So I guess this is why group things are successful. If I hadn’t vowed, out loud on this blog, to participate in Nonfiction Monday at the end of last year, there  is no way I’d be writing this post right now. Part of me was ready to throw in the towel and say that I just am not a non-fiction reader but then…

I pulled a couple of non-fiction titles to read to the girls last night and Caroline, my seven year old, literally said, “Ugh!” And this from the same girl who snuck in extra reading time the very same night. Last night after I’d tucked Caroline in, snuggled and talked about our most and least favorite parts of the day, I kissed her good night and left. A few minutes later, I walked by her door and saw her light shining. When I opened the door, she said, “But I just have to see how it ends!!” She was devouring  Mallory in the Spotlight, a fictional chapter book,  that she had just started earlier in the day.

This was yet another reminder that our children truly do what we do, not what we say. I can remind Caroline to read all the genres as many times as I wish but if she keeps seeing me with my nose buried in a novel, this is most likely what she will choose too.

Tonight I will bring out Just One Bite: 11 Animals and Their Bites at Life Size written by Lola Schaefer and illustrated by Geoff Waring at dinner time.

The topic will be timely and the girls will be a captive audience. I always love when I remember to read to the girls during meals or snacks. They always listen intently and as a side benefit for my younger picky eater, they eat more as the words distract them.

In this beautifully illustrated book, the author presents twelve animals with life sized pictures of what one bite of their food would look like. We are introduced to these creatures in size order from the earth worm’s tinest morsel of dirt to the mystery of what the enormous sperm whales eats. After two page spreads of each animal with only minimal text, the last two pages provide detail on each of the animals investigated. This organization makes Just One Bite perfect to share with different aged siblings like my girls. Caroline will likely want to learn more and read the facts while Katherine will most likely have gained enough insight by reading the earlier pages.

Hopefully, tonight we’ll find Just One  Bite to be just right! I could resist…