author of Mr. Frank. All ages.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
Another recent favorite. A funny and sweet tale of two friends staying with grandparents for a week. (It’s a Caldecott Winner) 3 and up.