The Caboose Who Got Loose

Exploring a caboose near Flagstaff, AZ September of 2011

My son loves trains, I think I mentioned that fact in my last post as well...Anyway, I look for quality books that feed the things he is interested in. We read The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet for the first time this weekend. It's a little long for a two year old, but my son has sat through this book three times already, with another request to "read it again mommy".

It's about a caboose named Katy who is tired of always being at the end of the train, she longs to be a house and settle down in a small country town, or to be a cabin sitting still in the woods. She takes trips through dangerous boulder filled canyons, and scary tunnels. In one of her city stops, she meets the shack of a switch man, who says they want to be caboose just like Katy. She decides then that she shall not complain and accept her lot in life, and try to be the "most happy caboose at the end of the train." From there, even though she wanted to be a happy caboose, she found she was still scared.

I shalt ruin the ending for you, you will have to read it to find out what happens, next, but let me assure you, it's a happy ending for a little caboose.

Big, Big, Train Book..aka Hop Aboard! Here We Go!

I found Richard Scarry's Hop Aboard! Here We Go! book at a book sale a few months back, and when my son saw it, he immediately dubbed it his "big, big train book". He asks to read this book almost daily, and sometimes, two or three times at one sitting. Roger and his dog Flip are the featured main characters. They drive all types of cars, buses and trucks. They fly all different types of airplanes, aircraft and spacecraft. They drive all types of trains and locomotives including the Tom Thumb and the Lafayette. Then they sail the high seas in various ships and boats from a great Greek war ship to a submarine and last but not least, a large cabin cruiser.  



Reading Hop Aboard! Here We Go!



In the beginning of the book is a little poem:

“We go by car and we go by train,
We go by boat and we go by plane.
We go by land and sea and air,
We go, go, and go, from here to there.”

Who doesn't love Richard Scarry? This book has everything for the transportation loving child in your family. This is the first book we read this morning after getting out of bed. My son is obsessed with trains, hence, his nickname for this book.



A Read Aloud Challenge



Just a small sampling of books from our home library.

A daily read aloud can sometimes be a great challenge for me... Excuses could roll of my tounge like honey... I worked all day, I'm tired, my son is being naughty, there is a show on television I want to watch, there is laundry to do, dinner to make, a house to clean... Well, you get the picture. Reading aloud is a commitment that has so many rewards on so many different levels. I get to spend time snuggled up with my son after a long day of work reading a good book, taking a family trip in the comfort of our own living room. What more can I ask for? We have many interesting conversations about the things we read, and the pictures we see. Things from books become family jokes, like seeing a wild cat roam our neighborhood like the cat in Red Light, Green Light, or yelling "hello" to each other like Vanessa in Say Hello, Vanessa.

I try to find all kinds of books with many different subjects. I shop online, thrift stores and frequent libraries. We love vintage books, as well as new books. We fit in reading aloud anytime we can, in the morning before work, in the afternoon when we get home, and in the evening, and before bed. Sometimes my son wakes me up at two or three in the morning, he always asks, "mama, will you read me a story?" I almost always do. How could I not?

I believe in some way, reading to our children helps to shape their lives in a positive way. I just hope when I am long gone, my son will remember, and carry on the tradition.

Let me introduce ourselves....

My son and I when he was three months old.

I have been contemplating starting a blog for a long time, so here it goes. I am a thirty seven year old working mama who has a two and a half year old son. I have been reading aloud to him since before he was born. We read aloud daily, often, more than an hour a day. We collect books, and lots of them. I believe reading aloud to my child is just as important as feeding, clothing, bathing and changing his diaper. Sound obsessive? Maybe, but to me, the time we spend reading together is priceless. We explore new worlds and learn many new things through the books we read. Sometimes it's exhausting, but rewarding all at the same time. So I am recording our journey here in hopes to inspire others to read aloud to their children.