What my kids have read (with the most recent on top).  Books available in both Arabic and English are followed by ~(Jerboa Books)~

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Wolf’s Coming by Joe Kulka [written when my kids were 25 months old]

First of all, I love all books that rhyme, so this one kind of had me at ‘hello’, if you know what I mean.  But seriously, this is one of the cutest books I’ve read in a while (and trust me, after a zillion children’s lit classes during both undergrad and grad school, I’ve read a LOT).  The story follows all the animals as they seemingly run away from the wolf and try to hide.   *SPOILER ALERT*  At the end, though, it turns out they’re really planning a surprise party for him, and everyone is hiding so they can yell ‘Surprise!’ at the end.

One note, for those who don’t celebrate birthdays, it’s actually the wolf’s birthday, but mention of this is only made on the last page.  If you wanted to, this page can easily be skipped.

First 100 Animals ~(Jerboa Books)~ [written when my kids were 25 months old]

We have about 2,308,921 board books.  Give or take.  What I love about this one is that my kids never get sick of it (big plus!).  I also think it’s kind of cool that they’re learning the different between a macaw and a parrot, a gorilla and a chimpanzee…you get the idea, right?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak [written when my kids were 28 months old]

In an effort to expose my kids to more classics we pulled this one out.  It’s a big hit, more so with my son than my daughter (no reason why).  The text is short and concise and the pictures are engaging.  On a side note, I’ve taught my kids the difference between a full moon, new moon, and a half moon, so this is something they like to pick out while we read.  Two thumbs up!