The Book With No Pictures

If you are a fan of witty, humorous and clever books, please take note of this one! I'll file it under "awesome" in my list of children's books and so will my 5 year old daughter, Molly. It belongs in the ranks with The Day The Crayons Quit or Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus; it's that good!  Clever and appeals to both adult and child humor, The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak is a New York Times Best Seller for a reason. 

In The Book With No Pictures, there are no pictures. That should be fairly obvious but just in case you needed clarification, there really are no pictures.  This might seem strange for a children's book.  But the rules are simple: the person reading the book has to say exactly what the words say.  And boy, are the words, sentences, and songs funny! Molly had a strange and curious look on her face when I began it and then went to full giggle and belly laugh within pages. (She was practically on the floor when I read the word: BUTT. Why is "butt" funny to a 5 year old? It's good clean fun though!) 

Author B.J. Novak is a writer but is best known for his work on "The Office" as actor, writer, director and executive producer. He's also known for stand up comedy performances and other film work. A graduate of Harvard University, B.J. Novak is clearly a talented man!  Bravo, B.J.! We love this one. 

Please excuse the lack of photos in this post. The books has no pictures to share! 

This book makes an excellent addition to your library and a great gift book, too! You can support a local, children's bookstore, The Storybook Shoppe in Bluffton, South Carolina, by buying this book right here on the blog. Just check out with Paypal below and we will ship it to your door!  As a thank you for supporting our store, we will take 10% OFF the list price. 

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Santa from Cincinnati

Sure, there are plenty of books about Santa Claus delivering presents and making Christmas happen.  But how many books can you list that are the subject of Santa's childhood? How he grew up? What his parents were like? How he met Mrs. Claus and how he founded his toy shop?  Such is the wonderful tale of Santa from Cincinnati, by Judi Barrett and Kevin Hawkes. (Note: Judi Barrett is the author of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!) This one came recommended to our family by Miss Nancy at The Storybook Shoppe, and it's an INSTANT holiday favorite. It's incredibly clever, thought provoking for little ones, and beautifully illustrated and captivating! 

You see, Baby Boy Claus was born in Cincinnati General Hospital at 12:02 AM on December 25. Just like any other baby in Ohio, really. 

Claus had a penchant for reindeer, carrying toys in sacks, and helping his father in his toy shop.  

His parents kept him normal by staying interested in a variety of other activities... They made sure he got his diploma, went to his senior prom, played in a rock band and participated in sports. 

Through the years as he made more and more toys, and received more and more lists, Claus came to be the beloved Santa Claus that we all know of. He fell in love and married Mrs. Claus in college, and hired a real estate agent to find him the perfect workshop. (Just imagining Santa Claus hiring a real estate agent made me laugh!) 

And who can resist this modern spin: GPS keeps Santa from getting lost! 

This is a WONDERFUL book for children. My daughter absolutely delighted in it! I highly recommend it. You can buy it right here, on our blog, by checking out below using Paypal. We will ship it to your door within days. As a thank you, we will take 10% OFF the list price! 

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How do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?

It's so exciting to see The Storybook Shoppe all decorated for the holidays! The front table in the store is set with dozens of books for Christmas, Chanukah, and winter and it's such a delight for children to see. There's a beautiful tree decorated with ornaments, too. It's so festive!

For years I have always been impressed with the selection of holiday books at the store. Miss Nancy and her staff have a large selection of books for Chanukah which is so special for children of the Jewish faith. Today I am sharing a favorite Chanukah themed one, How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague. 

We just love how this book incorporates so many dinosaurs and so many Jewish traditions in a children friendly way. From singing prayers, taking turns with the dreidel, eating up latkes, and giving grandparents kisses, this book shows children how to behave and observe traditions. The monstrous dinosaurs manage to be cute, too! (We love him asleep the most. He almost looks cuddly!)  I love how the book also takes the angle of what "not to do" on the holiday.  Case in point here: 

You can buy this beautiful picture book right here on our blog! Just check out using Paypal below. The book will be shipped to you in plenty of time for Chanukah! Thank you for supporting Bluffton's independent children's bookstore! 

