Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Almost Farewell


Because we always have to count our blessings..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

And count them a thousand..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

No..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

A million times over..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

And over..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

Because..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

This..

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

Is worth living for.

Singapore Marina Barrage Photoshoot by Marc Manalastas

Thank you Marc and Santa for this thoughtful and beautiful gift.

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Photography by Marc Manalastas

Friday, November 23, 2018

50 Books My Toddler Loves


It could be the story..
So interesting or so funny..

Or maybe the pictures.. Or the hidden creatures..


But my 2-year-old Lance wouldn't go to bed..
Unless at least 3 of these books were read.

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And if you could also, please..
We would love to know what's on your list!

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1. Away in my Airplane
by Margaret Wise Brown and Henry Fisher

A little boy takes his airplane to fly..
And tells about his adventures up in the sky.

Away in My Airplane by Margaret Wise Brown and Henry Fisher

2. Baby Beluga
by Raffi and Ashley Wolf

When we realised it was a song,
Lance would no longer stop singing..

"Baby Beluga.. Oh, Baby Beluga.."

Baby Beluga by Raffi and Ashley Wolf

3. Chu's Day at the Beach 
by Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex

When Chu sneezes, big things happen.

And Lance would go Aah.. aaah.. aaaah.. achoooo!

Chu's Day at the Beach by Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex

4. Corduroy
by Don Freeman

Corduroy is a bear for sale in a department store.

He is missing a button, 
But he finds a friend in a little girl who likes him just the way he is.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

5. Daniel Finds a Poem
by Micha Archer

Daniel asks the animals in the park..
"What is poetry?"

Their answers are beautiful.
And so are the illustrations of this book.

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer

6. Day Dreamers: A Journey of Imagination
by Emily Winfield Martin

Magical creatures and imaginations..

He looks at them one by one..

The jackalopes, griffins, dragons, and unicorns.

Day Dreamers: A Journey of Imagination by Emily Winfield Martin

7. Dear Zoo and Dear Santa
by Rod Campbell

Santa wraps gifts and the zoo sends pets..

And Lance gets excited to lift the flaps to see what he gets.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Dear Santa by Rod Campbell

8. Deep in the Forest
by Josef Anton and Lucie Brunelliere

In this gorgeously illustrated forest he loves to find..
The red ants, the leech, and the lioness lurking behind.
Under the ground and up the tree..
Did you know there's such an animal as an Okapi?

Deep in the Forest by Josef Anton and Lucie Brunelliere

9. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
by Mo Willems

Pigeon: Hey, can I drive the bus?

Lance: Bus driver said no..

Pigeon: How 'bout I give you five bucks?

Lance: No..

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

10. Each Peach Pear Plum
by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Where the characters of nursery rhymes and fairy tales come together.

The title alone makes him laugh.. 
And he goes to bed babbling..

"I spy Bo-Peep. I spy Mother Hubbard."

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

11. Escargot
by Dashka Slater and Sydney Hanson

Escargot is a beautiful French snail who wants to get to his salad.

Lance: Daddy, read funny, I want to laugh.

His Dad would read it with a broken French accent, and he would be laughing.

Escargot: And so, I kiss you! Mwah!

He kisses him back.

Escargot by Dashka Slater and Sydney Hanson

12. Gallop!
by Rufus Butler Seder

Not much of a story..
But the animal images move when you turn the pages.

And he finds it fascinating.

Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder

13. Giraffes Can't Dance
by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Lance: Mommy, let's dance!

And so we dance like Gerald the Giraffe.. 
Like nobody's watching.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

14. Go! Go! Go! Stop!
by Charise Mericle Harper

Little Green and Little Red are opposite signal lights..
But they have to work together to get things done at the construction sites.

Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper

15. Goodnight Bear
by Joshua George

A very simple book about a Bear looking for his friends in the dark.

Just that, Lance enjoys using the "magic torch" to search for the animals.

Goodnight Bear by Joshua George

16. Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

Seems so simple yet captivating to the little boy..

Who says goodnight to all he sees and all his toys.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

17. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Cement mixer yawns..
Lance yawns..

And then he kisses the sleeping trucks goodnight!

Lance: Mommy, don't touch, he's sleeping!

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

18. Happy Birthday To You!
by Nicola Slater

He listens to the animals play the violin, guitar, flute, and piano..
And blows the birthday cake candle that perpetually glows.

"Happy Birthday Little Otter.."

Lance now sings this to the otters at the zoo.

Happy Birthday To You! by Nicola Slater

19. High? Low? Where Did It Go?
by Tish Rabe, Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu

This is all about animal camouflage..
And he is thrilled whenever he finds all of them.

High? Low? Where Did It Go? by Rish Rabe, Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu

20. I Know a Rhino 
by Charles Fuge

Beautifully illustrated and he really enjoys..

Watching the little girl play and have fun with her animal toys.

I Know A Rhino by Charles Fuge

21. If Animals Kissed Good Night
by Ann Whitford Paul and David Walker

We imitate how the animals kiss good night.

We klick-a-klack, klick-a-klack..
We kiss.. and growl.. and kiss.. and howl.

If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul and David Walker

22. Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer
by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere both love building things,
And their stories inspire children to..

To do what they love, to persevere, and to never give up.

 Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

23. Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall

As Jabari struggles to make his first dive, his dad encourages and tells him..

"It's ok to feel a little scared."

And soon, he overcomes his fears.

Such a powerful message.. I believe.

