Read Aloud Thursday

For this week’s Read Aloud Thursday, I’m pulling some favorites off of our own shelves.  Since late last fall, I’ve had a hard time working out a consistent time to go to the library.  I had big plans to go at the end of last week, but then I got sick.  Steady Eddie volunteered to take back our stack, and he let the girls pick out a handful of books.  Their choices?  Lots of Berenstain Bears and some Christmas books.  🙂  While I have nothing against the Bears (in moderation, of course!) and you know that I love Christmas books, I just didn’t think either of those were exactly what I wanted to share on this third Read Aloud Thursday of January 2010.  However, this does give me the perfect opportunity to mention a few titles that I’ve wanted to highlight for a while.
I picked up Q Is for Duck:  An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom at some homeschooling conference last year, but it was only this week that I pulled it out to read in earnest to the girls.  It’s a fairly sophisticated concept, really, and I didn’t think they’d get it last year.  The concept behind the book is that it’s a series of twenty-six riddles, one for each letter of the alphabet.  The catch is that they’re quite . . . unexpected.  I’ll let you figure that out from the title.  Lulu, in particular, seemed to grasp the concept this time around, and it was a hit.  Jack Kent‘s illustrations are bright and graphic–almost Dr. Seuss-ish (without the weird looking animals).  This is a fun read-aloud with a different twist, for sure.  There’s probably some kind of lesson that could be pulled from it, too, but Read Aloud Thursday is all about enjoyment.  🙂

I’m really riding Janet‘s coattails with this next one.  Back in June, Janet featured A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock in a Read Aloud Thursday post, and I immediately filed that title away on my mental “keep an eye out for this title” list.  A few months later at a huge local children consignment sale, I hit the jackpot.  A Fly Went By was grouped with some other I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Books (you know, the ones with the Cat in the Hat up in the corner), and when I saw it I’m pretty sure I probably gasped.   (I always wonder when I purchase a group of say, five books for one dollar if the seller has any idea just how valuable the treasure is that she’s getting rid of.  I doubt it.)  This book is pure delight, in that “House That Jack Built” kind of way. Fritz Siebel‘s illustrations are retro-looking (the book was first published in 1958, which I suppose qualifies it to be a Vintage Find) and they show lots of movement, which is perfect for this breathtaking tale.  Read Janet’s wonderful summary and explication to get a feeling for the book , and then keep your eyes open–you never know when you might hit the jackpot!  🙂

Well, folks, that’s it for today.  Never fear–we have a brimming book basket once again, along with a directive from our children’s librarian to read at least fifty titles to build our penguin for this year’s winter reading program (we built a snowman last year), so I’ll have plenty more to share next week. 

What’s in your library basket this week, or what favorites have you pulled off the shelf?  Do share!

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Have a fantastic Read Aloud Thursday!