My first three picks: Emma's favorites

What better way to kick off my picture book blog than to list three of Emma's current favorites. Sure, these are not books from my childhood, but experiencing them through the eyes of my own child is just as special (if not more so). And the thought that Emma might read these to her children someday makes me happy. So, with no further ado, here they are:

1. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes 
by Eric Litwin

This book was recommended to me by my mother's friend (a fellow literacy specialist) because its repetition is great for emerging readers and, well, it's just a lot of fun. Pete is one cool cat! He keeps stepping in things, turning his new white shoes different colors. But he doesn't let it bother him and he just keeps moving on. Our life is so fast and furious sometimes — I really appreciate Pete's calm, cool "it's all good" attitude. Emma had the song-like verses memorized after a few readings and she repeats them back to me all the time. I've got a great video of her saying the words that I'll post sometime soon (when I figure out how to get it off my phone, that is). You can hear the whole story read aloud on the Harper Collins Web site. There is a recently published sequel Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes. I can't wait to check it out, but I might hold off until this spring or summer to help get Emma excited about kindergarten.

2. Ladybug Girl 
by Jacky Davis and David Soman

A coworker friend of mine (who is also the mother of two girls, both a few years older than mine) recommended this to me. There's a whole series of these adventure books, in which everyday things are made extraordinary by a little girl named Lulu (otherwise know as Ladybug Girl). The author does a great job capturing the creativity and imagination of children. Emma's favorite in the series is actually Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, a playground adventure where the Bug Squad saves Lulu's dog from a scary monster (a squirrel) and protects everyone on the playground from a vicious snake (the twisty slide). These books are great for vocabulary too. "Boulder" and "infinity" are just two of the new words Emma learned from Ladybug Girl. She was so into these books over the summer that she even chose to have a Bug Squad-themed birthday party. Fun!

3. Llama Llama Red Pajama 
by Anna Dewdney

I heard a mom friend of mine talking about this book and decided to check it out for myself. Oh, what a pleasure to read! All of them — there's a whole series. The rhymes are infectious and just roll right off the tongue. I'm sure they're equally fun to listen to — I know Emma certainly enjoys them. The best part, though, is how relevant and easy to relate to these stories are. Little Llama is scared and won't go to sleep. So, Mama Llama explains that grown-ups have things to do. And there's no need to be scared, she'll always be there for Little Llama. Little Llama has to go shopping with Mama Llama and has a meltdown in the store ("llama drama"). Mama Llama, in turn, invites him to be her "helper" and rewards him with an ice cream cone at the end of the day. I mean, really? This is my life! Anyway, Emma and I love the whole series and each one offers a new and important teaching and/or conversation opportunity. You can't ask for much more than that.