Read Aloud Dad

Otis by Loren Long: the quiet little tractor that keeps finding his way back into our reading pile

2026-02-05T11:40:00.007-05:00

Otis is not a book that announces itself loudly.

It’s subdued, calm, and almost unassuming and that turns out to be exactly why it works so well as a read-aloud.

Deeeeeep breeeeaaath.... and lets continue.

And what about the art?

Dare I tell you how the stroke of Loren Long's paintbrush, coming from afar brings smiles to the faces of my twins?

Now, please stop reading this post.

Kindly look again at the pictures.

Now let's say it together....

Wow.

Loren Long's illustrated picture books (Otis, Toy Boat and The Little Engine That Could) were among the first "more serious" picture books that I offered to my twins - when they were still two and a half years old.

From Day 1 that we read it - my little girl and boy fell in love with Long's stunning artwork and heartbreaking story.

A story about an old red tractor named Otis.

Sounds familiar?

Another car/truck/tractor story for boys? Think again.

This is a deeper book for both girls and boys that has several layers.

A high-energy interior spread from Otis by Loren Long,
capturing the joyful motion and
visual storytelling that make this book
such a favorite for read-alouds.

Otis is a book about compassion, true friendship, beauty and the value of life.

Long's jovial little tractor adores to work, but after a hard day in the fields - he unwinds by playing around the farm.

One night, while Otis is sleeping in the barn, the farmer brings a little baby calf to sleep in a neighboring stall.

Fortunately for the calf, the sound of Otis' motor rumbling "putt puff puttedy chuff" calms it down. It falls asleep.

A friendship is born and the tractor is trailed by the baby calf from that day on, wherever Otis goes.

At the end of each day the two often sit together under an apple tree (in an homage to Munro Leaf's Ferdinand) and watch the barn below.

But everything changes one day when the farmer buys a new yellow tractor and Otis is left to rust outside the barn.

A quiet interior spread from Otis by Loren Long,
where warm tones and gentle pacing slow the story
and invite young readers into a
calm nighttime moment.

Still, Otis' finest hour comes when he saves the little calf from drowning in the nearby Mud Pond - after the farmer, his neighbors, the new modern yellow tractor and the fire department all fail to pull out the baby calf.

This heroic deed reinstates Otis' former status in the farm and he once again becomes an integral part of the farm's day-to-day activities.

The beautiful ending captivates kids who go through a roller-coaster of emotions with Otis - as he sinks from his former glory into the dolldrums of isolation and uplifts himself to heroic status.

I know what you are thinking - there are many beautiful children's stories out there.

You are right.

What makes Otis extra special is the remarkable talent of Long as an illustrator.

The combination of almost fully monochrome drawings in guache (excluding the red color of Otis, the yellow of his rival yellow tractor, brown calf and some small details) and a vibrant and exciting text makes for a unique experience for children.

A lively interior spread from Otis by Loren Long,
capturing the tractor’s joyful role
at the heart of the farm community.

This is a book that I purchased for its artistic merit, hoping to influence the taste of my kids one day when I become older.

I made a mistake.

There was no need to wait. My kids recognized genius as soon as I opened the book for our first reading.

If you want to expose your kids to an artistic masterpiece, do not wait.

Loren Long's talent as an illustrator is so palpable that it practically spills out from the pages.

Finally, what makes this book an unmissable treat is that the quality and size of the hardcover edition that is simply fantastic for read aloud sessions.

2026 update

Since I wrote this post, Otis took a life of his own, and not in the shallow “here comes another sequel” way.

The series expanded in a way that makes sense if you have ever watched a child latch onto a character who feels safe. Loren Long was onto something with Otis.

The little red tractor is a discrete hero.

Otis is small, steady, and kind. He does not win by being louder than everyone else. He wins by paying attention and showing up.

For context, the original Otis was published in 2009 by Philomel. It later became a Jumpstart “Read for the Record” selection, which is a strong sign that the book moved beyond “popular” into “widely used in read-aloud settings.”

Here are the Otis books that followed, in publication order, with what each one adds to the shelf:

2. Otis and the Tornado (2010), Otis picture book 2

This is the book that proved the character has range.

A tornado approaches, the farm animals panic, and Otis turns the chaos into something children can handle by making it into follow-the-leader. That “play as coping strategy” idea is read-aloud gold.

It gives kids a way to feel brave without pretending they are not scared.

The bull matters here too. He is the difficult one, the intimidating one, the one the others would happily forget.

Otis does not forget him. If you ever want a gentle opening to talk about helping even when someone has not been nice, this story gets there without turning into a lecture.

3. Otis Loves to Play (2012) - does not strictly belong to the picture book series!

This is a shorter, board-book style Otis book, not a picture book of the same format as the original Otis.

This one was built for repetition and little hands. Keep in mind this is not one of the standard picture book Otis series.

The cover of Otis Loves to Play by Loren Long,
featuring the cheerful red tractor in motion
alongside curious geese and scattered apples.

It is a board book with a much simpler narrative. Essentially, there is no story line and feel free to skip this book if you are seeking one of the Otis picture books with well developed story lines.

The point is play and friendship, and it reads well to young children especially when a child asks for the same book three nights in a row.

It stays in the warm, familiar lane: Otis wants to play, friends join in, everyone ends up included.

I also like it as a “reset” book when bedtime has gotten too buzzy. Quick, cozy, and reliably pleasant.

Remember - this is not one of the large picture book editions like the original Otis or Otis and the Tornado.

If you forget later which one is the board book, just look at the book cover - notice it is visually different too?

4. An Otis Christmas (2012), Otis picture book 3

Seasonal books can be disposable. This one is not. It is an exciting adventure!

Fortunately, it keeps the Otis tone: gentle, earnest, and focused on helping. It also works well as a December tradition because it is short enough for sleepy kids, but warm enough that you do not feel like you are rushing through it.

Cover art from An Otis Christmas by Loren Long,
featuring Otis in a quiet winter night scene
beside a decorated Christmas tree.

One of the farm mares is getting ready to give birth to a foal - but tragedy strikes as the horse starts suffering from pain.

Otis' owner, the farmer announces that they must get the message to Doc Baker or else the farm will lose the mother horse and its baby.

Knowing that the the horse is in trouble, Otis does not flinch and ignores the piles of snow and the blocked roads. He finds a path through the forest to reach the Doc and save the day.

If your family does “one Christmas book a night,” this fits right in.

5. Otis and the Puppy (2014), Otis picture book 4

A puppy arrives on Otis' farm, and the whole place tilts toward excited chaos.

Cover art from Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long,
showing Otis proudly carrying a puppy
as the farm animals look on.

If you have ever had to explain “gentle hands” or “give him space” to a child who loves animals a bit too loudly, you will recognize the value here.

The story gives kids permission to adore the puppy, and at the same time it shows that caring for someone includes noticing when you are overwhelming them.

It is not just another “cute puppy” picture book.

Otis and the Puppy is an early lesson in empathy and self-control that still feels like a story.

6. Otis’s Busy Day (2014) - This is a shorter, board-book style Otis book, not a picture book of the same format as the original Otis.

This is part of the Step Into Reading book series, so manage your expectations. This one shifts into early-reader territory.

Shorter text, simpler vocabulary, more of that “I can read this myself” energy.

If your child loves Otis but is starting to resist picture books because they want to feel independent, this is an easy bridge.

So, effectively what you may see here is like a highlight reel of the original Otis.

You can read it quickly, and a kid can “take a turn” reading pages back to you without feeling set up to fail.

7. Otis and the Scarecrow (2017), Otis picture book 5

This is one of the better entries for conversation after the last page.

Cover art from Otis and the Scarecrow by Loren Long,
featuring Otis alongside a scarecrow
and the farm animals.

A scarecrow appears and the farm animals react the way groups often react to something unfamiliar: suspicion first, assumptions second.

Otis does the opposite. He approaches, he notices, he makes room.

If your child is dealing with a new class, a new teacher, or a new kid at school, this story gives them a gentle template for how to respond without being preachy about it.

It also has a tender, slightly autumn mood that suits repeated reading.

8. What Does Otis See? (2015) - again NOT one of the classic Otis picture book series! This is part of the Step Into Reading book series, so manage your expectations.

Another early-reader Otis, built around observation. This is a “point-and-notice” book in disguise. I like it because it makes a child slow down. They scan the page. They hunt for details. They name what they see.

That is not only good for early reading confidence, it is also quietly good for attention and vocabulary. If you want to turn read-aloud into a tiny game, this is the one.

Otis and the Kittens (2020), Otis picture book 6

Kittens are adorable, and kittens are trouble.

Cover art from Otis and the Kittens by Loren Long,
featuring Otis with a group of playful kittens.

This book understands that both can be true at the same time. Otis takes on the caretaker role again, not as a scold, but as the calm center.

This is a good pick if your house has “new baby energy,” or if an older child is trying to figure out how to be patient with little ones.

Yep, Otis can guide your family through the testing times.

Don't forget to draw the parallels between any newcomer in your family and the kittens that bring the chaos to the farm.

Yes, life is unpredictable, tempers can get frayed and outsiders may sometimes test our patience.

Otis brings the solution!

Otis Gives Thanks (2017) - again NOT one of the classic Otis picture book series! This is a board book, essentially a rehash of other Otis moments of glory

So, this is not part of the picture book series. A board book that serves as a great entry point into the Otis universe.

A brief lesson on gratitude - but without a sermon. It is simple, rhythmic, and toddler-friendly.

And then Otis went on-screen

Get Rolling With Otis (Apple TV+) premiered in 2021, with a second season released in 2022. The show keeps the same basic promise as the books: Otis notices when someone is struggling and steps in to help.

If your child already loves the books, the series is basically more time in that world.

If your child has not met Otis yet, the books still feel like the better first introduction. They slow everything down. The art sits with you. And that read-aloud “putt puff puttedy chuff” charm really does land best out loud.

So yes, my original 2010 self was onto something when I reviewed the first Otis.

Otis become a popular picture book series. However, he also became a dependable read-aloud lane you can return to for years, from full picture books to early readers to board books, and now a show.

That is not common.

And if your kids fall for Otis, you will understand why it happened.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

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Best Harry Potter Set to Buy (2026): Illustrated MinaLima vs Jim Kay OR Standard

2026-02-01T19:24:00.125-05:00

If you want only one Harry Potter set, get this one.

If you want the simplest answer that creates the fewest regrets, buy one of the standard unabridged and complete 1-7 box sets.

Our Harry Potter bookshelf at home
with a hardcover, paperback set,
Hogwarts Library and the Marauder's Map!

For most families, it’s the format most likely to get fully read, because it’s complete, portable, and low-fuss.

But also read on for the answer to which Harry Potter edition is the best for those who want an even more immersive experience or a follow up edition.

Plus, as a family we do have the qualifications to answer this, just look at our Harry Potter home bookshelf in the photograph above (and several pics below)!

A standard set is the best option if your goal is to ensure the Harry Potter books are read cover to cover. Because the regular, standard (non-illustrated) sets are complete right now with all seven volumes immediately available.

That's not the case with the illustrated sets all of which are partially published so far - as of 2026.

Furthermore, the standard set is also easier to handle, and it does not turn reading into a careful, slow, museum-like experience.

Quick pick: if you want the full story in one purchase, get the standard 1-7 box set. If you want the most ‘wow per page’, MinaLima is the most magical - just not complete yet.

Quick comparison: which Harry Potter set should you buy?

Set	Best for	Why people love it	Watch-outs	My shorthand verdict
Standard 1-7 box set	Families, first-time readers, gifts	Complete story in one purchase; easiest no regrets gift	Quality varies by print/box	Best default buy if you want the whole series now
MinaLima Editions	Collectors; show-and-tell read-alouds	Most wow per page; interactive design moments	Not a complete 1 to 7 set; pricier per book	Best magic factor: just plan around incompleteness
Jim Kay Illustrated Editions	Illustration lovers; classic illustrated feel	Immersive art; strong mood and character visuals	Currently partial/transitioning; set-building can be messy	Best traditional illustrated version if you’re OK with gaps
House editions / collector alternatives	Big gifts; display shelves; superfans	Great design objects; fun “choose your house” angle	Often heavier; less practical for daily reading	Best statement gift when looks matter most

Now let me say this clearly before the collectors come after me.

The MinaLima interactive editions and the Jim Kay illustrated editions are fantastic. They just do a different job.

If you buy them for the wrong job (reading all 7 Harry Potter books aloud or getting your kids to read the whole set on their own), you will feel disappointed, even if the illustrated books are objectively gorgeous.

So let’s sort out the jobs first, then the choice gets easy.

Quick pick: choose your lane in 15 seconds

If you only read one part, read this. I’m trying to save you from “wrong job, wrong edition” regret.

Most families: Buy the standard complete 1–7 box set, because it is the best “finish the whole story” option.
Most magical version of Harry Potter (for Books 1–4 as of early 2026): get the MinaLima Interactive Editions (books 1-3) and Mountford (book 4) - but treat them as special-handling books.
Best illustrated read-aloud experience without constant “pause and play”: Buy Jim Kay for books 1-5 (with the illustrated series continuing with artist Levi Pinfold later).

Jump to what you need

MinaLima / Interactive & Illustrated Editions (Books 1–3, then Mountford)
Jim Kay Illustrated Editions (and Levi Pinfold continuation)
Hogwarts House Editions (don’t mix these up)
Standard 1–7 Box Set (the “finish the story” default)
US vs UK: Philosopher vs Sorcerer
What we have at home
The one question that decides everything
Read-aloud families vs independent readers
Illustration density (what it changes)
Shelf presence and gift impact
The clear recommendation
FAQ (buyer worries)
Finished books 1–7? What to read next

Now, here’s the twist.

I am not discounting the two amazing illustrated “premium lanes” of Harry Potter. They are fantastic and absolutely worth indulging in. However, research before splurging. Read on to find out what I mean.

When people say “illustrated Harry Potter,” they often mean different things, and that confusion causes half the buyer regret.

And let's get this clear from the outset. Neither the MinaLima nor the Jim Kay illustrated edition are the definitive illustrated edition.

MinaLima illustrated interior spread from
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

They shine when you buy them for the right reason.

Before I tell you the choice I made when we obtained our own Harry Potter collections, let's just take a moment to consider what our options are today in 2026.

Essentially: we have a choice between the interactive illustrated editions, the illustrated editions, and the non-illustrated standard editions.

Phew... that was a mouthful.

But wait. Things are never as simple ~~complicated~~ as they seem to be.

Stop blabbing Read Aloud Dad and tell us what is the state of the playing field right now in 2026?

1) MinaLima interactive & illustrated editions: who they’re for?

