Rachel Reads

Pet adoptions have increased dramatically since the beginning of quarantine. Whether your family has a new four-legged friend or not, you will all enjoy Pigeon’s impassioned pleas for a puppy of his own. Pigeon is confident he knows just what a puppy needs, including sunshine, watering once a month, and lots of games of tennis. Thankfully, for the well-being of puppies everywhere, Pigeon eventually comes to his senses (sort of), and decides a walrus would

Epossumondas

by Coleen Salley Epossumondas is an earnest little opossum who is always happy to help his mama and auntie. The problem is that sweet Epossumondas doesn’t have a lot of sense. His very best efforts lead to all sorts of goofy fiascos. Whether he is walking a loaf of bread home through the dirt on a piece of string or storing fresh butter under his hat on a hot summer day, Epossumondas never gives up, and you

Silliness

We are all feeling a lot of pressure and stress right now. Our fears about the pandemic and all the ways our daily lives have changed weigh heavy upon us. Reading together is a wonderful way to lift that burden a little bit and refocus on the blessings of the moment. Here are some very silly books to read and laugh about together! The Pigeon Wants be a better option.

a Puppy

by Mo Willems:

have to love him for it!

Arnie the Doughnut

by Laurie Keller

Arnie is a friendly and enthusiastic doughnut ready to explore the world. It comes as a terrible shock to him when he finds out doughnuts are created to be eaten by people, not to live full and meaningful lives. Arnie and Mr. Bing (the man who had planned on eating Arnie) work together to find a pleasant and happy way forward for both of them. Don’t be surprised if your children start asking you if they can have a doughnut for a pet after reading this hilarious story.

“Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!”

by Patricia Thomas

What would happen if every time you sneezed you had the power of a typhoon? What if your sneeze was so forceful it could blow the feathers off of birds and the scales off of fish? Can you imagine trying to hold in such a sneeze? Poor Elephant has this very problem. He doesn’t want to scare his friends, but he sure needs to sneeze. A brave little mouse takes on the challenge of scaring Elephant to make him forget to sneeze. The question is, will it work?

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

by Simms Taback

In this traditional tale, a wacky old lady eats a fly and promptly regrets her decision. To counteract her poor choice, she swallows a spider to eat the fly, but then that doesn’t seem like a good idea either and so she swallows a bird to eat the spider. I wish I could tell you the madness stops there, but the old lady keeps making more and more questionable decisions. Caldecott Award-winning cut-out illustrations allow you to see all the animals piling up in the old lady’s tummy and add to the fantastic silliness.

Do your children refuse to pick up their toys, eat their dinner, or go to bed on time? What you need is the wisdom of the extremely insightful and kind Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Mrs. PiggleWiggle gets kids in a way no other adult every has. Each chapter tells how her amusing advice helps parents change their children’s ways through natural consequences. Be prepared for roller skating at three in the morning, extremely rude parrots, fresh crisp radishes, and lots of giggles.