Inspired...

I have been inspired!  My friend is taking part in the 365 picture challenge this year.  She is taking a picture each day.  Now, I won't be taking part in that challenge.  Although, I may take a picture or two a day, I am definitely not a photographer.  What I am is a mom who loves to get creative and active with my kids.  I am also a mom who loves books. I have always been a book worm.  I am sure that it helps that I was a teacher too and I know how important reading is for our kids, but whatever it is I love anything that I can read; kids books, chick lit, classics, magazines.  I especially love when I come across a book list, such as "The Top 100 Must Read Books" or "100 Favorite Children Books".  But the other day I came across a book that I had never seen on one of the book lists that I have read through.   Now, of course it could be on a website I haven't looked at, or a blog I haven't read, but I asked myself, "Why can't I make my own favorite book list?"  And I didn't have an answer except for lack of courage.  So, I am setting off on our "Adventure in Reading"  where I am hoping to highlight a favorite book that I have recently read with one of my kids each day (365 books).  Now, this could be just like a bad New Year's Resolution that I give up on in two weeks, or it could be a blog that only my mom and husband read, but I won't know until I try, so here we go...

My three year old son is obsessed with sharks, whales, dolphins, and anything that lives in the ocean.  After scouring the internet to find Christmas gifts and birthday gifts for my son, I was lucky enough to come across The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist.

This book looked like so much fun, and the internet reviews were wonderful so I decided to order it.  When the book came in from the book store I may have been more excited than my son!  I saved it until it was time to read that night.  Once my son saw it he was very excited to go to his room and look at all of the pictures.  You have to love anything that will get your kids upstairs for bed time!

Of course, this book is a version of The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, but the main characters are three little fish and a big bad shark.  The first time I read this to my son, he absolutely loved it.  The pictures are fun and bright and the repetition of the story made him eager to join in and read with me.  We have continued to read this book each night, and each night we have as much fun reading it as we did the night before.  This book and my little guy's obsession with ocean animals has brought some new fun to our play time.

My little guy asked to get the play dough out.  He took the blue play dough that I rolled out and turned it into an ocean for his "Big Bad Sharks".  Here is the recipe for the play dough that we used from The idea Room.  We left out the spice (I like it better with) and added blue food coloring and glitter for this batch.

After reading The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark I realized that I have never read The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf to either of my sons.  How could I have skipped such a classic story?  The next time we go to the library I will be running to the bookshelves to find a version or two of The Three Little Pigs, or maybe The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.  You have to love a book that makes you want to read even MORE!