Books for Christmas

I have always been a book giver for holidays, birthdays and the like. These are also the very things that top my list when friends and family ask what I want. When my parents recently came to visit, they were astounded at the number of books William owns. This didn't surprise me, given that he receives books regularly. Last night at bedtime we read Anatole and Petunia. These were actually books I purchased as Christmas gifts, but when they arrived in the mail with William's name on them, it was hard to keep them from him. (Okay, so I can't wait for the big day either!)

In the book Petunia repeats a phrase she has heard, " He who owns Books and loves them is wise." Immediately William said, "Wow, Mommy, I have lots of books and take care of them, so I must be wise too." Ah yes, well let's get to the end of the story. For as Petunia learns "Now I understand. It was not enough to carry wisdom under my wing. I must put it in my mind and in my heart. And to do that I must learn to read." We both love the story and always talk about how great it will be when William reads on his own. He still worries that I won't read to him when he's reading stories himself, but I assure him that this won't happen. Once we push on into chapter books there will be so much more to share together.

Until then, here are the books the William is getting for Christmas. They're all pretty great, so check them out.
Flotsam by David Wiesner
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey

And because we're meerkat crazy right now:
Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett
Meerkat's Safari by Claudia Graziano

I'm sure there will be more before the day arrives, so I'll keep you posted. But for now, it's back to grading.