This trio of books from Amy Krouse Rosenthal (author of the wonderful Cookies and the fun Duck! Rabbit!) teaches little life lessons, while avoiding the earnest tone or syrupy examples often used. Instead, they feature a sly humour that makes the medicine go down like a spoonful of sugar.
Little Oink
Is your kid’s room a pigsty? Little Oink’s wasn’t, causing his parents no end of grief. Their little piglet is (shh!) a neatnik, so despite whining that his friends get to clean their rooms, his parents send him to make a mess and won’t let him play until it’s a disaster. The point is made with tongue-in-cheek that’s accessible and even enjoyable for kids.
Little Hoot
This title is for those with bedtime-fighting would-be night owls. Little Hoot’s friends get to go to bed early, but he has to stay up and play for at least an hour longer than he wants. His parents try every trick, offering extra stories and glasses of water, but he just can’t stay awake. Gentle teasing and role reversal is a fun way to remind kids of proper bedtime behaviour.
Little Pea
Kid got a sweet tooth? Avoids veggies? Little Pea hates eating his candy, and candy is dinner every. night. So he whines, pulls faces, and makes deals about how many pieces he must eat to get dessert (spinach!). I love the expressions and noises of disgust, which some of you will find familiar and made my girl and I laugh. I think this is my favourite.
A little advice: Because these are very similar, it is a bit much to read them all together. By the third book, my daughter was losing interest. Instead, choose the ones that cover familiar ground in your house, or spread them out and enjoy them on different nights.