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

24. Little Blue Truck
by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

A group of farm animals help a little blue truck help a dump truck who got stuck in the mud.

The rhythm of this book is so good that Lance memorised it so fast.

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry

25. Lost and Found
by Oliver Jeffers

A little boy finds a penguin at his door.

Thinking it was lost, he returns it home to the South Pole,
Only to realise that home is where they are together.

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers


50 Books My Toddler Loves - Continuation


26. Master Track's Train
by Allan Ahlberg and Andre Amstutz

A boy rescues a stolen train..

And it is fun to read..

Because the narration comes in the form of a train station announcement.

Master Track's Train by Allan Ahlberg and Andre Amstutz

27. May I Please Have a Cookie?
by Jennifer E. Morris

Alfie wants a cookie. 

But his Mommy would only give him one if he asked for it properly.

"Please.."

May I Please Have a Cookie? by Jennifer E. Morris

28. Night Night, Train
by Amy Parker and Virginia Allyn

This book.. he used to ask us to read more than 10 times a day, everyday.

A family of dogs boards a train, finds their seats..
Eats dinner, reads their favourite book, takes a shower,
Prays to God, and goes to bed.

It's in the details.. and he can relate to them.

Night Night, Train by Amy Parker and Virginia Allyn

29. Oh, Baby! Go, Baby!
by Dr. Seuss

This is Dr. Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go! simplified for babies and toddlers.

The tabs and flaps in this book are really creative!

Oh, Baby! Go, Baby! by Dr. Seuss

30. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle

Snarling like a Leopard.. Yelping like a Peacock.. Braying like a Zebra..

They are not the usual farm animal sounds..

And we enjoy imitating them.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle

31. Sam and the Firefly 
by P. D. Eastman

A good story with moral lessons..

About Sam the good owl saving a naughty firefly,
From the chaos it causes from writing the wrong words in the sky.

Sam and the Firefly by P. D. Eastman

32. Some Bugs
by Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel

Insects and what they do..

A cute invitation to explore your backyard.

Lance: This book is so funny!

Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi and Brendan Wenzel

33. Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball 
by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge

Together with the wombat..

We would run around the house and make funny faces..
Until we curl up in a ball and dream of places.

Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge

34. Strictly No Elephants
by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo

After being rejected by the Pet Club..
A little boy finds a solution for his pet elephant..
And his friends' pets narwhal, skunk, bat, porcupine, penguin..

Because pets are friends, and friends come in different shapes and sizes.

Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo

35. Tap the Magic Tree
by Christie Matheson

We knock on the trunk.. tap the branches..
Close our eyes.. blow some kisses..

Turn the page.. a magic happens.

Tap The Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

36. The Gruffalo
by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler

Amazingly written..

About a mouse taking a stroll in the deep dark wood..
Outwitting all the animals eyeing him for food.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

37. The Lion Inside and The Koala Who Could
by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

A mouse who feels small wants to be like the lion,
But the lion is actually afraid of mice.

A koala who thinks he couldn't,
Realised he could.

Now, every time Lance sees a koala, he would say it is a "Koala who could."

The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

38. The Paper Dolls
by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb

He loves it so much.. we made him his own paper dolls!

We gave them names.. we let them sing..
We made them play and do just anything!

The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb

39. The Pout-Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna

It's catchy.

Lance likes it every time the fish says..

"I'm a pout-pout fish, with a pout-pout face.."

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna

40. The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

Presented in a detailed black and white that captures the little boy's wonders..

It tells about Ferdinand, the bull who would rather sit quietly under a tree and smell the flowers.

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

41. The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day
by Jessica Courtney-Tickle

As you read about Isabelle, her puppy, and her apple tree..
A part of Vivaldi's classical music The Four Seasons..
Plays in every page beautifully!

The Story Orchestra, Four Seasons in One Day by Jessica Courtney-Tickle

42. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle

Lance loves to poke every hole the Caterpillar makes..
On the plum, on the leaf, and on the cakes.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

43. The Wheels on The Bus 
by Paul O Zelinsky

The song children love to sing.

The tabs, flaps, and movable parts of this book are amazing.

The Wheel on the Bus by Paul O Zelinsky

44. The Wonderful Things You Will Be
by Emily Winfield Martin

All the beautiful things we wonder when we look at our child..

A loving message to instil while they are young.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

45. Time For Bed
by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer

A nice rhythmic book for bedtime..

About little animals being called to bed by their parents one by one.

Time For Bed by Mem Fox and Jane Dyer

46. Tuesday
by David Wiesner

Every Tuesday, something happens.

This book has no words - 

Only pictures that allow you to create your own story.

Tuesday by David Wiesner

47. We're Going on a Bear Hunt
by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

A family goes through an adventure.. crossing grass, mud, and a snowstorm..
To find a bear that scares them.. and sends them running back home.

A classic.. so fun to read!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

48. What the Ladybird Heard
by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

A ladybird who never says a word..
Overhears two thieves planning to steal the fine prize cow.

Another favourite from Julia Donaldson, 
because everything she writes is magic.

What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

49. Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak

Lance: Mom, what's this?
Me: I can't figure it out. It's a wild thing
Lance: No, a dinosaur. How about this?
Me: A horse
Lance: No, a lion

And just like the boy in the story, his imagination goes on.

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

50. You're Here for a Reason
by Nancy Tillman

Meaningful and full of love..

Though Lance focuses more on the weasel, the reindeer, and the kite flying above!

You're Here For A Reason by Nancy Tillman