An After Dinner Book

I took home many books from my classroom library this summer to work on more effective mini lessons. The pile of books is sitting on my kitchen table, which offers me a wealth of books to choose from as a nightly read with my children. Books can be used on so many levels. Last night I read Cornelius by Leo Lionni. I thought it was fitting because we spent the day at the zoo. Cornelius is a special crocodile because he stands on two legs instead of crawling on all fours. After the first page I asked Patrick, "Do crocodiles stand on 2 legs on crawl on all four?" He answered, "Crawl, Mommy." I was a little surprised he knew the answer. As we went on with the book every time I turned the page he begged to see the pictures. And, Shannon even made a noise like she wanted to see the pictures too. At one point in the story a monkey teaches Cornelius how to hang by his tail. Patrick thought this part was hilarious, and, as you know, laughter is contagious. All three of us were belly laughing at the silly crocodile hanging from the tree. Once we settled down, I asked Patrick if he had a tail. Then, I asked if he could hang from a tree. He answered no to both. This was a really fun story to read together. Both kids loved the pictures, and thought it was funny to see the things Cornelius could do.

Your challenge - Read a funny book with your child. Enjoy laughing together at parts he/she thinks are funny.