Oliver – Birgitta Sif

 Oliver is a young boy who loves playing with his friends who happen to be puppets, stuffed animals and toys.  He realizes he is a little different than the other kids, and he is comfortable with that reality.  He delights in imaginative play and is always involved in an adventure of some sort.  With time, he wonders if a human friend might be someone who would be fun to share adventures with as well.  A run away tennis ball sets the stage for an opportunity to meet Olivia who is a little bit different herself and a perfect friend for Oliver.

The Day the Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt

The Day the Crayons Quit is laugh out loud funny for children and adults.  We LOVE this book!  The book consists of letters from each of Duncan’s crayons explaining why each one of them feels a strike is necessary.  Coupled with each letter is a picture which depicts how Duncan uses that particular color and provides support for the crayon’s argument.  This books is clever and engaging.  It has become a beloved favorite at our house.

The World According to Humphrey – Betty G. Birney

The World According to Humphrey is the first book in a series which has quickly become a favorite at our home.  Humphrey is a hamster who is a class pet and serves as the narrator of the story.  He shares the happenings of the classroom as well as his weekend adventures when he gets to go home with students from the class.  Humphrey’s positive impact when he visits the homes of students provides some interesting twists and hearing the details from Humphrey’s point of view is very enjoyable.  This is an awesome chapter book series!

Dream Friends – You Byun

Dream Friends is a beautiful story that shares the tale of a little girl who has a wonderful friend that shares in all the fun while she dreams.  Melody wishes her dream friend would exist during the day time hours since she has not made any friends yet at school.  She does her best to coax her dream friend out of her dreams to no avail, but with time Melody’s hopes for friendship blossom beyond her expectations.

The Story of Fish and Snail – Deborah Freedman

The cover of this book caught my attention during a recent visit to the library.   It did not disappoint!  The Story of Fish and Snail is delightful.  When snail wants to stick close to home and play kittens, fish declares that type of play boring.  He wants to play pirates which would require that they actually move to a new book.  Little snail is very concerned about venturing beyond what he knows and resists taking risks.  In the end, the friendship that Fish and Snail share proves to be all powerful.

Toys in Space – Mini Grey

When we finished reading Toys in Space my daughter remarked that she wanted to read it again.  I saw that as quite an endorsement from a six year old!  We both enjoyed this one.  One night a small group of dolls are left outside at the end of the day.  As day turns into night the dolls are struck by the beauty of the stars, but then one star seems a bit brighter than the rest.  Soon the dolls are beamed into outer space where they meet a lonely alien who has lost Cuddles – his extra special doll.  Ultimately, the dolls have the right stuff to help the alien find his cuddle buddy and are able to return back to Earth.