One of my favourite things about new Seasons and Holidays, is the books. I keep a few seasonal books tucked away, and bring them out when the time comes, and purchase a few each season. The rest I take out from the library. They have an amazing selection of seasonal books. Ours are in a separate corner labeled with stickers.  Check out your local library! 

How To Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green

For the last couple of years, we have have taken this book out of the library. We all love it! The illustrations are so sweet, and the story is so witty and cute. There are so many fun details that you discover each time you read it. This year I invested in our own copy to add to our Fall/Halloween collection of books. I can't wait to add more books from Rebecca Green to our library!

Pick a Pumpkin by Rebecca Toht 

Illustrated by Jarvis

This book is from the same author and illustrator as "Pick A Pine Tree". The illustrations in this book are so incredibly fun and unique. What I really enjoy about this story is how the theme is about bringing everyone together. Whether it is picking a pumpkin from the patch, scooping and carving, putting it out on the step and trick or treating, it really celebrates doing all of these activity together. That is probably one of my favourite parts of Halloween, the sense of community.

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

This is the fist year we have read this book, and it's such a sweet book. The kids adore Stumpkin! This story is about a little pumpkin with no stem on top, and finding itself a home for Halloween. The illustrations are fun, and it has a heartfelt ending.

Trick Or Treat in Canada by Eric James

This book follows a cute little Alien, traveling around Canada. It's a fun book, mentioning different places across the Country. My kids really enjoyed it, and loved that it mentioned Edmonton. The story also includes subtle themes about teamwork and helping others, which I appreciate. 

 Pout-Pout Fish Haunted House written by Deborah Diesen 

                                                               Illustrated by Dan Hanna

The series of Pout-Pout Fish books are always a fan favourite in our house. Mr.Fish is going to visit a Haunted House with his friends, and is a little nervous. This book is great for prepping little kids for Trick-or-Treating and the spooky decorations/houses you might encounter. It's also a great price point, and comes with stickers!

Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts by Lonely Planet

This book follows famous monster hunter Van Helsing as he takes a trip around the globe searching for creepy monsters, ghosts and more. This book is packed full of information, spooky and fun illustrations and more. I would say it's geared more to older kids, as some of the illustrations are quite creepy and might be a little much for younger kids.

Little Blue Truck Halloween by Alice Schertle

Illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Little Blue Truck never lets us down! This book follows Little Blue Truck making their way to a Halloween Party. There are flaps featuring each animal character wearing a Halloween costume. The kids enjoyed guessing who was who under each flap. 

Birdie's Happiest Hallowen by Sujean Rim 

I just picked this book up on a whim at the library and was so pleasantly surprised by the story. Birdie loves fall, and everything that comes with it. She has troubles deciding what she wants to be for Halloween but gets inspired by visiting the Museum with her Mom. The feminist in me LOVES this story, especially the ending. Pick up your own copy to find out what happens!

Little Boo by Stepehn Wunderli

Illustrated by Tim Zeltner

This is another pick from the library! Emery really enjoys this sweet story. It follows this little Pumpkin Seed on the journey of growing into a Pumpkin. It's a great read for learning patience and also for showing how a seed grows! 

The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea

I have seen this book all over Instagram, and it's no wonder why. It is the funnest book to read ever! It's witty, cute, and filled with the sweetest illustrations. You know how some books are just enjoyable for kids? Well, this book is enjoyable for kids and adults alike. The main character, the Ghost is fairly dramatic and is sure the woods is filled with spooky, creepy creatures. The ending is fun, and I really enjoy reading this to the kids.

What are your favourite Halloween or Fall Books? I love finding new ones to add to our collection and our list for next year!

Happy almost Halloween!

-Kassandra 

It's time for another Toddler and Baby Book Review. We love testing out new children's books for you, and sharing our love for reading. We've been reading to our kids since they were tiny babies, and they both love to pick up books and read. Also since it's Holiday season, any of these would make great gift ideas. Books are always a winner! 