These editions include the MinaLima Interactive Illustrated (Harry Potter books 1–3) + Karl James Mountford Interactive Illustrated (Harry Potter book 4 and onwards).

Here we are dealing with literally (!) fantastic, deluxe, design-forward editions with full-color illustration density and paper-engineered interactive elements.

However, an important point here is that MinaLima has released only three interactive illustrated Harry Potter books:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Book 1)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)

The MinaLima design studio announced in August 2024 that they were not commissioned to continue with the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

So, is it all over for the interactive illustrated editions of Harry Potter?

Should we say our goodbyes? And just keep these three on our shelf?

Well, the good news is that Scholastic said in August 2024 it would continue to publish illustrated, interactive editions of the Harry Potter books.

And they kept their word!

The publisher passed the interactive illustrated baton - from MinaLima - to Karl James Mountford as the designer and artist for the interactive and illustrated Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) that was published in late 2025. It is already available!

The new book 4 interactive and illustrated edition features 608 pages with full-color illustrations and eight interactive, paper-engineered, pop-up elements, including the Triwizard maze and the Dark Mark.
The interactive paper-engineered elements were designed by Jess Tice-Gilbert.

2) Jim Kay illustrated editions: who they’re for

OK, so what are these illustrated editions, you ask? In this case we talking about the Jim Kay Illustrated Editions (Harry Potter books 1–5) and a continuation of the illustrated editions with the Levi Pinfold Illustrated Editions (Harry Potter books 6 and 7).

These are oversized illustrated hardbacks that feel closer to a traditional “illustrated classic.”

Jim Kay illustrated Bloomsbury
Harry Potter hardcovers

Bloomsbury engaged Jim Kay to illustrate the first five books before he stepped down, and the publisher later announced Levi Pinfold for the final two illustrated editions.

Kay decided to stop his participation in the project after illustrating Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

The reasons for his departure included the demanding nature of the work and his personal concern about his wellbeing due to the stress and workload.

Levi is not a newcomer to the Harry Potter world as he already contributed illustrations to the much-loved Harry Potter Hogwarts House Editions (which I’ll explain next, because people mix them up with “illustrated editions” all the time) and The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac.

The first Levi Pinfold illustrated Harry Potter book — Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — is currently due for publication in October 2026.

Levi Pinfold artwork from
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Bloomsbury has also shared a sneak peek of Harry Potter peering into the swirling mists of Professor Dumbledore’s Pensieve.

As we don't have the Pinfold illustrated books around yet, this image serves as an early preview of Levi’s spine-tingling artwork.

And, it does look entrancing!

A quick detour: Hogwarts House Editions and book sets (easy to mix up)

If you’ve been shopping around, you’ve probably seen “House Editions” (recognizable by their single color motif) and thought: Oh! Are these the illustrated books?

Nope. The Hogwarts House Editions are their own lane. Think of them as house-themed collector/readers.

So, they are the same full novels, but wrapped in house pride, plus extra house-flavored bonus pages.

Harry Potter Gryffindor
House Edition hardcovers (Bloomsbury)

These are the editions where you pick Gryffindor / Slytherin / Ravenclaw / Hufflepuff and the book shows up dressed for the occasion.

These book sets look amazing and they are simply perfect gifts if your kids starts identifying with one of the Hogwarts houses.

These books, can reinforce the sense of belonging to the one of the Hogwarts Houses. Kids love that! My own kids had their favorite Hogwarts house and they even had scarves that match. So, these House editions are no brainers for Potterheads.

I know it's tough to imagine if you haven't seen them before, but here is what I am talking about:

1. The Gryffindor House edition - in a red and black design
2. The Slytherin House edition - in a green and black motif
3. The Ravenclaw House edition - in a blue and black presentation

4. The Hufflepuff House edition - with its distinctive yellow and black design

Fast “don’t-buy-the-wrong-thing” checklist

Edition	What it really is	What you’re paying for
House Editions	The standard novels dressed in house identity	Covers, design details, and house bonus pages
Jim Kay (Illustrated Editions)	Big illustrated hardbacks with immersive art throughout	Major illustration program (feels like an illustrated classic)
MinaLima / Interactive & Illustrated	Full-color design + interactive paper engineering	Pop-ups / inserts / handling experience
Standard Box Set	Plain & practical “reading tool” versions	Convenience, portability, and finish-the-series momentum

Practical caution: some House Edition bonus pages can wander into later-series facts. If this is for a first-time reader and you want to avoid accidental spoilers, treat House Editions as a “later” set or a collector set.

Where do House Editions fit in my recommendation?

If your kid loves the idea of “being” a Hogwarts house, House Editions can be a very fun identity-gift. Also they are a variant of the standard 1 to 7 box set and can win on pure daily-life usefulness - just like the standard edition.

Speaking of which, here we come to the mainstream edition, read on...

3) Standard 1–7 box set (mainstream, not illustrated): who it's for?

Standard is such a boring word.

Imagine referring to the Harry Potter books as we know them as… standard.

More like Gold Standard, puhleeeease!

Our own Scholastic paperback Harry Potter box set
spine view shows how well read they are!

However, even if you go for standard Harry Potter - you can often see a Special Edition of the standard Harry Potter books raising its head - just like those cute House editions we mentioned a moment ago.

Yes, so basically this is the normal reading edition: full text, practical handling, and you can choose your preferred format (paperback, hardcover, house edition, etc.).

Also, standard editions - more often than not - also feature lavish jacket artwork and chapter opening illustrations to set the mood for readers.

If you are a paperback fan, you are in luck - there is choice.

Do you want the standard Harry Potter Paperback 1-7 slipcase or the Brian Selznick designed Harry Potter Paperback 1-7 special edition slipcase?

I am partial towards Brian Selznick! All of Selznick's own (non-Harry Potter) books are simply fabulous (remember The Invention of Hugo Cabret or Wonderstruck?) - we have many of them in our home library. And if you already have some, this will be a nice addition to your Selznick collection.

Yet, my daughter says that she doesn't like Harry Potter books with black and white covers, color is key, she just told me. So there is that. What a parent likes, might not work for kids! (keep that in mind, my friends!).

The Selznick designed Harry Potter Paperback 1-7 slipcase was published in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Our own Bloomsbury hardcover Harry Potter box set
we always removed the book jackets while reading!

On the other hand, if you are a fan of hardcovers, well - you also have to make a pick. You can get the the standard Harry Potter Hardcover 1-7 slipcase or one of the previously mentioned Harry Potter Hardback House Editions.

If you have ever read one “special edition” and then watched your child sprint ahead into the next book… you already understand why the standard set remains the default winner for many families.

Paperback or standard hardcover, depending on which one you choose. It is not trying to be a deluxe art object. It is trying to be read.

My daughter is crazy about reading hardcovers, my son doesn't care as much. He just cares about reading a good book, regardless of the format.

US vs UK (Philosopher vs Sorcerer): does it matter?

And here I will digress a bit to tell you the story about Harry Potter in our home and what's the difference between a philosopher and a sorcerer.

BTW, you may notice me dropping the names of the Harry Potter publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury and you may ask yourself, which publisher should we go for Read Aloud Dad?

Don't we all know it is Scholastic?

Well, actually, Bloomsbury is the original publisher of the Harry Potter series in the UK, while Scholastic holds the US publication rights.

Before you utter "Who cares?", let me just add some context.

Actually they produce distinct editions featuring different covers, spelling, and altered text tailored for their respective audiences.

Bloomsbury uses British spelling and terms (even the name of the first book differes: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, “jumpers”).

In the US, Scholastic uses US spelling and terms (first book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, “sweaters”, etc).

Another glance at our Harry Potter bookshelf
Bloomsbury hardcover Harry Potter box set

To see the full list of changes, just consult this compilation of UK/US edition changes that were made in each book.

Interesting tidbit: JK Rowling apparently regrets yielding to pressure to change the title of her first book for the US market.

Rowling said the change was suggested by Arthur Levine of Scholastic Books as “philosopher” was apparently seen as off-putting to American kids (according to the suits at Scholastic).

There are some interesting differences.

In US editions, the British term “Sellotape” (and the magical pun “Spellotape”) is replaced with Scotch tape or tape.

The Spellotape works because Sellotape is a UK brand name for clear adhesive tape. Spellotape is another of those magic tricks JK Rowling prepared for her little readers. Ron Weasley uses Spellotape to repair his wand in Chamber of Secrets.

However, it does not matter which edition you use. Even when reading a different edition, questions pop up and that means it is a learning moment for kids.

What do we have at home?

The Harry Potter book set is a super-hero assistant for every family. A literacy aid, a babysitter and a travel guide in one. It is one of the strongest allies you will have in your literacy journey with your children.

Do not waver. Do not hesitate. Get a full set, because once a kid starts reading it... there is no stopping that train.

The first book may be finished at midnight (even later from my experience!), the second will be started at a minute past midnight.

The third book will be completed just before lunch, the fourth one will be started right after gobbling down lunch…

The 7-book Harry Potter box set contains approximately 4,167 pages in total - depending on the edition.

Can you imagine the power that it wields?

Our copy of the
The Marauder’s Map of Hogwarts (folded)

But back to our family, let me tell you the unique situation we had at home.

As I have twins… I knew that one day we would have to deal with the issue of concurrency.

Concurrency, you ask?

Yes, it's the fact of two or more events or circumstances happening or existing at the same time.

Simply put, I knew that one day my baby boy and baby girl would want to read the Harry Potter books at the same time, so what did I decide?

They would both grab Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and they would start fighting. Or one of them would start reading and the other one would start complaining.

Even before my kids were able to read chapter books I took the plunge.

So, I got us a Bloomsbury hardcover set as our main set at home, well it just looked perfect to me.

And then I splurged out on a Scholastic paperback set as a fallback solution that would allow parallel reading by two kids.

Remember: if you have two kids, reading Harry Potter is like travelling to Japan or Peru together. They learn the customs, the lingo, the mannerisms. Nothing reinforces an experience as much as sharing it with someone.

Our own fully unfolded
Marauder’s Map of Hogwarts

I knew that the only better thing than one Potterhead reader was two Potterhead readers.

So, our family has both sets. And I am happy to report that they were both read in parallel and enjoyed multiple times as you can see by the photographs (the spines of the paperbacks show it most clearly).

We later, as all Potterheads do, expanded our contact surface with the Potter world.

We even got our hands on a real life Marauders Map!

And then we also got the four follow-up books, but more on them later.

The one question that decides everything

Are you buying a reading tool or a keepsake object?

A reading tool needs to survive backpacks, couch reading, bedtime slumps, and fast page-turning.

A keepsake object needs to feel special, look special, and stay special.

If you buy a keepsake object for a kid who reads like a tornado, you will spend the next year silently trying to protect the book from the child. That is not fun.

And my kids know it. Some time ago, I bought Robert Sabuda's pop-out book edition of Alice in Wonderland and then I kept trying to protect it when they were too young. It is exhausting for everyone.

Then again, sometimes my favorite illustrated read aloud version is not available. Then one can go for the interactive illustrated edition. For example, when I hunted for the best illustrated Peter Pan, I got the Scott Gustafson edition... but as the availability of that book changed I modified my recommendation to the MinaLima version as it was the best available reading experience for a family read-aloud.

Although I did choose the MinaLima Peter Pan in that case, it was a different story when it came to picking the best illustrated edition of The Secret Garden. In that case the MinaLima version lost out.

Read-aloud families vs independent readers

Some parents may just say “my kid is 8” as if that answers everything. It doesn’t.

The better question is: are these books going to be read aloud or read independently?

For read-aloud families, illustrations can help in two ways. They can keep attention anchored, and they can create natural pauses for discussion.

But if the book creates too many pauses, it can also wreck the bedtime rhythm.

You know the difference between “one more chapter” and “we are still unfolding the same page.”

Another look at the complete Harry Potter
Hogwarts House Editions, all four houses

This is where MinaLima and Jim Kay feel very different in the hand.

With MinaLima, the interactive elements invite hands-on exploration. In reader discussions, people consistently describe them as beautiful and fun, but also the kind of book that makes you stop, flip back, and handle the paper features carefully.

With Jim Kay, the illustrations tend to behave like a companion to the text rather than a separate activity.

It still slows you down compared to a plain reading edition, but it usually does not turn the book into a “toy-like” experience.

The trade-off is size and weight, which matters more than people think. A kid who wants to read in bed alone has a different relationship with a regular paperback or hardcover set than with an oversized illustrated hardback.

That is why the standard set keeps winning for so many families. It supports the reading habit effortlessly, anytime and anywhere.

And when it comes to reading 4,000+ pages of Harry Potter, you will find out that anytime and anywhere matter more than you think.

Anytime and anywhere mean literally that. Morning and night, meal time and commute journey, summer beach and doctor's office, school recess and winter holiday…

You will not be able to predict where and when… because it’s going to be everywhere and all the time. The Harry Potter tales do not let the reader escape their clutches!

Illustration density and what it does to the story

MinaLima is not just “pictures.” It is a full design world. The pages often feel like curated artifacts from inside the story.

That is why collectors love it, and why some parents might find it a slower or more delicate ... hands-on read aloud.

On the other hand, Jim Kay illustrations aim for atmosphere and interpretation. The illustrations are immersive and emotional. The art is amazing. Yet, my concern - for young readers and for read aloud sessions - is related to the sheer bulk and the practical reading ergonomics.

But that may be an unfair data point. I went back to compare the weight of different editions of the shortest of the 7 Harry Potter books: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

This is what I found in terms of the book size and weight for the shortest and lightest of the seven books:

Book 1 in the hand: size & weight (standard vs House edition vs MinaLima vs Jim Kay)

If you’re reading in bed, the story is only half the equation. The other half is: can a kid comfortably hold the book for 20-40 minutes?

Edition	Publisher	Format	ISBN	Trim size (in / cm)	Weight (lb / g)	Pages
Standard book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	Scholastic	Paperback	978-1338878929	5.25 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches (13.3 x 1.9 x 19.7 cm)	7.2 ounces (204 g)	320
Standard book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	Scholastic	Hardcover	978-0590353403	6.1 x 1.3 x 9.1 inches (15.5 x 3.3 x 23.1 cm)	1.6 pounds (726 g)	320
House edition (Gryffindor) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	Bloomsbury	Paperback (House edition)	978-1408883730	5.04 x 0.87 x 7.8 inches (12.8 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm)	10.7 ounces (303 g)	368
House edition (Gryffindor) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	Bloomsbury	Hardcover	978-1408883747	8.2 x 1.1 x 5.5 inches (20.8 x 2.8 x 14.0 cm)	13.8 ounces (391 g)	350
Interactive Illustrated (MinaLima) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	Scholastic	Hardcover	978-1338596700	6.3 x 1.8 x 9.3 inches (16.0 x 4.6 x 23.6 cm)	2.4 pounds (1.09 kg)	368
Illustrated Edition (Jim Kay) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone	Scholastic	Hardcover (oversized)	978-0545790352	9.1 x 1.1 x 10.5 inches (23.1 x 2.8 x 26.7 cm)	2.3 pounds (1.05 kg)	256

Note: weights can vary by printing and paper stock

However, don't be fooled by the stats for the first Harry Potter book. This is the shortest one, hence also the easiest one for small hands to hold.

