The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz

When I was a child, I loved Reading Rainbow. And I loved seeing LeVar Burton, my beloved RR host, on my dad's Star Trek show. My sisters and I would put banana clips over our eyes to pretend to be Geordi La Forge. My girls have been enjoying watching episodes of Reading Rainbow on Netflix (and I'm enjoying the 80s flashbacks).

One of the episodes I remember the most highlighted The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz, pictures by James Marshall. (Can you hear it in LeVar Burton's voice?) It showed how they created the story with claymation and it was the first time I realized that animation doesn't just happen, someone creates it.

The title character, the piggy, jumps in a mud puddle and her family tries to convince her to leave it. It's a fun book to read out loud because of all the rhyming and alliteration.

Did you watch Reading Rainbow growing up?

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The Piggy in the Puddle
Words by Charlotte Pomerantz
Pictures by James Marshall
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Year: 1974
Ages: Picture Books, Young Children
Info: full color illustrations, Reading Rainbow book
Themes: animals, mud, pigs, rhymes

The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems

Mo Willems is one of my favorite children's authors. I wouldn't have guessed that this book was by him because he doesn't do the illustrations (they're done by Tony DiTerlizzi) and it's really nothing like his other books. Diva and Flea is the story of an unlikely friendship between a small dog and a large cat living in Paris. It's told in thirteen short chapters with color illustrations throughout.

Even though it wasn't what I expected, I enjoyed reading this book with my six-year-old. It's one she could read on her own in a year or two. It doesn't have the same humor as other Mo Willems books, but it retains his charm. I loved the illustrations and this may sound strange, but I loved the texture of the paper. This is definitely one to pick up as a printed book.

If you're looking for a easy chapter book to read together or for your child to read independently, this is a good one.

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The Story of Diva and Flea
By Mo Willems
Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Year: 2015
Ages: Early Readers, Middle Grade
Themes: friendship, dogs and cats
Source: our public library

Charlie and the New Baby by Ree Drummond

My daughters (ages 3 and 6) love the Pioneer Woman. They watch her Food Network show and tell me that everything Pioneer Woman makes is delicious. The bad news: My cooking will never measure up. The good news: They'll try new foods if it's a Pioneer Woman recipe.

Ree Drummond is the woman behind the wildly successful blog and cooking show. She also writes children's picture books starring her bassett hound Charlie. Charlie is King of the Ranch.

We love all the Charlie the Ranch Dog books that we've found at the library. This week, we chose Charlie and the New Baby. These books are fun to read aloud because you can read them in a lazy, country, ranch dog voice. Daddy does it best. The kids love reading along with the parts they know and joining in when Charlie dozes off, snorts awake, or howls.

The classic Charlie books are our favorites, but there are also some easy reader books that my first grader enjoys when she reads aloud to us.

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Charlie and the New Baby
By Ree Drummond
Illustrated by Diane deGroat
Publisher: Harper Collins Childrens
Year: 2014
Info: full color illustrations
Ages: picture book, young children
Themes: animals, dogs
Source: our public library