Whew!!! This summer is flying by. I hope everyone is having a blast with their kiddos at home. The days are starting to get even hotter, can't believe it's possible, which means lots more pool time at our house.
At the end of this month Monkey will be celebrating turning 8 years old and then in September Pinky will celebrate turning 6. Where did the time go? Momma is just not into this 'growing like a weed' business.
I have been wanting to come up with a tradition for our family that would show celebration on our kids birthday's that didn't involve gifts, sugar or food(we will continue to do these). I wanted something special just for that one day. Something that was different from the norm.
Books + Reading = Time Together Outside Of Birthday Chaos.
Here is a list of books that I found that focus on birthdays. I linked them to Amazon.com so that if you wanted to purchase any of them (and not go the library route) you would have easy access to them.
Enjoy!
1.
Big Birthday - by Kate Hosford
Annabelle was tired of birthdays at the zoo. She yawned at the monkeys and the baby kangaroo. My birthday is soon. It's practically here. I think I'll have my party on the moon this year. Annabelle is determined to have a birthday party that stands out from the rest. The moon seems like the perfect spot! But wearing spacesuits and partying in a place with no air create some challenges that Annabelle didn't expect. Will her out-of-this-world birthday still be a blast?
2. The Best Birthday Party Ever - by Jennifer LaRue Huget
So what if the Big Day's not exactly around the corner? This little girl is planning her party now. She has to, if she wants to have the best birthday party ever. She'll have the tallest birthday cake in the world, plus camels, elephants, a ferris wheel (of course), and a castle . . . with a moat. Kids will laugh out loud at the girl's wild plans, and love the oh-so-sweet ending, which involves a modest but fun party. Jennifer LaRue Huget and LeUyen Pham brilliantly capture what it feels like to be the Birthday Girl—a feeling many children will relate to.
3. Birthday Bugs by David A. Carter
It's time to celebrate with the Birthday bugs -- and there's a different one popping out of each of the bright birthday presents that you'll find inside. Plus there's a removable, wearable party hat so you can be a Party bug too!
4. Happy Birthday, Bunny by Liz Garton Scanlon
What are these and what are those?
Fancy shoes and party clothes!
Bunny’s big day has arrived, and her family and their forest friends are ready to celebrate in style. There’s hugging and kissing, singing and dancing, and, of course, cake and presents! In this sweet picture book that’s just perfect for reading aloud, Liz Garton Scanlon commemorates that most cherished of childhood events—a little one’s birthday.
5. A Piece of Cake by LeUyen Pham
Reminiscent of the best of Peter Brown with the charming retro feel of classic Golden Books, A Piece of Cake is a delightful story about generosity, creativity, and improvisation from bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham.
Mouse has baked a special treat for Little Bird's birthday! But delivering it to his friend isn't easy—not when everyone he meets along the way offers to trade something for a piece of cake. . . . In A Piece of Cake, LeUyen Pham puts a unique spin on a classic tale. Kids will love the unexpected and hilarious turn the story takes. Its strong picture support; story elements, including setting, character, and plot development; and identification of a problem and solution make this a strong Common Core title.
Supports the Common Core State Standards
It is Tim's birthday. Instead of a package, Tim gets a mysterious letter -- written in code! Tim -- and the reader -- are off, following the clues. And at the end of the treasure hunt is a wonderful birthday surprise!
Everyone has a birthday, and from riotous birthday parties to the excitement of being one year older, having a birthday is the highlight of a young child's year.
All little dinosaurs love to get presents, and this new board book will be an immediate favorite. From birthday hats to Ceratosaurus-sized cakes, America's young readers will laugh out loud as the celebration moves from "bad" birthday behavior to just the right amount of silliness and sharing. Bestselling duo Jane Yolen and Mark Teague have created the perfect introduction to birthday parties, with the same beloved humor and warmth of all their previous bestselling "How Do Dinosaurs" books.
Here's a wonderful way to say "Happy Birthday!" to any dinosaur...young or old!
In Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse, Nellie Sue does everything with a western flair. Whether it is cleaning up the animal sty (picking up her stuffed animals) or rounding up cattle (getting the neighborhood kids together for her birthday party), she does it like a true cowgirl. All she really needs is a horse. So when Dad announces at her birthday party, “I got a horse right here for you,” Nellie Sue is excited. But when her horse turns out to be her first bicycle, it will take an imagination as big as Texas to help save the day.
Happy birthday, Carl! But can Mom surprise him? No way. As hard as Mom tries, Madeleine and her canine babysitter extraordinaire are hot on her trail, tasting the party punch, peeking at presents, and adding some of their own favorite decorations.
Join the Ingalls family as they celebrate little Laura’s fifth birthday in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. There are special presents from everyone, and that night Laura falls asleep to the merry music of Pa’s fiddle. Renée Graef’s enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams’s classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in our tenth My First Little House Book, adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved storybooks. It’s a Little House birthday to remember!
To celebrate the birthday of her beloved great aunt (or tia), young Cecilia gathers together a basket full of cherished memories.
When the man with the yellow hat tells George that he is planning a surprise, of course George is curious. Before long George finds a hat, noisemakers, decorations, and games. It must be a birthday! But whose birthday is it? That’s the surprise!
This paperback edition now includes a maze and a birthday vocabulary seek-and-find.
It’s Mother’s birthday, and Olivia is planning something super special—a surprise dinner! What’s on the menu? All red food, of course!
In the fifth book, Scaredy Squirrel plans his own birthday and surprise!... things get very crowded. Scaredy Squirrel is planning his own birthday party for one ? but despite his detailed plans, things get out of control when the party animals arrive. He's back! Scaredy Squirrel, the loveable worrywart, returns for another nutty adventure. Scaredy never plans big birthday parties. He'd rather celebrate alone quietly in the safety of his nut tree and avoid those pesky party animals (ants, clownfish, ponies and Bigfoot). When all his excessive plans are thrown up in the air like confetti, will Scaredy play dead and cancel? Or will he face the music?
"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" Since 1959,Happy Birthday to You!—Dr. Seuss’s joyous ode to individuality—has allowed readers to experience firsthand the thrill of celebrating a birthday as it is done in Katroo. Awakened by the Birthday Bird, you (the reader) are swept out of town on a Smorgasbord’s back to begin a day and night of feasting and feting in such Seussian splendor that it will take 20 days to sweep up the mess!