We have to keep in mind who is our audience.

Our book readers are kids and they want to be with the book literally everywhere.

So, I thought - wait a moment, what if I looked at the weight and size of Book 5 in all formats as Book 5 is the largest and most expansive of the seven.

Alas, we still don't have a Book 5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) for the interactive illustrated versions, so I had to settle for a comparison among the next-to-largest Harry Potter books - or Book 4 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

These are the sizes of Book 4, with Book 5 certainly a bit heavier because of the greater number of pages.

Book 4 in the hand: size & weight (standard vs House edition vs interactive vs illustrated)

Book 4 is where gorgeous can certainly turn into chunky. Can your kid drag it around and read in unexpected places? Or will the book's size block his/her reading progress?

Edition	Publisher	Format	ISBN	Trim size (in / cm)	Weight (lb / g)	Pages
Standard book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Scholastic	Paperback	978-1338878950	5.2 x 1.8 x 7.5 inches (13.2 x 4.6 x 19.1 cm)	2.3 pounds (1.1 kg)	752
Standard book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Scholastic	Hardcover	978-0439139595	6.3 x 2.3 x 9.5 inches (16.0 x 5.8 x 24.1 cm)	2.6 pounds (1.2 kg)	752
House edition (Gryffindor) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Bloomsbury	Paperback	978-1526610287	7.8 x 1.5 x 5.1 inches (19.7 x 3.9 x 13.0 cm)	1.1 pounds (512 g)	640
House edition (Gryffindor) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Bloomsbury	Hardcover	978-1526610270	8.1 x 1.8 x 5.6 inches (20.5 x 4.5 x 14.3 cm)	1.3 pounds (603 g)	640
Interactive Illustrated (Mountford) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Scholastic	Hardcover	978-1546154419	6.3 x 2.2 x 9.2 inches (16.0 x 5.6 x 23.4 cm)	3.5 pounds (1.6 kg)	608
Illustrated Edition (Jim Kay) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Scholastic	Hardcover (oversized)	978-0545791427	9.5 x 1.25 x 11 inches (24.1 x 3.2 x 27.9 cm)	4.7 pounds (2.1 kg)	464

Note: weights can vary by printing and paper stock. Book 4 is also long, so format differences become obvious fast.

The standard and the House edition sets, of course, are (almost) pure text. That is not a downgrade. For many kids, it is exactly what allows them to fall into the story and keep going.

If you want a good mental model: MinaLima tends to add “experience” as a layer on top of reading. Jim Kay tends to add “vision” as a layer on top of reading. The standard set is just reading.

Shelf presence and gift impact

Let’s talk about the emotional side, because people pretend it doesn’t matter, then buy with their eyes anyway. Yeah, Read Aloud Dad is guilty! :-)

MinaLima wins the instant “wow” moment for early books. It looks and feels like a premium gift object, and the interactivity gives the recipient something to do immediately.

This is why flip-through videos are so persuasive.

Just glance at this fantastic flip-through video of the MinaLima book 1

Meanwhile, Jim Kay wins the “classic deluxe” presence. It feels like the illustrated classics many of us grew up admiring, but applied to Harry Potter.

A standard 1–7 box set has a very special gift message to the child.

It says: I am giving you the whole story. That lands extremely well for many families, especially if the child is at the age where they want to binge-read.

But wait a moment. Please be aware of the impact of this present on your child.

Do not insist that they read all of them. Some may be overwhelmed and some may be even be afraid of tackling such a load of written material. They might keep their concerns to themselves.

These are big books. A book set is a present, not homework.

So - rule number 1 is - no pressure! Not even hints or suggestions.

Let it sit in your home for some weeks, months or years. The time will come.

Just treat is as the present it is. Your confidence that your kid will be able to tackle them will inspire your child.

When you feel your kid might be ready, you could even start a read aloud session for the first chapter of the first book.

Another part of our Harry Potter collection
Harry Potter: A History of Magic is the official book
of the record-breaking British Library exhibition

Then continue… slowly letting the first book drag you in… together.

And J.K. Rowling's magic will do its trick.

If you’re buying for someone who already loves collections and boxed sets, I have a few posts where I lean into the same gift logic.

A boxed set is often not about “having books.” It’s about the feeling of completeness.

Check out my post on the Wayside School Box Set or even on my most extravagant splurge ever: the NYRB Children’s Collection 40-Book Set - Why I Bought It (and Still Love It).

Another full book set worth having and which works as a terrific read aloud set is The Complete Wreck. Find out why I nearly said “No” to A Series of Unfortunate Events.

That same psychology that pushed me to get those sets is why the standard Potter box set is such a safe gift to a child.

The clear recommendation

Overall winner for most families: the standard 1–7 box set.

If your main goal is, “These books will get read,” the standard set is better because it is complete, practical, and habit-friendly.

It is the least likely to create a weird dynamic where the child wants the story but the adult is anxious about the book.

It is also the best option when the kid turns into a fast reader overnight, which happens more often than we expect.

Best for bedtime read-aloud families: the Jim Kay illustrated editions (continued by Levi Pinfold)

If your household is doing the read-aloud thing seriously, Jim Kay can be a great fit because it gives you rich visuals without constantly turning reading into a hands-on activity.

The warning is physical: these books are large. If your read-aloud sessions happen mostly in bed, you may prefer reading at a table or propping the book up.

If you’re still building the routine, I have a practical “get the read-aloud train moving” post (8 Ways to Start the Read Aloud Train) that fits naturally with this decision, because the edition is only half the story and the habit is the other half.

Best for collectors and display: MinaLima Books 1-3, followed by the Karl James Mountford version of Book 4+.

MinaLima is best when you want the recipient to open the book and feel like they just walked into a curated Harry Potter world. It is premium, it is playful, and it rewards slow browsing.

Finally, here is a short FAQ (that I compiled based on buyer worries):

Are MinaLima editions abridged?

They are sold as full-text editions with added illustrations and interactive elements.

Why do people say the illustrated hardbacks are “hard to read in bed”?

Because of size and weight. That’s not about the story, it’s about ergonomics. Flip-through videos make this obvious quickly.

Are interactive, illustrated books too delicate for kids?

They include interactive parts, which many readers treat more carefully than standard hardbacks. If the child is rough on books, it is wise to treat MinaLima as a “together book” at first.

If I can only buy one deluxe illustrated volume as a gift, which one?

If you want the most immediate “magic object” reaction, MinaLima Book 1 is a strong choice.

If you want classic illustrated-book deluxe without pop-ups, Jim Kay Book 1 is a strong choice.

What if the recipient is likely to binge-read the whole series?

Buy the standard book 1-7 set. That’s what it is for. You can't go wrong!

What if I care about matching spines and a unified shelf look?

Be cautious with both premium lines. There are transitions within the illustrated ecosystem (artist changes, different series lines). Collectors discuss this exact frustration.

Finished books 1-7? What to read next

We finished books 1 to 7. Is there any more Harry Potter to read?

If you finished Harry Potter books 1-7, you finished the main, core story. There isn’t an “eighth novel” that simply continues right where Book 7 ends in the same format and voice.

We do have the following books that continue the Harry Potter world, but it is best if you know exactly what do they encompass.

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, parts one and two (be aware that this is play script, not a normal novel)

Essentially, this is the closest thing to “more story with Harry” in terms of timeline, because it’s set years later with the next generation at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

It is written as a stage play script, meaning you read dialogue and stage directions, not a standard narrative. If your reader loves novels, this can feel strange at first. If your listener enjoys theatre, it can feel fast and vivid.

The story centers on Albus Severus Potter (Harry’s son) and his friendship with Scorpius Malfoy (Draco’s son).

A lot of the emotional weight is about family expectations, father-son tension, and trying to live up to a famous name.

There is a big plot engine involving time-turning and revisiting or twisting events that Potter fans already know.

If you are reading as a family, it often works best when treated as a special event read.

You can even read parts aloud with different voices, because it’s built for performance.

If your child’s favorite part of Harry Potter was the steady “one chapter leads to the next” novel flow, this won’t feel the same.

If your child likes big swings, big reveals, and is curious about “what happens later,” it can be exciting.

2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the original “textbook” companion, an illustrated edition exists!) - this book is often sold together with Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beetle the Bard (see below) as part of the Hogwarts Library set.


Our own Hogwarts Library: Fantastic Beasts illustrated edition

So what is this book?

It is a “Hogwarts Library” style book that exists inside the Potter/Hogwarts world.

Just ask your kid, he/she will know!

It reads like a field guide written by a wizarding expert (Newt Scamander), with short entries about magical creatures.

Each creature entry is basically “name, classification, what it does, and why it matters,” and it’s fun because you recognize many creatures from the series.

It is very easy to browse rather than read straight through. That makes it a good “post-series” book when a child wants Potter feelings without committing to another long storyline.

If your reader loves the creatures and the strange corners of the wizarding world, this is a satisfying “more Potter without more plot” choice.

3. Quidditch Through the Ages (wizard sports history, written like a real in-world book, also has illustrated edition!)

This is for the kid who finished the series and kept talking about Quidditch rules, teams, and matches.

Partial view of our Harry Potter bookshelf
with with Hermione Granger Funko Pop
a set of the Hogwarts Library books
and a copy of the Marauder's Map!

It reads like an in-world nonfiction book about Quidditch, almost like a sports history mixed with rulebook material.

Contains sections on how Quidditch developed, changes in rules over time, broom evolution, and the kind of odd historical trivia that makes the wizarding world feel real.

It’s more fun than it sounds because it has that “this is what Hogwarts students would actually read” vibe.

4. The Tales of Beedle the Bard (wizard fairy tales + commentary, also has a nice illustrated edition)

This is the book that feels the most like a “home artifact” from inside the wizarding world.

Essentially, it's a handful of short wizard fairy tales, with their own morals, odd twists, and old-story energy.

The big draw is that these aren’t just random stories. In the original series, one tale (“The Tale of the Three Brothers”) connects directly to a major concept in Book 7.

Many editions include commentary “as if” by a character in-world, which makes it feel like you’re reading something that belongs on a wizard family shelf.

This is a great choice if your reader likes the folklore feeling in fantasy, or if you want something you can read aloud in one sitting, one story at a time.

I can't believe I made it to here. This was a pretty big effort, but I hope this little guide will assist some of you in your quest to send your little readers and listeners to Hogwarts!

PS if you are wondering about that little Hermione Granger doll from our shelf, it's part of the Funko Pop collection of Harry Potter characters. They have different sets and individual figurines and they make perfect gifts to our young readers.

Thanks for your company!

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

1) Standard complete 1–7 box set (my default pick) Amazon.com (US) – Check price ThriftBooks – Check price Amazon.ca – Check price Bookshop.org – Check price Better World Books – Check price AbeBooks – Check price Amazon UK – Check price Tip: if your goal is “finish the whole story,” don’t overthink it — a standard 1–7 set is the lowest-regret choice.2) Interactive illustrated editions (MinaLima 1–3 + Mountford 4+) Amazon.com (US) – Check price ThriftBooks – Check price Amazon.ca – Check price Bookshop.org – Check price Better World Books – Check price AbeBooks – Check price Amazon UK – Check price Tip: these are “slow and special” books — great for browsing and gifting, not always ideal for fast binge-reading.3) Illustrated editions (Jim Kay 1–5, then Levi Pinfold 6–7) Amazon.com (US) – Check price ThriftBooks – Check price Amazon.ca – Check price Bookshop.org – Check price Better World Books – Check price AbeBooks – Check price Amazon UK – Check price Tip: if your read-aloud happens in bed, size/weight matters — these are gorgeous but chunky.

The Five Chinese Brothers: Parent Read-Aloud Review + How to Handle It in the 21st Century

2025-10-05T14:59:00.056-04:00

This is a favorite book for a lot of families and that’s exactly why it’s complicated. If you’re asking “Can I read this today?” you’re already being the right kind of parent. Here’s how I read it aloud now, and why.

"Dad, do you know what is my favorite book?"

Cover of *The Five Chinese Brothers*

I was surprised. Did I hear well?

A favorite book?

Wow, among hundreds and hundreds of books, my little boy has a favorite?

And he never told me about it.

I wanted to know.
Not just a good book.

Not even “Can we read it again tonight.”

No. A favorite.

The word hung in the air.

Favorite.

And what made me blink twice is that we never really talked about favorite books before.

The topic of favorite books never came up.

Yet here it was. Raising its head. Out of the blue.

And I simply HAD to know which one was THE favorite.

Might sound strange, but the reason was that I spend hundreds of hours cumulatively agonizing over which books to purchase - as money is tight.

Also, the books that are not interesting or do not pique curiosity are just taking up space that could be reserved for better ones. Every meh book one buys is in fact eating into the space that could have been taken by a perennial classic.

The five identical Chinese brothers sit in a row by the sea

I would never have guessed his choice. A book originally published in 1938.

Two Readings. That’s all.

We read it only twice.

Once six months ago. Once last week.

That’s it.

No endless rereads like Goodnight Moon. No daily demands like Caps for Sale.

Two reads.

One brother stands by the sea with his bucket and fish

Yet it burrowed into his heart and stayed.

Makes me wonder how many other “forgotten” books have secretly planted seeds in my twins?

Just shows how little we actually know about our kids.
The Reveal

“Which one?” I asked, half curious, half terrified.

He dashed off to the bookshelf. Stood on tiptoe. Fingers fumbling.

Pulled out a thin, worn copy.

And turned to me with that grin.

The Five Chinese Brothers.

What?

That one?

Are you serious?

Not the new glossy books. Not the rhyming Dr. Seuss. Not the ones with sparkly covers.

THIS.

The old folktale with strange drawings and a plot that made me scratch my head the first time I read it. yes, its an old folktale, but adapted for American audiences by Claire Huchet Bishop and illustrated by Kurt Wiese.

However, there is a story behind the story. The real reason why I bought this picture book was that I had shelved the entire fantastic tale somewhere in the back of my mind. It was traveling stealthily in the back of my mind for decades.

I remembered it from my days in middle school, while I was rummaging through the Escola Americana de Brasilia library - a school that I attended for four years. The library was my sanctuary and I just loved spending every free moment there.

One brother stretches his legs all the way to the bottom of the sea.

