I flipped through some of our collection, trying to decide on a theme for today's book post, and finally decided to share some of the books that Forrest (age 5) remembers, talks about, and asks for the most.
It may look like a rather random selection, but the theme today is simply "Forrest-approved."
Affiliate links ahead.
From the moment the baby arrived, it was clear that he was the boss. Drinks made to order, round-the-clock meetings, a private jet plane -- and all this without him saying a word.
Such a cute read about new babies and how they shake things up at home. Forrest loves it and frequently refers to Darcy as our boss baby (which is both hilarious and sadly accurate).
Crankenstein may look like a regular kid, but it only takes a tiny mishap to transform him into a grouchy, grumbling monster. When he meets a fellow Crankenstein, it could lead to a huge blow-up . . . or be just the thing he needs to lift that cranky mood.
Forrest thinks this books is so funny, and 'Crankenstein' has entered our normal vocabulary when he's in a bad mood (and letting him know he's acting like Crankenstein actually perks him up, nine times out of ten).
I know there are quite a few 'Dinosaur Vs.' books, but this is the only one we've read so far. We've checked it out from the library more times than I can count.
Dinosaur is victorious in every match-up during the bedtime routine, until he finally gives in and lets bedtime win. The illustrations are simple, bright, and fun, and Forrest loves supplying the 'roars' on each page.
Trixie brings her beloved Knuffle Bunny to the laundromat with Daddy, but their exciting adventure takes a disastrous turn when they return home and Trixie realizes someone was left behind.
Forrest talks about Knuffle Bunny quite a bit since he is still very attached to his precious blankie. And the sequel actually helped get him through a sad night when he left his blankie at Grandma's house and had to go to bed without it for the first time in 5 years.
I really could have mentioned any of the many Pigeon books here, since Forrest has loved every one of them.
When the bus driver takes a break, he implores the reader to make sure that Pigeon will not be allowed to drive the bus in his absence. Pigeon puts up some pretty convincing arguments, though.
Forrest thinks Pigeon is hilarious, and loves trying to spot him in Willems' other books.
This mostly-wordless picture book brings us along for the adventure of a cow's lifetime as he takes a joy ride in the farmer's car. Each page has just one word (moo!), but in a variety of expressions for each page.
Forrest loves 'reading' this one to me, and experimenting with different expressions for each "moo!" I think it's a great one to help kids learn to 'perform' and read aloud a story.
We waited for weeks and weeks for this one on the library hold list, and it was totally worth the wait. Baby Billy is born with a full, glorious mustache. Most days, he's a good boy . . . but sometimes the mustache curls up at the ends and becomes a dreaded 'bad guy mustache.'
Adorable illustrations and a really cute and funny story. Forrest loves it and requests rereads often. "I'm having a bad guy mustache day" has become a regular expression around here. He also loves the sequel!
As if the lack of words didn't make me nervous enough, I find that cover totally unappealing. But this wordless picture book is so creative and fun, and Forrest adores it, and loves 'reading' it to me. He even brought it to school for show and tell recently and was so excited to share it with his friends.
Mr. Wuffles batters a 'toy' spaceship . . . and the real aliens inside must get creative to repair it and outwit Mr. Wuffles to make their escape. So clever and imaginative!
Forrest is in a bit of a robot phase at the moment, and this is the cutest robot book we've read yet.
A boy and a bot meet and have a great time playing together. But when Bot gets switched off, Boy tries all the remedies he can think of (applesauce, reading a story, etc.) to no avail. Then Bot worries when his friend powers down (falls asleep), and tries remedies of his own (oil, a new battery, etc). A very sweet friendship story, and Forrest loves adding his own robot voices to the narration.
I had some serious doubts about how fun this book could possibly be, but there's no need to worry. It doesn't need pictures to crack Forrest up and have him asking to read it again and again.
Any word the reader sees on the page, they have no choice but to say. Even silly words like BLORK and BLAGGITY BLAGGITY. Forrest has laughed himself to tears over this book.
In this book, Duncan's crayons express their grievances to their owner -- Black hates being used only for outlining. Orange and Yellow each feel they are the color of the sun, and are in a fight about it. Blue is exhausted from constantly being used to color in oceans.
This book is a bit longer than the average picture book, so I expected it to bore Forrest, but he loves it. He also got the sequel for Christmas and was so excited to open it!
Another one I ought to just purchase already, since we've borrowed it from the library about a dozen times. Naughty David is always getting in trouble, and the majority of the text is just David being scolded while caught in various mischievous acts.
Forrest laughs himself silly over David's antics, and especially loves having David's name replaced with his own (or Darcy's, or a friend's, or Daddy's . . . etc).
Larry only has one rule: do not push the button. Don't even think about it.
I always love a book that is interactive, and this one is so fun for Forrest (and Darcy loves it too!). The kids get to push the button with Larry, then help him fix all the problems that pushing the button ensues, like shaking the book to get rid of extra monsters, tickling Larry to return him to his regular color, etc. Such a fun one to read together.
Any time we visit the library, Forrest always makes a beeline for the Elephant and Piggie shelves to check for any new titles. There are dozens of books about these two cute friends who have hilarious discussions and adorable everyday adventures together.
They are really simple readers, and they are a great fit as read-alouds and for kids learning to read. Forrest loves them all!
There are quite a few books about Otis the tractor and his farm friends, but the original has been Forrest's favorite so far.
Otis loves working on the farm with his farm friends, but the arrival of a big, strong, shiny yellow tractor sends Otis out back behind the barn, forgotten. But one day, his friend the little calf gets stuck in the mud, and only Otis can help.
A sweet, lovable story with darling illustrations and a cute message. Forrest loves Otis.
I'd love to hear some of your most-requested picture books, too!
