BBAW: Future Treasures

(Don't miss the giveaway at the end of this post!)

When I think of Future Treasures, I think about the books that I'll be able to share with my son as he grows. He already has an entire shelf on his bookcase full of books for when he gets a little bit older and less prone to chewing on everything he can grab. At eight months old, he's only ready to be unsupervised with board books, but I do read him several picture books each night before bed. We participated in the Summer Reading Program at our library, reading 52 books over the course of June and July, an experience that showed me once and for all that not all kids' books are created equal.

Some have great art but the text is cumbersome to read or not all that engaging. Some are cleverly written but have so-so art on the pages. The ones I like best, of course, have good art and are well-written with a good flow to the words. I prefer books with a bit of rhyme to the text, since I feel like they sound nice and are easy to read aloud. Here are my (and Nico's) top five picture book picks from our first summer of reading:



1. Bear Snores On
by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman








2. Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin and Eric Carle








3. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague






4. The Hound From the Pound
by Jessica Swaim and Jill McElmurry






Guess How Much I Love You?
by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram






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Even though Nico will be picture-book-aged for quite a while longer, I'm always on the lookout for books to save for when he's older. I was offered the chance to review Queen Vernita Meets Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer by Dawn Menge and Heath Rhoades. Since I'm a fan of astronomy, I was excited about a book that will allow me to share it with Nico.

In the third Queen Vernita book, the titular monarch hosts Sir HeathyBean the astronomer and Cora the Teacher for a year at her castle. Each month, a different guest comes to call and learns about a planet or celestial object. The book is packed with great facts about the planets and other Solar System objects, and I think it would be a great book for a kid already interested in the planets or to spark interest in a kid who hasn't really thought much about them.

I was hoping to end BBAW with a giveaway, but didn't want to give up our copy of the book, so I wrote to the author to see if she'd be willing to provide a second copy. She graciously agreed to send not only another copy of Queen Vernita Meets Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer, but also copies of the first two Queen Vernita books. To win all three, leave a comment on this post with a favorite kids' book of yours...either one you like to read to a child in your life or one you remember from your own childhood. Comments will remain open until midnight CST on Thursday, September 30, at which point I will use random.org to select a winner. US & Canada only, please!

And don't forget to leave a comment on Monday's post for a chance to win a copy of Alexa Stevenson's excellent memoir, Half Baked or on Tuesday's post for a chance to win a book of irreverent advice by Carla Collins. I'm extending the deadlines on my three giveaways so people have a chance to work their way through the plethora of BBAW posts and giveaways.

I received a free advance review copy of Queen Vernita Meets Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer through the author. I am not being compensated for this review.


WINNER!
Congrats to Hendy!