Russ and the Apple Tree Surprise

My son loves this book! It's about a little boy named Russ who really wants a swing set, but complains because there's just an old apple tree in the backyard.

His family is able to help him see that the apple tree isn't so bad. They pick apples together, then Russ helps his mother and grandmother with each step in making an apple pie. After eating their dessert, his grandpa surprises him with his very own swing (hanging from the apple tree). I think the storyline is perfect for four and five-year-olds. Also, one of my son's favorite things to do is to help me cook, so he was really excited about the photos showing Russ washing the apples and rolling out the pie crust. What a great book!

Henry Huggins

I forgot how much I loved this book. Henry Huggins brings back good memories of being a kid. Like Henry, my friends and I spent our time outside, and usually had some fun project going. Taking a jar full of black/inedible berries door to door to have our neighbors try to guess their number and win a "special" eraser. Knowing exactly why my Mom was yelling my name from upstairs...she had found the jar of frozen bugs in the freezer. Okay, enough reminiscing. Henry just seems like the kind of boy that every kid would want for a friend. He had a great dog, good business sense, and a lot of spunk. This is a great book for kids and a fun way for parents to remember the joys of being a kid.