One book that just captivated me in 6th grade was The Five Chinese Brothers.

Why? I do not know.

It was simplistic, it was incredible, it was bold and it was shocking and it was reassuring at the same time.

Plus it was a fast read.

Speedy.

I just would see the book, read it, drop it and come back to it after a year.

With a certain fascination - having forgotten the details.

Knowing that there was something in it that was unique.

I always wanted to come back to the part where one brother just casually swallows an ENTIRE sea.

Talk about super powers!

Essentially this is a Chinese folklore version of the The Avengers, but anonymous super-heroes.

The Story (if you forgot)

Here’s the quick and dirty:

Five brothers. All are identical and we can’t tell them apart. But each one has a gift.

One brother can swallow the entire sea.
Another one has an iron neck.
One can stretch his legs for miles.
The fourth one can’t be burned.
One cannot drown.

The book takes a twist after a boy dies. As the village seeks the killer, one of the (innocent) brothers is accused.

Soon the death sentence is passed.

BUT.

Every time the executioners try to deliver the death sentence (not graphic or explicit), a different brother takes the place of the jailed brother.

Execution by beheading? The brother with iron neck just laughs it off.

Burn him at the stake? Fireproof brother yawns.

Throw him into the sea? The one who can’t drown floats back up.

On and on.

The third brother is thrown overboard into the sea

Until the authorities give up.

The brothers (or as the authorities think - the brother) go free.

Justice prevails as the innocent are not punished.

Why did my boy choose it?

That was the million-dollar question for me.

Why THIS book?

I didn’t expect it.

I didn’t even think it was a big hit in our house.

But kids have radar.

One Chinese brother swallows the entire sea.

They have a radar for injustice.

They can FEEL the thrill of a close escape.

They FEEL family protecting each other.

And they remember it.

We adults think they pick favorites because of flashy illustrations or funny rhymes.

Wrong.

They pick them because the story means something. Even if they can’t put it into words.

My Reaction After Buying the Book (as a grown up)

Confession time.

When I first reread The Five Chinese Brothers … I didn’t like it as much. Yes, it seemed a bit simplistic and I can't say I could not notice the racial stereotypes. The lumping of Chinese physiognomies into one external phenotype.

This was all visible as an adult. However, it did have a certain purpose in the story - as the individual imprisoned Chinese brothers were released each night and replaced by the next one. So, they had to look the same, as people mistook them for each other.

I even thought: “Maybe this is one of those old books that doesn’t age well.”

That was just before my son told me it’s his FAVORITE.

Shame on me for underestimating the power of story over style.

Kids don’t care if it’s “dated.”

They care if they can relate or if it teaches them something.

What Kids Really Want

Kids don’t want “safe” and sterile books.

They want stakes. They want drama. They want tension. They want to feel a bit of fear … and the relief when it’s avoided.

Over and over.

They want justice.

They want family sticking together.

The five brothers and their mother together

And they want to believe deep down that no matter what happens, someone will step in and save them.

Isn’t that what every child hopes for?

Editions Matter (Yes, I’ll Go There)

Okay, let’s nerd out for a second.

Are there more versions of the folk tale?

Yes I’ve seen a few editions of this classic Chinese yarn. Most of them came out after we purchased this edition.

Some of the new ones are cleaner, some with brighter colors, some more sensitively written. But the magic of the folk tale isn’t in the illustrations here.

It’s in the tension between the words and the unexpected plot twists combined with the images.

The reader is taken to the brink and back. Many times, page after page.

You NEED that space where your child’s imagination fills in the possible consequences of mistakes … the flames … the ocean.

That’s why the classic edition with Kurt Wiese’s illustrations still works. It leaves the right gaps.

A Lesson for Me

That evening, after they went to bed, I sat thinking. I thought I was the one guiding his reading journey.

But no. My twins are guiding me. They are telling me every day - often without saying it explicitly - what matters to them.

Two reads. That’s all it took for my son to temporarily crown it his favorite.

Parents, listen closely.

Don’t assume you know which books will matter.

Don’t assume that the shiny new ones will win.

Sometimes it’s the old folktale with weird drawings.

Sometimes it’s the book you almost dismissed.

Sometimes it’s The Five Chinese Brothers.

And if you’re lucky your child will turn to you and whisper:

“Dad, do you know what is my favorite book?”

And your world will stop.

Times evolve, so do we, and so do books

"What's dangerous is not to evolve"
Jeff Bezos

Fortunately, there are options for families that do not wish to show this book to their young ones. I bought "The Five Brothers" 15 years ago, but times have changed.

Several more culturally sensitive versions of this traditional Chinese folk tale are also available for families and kids.

One of the new versions that is critically acclaimed is called The Seven Chinese Brothers.

This new approach to the tale was written by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng.

Another option is The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker and illustrated by Grace Lin. This is another interesting spin on the folk tale.

This version is about seven close Chinese sisters who lived together and covered for each other.

One day the seventh baby sister is snatched by a hungry dragon, and the six other sisters use their own talents to save her.

I have not looked at the two picture book alternatives - The Seven Chinese Brothers and The Seven Chinese Sisters.

So I will refrain from recommending them, as I always want first-hand exposure.

I included them for your information and at the end of this post there are also some further resources.

These resources, with links, are for parents who are keen to learn more about the current status and debate around The Five Chinese Brothers.

Practical Takeaway

Don't underestimate the books that you read only a few times. Or the ones that your child read just once.

Yes, they may have read it just once or twice, put back on the shelf, and seemingly forgotten about them.

Keep in mind that you or your son or daughter may carry them deep inside because the story touched something you couldn’t see.

That’s why we read aloud.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Amazon.com (US) – Check price ThriftBooks – Check price Amazon.ca – Check price Bookshop.org – Check price Better World Books – Check price AbeBooks – Check price Amazon UK – Check price Tip: choose your local store for fastest delivery and the right edition.

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):

School Library Journal – Fuse #8 n’ Kate: A librarian’s deep discussion (with podcast) on why the book is debated today
James Preller interview with Phoebe Yeh: A Chinese-American editor’s perspective on authentic retellings
Diverse BookFinder – “Not All Representation Is Good”: Plain-language guidance for discussing older books with stereotypes
Publishers Weekly – market/representation context: Mentions this title as an example; why visuals matter to today’s families
Illustrator background – Kurt Wiese (Bookology profile): Career overview and notable books; useful context for the art

If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss: Read-Aloud Review + What Parents Notice Today

2017-01-06T10:11:00.055-05:00

I picked up If I Ran the Zoo expecting classic Seuss nonsense.

Then the “nonsense” turned out to be… a little too familiar.

Here’s what still works brilliantly aloud, and what I’d frame for kids today.

But let me start at the beginning.

Stumbling upon a good Dr. Seuss book is not exactly a surprise, but for me this book was precisely that.

A double surprise, in fact.

OK, enough stalling - I'll give the story away.

I only hit upon this little gem by chance.

And I am ashamed.

Yep, I never read it, never heard about it and never saw it in my life. (There, I confessed).

How did I find out about this Dr. Seuss classic?

Well, in our home library we have many amazing books authored and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, but two of them are special in their own certain way.

Those two books (I'll tell you their names later) by Van Dusen have a certain "Je ne sais quoi" to them, but I could never identify the source of their mysterious allure.

So, yadda, yadda, yadda, many years passed and one day I opened this magical creation by Dr. Seuss.

I ordered "If I Ran the Zoo" to widen our collection of Seuss masterpieces, but I truly did not know anything about it.

OK, it arrives and I just popped it into the library and forgot all about it.

Months - or even a year - pass.

One day, I pulled this Dr. Seuss classic out of the shelf and read the first page about a young boy who decides to visit the zoo.

The book seems nice, not too wacky (as Dr. Seuss books sometimes are, I have to say).

And then on the second page, the young boy said:

"But if I ran the zoo, ... I'd make a few changes. That's just what I'd do"

Wham!

Wait a moment, this is so familiar I thought to myself.

And then ... it hits me.

We've read this 'story' before.

Dr. Seuss's book reminded me of Chris Van Dusen's If I Built a Car and If I Built a House, two little treasures that we have in our home library.

These little Van Dusen gems are amazing creations that will blow your mind with their art and invention.

They are stories about the potential that a young boy sees in everyday objects such as a car and a house.

We know what houses and cars like, right?

But they could be soooo much better, if a child was given the license to improve them, to design them.

In fact, dare I admit, I prefer the Van Dusen books to the original Dr. Seuss classic, but only because the stories have more structure to them.

Hence, if I were to advise you - I would say take If I Built a Car and If I Built a House first, as I think today's kids can relate to them better.

But the fundamentals are the same.

There is a very important point being presented in these books.

And it is not just a small point that Van Dusen and Dr. Seuss are making.

It is more than that.

Children's opinions matter.

We need to consult children more often. They have points of view that are being ignored all the time.

Adults often treat kids as not deserving, when children frequently have better ideas.

And these are not empty words, I am always surprised by my twins and their unexpected suggestions, incredible ideas and witty retorts.

Imagination cannot be taught.

That is why these books are so amazing for children.

Imagine your kids a toy magic wand and then telling them that the wand is real.

The "If I .... "books pay homage to children's minds and imaginations.

Adults cannot think up anything half as fabulous as a child can.

While we are limited by our knowledge, children are not. They see much more potential in the reality that surrounds them.

We see structure, children see disorder from which they can immediately generate a better - more entertaining - order.

We see the immediate world around us, children see the universe.

Yes, there is a lot of stuff that we can learn from our children.

But back to Seuss.

Wipe The Slate Clean

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love Dr. Seuss's If I Ran the Zoo because it contravenes the logic of many children's picture books.

Often grown-ups try to teach children about the ways of the world or the achievements of historical figures or traditions that we adults instituted (and children are supposed to follow slavishly).

If I Ran the Zoo takes all that fine tradition and ... throws it out of the window.

This is a book that introduces an institution like the zoo on the first page and then throws it out of the window on the second when young Gerald McGrew starts telling us what a real zoo should look like.

Gerald explains - lions and tigers are all right, but one can see such wild beasts in any kind of zoo.

The boy is not out to tweak and fine-tune.

Gerald does as children do best - he unleashes a tsunami of fresh creativity and ideas.

Everything is possible in the Dr. Seuss world.

Children will adore the concept of a child running the zoo, as Gerald does not merely want to run a zoo.

He does not accept a typical zoo as a starting point and tweak some little improvements into it.

No, no.

Gerald starts by doing what every child wants.

He unlocks every door, he opens every cage and then Gerald sends out all the animals in order to start reinventing the zoo from scratch.

That's an amazing philosophy when you think about it and children can easily identify with it.

Children are always ready to break through barriers and to look at things upside down, sideways and inside-out.

Gerald starts assembling the craziest menagerie ever seen.

He looks for lions with ten feet for his new McGrew Zoo, he searches for unique hens that roost in another hen's top-knot.

But that is just the start as Gerald plans to bring dozens and dozens of new animals to populate his unique new zoo.

From Elephant-Cats to entire families of What-do-you-knows!

From deer with connected horns to scraggle-foot Mulligatawnies.

From fine Iotas to tizzle-topped Tufted Mazurkas.

The blast of ideas and crazy creations would fascinate Charles Darwin, as evolution is clearly no match to Seuss's fervent imagination!

Surprise Vocabulary Lesson

Being nerdy just means being passionate about something

Zachary Levi

Here is a very interesting titbit for the nerds among us (me included).

Did you know that If I Ran the Zoo is also famous for being the first documented appearance of the word "nerd"?

Yes, indeed, look at the image on the side - that is the first ever documented nerd in the world!

Not surprisingly, Dr. Seuss's overflowing imagination also left a permanent imprint on the English language and whenever I hear the word "nerd", I remember this little classic children's book.

A few months ago I read aloud Andrew Clement's classic kid-gets-into-trouble-at-school book Frindle in which my twins learned about the nearly impossible way to invent a new word that can become part of the English language.

Aside from being a great read-aloud, Frindle was an eye-opener to all of us, as we learned that languages constantly evolve and get enriched. There is no method to it, no plan.

Just like life happens, vocabulary happens.

People adopt new words because they serve a new purpose, they satisfy a need that appears that moment.

While Frindle was a fictional tale of an invented word that exploded onto the scene, If I Ran the Zoo is a real life example of how languages evolve and incorporate new words.

So read If I Ran the Zoo as soon as possible, because I don't believe that you will come across a more enjoyable English language lesson anytime soon!

And then brainstorm together with your little one on the topic of "If I Ran the School!" or "If I Ran the Kindergarten", you will certainly be amazed at the ideas you hear.

Finally, if you dare, ask your kid about his or her ideas on "If I Ran This Home" and tell me what they said!

PS: This book was published more than half a century ago and it has parts that would not be acceptable in a modern children's book - such as the following unfortunate quote about Asian characters that appear in the story: "With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant..."

There are also a few other lingering racial stereotypes, so please be warned. For example, "And eight Persian Princes will carry the basket, But what their names are, I don't know. So don't ask it."

These elements of the book's content have now led to a decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises to stop the publication of six books for portraying people in "hurtful and wrong" ways. This was attributed to racist and insensitive imagery.

The six books are: "If I Ran the Zoo", "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street", "McElligot's Pool", "On Beyond Zebra!", "Scrambled Eggs Super!", and "The Cat's Quizzer".

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Further resources and reading on this edition (click to open in new window):

NPR report on Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ 2021 decision to cease publication: Dr. Seuss Enterprises Will Shelve 6 Books, Citing 'Hurtful' Portrayals
Merriam-Webster: Learn about the origin of the word “nerd” (first known use traced to the If I Ran the Zoo book): The Many Origin Stories of 'Nerd'
Blog: The Baby Bookworm: If I Ran the Zoo (with reaction to offending content)
Blog: Seussblog: If I Ran the Zoo (addressing differences between early Seussian output that may contain questionable content and later books)
Blog: Hellion’s House of Movies: Let’s Talk About Dr Seuss’s “If I Ran the Zoo” (essay on controversial imagery and cultural context of If I Ran the Zoo

Children's Audio Books - Portals to a New Galaxy

2016-12-26T07:07:00.013-05:00

Children's audio books were a chance discovery.

It was a fluke.

Kate Winslet can help parents, but you remain Reader no. 1

But before you accuse me of being dimwitted, let me explain myself.

Of course, I knew about audio books.

But what I did not know about was the amazing power of children's audio books.

They have quadrupled the amount of reading aloud/listening that we can do in a single day.

It's no longer just me reading to my kids.

Nowadays, my kids are enjoying the voices of Kate Winslet, Kelsey Grammer and Ted Danson reading to them.

Did I mention that Tim Curry, Walter Mathau and Billy Crystal also drop by from time to time?

