The Loch Mess Monster by Helen Lester

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Have you ever read the Tacky books? You know, that penguin who marches, 1-2-3-4-2-3-6-0-2 1/2-0? Tacky the Penguin was one of my favorite characters growing up as a child, and I knew the author, Helen Lester, often produced books that were illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Lester's words and Minsinger's pictures blend so well together, that I have rarely seen one without the other (and it is a bit jarring when you see one without the other!), and I like it that way.

Lester's newer book, The Loch Mess Monster, is about a little loch monster who is incredibly messy. His parents have rules about going above the water in the Loch Ness, which parents will find amusing knowing the story behind the original Scottish myth, and children will delight in the hilarious story about the sticky, jammy, messy monster. 

I own several of Lester's hilarious books, and for good reason. She has a way with words that create truth and humor about children without sounding the least bit patronizing. Listen, Buddy! is another family favorite that I have read at least 50 times, probably more. Catch up with this wonderful book and have your children heartily cracking up before bedtime, especially if you have a little messy monster yourself!

Grandma's Attic series by Arleta Richardson

*please note there are four books in the series, not just three!*

I first heard of Grandma's Attic by Jamie Martin of Steady Mom blog, years ago. I knew when I first put them on my amazon wishlist that they were too old for my kids at the time, but I wanted to keep them on there to remind my future self to not forget about them! 

Fast forward to this Fall, when One Stop Learning in Surrey, BC was going out of business, and I happened to be there at the right time. This education store was a great store, and I was sorry to see it go, but I did find some excellent materials, including games, kits, and plenty of literature. Not only did I find excellent material, including the four (only three shown above) Grandma's Attic chapter books, but everything in the store was 75% off because they were closing, and my purchase order number footed the bill! What a steal, indeed. 

We've finished these first three of the four, and once I have the next two books we're reading aloud done, we'll start on the fourth book. These books are similar to the Little House books in the sense that they are set in the same historical time period, happened to an impressionable young girl (and often her best friend, Sarah Jane, as well). They are dissimilar in the way that each chapter of the books are a 'lesson learned' by the author, who is telling her granddaughter these stories and goes into narrator after a brief introduction. As far as the 'series' goes, they aren't really a series as much as story following and building upon each book. They are just simple and lovely stories within each chapter, and if she wrote them all in one book it'd be huge, so they made them into 4 books instead, about 150+ pages each. 

Both my kids really enjoy these books and I quite love reading them aloud myself. They're easy to read and many are quite funny. Each chapter is about 12-15 pages, and they're just enough of a story to read right before bedtime, or one during lunch. The writing is excellent, and you can feel the warmth of Arleta's stories through the pages. These are excellent for kids ages 5 and up, and come highly recommended!

"Charlie & Lola" Picture Books by Lauren Child

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The first time I came in contact with the author/illustrator Lauren Child, my gut reaction said, "now this is someone who knows kids". Her illustrations of Charlie & Lola books, along with other stand-alone stories are perfectly scruffy, collaged pictures and spiral writing mixed together to form a child-like representation. I truly mean that in the best way. They are chalk full of whimsy.

You may recognize the video above as the popular British children's TV show, but let me tell you, they're books, too, with just as much charm, if not more. (I'll let you in on a little secret, too: if you read them with a British cockney accent, they are "terribly funner to read", as Lola might say.) 

Lauren child has plenty of books (even a Pippi Longstocking take!), but my favorites are the Charlie and Lola series. Charlie is usually seen figuring out a problem (or phobia) of Lola's, his little sister, and then near the end, her finding her confidence. That may be going to school for the first time, or trying to never eat a tomato. The way Lola speaks, and her cheeky invisible friend, Soren Lorensen, are quite a pair for patient Charlie. 

Here are the Charlie & Lola bunch: 

*I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato

*I Am Absolutely Too Small for School

*I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed

Of course, there are loads of episodes of Charlie & Lola cartoons that can be found at the library, on youtube, etc. I find the cartoons quite good, too. Although they are very colorful and bright, they aren't overly stimulating, fast, or obnoxious, and I find the relationship between Charlie and his little sister, Lola, sweet.