Family Friday!

After a long hiatus, Family Friday is back! 

Family Friday is something that I do here on Book and Babes that features picture books. Since this blog was created by 3 moms we had our own families at heart when we started this. Since then I have to come to realize that a LOT of book bloggers I was coming across have kiddos themselves. They must obviously also be invested in quality books for their kids, too.

Not to mention the BIGGEST factor in all of this: THE MOMMY BLOGGERS! Seriously, you probably know what I'm talking about? The biggest blogging faction at the moment is the DIY-SAHM mommy bloggers. Why are we not blogging for them? We are we not bridging those gaps?

I know, such big questions, right? ;-) In the end, I decided to bring back Family Fridays. Children's and Picture Books might not be the big draw in the book blogging world, but it is STILL an important aspect I won't ignore.

Caterina and the Lemonade Stand

by Erin Eitter Kono

Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin Group imprint)

May 2014

Synopsis: Caterina loves making lists and planning big, creative projects, and this time she’s planning a lemonade stand – the perfect summer pastime. She’s hoping to earn enough money for a new scooter, but finds that she’s not the only one in town with the lemonade idea. Everybody seems to be selling the refreshing treat, so how can Caterina’s stand truly stand out?

Mom's thoughts: When I first saw this sitting on the shelf, I picked it up because the cover is gorgeous. It looks reminiscent of a well-loved handmade scrapbook. Lots of color hues, patterns, and rickrack. I LOVE the design of this book. Beyond the physical look of the book, let's take a quick look at the story. This book begins with the perfect intro:
"Caterina is a little brown bird with great big colorful thoughts."

I love it, don't you?

Also, Caterina is a list maker. My heart is singing. I love this small fact. I know many people, myself included LOVE lists. There is some weird satisfaction in crossing things off my list. When I get crazy, I even color-code my lists. ;-)

The BEST thing about this book?

The surprise ending. 

Spoiler Alert! (Trust me, you need this book.)

Really, I am going to spoil this book.

Are you ready?

The scooter she wants to buy? Is for HER BROTHER.

I know this is a common thing in picture books. Showing how to share and care for siblings....

but this book really hits the message home. You see, the pictures show her brother helping her out every step of the way. They look like loving siblings. The Author however never mentions him throughout the entire book. You think this book is all about Caterina. Her lemonade stand, HER money, etc. Not at any given point in the book is she told by a parent to remember her sibling. This truly comes from a selfless place, and I absolutely love this book.

Tater-tot's thoughts: Well, since Taters only has a handful of words right now, I'm going to do my best to interpret her thoughts for her. Tater-tot enjoyed this short book. She loved turning the paged and pointing out colors. (There are a lot!) She loved the owls, and since owls are 'the thing' right now, she loves being able to point them out and hoot to them. She is still a little small to understand the words of this book, but that doesn't mean much. When I tell her to to grab a book, this is one she commonly brings back to me. HOOT! HOOT!