Planes and Trains and Roars: Let's Hear it for the Boys!

The due date of my daughter's second boy is drawing closer; and right now for her two and a half-year-old firstborn son, it's all about anything that zooms, stomps, or roars: planes, trains, trucks, elephants, lions and dinosaurs!

My grandson's current favorite things include his new airplane riding toy (complete with working propeller - though he's a little bummed it doesn't really fly) and Disney's Jungle Book movie.

So I scored at a local bookstore the other day when I found one of Lois Lenski's "Mr. Small" books, The Little Airplane (read my past posts here about these sweet books and their author).

I also spotted and picked up a "Baby Lit" books, Little Master Kipling:  The Jungle Book. My grandson loves to "roar" like a tiger and trumpet like an elephant, but I have to be careful not to roar too loudly when we get to the page with "Sher Khan", the Tiger, or he gets a little too scared.

The Baby Lit board books are so cute, but they are aimed just as much (if not more) at literature-loving-adults then at kids.  I mean, seriously: Anna Karenina?? Wuthering Heights??  for children?

We like Little Master Conan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes (read my past post here) and Little Master Carol: Alice in Wonderland.  Another, Little Master Baum: The Wizard of Oz looks super adorable - can't wait to get that one; and I'm guessing my grandson would like Little Master Melville: Moby-Dick.

On to trains:  Thomas the Tank. All. The. Way.  I'm referring to the "old school" Thomas, not the new, strange looking (in my opinion) CGI "Thomas and Friends".  If you haven't read my past post about the wonderful Rev. W. Awdry (Thomas' creator) and his original books, go here.

Currently, my grandson is obsessed with cabooses in particular...

His latest favorite from the library is C is for Caboose: Riding the Rails from A to Z by Traci N. Todd.  Any child who loves trains and is ready for "a-b-c books" will enjoy this picture book, uniquely illustrated with a mix of vintage drawings and modern photos!

He also likes the Caldecott honor book, Freight Train by Donald Crews...

 and the Little Golden Book The Little Red Caboose.

Maybe her love of travel and my grandson's love of trains inspired my daughter to set up this cute little changing area for her soon-to-be born little boy, with all the supplies organized and ready-at-hand in an old vintage suitcase!

All Aboard!  Click the links below to go to my previous posts with some fun toddler and preschool book recommendations:

• How to Find the Best Books for Babies and Toddlers
• Helen Oxenbury's Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
• Fun and Curious:  The Preschool Years
• Fun With Numbers and Counting

Hope you'll check out some of the books we love.  What are (or were) your little boy's favorites?
UPDATE:  Have to add in my grandson's newest favorite!  Have you heard of Supertruck?  Go here.

All Aboard! Trains, Trees, Traditions and...Books

My family moved from Memphis to the little town of Grand Junction, Tennessee, when I was in fourth grade. (The town, founded in 1858, was named after the "Grand Junction" of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, which ran through the area.)

To the residents - my family included - it was a kind of comfort to hear the distant train whistle throughout the day.  And even though we moved away from that small town when I was in high school, trains have remained a family favorite.

My past blog posts have included Rev. W. Awdry's original Thomas the Tank Engine book series, as well as a post about the book "Silver Packages", a book about a real Santa Train in Appalachia.  And what child doesn't love the "I - think - I - can" lesson from Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could.

I was soooo excited when my husband dug out our little battery operated train from the garage.  It had been many years since we'd set it up under our tree. My grandson is delighted with the "coo-coo"!!!  (Confession #1: our Christmas tree is still up because, confession #2: we broke with tradition and got - gasp - an artificial tree this year!)

The train-under-the-tree-tradition (and the train itself, complete with bell and whistle) was handed down to us from my parents.  I can't hear the whistle without remembering how excited my dad would get every time he'd run the train around their tree for my kiddos.

So of course, a few days ago when my daughter and I realized that there was a model train exhibit near our home, we packed up my grandson and his little conductor hat, and went to see it.  Lots of train loving kids and adults were there (many of the adults were without kids - trains after all, are for the young at heart!)

I hope you liked touring the exhibit with us.  Please pass on any train book recommendations you might have.  What are some of your family traditions during the holidays?