The Little Prince

I love it when I get a chance to read a book that has been on my 'to-read' list for a while.  When I end up finishing the book, I usually end up thinking 'why didn't I read this sooner?'.  This is one of those books.  The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is classified as a children's book, but I think that people of all ages can take away from this story.

The little prince is a beautiful story, one I would love to share with my kids, and one that I would love to re-read myself.  I am interested in reading the French version of the story, to be treated to the beautiful prose in it's original form.
It is a great story, because you can take from it whatever you like.  It can either be a whimsical tale of a prince who flew to Earth then returned to his home to be with his flower.  Or it can be a story so wrought with meaning and emotions that it takes many readings to wrap you head around it.  I love a story like this, because each time you read it, you gain a new perspective on something.
As a parent reading this story, it puts the innocence and imagination of my children into the spotlight of my mind so that I can make sure I appreciate it more, and stop being so concerned with other matters of consequence.
Everyone should read this book.

Aesop's Fables

I decided to pick up Aesop's Fables and give it a go.  I honestly thought that I was picking up a book of fairy tales, but was pleasantly surprised by the short quick and familiar tales that were in this book.

Description:  So many stories that we consider modern have their roots in Aesop's fables.  They truly are timeless.  This is a collection of tales that is appropriate for any age, the lessons that they teach are simple and useful in everyday life.

What I liked:  I recognized a lot of the tales, some I had heard or seen in children's picture books, others in movies, tv shows, cartoons, etc.  I had no idea that the stories were written such a long time ago.

What I didn't like: It was hard to read this in one sitting.  Because the stories are so short, I found myself either constantly re-reading entire tales or falling asleep after I had read a few of them.

Would I recommend this?:  Absolutely.  I think that every person should spend some time with this book at least once.

Swimmy

It's bedtime!  Swimmy by Leo Lionni is a beautiful story about a little fish whose school gets eaten by a large tuna.  He is the only survivor, and strikes out to find a new group of fish to swim with.  When he finds them, they are afraid to swim out because they do not want to be eaten by larger fish.  Swimmy shows them how to work together so that if they stay as a group they will be safe from large predators.
This book has beautiful illustrations and gorgeous language.  Also, when reading stories to my children I love a book that leaves an opportunity for further discussion without being in your face or preachy with lessons.  This story was a great way to discuss using teamwork to overcome obstacles.

The Big Honey Hunt

Tonight's bedtime story was The Big Honey Hunt by Stan and Jan Berenstain.  It was a cute little story about a bear family that runs out of honey in their honey pot.  Instead of buying more at the store, Papa Bear takes his son on an adventure to find some wild honey.  The see a bee, and follow it from tree to tree looking for the honey tree.  Along the way they encounter many wild animals, and then finally they find the honey tree.  Unfortunately all is not well, and they get chased away by a swarm of angry bees.  In the end, they buy some honey from the store.
The story is cute, and the whole idea behind these early readers is to get kids reading, which I think this accomplishes.  There is a lot of repetition and rhyming.  The illustrations are nicely done.  My daughter enjoyed it, and I didn't mind it.  All in all a cute story, and one I'm sure we will read again.