GOOD NIGHT LITTLE SEA OTTER- Janet Halfmann

OK, I am going to subject myself to humiliation one more time. I am the book auntie. You know, the person who always makes sure that every child (and usually every adult too) has a new book in their pile of Christmas gifts. Here is one that will be in my pile for the youngest members of our family this year.

GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE SEA OTTER is a sweet, sweet, sweet going to bed story. Listen to the first page:

"As the setting sun kissed the kelp forest, Little Sea Otter snuggled on Mama's chest. Mama fluffed his fur until he looked like a brown powder puff. Then it was bedtime, but Little Sea Otter wasn't ready to sleep. "I forgot to say good night to the harbor seals," he said.

After Little Sea Otter says good night to the harbor seals, he must say good night to the sea lions. Then a seagull. Then all of the orange and yellow and purple and striped and spotted fish. And all of the creatures living in the ocean below. And finally to the most important one of all- Mama Sea Otter.

The ocean content of this book will promote some really interesting discussions with your youngest reading friends. The illustrations, with Mama and Little Sea Otter floating in a wavy ocean that start out light blue and gets a little darker with every page, are detailed and interesting. And the mood of the book has that "GOOD NIGHT MOON, the whole world is going to sleep and I am going to sleep too" kind of enchantment that little guys always love.

A perfect Christmas present for your youngest friends. This book would also make a great baby gift!

REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER

FABULOUS BLOG TOUR

There's a terrific blog tour going on this week. It's called SHARE A STORY, SHAPE A FUTURE. The calendar for the entire week is here. This morning, as part of the series, the READING ZONE has a post on READ-ALIKES. The READ ALIKE idea is exactly what we've been trying to do with the book stepladders, "If you liked …, you might also like…" Yesterday, I also especially enjoyed a piece on GIFTED READERS, and one on STRUGGLING READERS. Today, MaryLee's piece on USING NONFICTION IN READ ALOUD was terrific! Oh heck, actually they've all been terrific! Check out this fabulous series!!!!

HOW TO STEAL A DOG- BARBARA O' CONNER

Now here's a book I loved! Realistic fiction, kids who don't have perfect lives, and a dog to boot!

Georgina Hayes' dad has left. She lives with her mom and her brother in their car, while her mom is working two jobs, struggling to make enough money to lease an apartment. One day Georgina sees a poster advertising a $500 reward for a missing dog. The poster is old, and she figures that dog was probably found a long time ago, but she hatches an elaborate plot to steal another dog and collect the reward money, which she will then give to her mom so that the family can move into a new apartment. 

Her scheme, however, doesn't work out quite as well as she had hoped. Georgina thinks she will only have to take care of the dog for a day or so, but things don't work out that neatly. She ends up finding help in very unlikely places and learns some very big life truths in the process.

Sometimes, when a kid is struggling, they just need to know that they are not alone, that other people have been through the same things they are going through, and that, too, they will survive. This is definitely one of those books.