I am a Big Brother

I bought this book for Sarath just to get him comfortable about talking about the baby and the fact that he is going to be a big brother. This is a very nice book. Sarath loves it. He has memorized the entire book and reads it aloud himself.

The good part about the book is that they do not mention if the baby is a boy or a girl. The book focuses on the big brother playing with the baby. It also talks about all the things that babies cannot do like not able to eat pizza or apples or ice cream or play outside but, the big brother can do all those things. That makes the elder sibling very happy and proud. The one thing I specifically liked is the part where the baby cries and the big brother knows that it is crying for a reason. We are constantly telling Sarath to stop whining and crying and use his words if he wants something. So, now Sarath understands the fact that the baby will cry because he/she cannot talk.

It is a wonderful book and is very apt for ages 2-4. I also like the size of the book. It is just right for the little minds and best for bedtime (although we end up reading the book twice or thrice every night).

The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock

By Jim Aylesworth.

A very nice book. It is the extended version of the age old nursery rhyme. As the clock strikes from one to twelve, the mouse does a lot more than just running down. The mouse has a name Kevin (which we find out later in the story), rolls on the floor, shows off to a girl, gets chased by a cat and loves to eat pie. The story is about what a mouse does all day and ends with his mama reading him a book and when the clock strikes twelve, the mouse is finally asleep.

It rhymes beautifully and the simple words catch the attention of kids. It helps kids learn numbers and simple words. It also helps in teaching the kids to tell time. Sarath loves it so much that he has memorized all the verses. He turns each page and starts saying the verses as if he is reading from the book. He never gets bored of reading this book and is always sad to return it in the library.

The illustrations by Eileen Christelow are very bright and colorful. The colors look like water colors and the entire book is very lively. I totally recommend this book all the parents with little kids who love reading.

My Mother’s Sari by Sandhya Rao

I came to know about this book from another blog. I am so glad I found this book in our local library. It is a very nice book about all the different things kids like to do with their mothers saree. Using it as a hammock to sleep, as a rope to climb or to even wipe their nose. We all did that didn’t we? I love the illustrations. The entire book is very colorful. I was very happy while reading as I recollected all the times I used to wipe my face with my moms or even my grand mother’s cotton sarees.

On the cover, they also give illustrations of how to wear a saree. Very neat and easy to understand. My son looks at those pictures and says “akka cheera kattukuntondi (akka is wearing a saree)”. I wish the book hadn’t ended so soon. There could have been more illustrations and more text too. But, I also should say that it is perfect for Sarath. He loves that book. When ever I take out this book at bed time, his face lights up.

This book is available at Amazon.com. A must read for kids of any age. I am sure even the youngest readers will love the book for its vibrant colors.