Who Ya Calling Monkeypants?

Christopher Burgess, today’s Good Reads Guest Reviewer, and proud Dad, is an active duty member of the United States Air Force stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. When he is not at work he spends his time chasing his 22 month-old, Logan Atreyu, around their home. His interests include working out, reading, music, sports, volunteer work and
spending as much time as he can with his lovely wife Chelcy.

The first book I read with my son was Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants, a board book which became an instant favorite in the Burgess home. J.D. Lester’s clever writing explaining each character in the book set up Hiroe Nakata’s whimsical illustrations and made for an exciting, fun read. Logan (A.K.A. B-LO) loved the bright, bold colors as well as the numerous animals introduced in the book. He laughed and pointed at the pictures while I read along explaining each mothers “pet” names for their children. This adorable book emphasizes the special, silly connection a parent and child can share. This is one book that I see our little monkey holding dear to his precious little heart for years to come.

Mama, What’s In There?, another adorable board book from Random House, encourages children to explore just what is in bellies of all their favorite pregnant animals. The book is written by Diane Muldrow with creative and descriptive illustrations created by Rick Peterson. My son is fascinated by babies as most little ones are at this age. Totally interactive, this book that not only allows your child to find the baby in the mama’s belly by lifting the flap, but it also serves as a great opportunity to teach your child animal sounds, where animals live, and the body parts of animals and humans. The highly colorful illustrations captured my son’s attention and left him wanting to read the book over and over again. This would be a terrific book to introduce to your child if you were expecting a child of your own. The ending of the book helps the child identify just “what is in Mama’s tummy.” This book is bound to be a hit in any household, expecting or not!