The 'Ow' Book

Every week or so, the Swenson family hits up the local library. Sometimes we get crazy and walk there multiple times in a week. But for E, we check out a new set of four or five books once a week. It's a bit hard to rummage through the stacks of picture books with the criteria in mind: attractive pictures, not too many words per page, but still has a central story line, and is on a topic he likes. Mostly, these books surround his current interests: fire trucks, cats, dogs, babies, etc. I'm still hoping to come across some bike or motorcycle ones..although I should probably just to do a specific research for them.  This is all while trying to watch him while he's in the play area.

Throughout the week, we typically read the books once in the morning right when he wakes up and we jump back in our bed with him snuggled in on Papa's side {which can buy me up to a whole additional hour of laying in bed}. And after naptime or right before dinner; along with his puzzles. He picks out which ones we read so right away I know if I've made a good selection or not that week. One of his favorite books from the library to date is this book:

Please Take Me For A Walk

By Susan Gal

It's about a pup who desperately wants to go for a walk as he shares all the dog-happy things he'll be able to do while on the walk. The pictures are made from charcoal and digital collages-- very rich and eye-catching. The author also clearly sets the story in her Berkeley neighborhood during the fall, which is fun too.Yes, that means complete with smart cars in the street and Mac computers at the cafe.

Well, this library book is now officially ours and is also officially known as the "Ow" book. E was 'reading' through it on his own one afternoon several weeks ago and happened to rip out a few pages from the binding as well as rip a page right down the center. I was able to tape the torn page, but still haven't tried to get the others back near the binding. 

We went the following week to notify the library and discovered that they have done away with the 'replace on your own' program. Basically, you have to just pay for the book AND a processing fee. Awesome, huh? I thought libraries weren't for profit?! Prior to the 'defacement' incident, I was actually going to hop on Amazon and buy a copy for E, he loved it so much. Welp, he does, in fact, have his very own {partial} copy for $21 now.  BUT he still picks it out to read every day and will repeatedly say "Ow" as we approach the torn page and the two pages I've shoved in the back until I tape them back to the binding. So, in part we're getting some money's worth. Yeesh.

Needless to say, we'll be keeping library book reading as a joint activity until he's a bit older. And he'll be sticking to board books on his own.