Letter G: Booklist
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson: The was my three's very favorite book this week and he pretended to be a gruffalo all week long. It's a book about a little mouse who runs into a snake, fox and owl who all want to eat him for lunch. The mouse outsmarts the animals by telling them, "A gruffalo is meeting me for lunch. What's a Gruffalo? You haven't heart of a Gruffalo? He has yellow eyes, a wart on his nose and sharp teeth." This fib scares all the animals away. Read to find out happens when a gruffalo really does appear and what the mouse does to outsmart him.
Goldie and the Three Bears by Diane Stanley: This was another book that was requested to read a lot this week. It's a spin on Goldilock's and the Three Bears, with a really cute ending. 
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone: My three has been obsessed with this story for over a year. It's a story about three billy goats (teaches small, medium and big) that run out of food and need to find a new hillside with fresh, green grass. However, they realize that in order to find new grass they need to cross a bridge, which is guarded by a horrible, ugly troll. My three loves the troll and the goats "trip trapping" over the bridge. We often reenact this story at home. 
The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth: This is classic story about a couple that decides to make a gingerbread man. They roll out the dough, form the body and put it in the oven. However, when they open the oven to take the gingerbread man out, he leaps across the floor. "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!" Pretty soon everyone is chasing after the gingerbread man. Read to find out who finally catches him. I love the illustrations in this book.
The Great Gracie Chase, Stop That Dog! by Cynthia Rylant: This book is about a dog, named Gracie, who enjoys the peace and quiet at home. When a couple of noisy painters come to the house, she demands they go outside, but instead, they put Gracie outside. She decides to run away and the entire town is running after her. My three found the humor in this book and really enjoyed it.
G is for Goat by Patricia Polacco: Each page in this book has a letter of the alphabet, with the main theme being goats. "A is for Apples, a goats favorite treat." I learned some new things and my boys also really enjoyed this book. 
Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat: This book was an immediate favorite of my three year old. It's about a goat, named Gregory, who is a very picky eater. He only likes to eat healthy things - carrots, fish, orange juice, and eggs. His parents worry about him and seek advice from a Ram, who tells them to slowly mix in goat food (boots, cans, shirts, etc.) with the healthy food. This works a little too well, when Gregory's dad is missing his tie and his mom can't find her sewing kit. This book teaches about moderation and is a really cute story. 
The Golden Goose by Dennis McDermott: This book is about three brothers. The first two desire a place in the King's Palace, so they go into the forest to cut down the largest tree they can find. Before cutting down the tree, they stop to eat their lunch when a troll appears and asks them for a bite to eat. Both boys refuse and when they try to cut the tree down, their axes break in two. When the third brother comes to the tree, he shares his lunch with the troll and is told a special secret about the tree. I really enjoyed the message in this story about kindness, humility and sharing. 
How Groundhog's Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry: My boys enjoyed this book, but I had to summarize some of the text as it got a little long for their attention spans (ages 3, 1). It's very informational about planting a garden and I like how all the animals shared a big meal at the end.
