I have always wanted to go to see Puxatony Phil.  I am trying to instill this love of Groundhog's Day into Ivy.  Our library only had one book - Iris Hiskey Arno's and Renee Graef's The Secret Of The First One Up.  I wouldn't call it a "favorite" of Ivy's but she is interested in the groundhog's shadow.  Little Lila's Uncle Wilbur tells her that there is a special secret for the first groundhog who wakes up after winter hibernation.  Will Lila be the first one up?

I tried very hard to find Martin Luther King books for toddlers.  There is a real hole here.  Nothing interested Ivy!  However, in honor of MLK, I would like to promote two books celebrating two black authors: Ezra Jack Keats and Barack Obama.

Ezra Jack Keats is an amazing illustrator.  Although Ivy loved his A Snowy Day, A Letter To Amy has been a big hit near Valentine's Day.  Young Peter wants to invite Amy to his birthday party by sending her a letter.  Will she accept?  What will the boys say?

In honor of my mother and Matt, my husband, I found a piece of Americana - President Obama's victory speech.  It is complete with photos from the campaign and the victory speech.  Look for Yes We Can! A Salute To Children From President Obama's Victory Speech.

Another book Ivy has been reading lately is Dave Ross's A Book Of Hugs.  Each page talks about a certain type of hug - octopus hug, fish hug, Mommy hug, etc.  Most of the hugs are adorable and illustrated with great pictures.  Some of the types of hugs are a bit odd - Great-Aunt Mary hugs, knee hugs, rock hugs, lamp post hugs, etc.  However, the concept is cute, and Ivy seems to enjoy this!

One of Ivy's favorite Valentine's stories is Natasha Wing's The Night Before Valentine's Day, a clever spin-off of The Night Before Christmas.  The children make Valentines and go to sleep with visions of candy hearts dancing in their heads on the night before Valentine's Day.  The next day they attend parties at school, exchange Valentines, and receive a surprise visitor at school.  Who could it be, and what is he bringing?  Read to find out...

Arthur is a big favorite with toddlers. In Marc Brown's Arthur's Valentine, Arthur receives a Valentine from a secret admirer.  Is it an old friend, or is it the new girl, Sue-Ellen?  Enjoy the roller coaster of emotions as Arthur solves this romantic mystery.

I think Lisa Wheeler's Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story is one of the more interesting Valentine's Day stories.  A lonely porcupine at a petting zoo wants to find wife.  He sings courting songs to all of the animals in the petting zoo only to be rejected each time.  Will this plucky young porcupine ever find love?  Just ask Ivy!

Ivy and I have begun reviewing Valentine's Day books!  One of Ivy's current favorites is Jane O'Connor's Heart to Heart.  Nancy spent the day making Valentines with her BFF, Bree, only to discover someone left her a mysterious Valentine.  Who could it be?  Read to find out!

Sarah Garland has a beautiful series that would be appropriate for much younger children, but Ivy loves her.  One of her favorite books is Coming to Tea.  There are only 2 or 3 words a page.  The illustrations are whimsical yet realistic.  It tells the adventures of a mom and her kids preparing for tea, and the actual tea with a neighbor and her kids.   These are a huge hit!  I just got four more in the series from the library.

Ivy has not been interested in Richard Scarry until recently.  She just loves his Best Little Word Book Ever.  She loves pointing at objects and having me name them.  She also knows the names of the kitties, worms, and bugs.  I am ordering more from the library right now!