Yes, we are having a blast enjoying read alouds from all these amazing actors and many more.

They share the spotlight with Read Aloud Dad now.

Want to have a real Hollywood star read to your kids? Choose an audio book.

Do you want a Shakespearean actor to take the stage in your home or car? Choose an audio book.

Do you want new accents, new voices, new emotion in your children's lives? Look no farther than an kid's audio book.

Don't get me wrong, I read aloud to my kids daily, but as they grow older their time is more precious to them and mealtime has become the only read aloud time that I can take for granted.

Show me a kid who doesn't love entertainment during his or her meals and I'll eat my (figurative) hat.

Today we listen to audio books every single day.

Every single day.

And before you ask, let me assure you - audio books have never stopped me from reading aloud. They just complement the daily reading.

Audio books work in different settings, especially in cars, during the daily grind from home to school and back. During our trips to town and basically anywhere we go on wheels.

Nowadays, I avoid CDs as much as I can. They are a pain in the neck in the car.

I go for digital book downloads and one of the best sources is the Audible audiobooks program.

Digital books can't be scratched, you can't forget to take them along (once you load them up), and you can take loads and loads with you!

Let me digress briefly here - with some advice for parents/grandparents who are also car owners.

Just make sure you have an MP3 player hooked to your car's sound system or if you are buying a new car - one of your top priorities should be a car that can play music/audio from a USB flash drive and/or via Bluetooth (from your phone).

We replaced our ten-year old car in January 2015 and the first thing that I looked for in my new Ford C-Max was a sound system that could play audio books from a USB stick and/or over a Bluetooth connection from my phone.

Technologies change fast - so make sure that you are up to speed in your vehicle in order to reap the benefits.

Even if your pre-historic radio (I had one too!) doesn't have a USB port (that accepts a USB flash drive with all those lovely stories) and you don't have Bluetooth connection capabilities in your old car (to connect to your phone with all those lovely stories) there are many cheap crossover solutions that will allow you to plugin your USB flash stick into a Bluetooth USB FM transmitter stick that connects to your radio via FM .

So, by using a Bluetooth FM transmitter (here is another model) stick you can connect that new piece of equipment to your car's FM radio, which enables you to play audiobooks off the USB stick (that you plug into the transmitter stick) or off your phone/tablet that you connect via Bluetooth to the transmitter stick.

Too complicated? Don't worry, it should be relatively easy. Just go for a popular model of transmitter stick that has a lot of good reviews online.

I just want to point out that old technology is not a good enough excuse. Every problem has a solution!

End of digression...

Too Early or Too Late?

A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success
Bo Bennett

Admittedly, I was wary of exposing my kids too early to audio books, especially as I knew that live contact and interaction between the reader and listeners have a special value for the young ones - as it is not one-dimensional.

Early on, I tried to play a few children's books to my twins at home when they were around four or five, but they were so into reading aloud with me that they rejected it out of hand.

As soon as I would start playing an audio book from the music box, be it a Dr. Seuss or another children's favorite, they would reject - not so much the story - but the voice.

They seemed to hate other people's voices reading to them.

I almost sensed it in the air. The voices were either too loud or too soft, too fast or too slow, too British or too American, too masculine or too feminine...

Nothing was perfect enough for my kids to give the audio books a chance.

So, I silently shelved them, biding my time.

Waiting for another opportunity.

Biding my time.

The Car is The Key

Memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.
Corrie Ten Boom

The trick to a successful introduction of audio books is learning how to take rejection.

Your kids will probably be somewhat skeptical of this new push towards audio books, make no mistake. (Except when parents already enjoy audio books themselves and the kids have been exposed to them).

"Why fix something, when it is not broke?" is a child's attitude.

A parent reading aloud is good enough for kids, no need for intruders.

But, audio books are a crucial crutch that supports literacy habits in read aloud families.

Namely, we were able to read all 13 books of A Series of Unfortunate Events thanks to world-renowned actor Tim Curry, who lent his expressive voice and British accent to make our car drives to and from school much more exciting!

We started with The Bad Beginning audio book, the first book in the classic Lemony Snicket series this summer.

Now, half a year later, we are finishing The End audio book, our 13th and last audiobook (two more chapters left, happy to report) in the series.

Tim Curry's range of characters and voices have been amazing and the classical English diction was astounding.

The funny thing is that my kids can remember small details from the entire 13-book series, which I can't. This tells me they have been listening real carefully.

But, as I said, this is the last audio book treats that we have been enjoying.

Prior to the Lemon Snicket extravaganza, we listened to Kate Winslet's extraordinary rendition of Roald Dahl's amazingly entertaining Matilda. We soared through Matilda on our summer holidays, although we mixed it up with a bit of Enid Blyton.

How did we start our audio book adventure?

Well, I played it safe and introduced audio books by first using books that my kids were familiar with.

Dr Seuss's The Cat in the Hat and Other Dr. Seuss Favorites audio book (as read by Kelsey Grammer, John Lithgow, Walter Mathau, Billy Crystal...) opened the door to the world of audio books.

How could I miss the audio recording of Curious George? We enjoyed the manic monkey's escapades on our car's sound system too!

And I discovered something completely unexpected. Before we started listening to audio books on our car trips, our drives used to be complete mayhem - punctuated with screams, shouts and fights from the back seat.

Audio books changed that forever. Now, my twins just scream "Play the story!" as soon as they buckle up in their booster seats and that's about it.

No more: "When are we going to arrive?" or "Are we there yet?" or "Let's stop!!!"

The only shouts you can hear in the family car are "Play it!"

As soon as we finish the last two chapters of Lemony Snicket's The End, our next audio book adventure is going to be the entire 12-unit audio set of Arthur Rackham's Swallows and Amazons book series.

Please don't tell my kids.

It's a surprise!

However, some books are better in your voice than through speakers. This is because you can pause, frame, and react in real time. Or they have unique illustrations or the audio book narrator just does not do a good enough job. That’s exactly why I prefer reading If I Ran the Zoo aloud myself.

PS If you wondered, I listen to all these audio books together with my kids. I don't leave them to it. It's family entertainment! Reading still has to be a shared enjoyment.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

The Munschworks Grand Treasury (Robert Munsch): 15 Stories That Detonate a Roomful of Kids

2016-09-24T12:20:00.044-04:00

If you want a book that changes the mood in a room, this is it. The Munschworks Grand Treasury is basically a “laugh switch” you can flip at will.

And because it’s a treasury, you can pick a story that matches the exact energy level you need tonight.

Wait, did I say treasury?

I meant a grand treasury!

Grand.

What a lovely word for a children's book!

I sort of remember reading one short story by Robert Munsch when I was a kid, but back then I wasn't aware that his opus was so large, so off-beat and so crazily well-tailored to children.

Fast forward 25 years and I discovered this amazing collection of 15 picture books - compiled into one (I have to repeat it!) grand treasury - with almost all of the best stories penned by Munsch.

Usually, when I think back to a book purchase that I made, often I remember my personal struggles that I had at the time.

OK, money is a factor - of course. We all know it does not grow on trees.

But that is not the point.

Admittedly, it always boiled down to a single question: should I buy it or not?

But the real question is always ... will my kids get something new, something they would love out of this book.

Wait, no.

In fact, I ask myself - will this book change their lives?

A parent should always seek out books that will turn the lives of their kids upside down - metaphorically.

I need books that will break down walls that my kids didn't even know existed.

So I struggle.

I go back and forth.

I count the pros and cons.

And I admit - this book is one of those purchases that I struggled with.

I was unsure whether the price tag was too steep for a mere collection of stories that might end up being a hit and miss affair.

Is Munsch a game changer, or is it just a book that will amuse my twins?

I wasn't completely sure.

Yet, I also felt that there was something very worthwhile - something that made me badly want the Munschworks Grand Treasury.

His books are non-traditional, off-tilt creations that could connect with young readers like many others do not.

Later I found out that what makes them so unique is that Munsch's stories are full of these completely independent, self-minded kids who go through wacky adventures.

These are stories that seem to be written by kids for kids.

Robert Munsch has the amazing ability to come up with a visually strong narrative that leads the reader into unexpected territory.

The stories lead the children into territories that are uncharted by grown-ups.

In one word - these 15 stories are unforgettable.

OK, those were my thoughts.

Adults are kids in clothes for grown-ups

We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up.
Christopher Morley

But let me share with you what is inside this beautiful treasury.

Every story is amazingly illustrated with large, colorful illustrations that are tailor-made for these wacky offerings.

The first tale, The Paper Bag Princess, is such an empowering short story for young girls.

But from the very outset, Munsch tricks the reader into thinking this is an ordinary fairy tale.

Elizabeth, "a very beautiful princess", who lived in a castle wants to marry a prince named Ronald. After a dragon kidnaps Ronald and destroys her castle, she goes after the dragon and saves Ronald.

Shallow Ronald rejects Elizabeth because her clothes and hair are a mess, ordering her to come back when dresses like a princess.

Can there be a girl who will not chuckle when she reads Elizabeth's response:

"Ronald, your clothes are really pretty and your hair is very neat. You look like a real prince, but you are a bum".

And Elizabeth rejects Ronald!

Uber-cool!

By the way, it was Munsch's wife who originally suggested that this story should have a plot in which the princess saves the prince, instead of the other way round!

The second story in this treasury - The Fire Station - is fabulous as it also shifts the balance of power towards little girls and towards the out-of-box thinking that children have.

Little Sheila is walking past a fire station with her friend Michael when she simply decides to seize the moment and do what every kid in the world secretly wishes ... to enter the Fire Station.

Right there, right then.

Michael drags his feet, explaining that they should ask his mother, maybe also his father, maybe... But Sheila accepts no shilly-shallying and she simply tugs him into the Fire Station where their adventures begin...

Munsch has a knack for pinpointing the objects of desire that children crave for and then he delivers these wishes to them on a golden plate.

The alarm rings, the trucks speed out and ... Sheila and Michael join in on the fun.

In the end, Sheila and Michael end up driving a fire truck on their own, returning to their homes only to have their parents not recognize them because they are so dirty.

After "living in the bathtub" for days (until they cleaned up sufficiently), Michael and Sheila go for another walk...

Michael warns Sheila that he will ask the police to put her in jail if she tries to get him to the fire station again, but this just gives Sheila a new dotty idea.

"Jail!," she yells ... What a great idea ... all while pulling Michael into the police station!

Interestingly, the two kids in the story were based on a real Michael and Sheila from a daycare center that Robert Munsch used to frequent.

The two kids were real troublemakers and Michael was known for an incident when in the middle of one night he got out of his bed and washed all the windows in his house. However, he used bug spray instead of window cleaner. The windows in the house got absolutely sticky and the mother woke up thinking she was dying.

Try reading the third story in this treasury, I Have to Go, without a smirk on your face. It's a story about every parent and every child.

In fact, the inspiration for the story was the author's own son Andrew who used to pee the bed several times in a night.

Little Andrew is about to take a trip with his parents to see his grandma and grandpa and before the family enters the car, Little Andrew is asked whether he needs to go to pee.

"No, no, no, no, no," explains Little Andrew, adding for good measure that he also decided that he never wants to pee again in his life...

The family trip starts and after a long stretch of the voyage lasting just one minute, Little Andrew starts hollering that he NEEDS TO GO TO PEE.

The family finally reaches their destination and Little Andrew wants to go out to frolick in the snow.

Before he goes out in a snowsuit, everybody asks Little Andrew whether he needs to pee.

"No, no, no, no, no!", said Little Andrew, who turns around, goes out into the snow and after launching one snowball starts yelling "I HAVE TO GO TO PEE"...

You can sense where this story is going, but fortunately for Little Andrew it is a happy end for his bed and his parents!

David's Father, the fourth story in this collection, is another wacky contribution that will make your kids split their sides as one of their childhood fantasies plays out right in front of their eyes!

The main character is a little girl named Julie that becomes friends with a regular sort of boy named David, whom she meets on the way home from school.

David is completely normal, apart from the fact that some things in his house seem to be fit for a giant, including a massive table that has on top of it a spoon as large as a shovel, a fork as large as a pitchfork and a flagpole-sized knife.

A worried Julie asks David who sits at that enormous table and David calmly answers, "That's where my father sits."

David's father was a real giant, enormous but kind.

So the father decides to take Julie and David for a walk around town and all hell breaks loose.

Cars stop in their tracks, Julie and David finally get served in a shop that does not serve kids ... as the frightened owner gives away three boxes of ice cream, 11 bags of potato chips and 19 life savers, all for free - after David's father tells him in a booming voice:

"These kids are my friends".

The next story - Thomas' Snowsuit - in this amazingly illustrated 386-page book is about a small boy named Thomas who almost throws up when he sees the ugly brown snowsuit that his mother bought him.

The next morning when Thomas was supposed to leave for school, his mom asks him to put the new brown snowsuit on.

"NNNNNNNO!", he responded.

After an enormous fight in the living room, a very unhappy Thomas was in his snowsuit.

The scene is played out again at school when Thomas's teacher looked at him and asked him to put on the snowsuit to go outside.

"NNNNNNNO!", he answered.

So, after a big fight was done, the teacher ended up wearing Thomas's snowsuit and Thomas was wearing the teacher's dress.

The principal walks into the scene and gave Thomas a firm PRINCIPAL look and said "Thomas, put on your snowsuit."

"NNNNNNNO!", Thomas said.

After a fight or two more, the principal decides to tender in his resignation and moves to Arizona...

Pigs, the sixth short story in this collection, is a another hilarious Munsch creation that will amuse even the youngest of your listeners.

The tale is about a small girl Megan whose father asked her to feed the pigs before leaving for school.

Megan's dad explicitly warns his daughter not to leave the gate open, because pigs are smarter than she thinks.

Megan promises not to open the gate, but she goes to the pig pen and then looks at the dumb-looking animals, incredulous that these stupid-seeming creatures would ever leave the pen.

"They wouldn't even go out of the door if the house was on fire!," Megan exclaims and opens the gate, while the pigs just look at her.

After shouting at them - "Hey, You Dumb Pigs!" - mayhem ensues and the pigs run over Megan and she finds them destroying the insides of her house, with one pig drinking her dad's coffee, another eating his daily paper and a third one peeing in his shoe.

She chases them out only to find them vandalizing her principal's office at school, then they moved on to the school bus where one piggy took over the steering wheel - until they drove themselves back to the pig pen.

And Megan learns a valuable lesson that pigs are much smarter than people give them credit for!

The next story in this collection is a firm favorite with my twins who adore the whimsical and loud noises that Mortimer, the hero of the story constantly makes.

One day Mortimer's mom took him to his bedroom and warned him that he must remain quiet.

