Little Drops of Water with Arnold Lobel

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And the pleasant land. 

Arnold Lobel's Key of the kingdom

This is the key of the kingdom. 

In that kingdom, there is a city.

In that city there is a town

In that town there is a street

In that street there is a lane

In that lane there is a yard

In that yard there is a house

In that house there is a room

In that room there is a bed.

On that bed there is a basket.

In the basket there are some flowers.

Flowers in the basket;

Basket on the bed;

Bed in the room;

Room in the house;

House in the yard;

Yard in the lane;

Lane in the street;

Street in the town,

Town in the city;

City in the kingdom--

This is the key to the kingdom. 

Oliver Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen & Illus by Arnold Lobel

Oliver Pig is cute and charming. We love Oliver Pig. The words are basic and the print large-ish, so it is an I Can Read book, but the story is cute enough for me to enjoy reading it to the kids.

The cover is rather sickly looking, though. It is a mix between olive green and tan. The fading it has done in its lifetime hasn't improved its looks any either.

It has chapters

Oliver makes sure his mother is putting a lot of raisins in the cookies.

The Bad Day. Oliver doesn't want to share. And says so.

Reading to your kid pictures always get me. I LOVE THEM.

Despite having a book and a cuddle, Oliver is still mean to Amanda. After tears and fights, they make up over a supper of spaghetti and meatballs.

Grandma sends a note that she is coming to visit.

Oliver gets right to work baking Grandma an imaginary pie and helping get her room ready.

Grandma snuggles!

This story about getting Oliver and Amanda ready to go outside in the winter is so real to life. Mother ends up putting 90% of what the kids drag out away while trying to get them ready. After sending four kids out to play, our entry way looks like a hat/gloves/scarf/boots bomb exploded. 

The whole outfit is so much work. When I am getting kids dressed to go outside in wintertime is about the only time I contemplate moving south.

Amanda does look cute in that hat though!

Roly poly

Mother finally gets the kids ready and tells them to sit still for a minute while she grabs her hat and coat. She comes back to...

...this. "We got too hot," said Oliver.

Mother reasonably sits down and cries. 

Oliver and Amanda comfort mother like she comforts them. 

"Don't cry, sweet potato."

Oliver pig is one of those cozy, quiet books that make me happy.