Show & Tell : Good reads from Chronicle Books

I have three great new books to share with you this morning, from Chronicle Books.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace have teamed up again to create another amazing tale called, Little Oink It is the story of a tidy little pig who loves to clean. But his parents remind him that as a pig, he must learn to make a proper mess.

Amy and Jen are also the creative talents behind Little Pea and Little Hoot, and Little Oink follows right in line with these best-loved books. My children request a reading from these stories so often that I have them committed to memory.

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When I was an elementary school teacher, I remember how helpful it was to find a series of books that my students latched on to. It was a sure-fire way to encourage a reluctant reader and it gave others something to look forward to. I have a feeling that this new series from Chronicle Books, Horse Crazy , by Alison Lester, will be such a series for many children. The books are about two best friends, Bonnie and Samantha who live in a small town in the Australian bush and are crazy about horses. The books are sweet and fun and Emma has then tucked away in a drawer beside her bed--waiting for the day she can dive into them with a little more ease.

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The last book I want to share with you is called, Secrets of Simplicity : Learn to Live Better With Less, by Mary Carlomagno. The book is helpful resource that guides you through the journey of simplifying your life and bringing you to a healthier, more meaningful place. Secrets of Simplicity is a practical, interactive guide, but it also strives to get to the heart of the matter as to why our lives (and our closets) are overflowing with too many things. It is a book to move through slowly, taking in the ideas and wisdom that it offers.

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And thanks to Chronicle Books, I have one copy of each of these titles to share with you. Leave a comment and I'll pick three winners (one for each title) on Monday.

Happy Weekend, friends.

Comments

[Michele]

Little Oink looks so cute! My 4 1/2 yr old son has just recently become interested in "cleaning up". He picks all the toys off of the floor and puts them on shelves, boxes, anywhere, just so the floor will be "all clean". He's very proud of himself!

[Tara Thayer]

Hi Molly, These all look great, so thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure where your girls are in reading, but even as a read-aloud/together, one of our favorites was The Penderwicks. And The Hundred Dresses. I'm off to check out Secrets of Simplicity, now. Thanks so much.

[Under the Influence]

I think Secrets of Simplicity sounds like a book I need at my house!

Love your blog, by the way. I've been following for a week or so now. I love the pictures and interesting stories (my husband is sensitive to poison ivy too).

[michaela]

All of these look wonderful! Thanks so much for the giveaway.

[Irishmama7]

Hi Molly! Thank you so much for picking Little Oink. I'm so glad your girls loves these books. I need to introduce these lovely books to my little ones as well. I used to babysit for Amy's kids and it reminded me that I need to keep in touch. Also thanks for great writing and giving me 'another place' to go to when I am cooped up at home. You make the farm come alive and I LOVE it!

[Pebbledash]

What a treat! I'd love to win Secrets of Simplicity...I need some help and guidance, my decluttering has ground to a halt!
Happy weekend!
xox

[~Heather]

What a lovely collection of books - but I must say, why are there SO few books on horses with boy characters?

[sarah]

all these books sound incredible. in my family i could find someone for each ;) thanks for the opportunity to receive. secrets of simplicity sounds needed here, just last night i was sharing with a friend how easy it would be if the 'things' would just get back to their places since they all do have a place and we still agreed it just too much stuff.....i need to simplify more....this confirms that. xo

[Ally]

These books look wonderful. I've never heard of Chronicle Books, guess it's time to head over there and check them out!

[Hannah]

All of these books look simply divine!

[Andrea]

Any of these three titles would find a well-loved spot in our home. Hope you're feeling better for your weekend festivities.

Thanks!

[Gen]

Lovely collection of books.

[Laura F]

These books all sound great.Thanks for the generous giveaway!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend. :)

[liz]

they all sound wonderful!
we're big fans of rosenthal/corace at our house too - can't wait to check out the latest.

[Tamra]

Thanks so much for sharing...I've been looking for a book on simplifing my life, so even if I don't win, I'll be buying that book next week. I really love your site and enjoy watching your farm life adventures.

Tamra

[coffeechris]

Oh I need the secrets of simplicity so much!

[Ariana]

All of these books look really sweet. Count us in!

[Shelly]

Thanks for the suggestions! We just had our first little one a few months ago, so I'm just now delving into the world of children's books. It's so overwhelming trying to decide what to invest in - we love reading to her, but we need books that won't totally bore us until she's old enough to request and interact. Thnks again!