Mortimer agrees to remain silent, but as soon as his mom leaves the floor, the singing begins.

"Clang, clang, rattle-bing-bang
Gonna make my noise all day.
Clang, clang, rattle-bing-bang,
Gonna make my noise all day."

Then the boy's dad marches up the stairs, peeks into the room and shouts at Mortimer, warning him about the need to stay quiet.

Mortimer once agrees to keep his mouth shut, but as soon as the father walks down the stairs ... the singing resumes.

Then it is time for Mortimer's seventeen siblings to march up the staircase to Mortimer's bedroom and to shout at him to keep quiet.

Mortimer agrees... but the same scenario plays out.

Even two police officers climb up the stairs and warn Mortimer to keep silent, but Mortimer just ignores the warnings as soon as the two officers go down the stairs.

A big fight ensues downstairs ... and poor old Mortimer falls asleep waiting for the next person to come to his bedroom with a warning to remain quiet!

Another all-time favorite from this amazing story collection is Purple, Green and Yellow and I dare you to find a single kid in the world that will not be mesmerized by the craziness of this tale.

Young Brigid one day begs her mom for some coloring markers, as most of her friends are drawing amazing pictures with their own coloring markers.

But, wary of the dangers lurking behind this seemingly innocuous request, Brigid's mom says "No!", explaining that kids use these markers to draw on walls, on floors, everywhere!

Smart as any other kid on this planet (when it comes to standing up for themselves), Brigid convinces her mom to buy her some washable (500 of them!) coloring markers and the little girl made some amazing pictures.

A week later, after her mom admitted that Brigid was well-behaved with the markers, the little girl convinces her mom to buy her another batch of 500 markers that smell.

And again Brigid drew "lemons that smelled like lemons, roses that smelled like roses, oranges that smelled like oranges and cow plops that smelled like cow plops".

After another seven days went by, Brigid manages to convince her mom to make the next step. All the kids are now crazy for for super-indelible-never-come-off-till-your-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers.

Brigid's mom gives in to this request and mayhem ensues. Brigid starts coloring herself with the markers and even the doctor needs to be drafted in to solve Brigid's little escapade....

Murmel, Murmel, Murmel, illustrated by Michael Martchenko,

One day Robin is playing in the sandpit in her back yard and she discovered a gaping hole right in the middle of it.

The only thing that she noticed was a strange sound coming out of the hole. It was as if someone said, "Murmel, murmel, murmel".

Extending her arm down, deep into the pit, Robin grabbed hold of something and pulled out a baby.

Unsure of what to do with a baby, Robin decides to find someone suitable to take care of it, but the first lady she meets simply rejects the offer.

Then an old lady with seventeen cats also flatly rejects to take over the baby, as does a woman in fancy clothes that has seventeen secretaries.

Robin meets a man who asks whether the baby can wash his car or whether he can sell it on for loads of cash. When Robin says no, he just asks what is the point of the baby.

Finally, a truck driver comes along who is captivated by the baby's garble.

The driver tells Robin he already has seventeen trucks, but what he doesn't have ... is a baby!

One mary zany addition in this treasury that makes my twins split their sides every time we read it is - the supermarket-adventure-from-hell story Something Good.

This is a story about a visit to the supermarket by a father and his three kids, one of whom is the main character, Tyya.

The kids are frustrated with their dad for ignoring all the good food and opting instead for things like eggs, bread, milk, cheese and spinach.

The list of "good food" includes, of course, tasty treats like ice cream, cookies, chocolate bars and ginger ale.

So Tyya fills in a shopping cart with 100 boxes of ice cream and shocks her father who tells her to get rid of all that sugary garbage that will rot her teeth.

Then Tyya piles three hundred chocolate bars into the cart, informing her dad that it is "Good Food!"

But her dad makes the girl put it all back and orders Tyya to stay put without moving.

Tyya acquiesces and soon a store clerk mistakes Tyya for a doll and slaps a $29.95 price tag on her nose. Finally, her dad finds Tyya and takes her to the cash register who tries to charge the dad $29.95.

After a brief fight, Tyya asks her dad - doesn't he think she is worth that much?

And ... he pays up!

OK, here is one story that will teach your youngsters about the value of setting, instead of following trends.

Stephanie's Ponytail is a story about a young girl that becomes a trendsetter.

It is a tale about and how important it is to stay true to oneself, especially when the rest of the world is more content to play the role of sheep following a shepherd.

Stephanie one day asks her mom for a ponytail because none of the kids in her class have one.

When she arrives at the school, the rest of the children tell her it is ugly, ugly, very ugly. But Stephanie does not care, as she loves it.

The problem emerges tomorrow when Stephanie arrives at school because all the other girls had ponytails at the back of their heads.

Stephanie calls them out as mere copycats and decides to change her hairstyle for a ponytail that comes out of the side, surprising all the other kids at school who decry the strange hairdo as ugly, ugly and very ugly.

But the next day all the girls copy Stephanie's new style and this behavior pattern is repeated with every new hairstyle until Stephanie announces she will shave off her hair that afternoon.

The next day everyone appears in school with a shaved head, including the teacher, the boys and the girls.

The last person to arrive was Stephanie and she had a nice little ponytail coming out of the back of her head.

As you read on through this treasury, you will be amazed at the ease that Robert Munsch selects incredible topics for his stories.

Take Angela's Airplane, for example. It is a story about another little girl that is involved in an incredible adventure.

Angela's dad takes her to the airport, but upon arrival ... "he" gets lost. Five-year-old Angela decides to look for him and enters a plane, but no one is there.

As she had never been on a plane before, Angela decides to sit in the cockpit to explore.

Although she knows that the buttons are not to be pushed, Angela decides to push just one.... and then one more ... and one more ... until the plane is up in the air.

Then the realization hits Angela - she does not know how to get down.

To make matters worse, the radio turns on and a voice from ground control calls on her to bring back the plane.

Angela informs them that she is just five years old and the little girl manages to get the flying machine down to the ground.

After promising her dad she would never again fly another plane, Angela grows up and ... becomes a ... pilot!

Another wacky off-beat story comes in the form of Jonathan Cleaned Up - Then He Heard a Sound.

When Jonathan's mother leaves the apartment to buy a can of noodles, she leaves young Jonathan alone - pleading with her son not to make a mess.

Her son suddenly hears a noise like a train screeching to a stop and the wall slid open to reveal a subway train.

Scores of people exit the train into Jonathan's apartment and leave through the front door.

The apartment is in a total mess and even a man is sleeping on the sofa when his mom arrives to see the apartment ransacked.

Of course, the mom does not believe a word that Jonathan says and orders the boy to clean the mess up.

Like in many of Munsch's stories, the key event is played out again and again - but every time in a more incredible fashion.

Soon after the mom leaves for a new can of noodles and an even larger crowd of subway passengers makes their way out through Jonathan's apartment - leaving the apartment in a much worse state than before.

Finally, after the boy gets sick of the shenanigans he tells the conductor to cut it out as his home is not a subway station.

The conductor responded by saying if Jonathan did not like it, he could take it up with City Hall.

And Jonathan did!

Munsch wrote this story entirely by chance after his publishers heard him tell it at The World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto to a tiny crowd of ... half-a-dozen kids.

Show and Tell is a story that originated at a a school in Newfoundland, Canada, when Robert Munsch asked the kids at the school to help come up with an amusing children's story.

Not surprisingly, the convoluted story that the kids collectively made up was a tale about a baby that was found at a school.

The kids that found it then enlisted the help of the school's principal who was so confused that he began hollering at the baby.

This was followed up by the appearance of a cop who went as far as arresting the baby, but before the baby was taken away to jail a doctor appeared keen on sticking the baby full of needles.

Then a fireman came with a hose and sprayed the baby with water, while a nurse threw the baby through the window.Finally, a mom appeared and took the baby home.

"I was interested in this story. I knew I couldn’t make it into a book the way it was, but the kids really seemed to enjoy having the baby get into trouble," said Munsch.

Munsch succeeded. His version is about a boy named Benjamin who decided to take something "really neat" to school for show and tell.

What neater than a ... baby! After popping his baby sister into his backpack, Benjamin leaves for school and all hell breaks loose after his baby sister starts crying during class.

The fifteenth and final story in this collection is A Promise is a Promise and it is the only story that feels like it would work better as a standalone book (than as a part of this treasury).

My opinion is that it does not fit in with this collection of comical tales about misbehaving children primarily because it has a different mood to it compared to all the other stories in the treasury.

The tone of this story breaks with the atmosphere of the treasury and children might be surprised that this is a more somber tale - possibly a bit too scary for some younger listeners.

The illustrations are beautiful, the colors are entrancing and the ending is a happy one, but my kids have regularly chosen all other stories from the treasury - as they seem to identify Munsch with zany comical stories.

Well, to each his own.

The true strength of these Munsch stories for me is in their collective power over a child's imagination.

No wonder they are so attractive to kids as many of them were inspired by children or their own tales that inspired Munsch to write them down.

The fifteen stories in this treasury are like portals into a world of whimsy.

This is a 386-page extravaganza that blows away the dullness of the boring world generated by adults and brings kids back to their wonderful natural state of wonder and delight.

Parents are often concerned how to foster creativity and stimulate new ideas in their kids, as today's world usually tries to make them conform to a stricter reality.

Well, my advice to you is ... do a Munsch!

Look no further than a child for great inspiration.

The Munschworks Grand Treasury is a perfect tool for helping the unusual and wacky to enter your child's mind while having a good laugh at the same time!

Together these stories can help us to conduct a wonderful foray into the world of impossible and improbable.

That is exactly what children adore.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Further resources and reading on Robert Munsch (click to open in new window):

Official site – Book list & story notes: robertmunsch.com/books
Hear Munsch perform his stories (free): Munsch Favourite Stories (audio)
Streaming playlist – “Classic Munsch Audio”: Open on Spotify
Janiel Wagstaff (Literacy blog) – “Thinking Deeply with The Paper Bag Princess”: Practical techniques (hot-seat, inference, text-to-self) for deeper comprehension. See the strategies
Watch a live performance – The Paper Bag Princess: Robert Munsch performs The Paper Bag Princess
Event kit – Paper Bag Princess Day: Digital Event Kit (PDF)

What is the Best Investment Plan For Your Child's Future?

2015-12-24T19:38:00.005-05:00

First of all, let me take something off my chest.

Rates of return to human capital investment
in disadvantaged children.
Credit: Science Magazine / Heckman

I adore libraries.

Public book rooms, school libraries, university libraries, community book collections....

You name it - I love it!

Love, love, love!

Libraries changed my life.

They helped to forge the person I am today.

However, all these aforesaid libraries are not enough.

One also needs a home library for kids.

Needs?

Isn't that too strong a word?

Well, for me that is like saying potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto...

We needed one.

We wanted one.

When it comes to home libraries, size does not matter.

It is the thought and effort behind one that count.

Quality trumps quantity if you are creating a home library of children's books.
I know - investment in a home library of children's books might seem a large expense.

And it is.

But only if you look at one face of the god Janus.

If you remember, the Roman god Janus was frequently represented by a double-faced head.

One looking towards the past, one looking into the future.

The real issue with an investment in a home library for our kids is where do we want to look.

Do we want to look at the past and the cost of adding a book to our kid's library?

Or do we want to look into the future.

I think we should look at both.

We mustn't forget the future.

Children's books are yeast that ensures the "dough" in our kids holds together and it helps a strong personality rise out from a child's body.

Without yeast, we just get a flat, dense bread.

I know.

There are many different types of children's books that kids need as they grow older.

Who can offer everything?

Starting from board books, then through picture books, chapter books, illustrated books, fun books, books to learn how to read, activity books, non-fiction books, science books, history books, popular books, comic books, hobby books, art books, music books, book series, book sets, geography books, encyclopedias ...

The more I think about it, the more types of books a home library of children's books can include.

I know it seems a game that never ends.

And it is.

Yet, we in our home are not rich, far from it.

I didn't care.

There was no way I could let my kids grow up without a home library that is available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If there is any implicit slogan that a home library can carry - it is "We are open 24/7".

Today, many libraries are doing their best to expand the range of services that they offer - even offering 24/7 service.

But a home library does that every day.

It is an amazing creature - the home library.

One minute a child is bored, the next minute the child is sitting with a book - reading.

It is literally THERE.

There are hundreds of mini-moments during the day and dozens of longer moments when kids do not know what to do.

The home library is there to invite them, to entice them.

Is it an expense?

It is.

But the question I want you to ask yourself is:

Is it just an expense?

Today, all we can hear around us is talk about investment this, investment that... interest rates, portfolios, 401K plans, IRAs, hedge funds, index funds, shareholding, commodities, gold, .....

But - think about it - what is really the best investment plan for your child's future?

Compound interest ... the power of magic

Nothing you do for a child is ever wasted
Garrison Keller

I am not an investment banker, but a couple of seconds of Googling helped me find the formula for compound interest on an investment.

Compound interest is a powerful tool.

Compound interest generates strong returns - especially if the interest rate is high and the period of compounding is long.

In fact, they say that the most powerful investments have compounded returns. Compound interest is so strong that it can almost seem like magic - in the right environment.

The formula for compound interest is:

Where am I going with this?

Well, we all trust theories and rules - often because there is a formula that demonstrates the rule.

We do not even go into the proof behind it, into the backup research.

We trust formulas.

My point is that just because a formula explaining the positive benefits of early access to home libraries has not yet been discovered - it does not mean that there is not something important going on there.

I am not waiting until the exact mathematical nature of the link between children's books and success in life is proven in the form of a scientific equation.

I do not need to wait.

I think we should all behave as if the compound interest on an investment in children's books is a given.

If you need a formula to convince you, well here is one that I conjured out of the air for you.

The formula for compound interest on investments in home libraries for kids is:

Even though it is an invented equation, I wouldn't be surprised if it is close to the truth.

So, don't wait.

Make a leap into the known.

Start preparing the best investment plan for your child's future.

Early childhood care and education is the primary responsibility of parents, so parents have to step up to the task.

However, later childhood care and education is also the primary responsibility of parents.

Every time I see my son or daughter excited about a book they own and when they call me to show me something in the book - a little voice inside me whispers to me: "Can you imagine what their lives would be without that book?"

Would that large smile on his or her face still be as large?

Well, yes, it probably would.

But their eyes wouldn't twinkle the way they do when they immerse themselves in a book they love.

Books light up a child from the inside.

The books they read and re-read are now integral parts of their personalities.

The books are part of them.

They are intertwined.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Carl Barks Christmas Donald Duck Box Set: The Best Holiday Comic Treasury Gift

2015-11-28T18:33:00.072-05:00


Our own Carl Barks’ holiday collection

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells… yes, I’m doing it. Because this is the kind of gift box that makes you want to read before you wrap it. If you love Carl Barks, this one is basically holiday-proof.

