Children's Book Love Thursday

So, let's switch gears from all of this "projecting" that's been going on and talk about some of the "life that happens in between" and one of my other FAVORITE things: children's books.  Getting to read books with our daughter was probably one of the things Mr. F and I  looked forward to most when I found out I was pregnant, and reading has been part of our bedtime routine since she was about three months old.   Since we do so much reading around here, and my daughter tends to get stuck on the same three or four books until, for the sake of my sanity, they have to magically disappear for a bit (I swear if I have to read Princess Olivia one more time I'm going to scream), I'm always looking for new books she'll love and that carry some sort of meaningful message.  I'm sure I'm not alone in this search for great books, so I thought I'd share a favorite of ours each week and would love to hear about yours too.

My first pick:

Otis

By Loren Long

Source: oh.webjunction.org via Jennifer (My Fabuless Life) on Pinterest

This is just a sweet story about a calf and a tractor, with some of the sweetest pictures you've ever seen.  Someday I will find a way to work the art from this book into the decor somewhere in my house because the pictures of the cow and the tractor melt my heart every time I look at them.  But back to the story.  A sweet, simple story of friendship.  In the beginning, the tractor (Otis) comforts the little cow when he's left alone in the barn and they immediately become inseparable friends.  One day the farmer moves Otis out behind the barn to make room new for a big, new, yellow tractor and, try as the little calf might, he can't get Otis to play with him like the old days because Otis is just plain sad that he doesn't get to do all of his important work on the farm anymore.  One day the cow wanders down to the pond and gets stuck in the mud.  Ultimately Otis is the only one able to pull the little calf out and proves to the farmer what an important role he plays on the farm.  This is probably top five, one of my daughter's favorites and I even catch her several times a day telling the story and reenacting it with her toys.

Pick this one up at the bookstore or your library and I PROMISE you'll love it!

Happy reading!