Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct

A few weeks ago, I picked up a kids' book by a guy named Mo Willems. I'd seen his pigeon books but had never checked them out. The book that caught my eye was Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, because at our zoo in one of the indoor exhibits, there is a thriving, writhing (slightly disturbing, if I'm honest) community of naked mole rats, and I thought the kids would enjoy a story about them. The conflict in the story is provided by a particular mole rat who enjoys getting dressed, and the other mole rats WILL NOT HAVE IT. Because, well, they are eponymously Naked. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Willems' wit and simple drawings, so we, on the advice of Mrs. B (I actually have two Mrs. B's--this is Mrs. MB, or CB, if we are being traditional)we checked out the Knuffle Bunny trilogy, which is about a little girl and her stuffed bunny. The third one has a little epilogue which made ME cry, but I think we've established that this happens with disturbing regularity, and that most adults will manage tear-free. We have enjoyed the pigeon books too, and then on our last library jaunt we picked up Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, which is about Edwina, a dinosaur who lives in this town and bakes cookies and helps little ladies across the street and everyone loves her, until one day, this kid, Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie decides he is AFFRONTED by the fact that everyone in the town is so nonchalant about a Dinosaur who is SUPPOSED to be EXTINCT just baking the cookies and wearing hats and generally not acknowledging REALITY. It's clever and hysterical and the kids love it, but mostly, they are ENAMORED of the name Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie. Can't stop saying it, singing it, yelling it. Even Helena got in on it, yelling "HOOBIE DOOBIE!!" on the way home from Harper's gymnastics class today.

I really need to better organize our reading list and create some categories and a more accurate ranking system. We obviously trend heavily toward books about animals, but I think I can come up with some sub-categories. Examples:

1.Books About Little Girls and Their Beloved Stuffed Bunnies: Emma Bean by Jean Van Leuwen and the Knuffle Bunny trilogy.

2.Books About Dogs Who Run Away (humorous): Harry the Dirty Dog (Graham), Angus Lost! (Flack), The Great Gracie Chase (Rylant), The Stray Dog (Simont), Ivan the Terrier (Catalanotto).

3.Books About Animals Who Are Getting a New Sibling and Feel Some Ambivalence: What's in the Egg, Little Pip? (Wilson) A Baby Sister for Frances (Hoban), It's Quacking Time (Waddell)

4. How about Seemingly Simple Stories That Actually Introduce Big Ideas Like The Origin of Man and the Sanctity of All Life In a Way That is Winsome and Does Not Involve Placards? : Yellow and Pink (Steig), and Horton Hears a Who (Seuss)

5. Books About Bears and/or Rabbits Who Think They Want to Be Alone But Who Are Actually Made for Community: Bear Snores On (Wilson), A Visitor for Bear (Becker), Too Many Frogs! (Asher)

It's actually fun! I have a really good book that's basically an annotated bibliography of quality children's literature (Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt) that has really helped guide our reading choices. I rarely just grab books from the shelf anymore, though that is how I found Mo Willems, so I don't discount it entirely.

Harper is brand new today. She winced but was very brave when the nurse swabbed her throat for strep (negative!) at the doctor's office. We left with a hug and a diagnosis of "probable virus, no treatment necessary." This morning she woke up ravenous and has not complained of any more headaches. I took Winnie-the Pooh with us to read while we waited, and she is understanding and appreciating the humor in a new way. "Pooh Bear," she confided on the way home, "is not very smart. HE WAS the WOOZLE! And Piglet was the WIZZLE!" and today, she laughed uproariously over Owl's spelling of "Happy Birthday" on Eyeore's present from Pooh. She made me read the "HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY" part three different times. Fuzzy and cute, like Pooh.