Dante’s Shelf: May 2021 Favorites

Posted May 13, 2021 by Berls in Dante's Shelf, Review / 0 Comments

I thought it would be fun to share some of Dante’s favorite books every month. He tends to have a few favorites at a time and we read them over and over. This way, parents & teachers can learn about some picture books they might want to share with their kids and I got a built-in memory of his favorites over time. Win, win!

Dante still loves To the Moon and Back for You as one of his top reads, as are Goodnight Gorilla, How to Feed Your Cheeky Monkey, and Grumpy Tortoise, but there are a few other favorites to add to the list.

Dante’s Shelf: May 2021 FavoritesDear Boy, by Paris Rosenthal, Jason B. Rosenthal
Published by HarperCollins on April 23, 2019
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 40
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
Goodreads
five-stars

This perfect follow-up to the #1 NYT bestseller Dear Girl, is a touching love letter to the special boy in your life!
Dear Boy, yes means yes. Anything else means no.
Dear Boy, if you need one more reminder to pursue your dreams, then here it is: pursue your dreams!
Dear Boy, always trust magic.

Dear Boy, is a celebration of boys everywhere. It teaches boys to be kind, to be bold, and to never shy away from their feelings. This book delves into the life lessons we all hope to teach the strong (yet gentle) boys in our lives. For the first time, father and daughter of the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal team up together to create an ageless and timeless picture book with stunningly imaginative pictures by Holly Hatam.

Dear Boy was a gift from my good friend Melissa at Dante’s Baby Shower. While I don’t tend to gravitate toward books that are boy/girl specific this one is special (and she said the same thing when she gave it to me). Boys and girls do face different stereotypes and this book is full of positive messages to combat those stereotypes – along with some basic good messages for boys and girls alike. For example, advice like it’s okay to cry (to let the rain fall), to play with dolls (or trucks, or both!) very much counteract some negative stereotypical expectations of boys (and men!).

I read this to Dante a lot when he was very little, but as he got more engaged with books it was a bit much for him – it’s long and it’s not a board book (so not great with drool and easily rips). So we set it aside for a while. But recently he started reaching for it – perhaps because it’s the same size as his other favorite To the Moon and Back for You. But he now knows them to be two distinct books and he almost always picks this one.

5 stars Flipping Fantastic

Dante’s Shelf: May 2021 FavoritesNighty-Night by Leslie Patricelli
Published by Candlewick Press (MA) on January 3, 2017
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 26
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Nighty-night, Baby! The cheekily charming tot goes through a typical nightly routine in a humorous bedtime book.
Dinner is finished, the sun is setting, and Baby is getting ready for bed, sneaking in a naked dance before bath time. Then it's on to tooth cleaning, hair brushing, bear hugging, and getting cozy in PJs. Finally it's time for a bedtime story ("Again! Again!") and a song with Mommy before Daddy turns out the light. Kissy kissy!

NIghty, NIght is reemerging as a favorite. There was a time when it was THE BOOK we read every single night. I can read it to you without looking at a single page,  we’ve read it that many times. And then other books caught his interest, but lately he’s been reaching for it again. It’s a simple board book and I like the way it goes through the nighttime routine of pretty much every toddler out there. It’s comfortable and familiar – easy to relate to and form connections to what’s being read to him. He particularly likes to point at the page where the mom is reading a bedtime story and the boy is saying “I’m not done! Again, Again!” Seems familiar! LOL!

4.5 stars I loved it

Dante’s Shelf: May 2021 FavoritesPress Here by Hervé Tullet, Christopher Franceschelli
Published by Chronicle Books on March 30, 2011
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 56
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
four-stars

Great for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers to learn about cause and effect in a simple and engaging way.
Harness the power of imagination and interactivity: Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure in Press Here occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!
Books for kids ages 4-8

I just got Dante this book at the end of last month, right before he started daycare and I’m surprised how quickly he’s taken to it. I like that it’s a book that tells you what to do and then something happens on the next page as a result. It incorporates pointing, colors, blowing, tilting, shaking, and clapping — all great skills to work on with a toddler. So I’m thrilled he likes it and am hoping it will improve some of those skills for him.

4 stars Pretty Great

About Berls

Michelle adopted me as part of her blog when I decided to close down my blog, Fantasy is More Fun. The blog was dying, but my love of reading and the blogosphere was still strong as ever - so I found my new home here at Because Reading!

I'm not just a book lover, but a one time author (that hopes to be more in the future), wife, mom to the cutest, happiest, best 1 year old and step-mom to the craziest, sweetest 20 year old on the planet. My family mean everything to me and they appear frequently in the Sunday Post with Berls. So grab a glass of wine and chat books, blogging, and family with me!

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