[jen]

My son received Little Pea for Christmas last year and loves it. Glad to hear there's another one out. And both of my daughters are horse crazy so you can bet I'll be checking out library for that title. Thanks.

[Jen]

I'd love the copy of Secrets of Simplicity. It's something we could use around here...

[Sarah Cosper]

Secrets of Simplicity looks wonderful!

[hanna t]

cute! these would be good for my mom's classroom.

[Ericka]

Oh, Little Oink looks so cute! I've been checking out all of the "let's clean up" books from the library that I can find...it's not a favorite chore of my 2 year olds. Or mine really! And Secrets of Simplicity, someone PLEASE tell me what they are! Where are they hiding?

[Leah Peterson]

My twins love animal books, and I need something new to commit to memory, too! Mommy is tiring of what we have...

[Annwen]

Thank you to both Chronicle Books and to you for these fabulous giveaways! Here's hoping my number is picked!

[Mama Urchin]

We love little pea, hoot, and oink. So much. I bet your girls will flip for that horse series too.

[Amy]

My daughters would *love* these books!

[Leah]

We're big fans of Little Oink and love horses and could use some simplifying - so I'd love to win. Thanks to you and Chronicle for hosting!

[tali buchler]

book recommendations are always in need. thank you.
i think my girl will love horse crazy.

[Kelly]

I keep hearing about that Little Pea story (and all the books by those authors), I must check them out! thanks for the recs.

[Leslie]

I think my daughter would really love the Horse Crazy books, and of course, Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a favorite in my house. Thanks.

[Fiona]

Secrets of Simplicity looks wonderful!

[jenn]

I would love to win any of these books! They look wonderful.
Jenn

[Christy]

Any of these books would make one or more members of my little family happy! Thanks for the giveaway!

[Erica]

These look great. Little Oink looks adorable.
Thanks!

[Kirsten Dehmlow]

All the books look wonderful. I could especially use the Secret of Simplicity - simplifying has been my goal this year and I haven not made much progress.
Thank you!

[Alicia]

I don't give a hoot what other commenters say, we need "Little Oink" at our house...rules of the roost!

[Michelle]

They each look like a wonderful book.

[meghan]

Always love books! I like the looks of Horse Crazy :)

[Stacey]

All those books look great. We have a few books illustrated by Jen Corace and we love them all.

[Carrie H.]

We actually just checked out little Oink!!! it was a wonderful book ;O) And Secrets of Simplicity sounds like a necessity in our home!!!

[Gayle]

Hi Molly, I keep telling friends about your blog. Thanks for the great life stories and links to other fun bloggers out there too.
Boy my husband sure wishes I were that little pig with a problem of being too clean, maybe we need that to teach our 2 year old, because her mama sure isn't. So along those lines I could use a dose of Simple Simplicity. Any of the books would be wonderful to be blessed with at this house.
Thanks again.

[Ali]

My boys could teach Little Oink all he needs to know... Perhaps if we embraced Simplicity, there wouldn't be so much stuff with all it's mess making potential...

[tiffany]

molly molly molly! How I would loooove the secrets of simplicity. I am sitting here on vacation (for another week) and have been thinking a lot about the house I am coming home to. I have grand plans and this book would provide much needed inspiration and a swift kick in my cluttered pants!

(LOVE the little series - pea,hoot and oink. We have checked those out at the library sooo many times. they are too adorable)

PS- sorry about your trees!!! gosh!

[madeleine]

These all look great. We love the Rosenthal/Corace books around here!

[Ransacked Goods]

These are all great suggestions. I love strong books for little girls so we'll have to check that one out.

[Allison]

these all look great! especailly the secrets of simplicity. books, ironically, are what is causing a lot of my clutter right now. :)

[mrs.redmon]

Oh molly, I need secrt of simplicity,I am a full time in home daycare, full time mother of two and a full time m-f student at night, I need all the help I can get!!
I love your blog, it is a treasure to me!

[Colette]

All three books look delightful, but I'm drawn to the Secrets of Simplicity. If I could simplify my life, I'd have more time to enjoy the other two books! :) Thanks for the wonderful blog, I find it very useful. :)

[mc]

the books look fabulous! thanks, count me in