Oliva helps with Christmas

Part of what makes the holidays special are all the traditions. One of The O'Regan family traditions is to bring out all our children's Christmas books around Thanksgiving.  We have dozens of wonderful books recommended to us by The Storybook Shoppe that are perfect for celebrating the season.  Olivia helps with Christmas, by Ian Falconer, is one of our absolute favorites and comes highly recommended by our entire family and the staff at The Storybook Shoppe. Miss Bonnie and I also showcased it on WHHI TV's Holiday Shopping Showcase this week as one of the great gifts for the holidays! (Make sure you follow our Facebook page and stay tuned for updates on our airing.)  This one is just plain FUN and FESTIVE. 

Olivia is her usual precocious, curious, and unique self. Wanting to be helpful to her mother, she feeds her brother breakfast, help with the Christmas tree lights and decorates the tree and table. 

She waits mostly patiently for Santa by the window, updating everyone on the weather frequently, and doesn't allow her father to make a fire. (It might cook Santa, after all!) Like so many families, the little piggies barely finish their breakfast before ripping into their packages and stockings. They are appreciative and enthusiastic about their gifts (although some more than others.) 

Olivia goes on an adventure with one of her new gifts and in the end, it's all just so entertaining and fun. There's nothing overly complicated, no underlying message or teaching moment, it's just an enjoyable book for your little ones to read or listen to.

You can buy this book right here and right now on our blog and support The Storybook Shoppe, Bluffton South Carolina's only independent children's bookstore! We do appreciate your support and as a thank you, take 10% OFF the price! It will arrive at your door within 5-7 business days (plenty of time to enjoy for the holidays!)

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Bunny Cakes

In keeping with our event this week at The Storybook Shoppe, I wanted to share another Rosemary Wells favorite of ours in The O'Regan household.  Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells features the popular rabbit characters, Max & Ruby, in a hilarious baking adventure.  Max is up to his usual mischief and Ruby is up to her usual older sister role!  This time they are in the kitchen together. 

As the duo sets out to make Grandma a cake for her birthday, they find they have very different ideas of how to bake the cake.  They also need ingredients! Max is convinced and determined he needs marshmallow squirters to make the perfect cake for Grandma.  Ruby, the bossy but patient older sister, sends Max to the store over and over again with a list of sensible ingredients to get from the grocer. Strong willed Max finds a way to communicate (even through his illegible "handwriting") that he needs his favorite candy! Will Grandma's cake be filled with marshmallow squirters? Will there be two cakes? 

Of course, Grandma loves that her grand rabbits have put the time and effort into making the perfect cake. We just love this funny adventure and the spirit of these characters! 

If you love this series and book like we do, we found this really cool activity packet that teaches colors, shapes, and more using these adorable characters! Click here to learn more! 

You can buy Bunny Cakes right here on our blog, just check out with PayPal below. Or be sure to check out Rosemary Wells' latest book, Max and Ruby at The Warthogs' Wedding.  Rosemary Wells will be at the store on Friday, November 14 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm.  You can have your purchased book signed by her! We hope to see you there! 

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Max & Ruby at the Warthogs' Wedding

We have big news! HUGE!  The creator of the popular series, Max and Ruby, Rosemary Wells is COMING TO THE STORYBOOK SHOPPE!  We couldn't be more excited and more thrilled to host this accomplish author at our little store in Bluffton, South Carolina.  Today,  I am here to share with you all the details of her latest book, Max and Ruby at the Warhogs' Wedding.  The beautiful book is current, modern, fresh and has everything you love about the adorable characters, Max and Ruby. 