It is the perfect time to recommend another fabulous source of pure, unadulterated read aloud pleasure for your kids.

Originally I bought Walt Disney's Donald Duck Christmas Treasury Gift Box Set and two others (but more about that later), to entice my little ones to read more on their own.

I know what you are thinking. Win-win!

One win for independent reading by the twins.

One win for Read Aloud Dad reading

But, what did I know.

It was a win-win-win, not just a win-win!

These Donald Duck treasuries are also perfect read aloud material!

In order to get them hooked, I thought - I'll just read one story from one of these luxurious treasuries during lunch time to my twins.

Maybe they will like it - and then they will pick them up.

But, boy was I wrong!

It was like magic.

My twins just went bananas about these comics and then didn't let me worm my way out.

I had to read all the stories ... it became our new lunchtime habit.

And my policy is - when the twins insist on a specific book for reading aloud - I have to say yes.

What's the big idea!?

I used to love comic books, and I love American comedy, and neither are afraid to tackle big themes.
Jamie Hewlett

I know what you want to know ...

Are these books just comics?

Wait ... wait my friends.

Let go of any preconception that you might have about reading aloud and comics.

Comics are fabulous for reading aloud - they help to foster the interaction between reader and listener even further than a regular book.

Our copy of Carl Barks’s “Donald Duck: A Christmas for Shacktown”

Plus, you sow the seed of future self-sustained reading!

Because kids get "infected" with the comic bug.

But let me rewind the film.

About a year ago, I discovered a group of excellent Disney treasuries celebrating Carl Barks and his amazing contribution to cartoon history.

Surfing through one of my favorite online bookstores (the now defunct Bookdepository) - which was globally renowned for its free book postage around the world (taken over - and shuttered - by Amazon since I wrote this blog post originally) - I learned that several years ago Fantagraphics partnered with Disney to start issuing two multi-volume series based on Disney's most beloved comics assets.

Fantagraphics is a legendary American publisher of alternative comics and classic comic strip anthologies

The two companies agreed that Fantagraphics would publish - the complete Mickey Mouse comic strips by Floyd Gottfredson and the complete Disney works of legendary artist Carl Barks.Since then, this has been expanded to include the Don Rosa illustrated editions, among others.

Well, that was enticing enough.

But then I saw that the editions were fantastic full-color hardcover editions and many of them were being offered in value-for-money gift/slip cases.

So, how could I say no?

Our copy of Carl Barks’s “Donald Duck: Christmas on Bear Mountain”

I remembered the hours upon hours that I spent reading Donald Duck comics as a boy - and how I loved to read and re-read them.

So, I surrendered.

I purchased several of the two-edition treasuries that were published by Fantagraphics, a now legendary American publisher of alternative comics and classic comic strip anthologies.

The first two Walt Disney's Donald Duck Box double-issue treasuries that arrived into our home were:

a. Lost in the Andes and Trail of the Unicorn (Carl Barks Disney Library) edition and

b. the Uncle Scrooge And Donald Duck Gift Box Set (The Don Rosa Library)

Those two clinched the deal.

Wow, my kids could NOT get enough of these classical Donald Duck comics.

Whats-more, they were taking me back into my childhood.

The three of us were now like the Three Musketeers on a joint mission.

We started reading aloud these comics for lunch time day after day and it was such an unexpected hit that I knew there would have to be more.

So, I decided to make Christmas a little bit nicer for my twins by surprising them with a new Donald Duck treasury.

The problem was that it was still August.

August!!!!

Four more months until Christmas!

I resisted for a few weeks ... but when September arrived, I could not resist any more.

I ordered what turned out the be probably the two best Christmas stories in comic format ever.

Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy...

Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling.
Edna Ferber

There was no mistake with this present.

Its a piece of history, packed in a modern wrapping.

back cover of
Christmas on Bear Mountain

This gift box is a time portal that will take your kids back to the pre-CGI era.

Yes, old comics still rule - and its because nothing can surpass hand drawings.

On top of that, these golden oldies are extremely well thought out and captivate young minds.

Vintage Donald Duck capers are also unique because the focus in these comics is on a strong story, not on special effects or computer graphics.

The Walt Disney's Donald Duck Christmas Gift Box Set is a chunk of the world as it used to be for kids half a century ago.

Today's world is full of disasters, of hate, shocking acts of violence, destruction.

Children need an escape from this horrible reality created by grown-ups.

A beautiful alternative reality for their gentle souls.

And we need to provide it.

All Fantagraphics Disney editions are all amazing, but this one I am recommending to you is special, truly special.

It is like a window into the past, yet it also has the innocence of a freshly drawn comic.

What is so special about the gift box?

First of all - we are talking about practically 400 pages of full-page Disney comics in color!

Second, it comes in a sturdy and attractive gift-box that will look fabulous on any bookshelf.

Third, this is a double-book hardcover edition that will make any kid jump with joy as it contains a double-whammy of the best in Christmas comic stories.

The first book, Christmas on Bear Mountain, contains 17 different Donald Duck comics- ranging from short affairs that are just one page long, such as "Fashion in Flight", to the 20+ page comic stories like "Christmas on Bear Mountain".

Christmas on Bear Mountain is a real piece of Americana ... or should I say Duckburgiana - as it represents the very first introduction of Uncle Scrooge into the Donald Duck Saga.

The story was created in 1947 when Carl Barks was asked to develop a Christmas themed comic with Donald and his nephews (and arch-rivals) Huey, Dewey and Louie.

Uncle Scrooge was not introduced by chance, as Carl Barks was drawing inspiration from the famous Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol and its principal character - Ebeneezer Scrooge.

By the way, if you have not checked our my earlier recommendation for the best illustrated children's book collection for Christmas (which includes a fabulously illustrated version of A Christmas Carol) - be sure to check it out.

Back to Donald Duck and the first appearance of Scrooge McDuck. Although his is a relatively subdued entry onto the stage, Scrooge's full potential is already evident and your kids will enjoy the testy encounters between Donald and his nephews.

Interior page from Carl Barks’s “Donald Duck: Christmas on Bear Mountain”

The other stories in this treasury include Donald's Posy Patch, Donald Mines His Own Business, Volcano Valley. Magical Misery, Ring Wrongs, Adventure Down Under, The Waltz King, Masters of Melody, Donald Duck and The Ghost of the Grotto, Fireman Donald, The Terrible Turkey, Three Good Little Ducks and several Donald Duck one-pagers.

Finally, a lovely addition to Christmas on Bear Mountain, is a short bio of the man behind these fabulous comics. Parents will enjoy a two-page short biography of Carl Barks - the story man behind the Donald Duck animation unit at Disney.

The second book in the gift case, A Christmas for Shacktown, is a similar package of amazing quintessential Donald Duck comics - but the highlight is the opening story A Christmas for Shacktown.

But hey, this two-item book set isn't everything that is available.

The triplets (Huey, Dewey and Louie) are looking forward to another Christmas and the joyous season. However, one day they stray into a part of town that they never visited before.

The kids in Shacktown are living in poverty, without toys, candy and any hope for a better life. This sparks a change in Donald's nephews and they decide to help the Shacktown kids experience a true Christmas for once in their lives.

The nephews enlist the help of Daisy Duck, Donald and Uncle Scrooge - with varying success.

This fabulous read aloud treasury also includes comics such as: The Big Bin on Killmotor Hill, Gladstone's Usual Good Year, The Screaming Cowboy, Statuesque Spendthrifts, Rocket Wing Saves the Day, Gladstone's Terrible Secret, The Think Box Bollix, The Golden Helmet, Houseboat Holiday, Gemstone Hunters, The Gilded Man, Spending Money and many Donald Duck one-pagers.

The quality of the printing is fabulous, while the colors are amazing, almost sparkling!

I love that you can read this book from the beginning, but you can also open it anywhere it suits your fancy and read a comic that draws your attention.

I love that this is a piece of history in young hands.

I love that this book will open children's eyes to the early masterpieces of comic art.

I love that this edition is a Christmas gem that was just waiting to be (re)discovered.

Welcome back to our homes Donald Duck!

2025 update

"I lost my parental power when the kids started quoting the the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica back at me - every turn they could. I was powerless in face of the onslaught of random facts and knowledge."

A certain anonymous dad who likes to read aloud

If you ever wonder - if children's book blog authors really listen to their own advice and buy books. I am about to answer your question.

Since I wrote this post, some years ago, we have taken a leaf out of Uncle Scrooge's book. Not literally - as we abhor tearing pages from our books.

(Left) half of our home collection of the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica

However, just like Uncle Scrooge, we have been diligently hoarding. Hoarding cash?

No, actually the opposite. Exchanging money for comics.

The best kind of trade.

I am happy to show you in two photographs - part of our stuffed bookshelves with two sides of a large shelf that is dedicated only to the Fantagraphics Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge comics.

We all now call it the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica. Why?

(Right) half of our home collection of the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica

Well, for a long long long time, as my kids were growing up, every now and then - my son and daughter would surprise me with random utterances:

"Hey! We saw that in Uncle Scrooge!"

"Hey, I know that country. That's from Uncle Scrooge!"

"Wait a moment. That tale is from Uncle Scrooge!"

"I know, I know. Don't explain it to me. It was in the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook!"

I almost felt that it was as if everywhere I try to explain a concept or where we learned about something new, the kids already knew about it.

So, the collective body of life wisdom and earthly knowledge contained in the Fantagraphics Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck comic books - became known as the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica in our home.

My tip: look at our shelves.

No regrets.

PS You thought this blog post was over. Well you are wrong!

We later came across even more Christmas books in this collection - now known globally as the Encyclopaedia Scroogatica.

Our copy of Carl Barks’s “Donald Duck: Christmas in Duckburg

The third Christmas themed book in this series of comic books is Christmas in Duckburg. Like all the books in this series, it is another successful Christmas-themed 200+ pager!

Yes, you may say - Carl Barks comics are pure escapism.

However, isn't that what most of day to day life is all about?

The pure enjoyment of escaping from the drab reality of work, or school, or homework, or daily routines.

Why not transport your kids - every night- to a new destination?

Most of us simply can't travel whenever we want and where ever we want.

Or at least we think we can't.

The Carl Barks collection of Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge hardcover comic books - can take us for a spin to an unexpected location every day.

You just need to grab one and open the cover.

Bon voyage!

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Further resources for parents (opens in new window - not affiliate links):

D23 (Official Disney) – Scrooge’s debut: D23 feature on how Christmas on Bear Mountain introduced Scrooge McDuck
Fantagraphics – Christmas on Bear Mountain (Vol. 5): Volume page with contents, preview and notes (first Scrooge appearance)
Fantagraphics – A Christmas for Shacktown (Vol. 11): Volume page with story list and editorial extras
School Library Journal – Review of Christmas on Bear Mountain: Librarian review on why the volume works across ages
Duck Comics Revue – Deep dive on Christmas on Bear Mountain: Story-level analysis by a long-running Duck scholar blog
MousePlanet – Carl Barks & the “unmade” Scrooge short: Historical context on Barks, Scrooge’s origins and creative choices

Who Were the Beatles? (Geoff Edgers): The Best Kid-Friendly Beatles Book to Read Aloud

2015-11-11T19:56:00.036-05:00

There is something inexplicable about the best group in the world. Kids feel it too. And this little biography is the one that finally gave my children the real story behind the mop tops.

Why are The Beatles so interesting?

Even today's children are fascinated with them.

Can it be just the amazing music?

Or their unusual mop tops?

Or maybe the bigger-than-life Beatlemania phenomenon?

Admittedly, they had larger-than-life personalities that helped fuel interest.

Yet, at the same time always seemed like just four ordinary boys who were doing something they love.

My eight-year old twins demonstrated eager interest for The Beatles when I played them some of the classic Fab Four songs.

However, they got really interested when I showed them some videos of the whole Beatlemania phenomenon and a recording of the group's famous last concert on the roof of Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row!

But, I knew that this fascination with The Beatles was just the top of the iceberg.

There was room for a read aloud rendezvous with the Fab Four in our house.

Why, you ask?

Well, make no mistake, the real story of the individual Beatles is even more interesting than the story of the group.

It is a story of hardship and success.

A story of loss and love.

A story of creativity and genius.

I simply had to find the best read aloud book about The Beatles to read to my children.

The Beatles were not simply a rock and roll group ... they were young people who overcome great challenges because they worked and believed in themselves.

I wanted that story about the individuals behind the group.

The skeleton story goes like this:

1. The Beatles were an English rock band.

2. They got together in Liverpool in 1960.

3. They became famous and recorded some of the best music from the last century.

But they were much more than that.

George Harrison, Paul McCartney,
Ringo Starr and John Lennon

I wanted my kids to hear how they got to that point of global success.

The history behind the glitter.

It is a story of hard work and talent, not a story of luck and chance.

The four Beatles loved their music, they practiced for hours on end and they played in front of all kinds of crowds.

Several years ago The Beatles reminded me of the 10,000 hour rule.

The rules states that if one sets aside around 10,000 hours to practice a skill (playing musical instruments, learning a foreign language, drawing, riding a skateboard), one crosses the threshold that makes them an expert in that certain discipline.

Yes, The Beatles are a positive example of doing what you love - successfully, through hard work.

The Toppermost of the Poppermost

The Beatles will exist without us.George Harrison

So, after searching through the available children's books on The Beatles, I found what I was looking for.

I found what I thought would be the 'toppermost of the poppermost' books on the Fab Four!

But this book - Who Were The Beatles? - was much better than I expected.

Read Aloud Dad does not usually cry during a book reading.

But Who Were The Beatles? made me cry.

Yes, I had found the best read aloud children's book about John, Paul, George and Ringo.

What I love about Who Were The Beatles? is that it shows the persons behind the personas.

Author Geoff Edgers makes a point of showing that the most formative days of the four Beatles were before they created the group, not after.

Three of the four Beatles, in fact, had difficult or very difficult childhoods.

Yet, this adversity only made their smiles shine even brighter.

Who Were The Beatles? is organized in 12 chapters, but the book is not a long one. The story fits in less than 100 pages - but it somehow manages to touch upon all the key moments.

I simply love the story's presentation and the sensitive manner in which it is written.

The first two-page chapter - called Who Were The Beatles? - explains how famous they were and how relevant they remain today.

But the next four chapters are crucial in setting up the story, as in each of them - we find out about the childhoods of the four Beatles.

And this part of the book is so surprising for any modern child aware of the global fame that The Beatles enjoyed.

Today's children do not expect that this popular group could have been anything but rich and famous.

But it was a completely different story and my children were amazed to hear the first four chapters - each of which was dedicated to one of The Beatles.

