bind it up

So in our house, we are big book fans - in fact, our floors look like a library upchucked half it's contents creating a minefield of picture and board books. Although we have an exorbitant amount of books, we're always on the look out for something new and exciting to feast our eyes and ears on. We decided to be adventurous and take the kids to the library in hopes of introducing the world of rent-a-books to the kids. Cayden absolutely LOVES to be read to and Kaylee just likes to carry books around like a caveman dragging its prey. We're trying to continue fostering the love of reading with both our kids (although it's much simpler with Cayden than Kaylee). On the walk to the library, Cayden was noticing every, literally, EVERY SINGLE ANT. When we got to the library, there was a big, fat "Killer Ants" book on display. I snatched that puppy up in a heartbeat ; ) Unsurprisingly, it's been the least favorite book of the bunch. So what all was our take? Let me share ; )

1. I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd
This is a super cute book and is GREAT for the (non)insect lover ; ) The rhyme scheme and fun descriptive words make it a joy to read. The illustrations go along with the playfulness of the story. The end of the story involves a spider and running away squealing - I make my hands like a spider and attack Cayden and, as you'd expect, he runs away laughing and squealing ; ) "I Love Bugs" is super great for real world interaction - whether you become the spider or decide to go look for bugs afterwards!






2. The Zoo I Drew by Todd H. Doodler
With mod, playful pictures and adorable rhymes, Doodler creates an enjoyable animal journey through the ABCs that can be enjoyed over and over and over again.










3. Killer Ants by Nicholas Nirgiotis
The aformentioned ant book. If you are curious about the anatomy of the ant, you've gotta check this out. This book is FILLED with some crazy facts about ants and, although Cayden's not a huge fan, Adam and I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it and checking out all the illustrations (which are FANTASTIC).








4. Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes... Naturally by Betsy Franco
Illustrated by one of my FAVORITES, Steve Jenkins, Franco (a mathematician) weaves a story taking you through nature finding honeycombs, moth wings, and other cool patterns and shapes. This is an excellent tool to introduce the concepts of complex patterns and shapes.








If you get the time, I highly recommend checking out any (or all) of these books ; ) The best thing about books is you can simply read for enjoyment or use them as an aid at home or in the classroom!