Once again, Max is up to his usual mischief with his gob smackers! He refuses to get dressed in his wedding attire and it's up to Ruby to dress him.  Then it's up to Max and Ruby to find the Chapel with Grandma's bunny phone (a fold out, lift-a-flap part of the book very reminiscent of an iPhone!)  They even have to follow a GPS-like map! But what will happen when the Warhogs' wedding ring gets lost? They'll chase it through the laundry, on the awning of the Ritz hotel, in the West Tower, the Conservatory, into the ballroom and the chapel! Will Max get to see the wedding? 

This story is an instant classic and I love how "current" the book is with technology references. I think Rosemary Wells is one of the first to adopt such technology effortlessly into the book. It doesn't seem forced, but a natural integration into her book. My daughter, Molly, one of the biggest Max and Ruby fans there is, gave this book a huge "thumbs up." 

I'd also like to note that the illustrations in this book are simply beautiful and depict the characters we have come to know and love so well.  Joyful Louise and Ruby whose friendship is one I just adore, is evident just by the way they are drawn.  The paper on which the book is printed is heavy weight cardstock and it just feels good as you turn the pages. It's such a keepsake book and a true treasure!  

We are so thrilled that this accomplished author will be joining us at The Storybook Shoppe on Friday, November 14th from 3:00 - 4:30 pm and can hardly believe how lucky we are to have her!  She will be signing purchased copies of this latest book, Max and Ruby at the Warthog Wedding and other Rosemary Wells books that we will have available for sale. Don't miss this event! 

If you aren't able to make this event, purchase your copy below and check out with Paypal. We will ship the book directly to your door! As a thank you for your support, we will take 10% OFF the list price. 

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We're Off to Find the Witch's House

This time of year is so exciting for little ones! With all the candy, costumes and Fall festivities, children get their fair share of ghosts, witches, skeletons and goblins in October.  For some children, this can be a little frightening! Which is why we fell in love with We're Off to Find the Witch's House by Mr. Krieb and illustrated by R.W. Alley. It's a fun, cartoon illustrated book for little ones who want to take part in the "scary" Halloween fun but not be terrified! It's not threatening but captures the "frightful" aspects of Halloween perfectly. 

This adorable book was recommended to my family by Miss Wendy at The Storybook Shoppe. My 5-year old daughter, Molly, recognized 4 pages into this book that it's a parody of the wonderful book, We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Filled with lots of alliteration and rhyming, the book is fun and sing-songy when read out loud. We loved the adorable little characters and all of the creatures they meet as they go on search for a witch! 

Halloween books are so much fun to stock in your children's personal library. Inexpensive paperbacks like these will treat your children all month long to all the Halloween cute and scary fun! Bring them out year after year and bring back all the memories of the season!

You can buy the book here, right now on our blog by checking out with PayPal below. As a thank you for supporting The Storybook Shoppe, we'll give you 10% OFF! Happy Halloween!

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Skeleton Hiccups

Halloween is fast approaching, can you believe it? The Storybook Shoppe has all kinds of festive Halloween books prominently displayed on the front table and last week when I was in, I picked up a few good ones. Seasonal books are so much fun to read each year.  Each holiday we buy just a few new ones for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter. When the holiday is over, we put them away and bring them out next year. It keeps them very "fresh" and "new." (And that way you aren't reading Halloween books all year long!) 

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by S.D. Schindler is the perfect Halloween story for little ones. My daughter, Molly, is just learning to read and it's short text is easy for her. I love watching her sound out each letter to make the word. She's getting very good! Short lines like these are just at her reading level.

With illustrations of pumpkins, "RIP" signs, ghosts, spiders and skeletons, this book has all the iconic Halloween goodies in it that children have come to expect.  The illustrations are vibrant, comically spooky but not scary. As for the writing, it's a funny story about how to cure a skeleton who has the hiccups. Children will love how this skeleton ultimately rids himself of hiccups and you will, too. (Boo! It involves a mirror!) 

Do you add seasonal books to your children's library each holiday? If you don't, start the tradition now. Trust me, it's SO much fun. You can buy this book right here on our blog and receive 10% OFF. Check out below using PayPal and we will ship it directly to your door.  Thank you for supporting our local bookstore! 

