The Virtual Book Club for Kids's author in the month of August was Kevin Henkes, and we spent many hours indulging in his artistic, literary world. In fact, we read so many Henkes' books that my children thought that almost every story in the world had been written by Kevin Henkes! I decided to feature Kitten's First Full Moon because of its versatility and because the book has accompanied us since Dominik was one year old. Our activities involved playing 'Kitten Says,' making a 3D cotton kitten, and creating a lunar diagram, which we will showcase in the next post.   

After taking a month-long break, Smile Play Learn is back with one of my favorite activities: the Virtual Book Club for Kids initiated by Toddler Approved. So many things have happened during our absence from the bloggosphere (I love this word :). First, the Virtual Book Club will continue beyond this summer (yay)! Second, the book club has its own Facebook page. Make sure to visit and like it: it features endless ideas for book-related activities. In July, we explored the creative world of Don & Audrey Wood. 

Last week we celebrated Eric Carle's birthday. Eric Carle is an icon in the world of children's literature. His highly distinctive illustrations and captivating stories make him one of the most well-regarded, praised, and popular authors of all times. Born June 25, 1929, Carle has written and/or illustrated 23 literary treasures that children never get tired of. To celebrate the enchanting world of Eric Carle, we created a brand new beach house for hermit crab, threw an Eric Carle pajama party, and - of course - read a number of Eric Carle books. We also linked up with other bloggers who shared in the fun.

I love hearing "can we read it again?" from my sons. To my absolute delight, it almost always happens when we delve into books by Mo Willems. The books are not only unequivocally humorous but also educational. Willems writes, in simple, digestible and very child-friendly manner, about human nature, and skillfully illustrates expressions of joy, happiness, sadness, frustration, anger and guilt. As as a result, Willems' books help young children identify and understand people's feelings, emotions, and desires. 

One of my (and Mark's) greatest accomplishments as parents is instilling in our children the joy and importance of reading. We read every single day, without any exceptions, in print and online, and these are usually some of the most pleasant moments of the day. What is truly wonderful is that the boys are active readers, literally and figuratively. They may not always sit still but they eagerly ask questions and comment on the content of the books we read. And they tend to request "just one more story," even if they are very tired at bedtime. 

Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the Next Generation by Ann Droyd really cracked me and my older son Dominik up. This modern children's book is described as "a witty parody picture book for the gadget-crazy kid in all of us." And it really is funny!