Lulu and the Brontosaurus By: Judith Viorst Illustrated by: Lane Smith

This is a tale of a girl who can throw one wicked tantrum whenever her parents attempt to tell her "no". Her parents always give into Lulu but when she asks for a Brontosaurus as a birthday present her parents just won't say yes.  This leaves Lulu no other choice but to head out into the forest on her own to find a pet Brontosaurus herself.  (Leaving her parents sipping tea, eating cookies quite relieved to have some quiet time.)  The fact that her parents forget about her cracks me up!  Most kids think they are always the center of our universes but when they go acting a fool it is good for them to find their own way sometimes!

Go on Lulu's journey with her and see if she can find her birthday present and if she can find herself a set of good manners.  This is a clever tale that will have your kids wanting you to read it from start to finish.  It is also a great book for young readers to read solo.  The author includes several endings letting you choose which you like best.  The pencil drawings of the animals and of Lulu are alive with movement and personality.


This book is a great way to show a child how very silly they look when they go bananas (and they all do at some point).  It is also a great way to mirror to a child the power of good and bad manners and how it can make a big difference on the outcome of any situation.

You will find a lot of humor and wit spread throughout the story much like any of Judith Viorst books.   Pick up this great read and if the kids love it there is sequel to check out: Lulu Walks the Dog.

 

Super-Completely And Totally The Messiest By: Judith Viorst

 

This great book really showcases how different two sisters can be.  Olivia the big sister in this book is very neat and organized while her younger sister Sophie is well, just plain MESSY!  Poor Sophie, not only is her sister constantly reminding her to be neat but her parents like to tell her too.  Even when Sophie tries to be careful it makes it worse. 


 This book has Judith Viorst great sense of humor sprinkled throughout.   Viorst really understands all the stages of life we all go through and she has a great way of making things that drive us crazy really funny!

Emy then (pudding time)

 My girls are a little like this too.  Isabela more on the neat side likes to have things lined up and to color in the lines "perfectly" while her younger sister Emma has to squeeze anything she holds just to check its durability out first.  Yes of course this ends up with a lot of things broken but how else can you test if it is indestructible?  Emma was one of those babies you fed sweet potatoes to and wondered how she ended up with it all over her entire face and how could she possibly reach her toe in her Boppy to get it down there too??  I laugh picturing Emma eating a Pb&j sandwich and the peanut butter mustache that follows it.

Emy now (Smore fun)

Read this to your little ones for a great laugh!  I'm sure we all have a little Sophie or Olivia in all of us.  They will be sure to find something to relate to!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day By: Judith Viorst Illustrated by: Ray Cruz

  

This awesome book is full of humor and tells the tale of a boy experiencing a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and thinking it might be better if he moves to Australia!  I love this book because it truly depicts how kids act when little things go wrong and how big they must seem to them!  The illustrations do an excellent job of displaying Alexanders emotions as he goes throughout his bad day. Your children will  love the character Alexander and will find many laughs in this book as he faces a whole day of bad luck. The picture to the right is Alexander displaying his disgust about having to wear his railroad-train pajamas that he hates!  Today my girls get to get their copy of the book signed by Judith Viorst because we are lucky enough to have her visiting our local library! 

" It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
My mom says some days are like that.  Even in Australia"

Me and my girls Emma & Isabela getting our copies of this book and Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest signed

The Author spoke to us and shared with us some of her poems today.  She is very witty and super funny!  Her books/poems are a true interpretation of marriage, kids, friendships and growing old and her use of humor makes it easy to laugh at everyday annoyances! Parents check out one of her books while you check out one of her children's books for your kid!

Here's to another great read!