I love that the Who Were The Beatles? book gives precedence to the human side of the story, while their fame and fortune is the backdrop.

If you don't know about the early lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo - just take a peek below what kind of boys they were.

John

John Lennon was born during a Luftwaffe bombing raid on run-down Liverpool in October 1940.

He lived with his mom and grandparents, while his dad Alfred was mostly away from home - working on ships.

Alfred stopped sending money back home and John's mom could not even afford to buy her son a bed to sleep in.

That's how poor John Lennon was.

And from there, things only got worse. His mom Julia was no longer able to take care of him, so poor John had to move in with his aunt Mimi.

Julia still visited and even presented John Lennon with his first guitar and she helped him to learn how to play it.

John Lennon started getting into trouble at school and he only excelled in art class where he loved to create little books of his own.

Just a couple of months before John celebrated his 18th birthday he got the news that his beloved mom Julia was killed in a traffic accident.

The only thing that kept John Lennon going was his love of music and he adored listening to his favorite singer Elvis Presley.

Lennon started emulating Elvis and started playing guitar - then he decided to set up his own band with friends from his school - known by the name Quarry Bank High School - and he called his group the Quarrymen.

Paul

The story of Paul McCartney's young life also has a sad twist to it.

He was a popular kid and an applied one at school. He was good at drawing and writing and loved Elvis Presley, just as much John Lennon did.

Paul McCartney also adored Little Richard, the larger than life musician who was a great performer on stage.

The key musical influence in his life, however, was Paul's dad who was a piano player in a jazz band and he introduced the world of music into Paul's life.

There is a very nice quote in Who Were The Beatles? - that succinctly explains how Paul's life was clearly changed by music.

"The minute he got a guitar, that was the end," said Michael, Paul's younger brother. "He was lost. He didn't have time to eat or think about anything else."

But just as Paul got serious about music, his mother Mary McCartney became ill. She didn't want to upset her family and kept the news to herself.

Alas she died when Paul was only fourteen years old. He managed to channel part of his sadness into music and his first song was called "I Lost My Little |Girl".

Ringo

Just when my twins thought they were going to hear that one of The Beatles had an easy and privileged childhood, we came to this chapter about Ringo Starr.

In fact, Ringo Starr had the hardest childhood of them all.

Ringo, or Richard Starkey as was his real name, carried the same first name as his father. But his father left the family when Ringo was only three.

Ringo was a very lonely kid and to make matters worse he ended up in a Liverpool hospital with a burst appendix just before he turned seven.

The situation was so critical that he fell into a coma ... and he did not come out of it for almost three full months.

Ringo's recovery was slow and he remained in the hospital for a full year, before he was released to return home.

Not surprisingly, life had moved on and Ringo found himself lagging behind his classmates in almost all subjects - isolating him further.

Maybe he would have caught up, but when he turned thirteen - Ringo got sick again and this time when he was admitted to the hospital he ended up staying two years.

As the song goes - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Ringo had no school in hospital, but he learned to play drums.

George

George Harrison, the youngest Beatle, was the exception among the group as he had a relatively normal and tragedy-free childhood.

He was not exceptional in his young years and certainly no big music lover as a small child, yet he begged his mom to buy him a guitar in his early teens.

George became almost obsessed with playing and could play for hours on end. Later he switched the conventional guitar for an electric one, formed a band with one of his older siblings and ... as fate would have it - he met Paul McCartney on a bus in Liverpool.

They became friends and even began jamming together at Paul's house.

The rest of the story is history and you will find it tugging the strings of your heart as you progress through the remaining chapters of this marvelous book.

All of the important moments in lives of The Beatles are covered - the initial group lineups without Ringo, from their fateful decision to go to play in Hamburg, meeting Brian Epstein, saying goodbye to drummer Pete Best and replacing him with Ringo Starr.

The story also takes the reader through the initial successes, the famed trip to America and the explosion of Beatlemania, the fights, the marriages and the inevitable break-up of the group.

Fortunately, author Geoff Edgers does not break off the story in 1970, but continues to follow the individual Beatles in their attempts to continue their musical careers ... and he treats the shocking assassination on John Lennon - extremely sensitively.

This book made me choke on my tears as I was nearing the end.

My kids adored it!

It made The Beatles so much more human - with their ups and downs, with their troubled childhoods and different temperaments.

I knew that Who Were The Beatles? would be a good read aloud - but I wasn't aware that it was going to be virtually perfect!

What is your favorite children's book on the Fab Four?

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):

TeachRock – Beatles lesson set for families/classrooms: Free, media-rich activities on Beatlemania and the early years
Official Beatles site (for family browsing after the read-aloud): Photos, stories, and timelines to explore together
Author/series background – Geoff Edgers (Who HQ): About the author + other kid-friendly music bios

The Gardener (Sarah Stewart, David Small): a Caldecott Honor Read-Aloud That Lingers

2015-11-02T14:35:00.050-05:00

My son picked this picture book out for reading one night, and that act surprised me.

The Gardener looks gentle… and then it starts doing serious work on the heart.

Give it a read-aloud and watch what happens when the rooftop finally blooms.

Last time around I reviewed a book chosen for you by my beautiful little daughter.

Today, I asked her twin brother to select another special treat for you.

This time my son also had full freedom to choose a book for you with no instructions from me or anyone else.

What would he choose?

From our entire home library of more than a thousand children's books.

I must admit I was wondering which book would my son bring me.

My lovely son surprised me.

He chose a fantastically moving picture book - The Gardener.

We have not read it in a long time, more than half a year - I think.

Not many picture books can be defined as true classics, yet this is one of the few that belong to the select group.

The Gardener is not only recognized as fab by my son, but it is also a 1997 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year, as well as 1998 Caldecott Honor Book.

Had you asked me just five years ago, I would probably have said that a girl would have chosen The Gardener and that a boy would have chosen The Man Who Lost His Head (my daughter's choice last time around).

But this error, just serves to illustrate a good point.

Reading aloud has taught me how little do we truly know about the inner life of our children.

I mean about their real selves.

Books make that inner life even more complex. Books have a crucial influence.

It is a page by page process.

Children grow into different people after coming into contact with new ideas, images, concepts.

Uncle Jim reads a poem
written for him by Lydia Grace

Reading aloud helps our kids to evolve together with the times - but in their case time runs faster.

They evolve faster with books.

They evolve yet they still remain kids.

But they become smarter or, even better - more aware of themselves and their surroundings.

They are no longer the same person they would have been ... without children's literature.

And that is the greatest positive power that children's books have over our children.

The power of fostering self-improvement. But, back to this fantastic book - The Gardener.

It is a sobering story from the era of Great Depression (in the early 20th century).

As in every good story - all children can easily identify with the main character in this book Lydia Grace, as authored by Sarah Stewart.

Lydia Grace Finch is a young, petite girl who lives with her parents in the poverty-stricken countryside.

With her father out of work and mother earning less and less money from her dressmaking, Lydia Grace is one day sent to live with her Uncle Jim in a big gray city.

Lydia Grace is going to work for her Uncle Jim in his bakery.

Life in a large town in times of poverty is drab.

Days are depressing.

A typical double-page spread from The Gardener

The reality of the dire situation is beautifully shown through the amazing full-page artwork created by David Small.

Ever double-page of this book consists of beautiful side-to-side artwork.

The artwork is simply fantastic!

(Interesting tidbit: The Gardener's author Sarah Stewart and illustrator David Small are married to each other and they have previously illustrated two more children's books - The Money Tree and The Library.

Fortunately, many of our own kids today have not gone through this harsh reality of poverty and hardship.

But it is an important lesson to be aware of.

Yet, poverty for adults and poverty for children can be two different experiences.

We often forget that children also live in an alternative reality to ours.

This is one of the greatest powers that children have in life. It is the power of overcoming harsh reality with strength of character.

Children almost always see life as a glass half full, rarely as a glass half empty.

Green is the color of life

Lessons are not given, they are taken.
Cesare Pavese

Lydia Grace is not a child that will succumb to the pressures of daily life.

She is well grounded in her loving family life.

She does not wait for things to happen, she makes them happen.

She keeps writing back home - and the entire picture book is presented in the form of a collection of letters penned by the little girl to her family back home in rural America.

In her letters she informs her Mama, Papa and Grandma that she will start to tend plants in window boxes in the city and she thanks her family for sending her seed catalogs and flower bulbs that she will use in preparing her garden.

In each of her letters, Lydia Grace also informs her family back home that her Uncle Jim does not smile, which is a terse way of describing the difficult life that surrounds her in the city.

As months pass, Lydia Grace makes friends with the other employees of the bakery and she learns how to knead bread, while teaching others the Latin names of all flowers she knows.

Uncle Jim finds the secret garden
on top of the building

One of the great strengths of The Gardener is that it shows how the natural instinct of children is to look towards solutions.

Children never meekly accept the status quo.

They have a natural instinct to follow the good and the positive, even when surrounded by gloom and even despair.

Naturally, as the economy starts to recover in May 1936, Lydia Grace informs her parents: "I saw Uncle Jim almost smile today. The store was full ... of customers".

As her plants in window boxes start to bloom and even radishes, onions and lettuce emerge to decorate the building windows, Lydia Grace becomes known by her new nickname - the gardener.

However, window boxes are not the only achievement that she has been working on.

Lydia Grace has been preparing a fantastic surprise for her overworked uncle who agreed to take her in during the dark days of the Great Depression.

The surprise is a marvelous rooftop garden that she prepared by herself for her Uncle Jim in order to bring a smile back to his face.

I love that message.

Children also love messages of hope.

The Gardener is a message of strength - how we can overcome difficulty and hardship through effort and applying ourselves.

We can make lemonade out of the lemons we have been dealt.

Work is not a curse in life, but also an opportunity for improvement.

But this is not all that I love about The Gardener.

The sweetest thing is how this amazingly illustrated picture book defines success.

A delicate measure that should always be on our minds.

The true measure of success in life is not money, but a smile on faces that surround you.

This is not a message that you should ignore.

Happy reading,

Read Aloud Dad

Where to buy

These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):

ReadWriteThink lesson – letter writing with The Gardener: Authentic letter-writing activity inspired by the book
ALA – Caldecott Honor page: 1998 Caldecott Honor details
Illustrator David Small’s official book page: Book synopsis & illustrator spotlight
Publishers Weekly review: Critical take on story & art (behind-the-lines nuance)
Kirkus review: Concise professional review (themes & setting)
Common Sense Media – parent overview: Age guidance & “parents need to know”
Redeemed Reader – family reading reflections: Epistolary form + gardening/hope discussion

Read Aloud Dad

Otis by Loren Long: the quiet little tractor that keeps finding his way back into our reading pile

2026 update

2. Otis and the Tornado (2010), Otis picture book 2

3. Otis Loves to Play (2012) - does not strictly belong to the picture book series!

4. An Otis Christmas (2012), Otis picture book 3

5. Otis and the Puppy (2014), Otis picture book 4

6. Otis’s Busy Day (2014) - This is a shorter, board-book style Otis book, not a picture book of the same format as the original Otis.

7. Otis and the Scarecrow (2017), Otis picture book 5

8. What Does Otis See? (2015) - again NOT one of the classic Otis picture book series! This is part of the Step Into Reading book series, so manage your expectations.

Otis and the Kittens (2020), Otis picture book 6

Otis Gives Thanks (2017) - again NOT one of the classic Otis picture book series! This is a board book, essentially a rehash of other Otis moments of glory

And then Otis went on-screen

Where to buy

Best Harry Potter Set to Buy (2026): Illustrated MinaLima vs Jim Kay OR Standard

Quick comparison: which Harry Potter set should you buy?

1) MinaLima interactive & illustrated editions: who they’re for?

2) Jim Kay illustrated editions: who they’re for

A quick detour: Hogwarts House Editions and book sets (easy to mix up)

3) Standard 1–7 box set (mainstream, not illustrated): who it's for?

US vs UK (Philosopher vs Sorcerer): does it matter?

What do we have at home?

The one question that decides everything

Read-aloud families vs independent readers

Illustration density and what it does to the story

Book 1 in the hand: size & weight (standard vs House edition vs MinaLima vs Jim Kay)

Book 4 in the hand: size & weight (standard vs House edition vs interactive vs illustrated)

Shelf presence and gift impact

The clear recommendation

Finally, here is a short FAQ (that I compiled based on buyer worries):

Finished books 1-7? What to read next

Where to buy

1) Standard complete 1–7 box set (my default pick)

2) Interactive illustrated editions (MinaLima 1–3 + Mountford 4+)

3) Illustrated editions (Jim Kay 1–5, then Levi Pinfold 6–7)

The Five Chinese Brothers: Parent Read-Aloud Review + How to Handle It in the 21st Century

My Reaction After Buying the Book (as a grown up)

What Kids Really Want

Editions Matter (Yes, I’ll Go There)

A Lesson for Me

Times evolve, so do we, and so do books

Practical Takeaway

Where to buy

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):

If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss: Read-Aloud Review + What Parents Notice Today

Wipe The Slate Clean

Surprise Vocabulary Lesson

Where to buy

Further resources and reading on this edition (click to open in new window):

NPR report on Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ 2021 decision to cease publication: Dr. Seuss Enterprises Will Shelve 6 Books, Citing 'Hurtful' Portrayals

Merriam-Webster: Learn about the origin of the word “nerd” (first known use traced to the If I Ran the Zoo book): The Many Origin Stories of 'Nerd'

Blog: The Baby Bookworm: If I Ran the Zoo (with reaction to offending content)

Blog: Seussblog: If I Ran the Zoo (addressing differences between early Seussian output that may contain questionable content and later books)

Blog: Hellion’s House of Movies: Let’s Talk About Dr Seuss’s “If I Ran the Zoo” (essay on controversial imagery and cultural context of If I Ran the Zoo

Children's Audio Books - Portals to a New Galaxy

The Munschworks Grand Treasury (Robert Munsch): 15 Stories That Detonate a Roomful of Kids

Adults are kids in clothes for grown-ups

Where to buy

Further resources and reading on Robert Munsch (click to open in new window):

What is the Best Investment Plan For Your Child's Future?

Compound interest ... the power of magic

Carl Barks Christmas Donald Duck Box Set: The Best Holiday Comic Treasury Gift

What's the big idea!?

Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy...

2025 update

Where to buy

Further resources for parents (opens in new window - not affiliate links):

Who Were the Beatles? (Geoff Edgers): The Best Kid-Friendly Beatles Book to Read Aloud

The Toppermost of the Poppermost

John

Paul

Ringo

George

Where to buy

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):

The Gardener (Sarah Stewart, David Small): a Caldecott Honor Read-Aloud That Lingers

Where to buy

Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):