Read-Aloud Thursday: Two New Discoveries

The animals that were...
the animals that are...
and the animals that will be...
bring joy, laughter and life to the lives of the people
who live in a house that needs painting,
at the end of a road full of holes...
MAPLE HILL FARM.

Joining Read-Aloud Thursday @ Hope is the Word.   The first book I'm sharing today is one of those books you will cherish for generations.    I'm so glad I found this (via Ginny @ Small Things).     Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm is a clever, endearing book about all the animals you will find on a farm.  It is written for ages 3-7, but I contend all ages will love this one!  (And, if you click on the link, you will see it is only $7.99 on Amazon, which is a very good price for such a lovely book.)

I've included shots of a few of the pages so you can see how beautiful they are.   The names of all of the farm animals make them come alive, and each has their own distinct personality.   It also (quite accurately) teaches the physical characteristics of the animals, right down to the weights of certain dogs, habits of cows, pigs, chickens, etc...   

I've had the book for some time, and last weekend just pulled it out... we read the whole thing in one sitting and my son was enthralled.   You'll love this book - I promise!

The second book is one that I picked up at our homeschool group's used book sale for $.50.  My little guy threw it in the bag and I'm so glad he did.   We have read one other Childhood of Famous Americans book - they are wonderful.    The one we are reading is Babe Ruth: One of Baseball's Greatest.    We are pretty much obsessed with baseball in this house, and even my nine year old daughter loves learning about the game and the greats.

There is just something so appealing about this book - I think it's because Babe and my son are the same age and Babe's thoughts are probably some of the same ones my little guy has.

We also have the Thomas Edison book from this same Childhood of Famous Americans series to use with Beyond Five in a Row (which I have scheduled for next week!).   

What are you reading out loud this week?  I'm always looking for suggestions, and be sure to visit Hope Is The Word to see what others are reading, too.