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Digger Dog

Oh, is this one a treat! Digger Dog by William Bee, illustrated by Cecilia Johansson, was recommended to my family by Miss Bonnie at The Storybook Shoppe.  My two year old son, Connor, cannot get enough of it. Every night he asks for "Digger Dog" and for "more Digger Dog!" It's simple, rhythmic, and interactive - it's absolutely perfect for his age. 

In this short picture book perfect for little ones who adore diggers, a dog goes in search of a bone. But the ground is always too hard and too deep - so he needs a bigger and stronger digger.  When he gets the biggest digger in the whole world, he finds the biggest bone in the whole world. Or is it? 

SPOILER ALERT! The last page folds out to unveil a very large dinosaur (fossil) hidden beneath what digger dog believes to be the biggest bone in the whole world. It's Connor's favorite part! He screams: "eeekk! Dinosaur!" We just love the pages that fold out. 

The illustrations are perfect for the text in this book. Digger Dog is so animated!  Children will love how predictable each page is, too. The concept is easy to understand and communicated very well. It really goes down in history as one of our favorites! 

You can order this book right here on our blog! Just check out using PayPal below. We will ship it to your door within a few days. As a thank you for supporting our local, independent bookstore, we'll take 10% OFF the cover price. 

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If Kids Ruled The World

Here's an opportunity for children everywhere to live in fantasy land!  Let your children dive into this book. Let them dive in a world where everyday is their birthday, cake is healthy, there's no bedtime, no monsters, they can wear whatever they want, travel in a pirate ship, even travel to space!  If kids ruled the world, they could have a bear for a pet. Everyone could be a princess, they would always find treasure, and always have recess at school. If kids ruled the world, they'd always be able to play.  What young child wouldn't love dreaming of ruling the world and all the possibilities beyond this book? 

Miss Bonnie at The Storybook Shoppe recently recommended this one to us and we fell in love! My 5-year-old daughter, Molly, really got a kick out of seeing all the things that were possible if kids ruled the world. We opened a discussion (as all good books help you do) about what would happen if there were no parents. What if kids really ruled the world. Would the world be a good place?  We even discussed what "responsibility" meant. 

I highly recommend this wonderful book by Linda Bailey and whimsical, fantasty-like illustrations by David Huyck, to anyone. You can buy it now, right here on our blog, for 10% OFF. Just check out using the PayPal button below and we will ship it directly to your door. 

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Gaston

Miss Bonnie at The Storybook Shoppe introduced us to the most wonderful tale, Gaston, by Kelly Dipucchio and Christian Robinson. A poodle and bulldog puppy both learn what it means to be part of a family -- no matter what you look like or how you act.  The O'Regan's fell in love with the beautiful illustrations, the simple message and the charming tale about finding your place. 

You see, Gaston was a bit different than his family.  His sisters and brothers ate politely and quietly yapped. But not Gaston. He had trouble doing what he was told. He had trouble because he was different! 

One day at the park, Gaston and his family had a chance meeting with another dog family. Like Gaston's family, they had a dog that didn't quite fit either.  Antoinette was a poodle and a bit out of place, too.  Should they switch?

It may look right.  It may seem like the right thing to do. But did it feel right? They switched families and gave it a shot. 

In this adorable tale, children learn that family is all about whom you grow up with.  It's not about what you look like or even how you act.  It occurred to me that this might be a wonderful book for adopted children! Of course, there's a charming ending to the book, too. Gaston and Antoinette fall in love and have puppies of their own. We just love that they "taught them to be whatever they wanted to be." 

This book is truly a fabulous addition to any home library - each page is a piece of artwork. My 5 year-old daughter, Molly, loved the characters and wanted to read it again and again.  You can buy it here on our blog -- without even leaving your home! As a thank you for supporting The Storybook Shoppe (our local independently owned children's bookstore) we will take 10% OFF the list price.  Just check out below! 

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