How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head (by Bill Peet)

4/5 = Really Liked

Little Fox says: "I like this book because I like dragons a lot.  This dragon had a cool tail."

Momma: You and daddy read this book together.  Do you remember what happens in it?
Fox: A dragon was flying in the fog and one dragon got lost.
Momma: Oh no.  Was he scared?
Fox: No.  And he found a home.  His home was a cave.  The cave was small.  It really was small!  He woke up being lonely.
Momma: If you had to live in a really small cave all by yourself would you be lonely?
Fox: Yes.  And scared.
Momma: Was that the end of the book?
Fox: No.  I want to stop there.
Momma: Okay.  I guess I'll have to read this to find out what happens.  Is the ending happy at least?
Fox: Yes.  It's really happy!

The Queen Makes a Scene (by Mairi Mackinnon)

2/5 = OK

Momma:  These are interesting books to read because momma gets to read some parts and you get to read some parts.  Do you like that?
Fox: Yes.  I like taking turns reading.
Momma: Do you remember what happens to the queen in the book?
Fox:  She feels all better when [the doctor] gets there.

Piggy and Dad Play (by David Martin)

3/5 = Liked It

Momma: Do you like these Piggy and Dad books?
Fox: Yes.  Because I like that they're funny!  They're easy to read and I like the pigs.

Piggy and Dad (by David Martin)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I like this book because there were a couple stories."

Momma: These stories are nice for kids like you who are learning to read because they're short and you can figure out words by sounding out letters AND using the pictures.
Fox:  Yes.  Sometimes [books] don't have pictures and that's harder.
Momma: Piggy and Piggy's dad remind me of you and your daddy.  What are some things that Piggy and Piggy's daddy do that you do with your daddy?
Fox: I take baths, I eat sandwiches with daddy, I draw pictures and daddy writes the words...I read books with my daddy, and I do pillow fights with my daddy!

The Mischevians (by William Joyce)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I like this book because I like MONSTERS!"

Momma: This book was cool because it told us about all different sorts of little monsters.  Which is you favorite monster?
Fox: I have two.  The Sticker: he shoots his nose at your foot!  And the Clog-la-dite: he clogs the toilet.
Momma: These are pretty silly monsters.  I guess I shouldn't blame daddy for clogging the toilet now that I know a little monster is doing it...  

Princess Sparkle-Heart Gets a Makeover (by Josh Schneider)

3/5 = Liked It

Little Fox says: "I liked the doll because the doll was COOL!"

Momma: Did you like the doll when she was brand new?  Or after her makeover?
Fox: I liked it when it was a MONSTER.
Momma: I agree.  That was a super cool surprise ending.  But why did they give the doll a monster makeover?
Fox: Because the dog ate her.
Momma: Yes.  That was pretty silly.  But I have to say, the makeover was awesome.  Should we turn your favorite bunny into a monster?
Fox: NO!
Momma: Do you like princesses or monsters?
Fox: Monsters.
Momma: Do you like bunnies or monsters?
Fox: MY bunny.  Do you like bunnies or monsters?
Momma: I like your bunny.  But I really like Princess Sparkle-Heart as a monster.

Dino-Wrestling (by Lisa Wheeler)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I like dinosaurs and I like wrestling!"

Momma: Do you wrestle with dinosaurs?
Fox: No?
Momma: Who do you wrestle with?
Fox: Daddy!
Momma: Did you notice how the author wrote it?

"Step inside the massive tent.

Get ready for the first event."

Fox: It rhymes!
Momma: It think rhyming books are EXTRA fun to read.  Especially when they are about dinosaurs.

Little Burro (by Jim Arnosky)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I like the donkey!"

Momma: This little donkey really liked his home didn't he.  When he found out they were leaving, how did he feel?
Fox: Sad.
Momma: Sometimes people are reluctant to leave their favorite places.  But where did he end up going?
Fox: To one of his OTHER favorite places.
Momma: Yes, he discovered ANOTHER favorite place.  And in the end, he was happy he left home to discover it.  But he was also happy --
Fox: Because he was back home!

Fancy Nancy and the Mean Girl (by Jane O'Connor)

3/5 = Liked It

Little Fox says: "I like races."

Momma: Why didn't Fancy Nancy want to race with Grace on Field Day?
Fox: Because Grace is kind of mean.  She says mean things to her.
Momma: It's definitely not fun to play with kids who say mean things.  Fancy Nancy had a talk with Grace and said she didn't want Grace to say mean things.  What did Grace do?
Fox: Listened.
Momma: Yes!  Fancy Nancy did the right thing by using her words and explaining her feelings and Grace did the right thing by listening and making better choices.
Fox: Yes.  Grace only said after, "Do you want a cookie?"
Momma: Yes!  And that was Good Friend Behavior.  Sometimes people don't realize the choices they make or the words they use hurt other people.  That's why it's important to use our words.
Fox: Yes.  That's what school says, too.
Momma: Exactly.  Grace might not have known that her words were hurting Nancy.  Now that she knows they bother Nancy so much, she makes better choices in order to be a better friend.  

Babar and the Zephir (by Jean de Brunhoff)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I liked that a monkey was fishing."

Momma: What did the monkey catch when he went fishing?
Fox: A mermaid!
Momma: What did he do with her?
Fox: Put her back in the water.
Momma: Luckily he did because later she was able to help him.  Who did she help him find?
Fox: The princess.
Momma: You should probably make friends with a mermaid just in case you need help finding a princess.
Fox: No!  I think mermaids aren't real.
Momma: They make a nice story though, don't they?
Fox: Mmhmm.

Three Bears in a Boat (by David Soman)

3/5 = Liked It

Momma: Why did the three bears run away?
Fox: Because they broke their momma's favorite seashell.
Momma: If you broke something of mine, what would you do?  Would you run away?
Fox: No.  I would say sorry.
Momma: Why did these little bears away?
Fox: Because their momma would be mad -- they thought that.
Momma: What were they trying to do when they ran away?
Fox: Find another blue seashell.
Momma: Did they find one?
Fox: Yes.
Momma: I liked the ending because their momma hugged them and forgave them.  But she also didn't give them any dessert that night.  That seems like something I would do, don't you think?
Fox: Yes.
Momma: Why didn't she give them desssert?
Fox: They made a bad choice.  They tried to sneak the honey and they broke the seashell.
Momma: That's true.  And they also ran away.  I bet their momma was pretty scared when they ran away.  I bet she was mostly upset about that.  But mommas are good at forgiving their kids because mommas love their babies more than anything.

Bobo the Sailor Man ( by Eileen Rosenthanl)

4/5 = Really Liked It

Little Fox says: "I liked this book because the cat saved a stuffed animal and I like stuffed animals."

Momma: Do you have a favorite stuffed animal?
Fox: Bunny!
Momma: Do you have a favorite cat?
Fox: Clorox!
Momma: Has our kitty cat ever saved Bunny?
Fox: No.
Momma: Do you think she would?
Fox: No.
Momma: Why not?
Fox: Because our cat doesn't know when to save stuff!
Momma: This cat knew how to save Bobo.
Fox: Yeah.  But our cat wouldn't!