1 2 3 Think Touch Learn

By: Xavier Deneux

The ThinkTouchLearn series of books has been a fan favourite in our house. They do such a great job of teaching children topics like colors, numbers, shapes, etc. This 1 2 3 book is the latest in their collection and we adore how big it is. The bright colors and contrast are great as usual for engaging the little reader in. This book features die-cut numbers and shapes which help to teach the kids their numbers. The numbers eventually create an animal which is a great feature. It's amazing for introducing Alder to numbers but is also great for Emery's age for number recognition. They both love tracing the shapes with their fingers. 

But First, We Nap

By: David W Miles

I have always been about finding sleep related books for my kids. They aren't the greatest sleepers so anything to help get the idea of sleeping into their heads is a win for me. 

The Sloth just wants to sleep but Rabbit wants to play. Rabbit tries everything to wake up the Sloth, and by the time he finally wakes up Rabbit is too tired to sleep. They both end up having a nap. Alder loves this book, and calls it the Boom Boom book since Rabbit uses loud noises to try and wake up Sloth. I usually read this fun little book before nap time. The illustrations in this book are also cheerful and cute!

The Hungry Bunny 

By: Claudia Rueda

This has got to be one of the coolest, creative and interactive book we have read in awhile. It's fall time, and the apples need to be picked for Mama's apple pie. The apples are tricky to get to, so the Bunny tries to think of some creative ideas to get the apples down. There is a red ribbon which the reader uses to help Bunny pick those apples. It's a fun book for reading together and solo. I love watching Emery use the red ribbon while she reads it.  

Little Explorers: The Animal World

Written By: Ruth Martin

Illustrated by: Allan Sanders

I'm always finding new and cool to me books at HomeSense, and this was one of them. It's a great educational book for Emery and Alder. It's filled with different facts about the animals and where they live. It features over 30 flaps, which let's be honest always keeps the kids entertained, haha. The more flaps, the better! It's a great introduction to some different animals for Alder, and also great for Emery to learn some new information on the animals. 

Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes 

Written By: Eva Chen 

Illustrated by: Derek Desierto

I have been following Eva Chen and her career for quite some time now, back to the days when she worked at Lucky Magazine. Her children and mine are similar in age, and I love following along her journey into Motherhood and being an awesome, hustling, multi-talented business woman. She's incredibly relatable and honest. It was a no brainer to snag her book up as soon as it came out. 

The main character is Juno, who is based on Eva's daughter, Ren.  Juno looses her shoes before school time and falls into her closet while looking for them. It takes you on a magical journey to a closet filled with inspiring, strong, independent, smart women from over the centuries shoes. Juno tries on all the different shoes while looking for her own. Juno has so much fun learning about all the different women and trying on their shoes, but in the end she realizes that her shoes are perfect for her.  The illustrations are so magical and fun, and play a great nod to Eva's life.

Emery loved it, especially since she is so obsessed with her Elsa slippers and trampling around in my shoes. She loved learning about all the different women in the book and kept asking me to tell her about them over and over again.

Claris: The Chicest Mouse in Paris

By: Megan Hess

This book is absolutely beautiful! The illustrations are amazing, so detailed oriented and fashion forward! It's the story of a darling mouse named Claris who moves to Paris. She not only has the most chic style but also has the kindest heart. Despite being enemies, she helps out a Cat in trouble, and they become the best of friends. I love the nods to all the different fashion designers and how the story of Claris is about more then just being stylish. Emery is obsessed with dressing up, so she loves picking out which outfit of Claris's is her favourite. 

Ultimate Spotlight Dinosaurs 

Written By: Sandra Laboucarie

Illustrated by: Deborah Pinto

I am trying to expand Emery's collection of books with a wider variety of topics and types. She tends to have a lot more girlie books and I was excited for her to add this one to her library. 

This book has pull tabs, flaps and other fun moving parts that shows the awesome history of dinosaurs. It's full of cool illustrations and amazing facts, and is a great introduction to the world of dinosaurs. Emery's favourite section is about all the different underwater dinosaurs. Alder also loves having this book read to him but isn't so patient to wait for all the facts, haha! I keep it up on the shelf so he can't grab it because we all know he would probably rip all the tabs and flaps.

There are a ton of other books in the Ultimate Spotlight Collection, and I think this construction one might be the next one we need to add. 

The Thank You Book

Written by: Mary Lyn Ray

Illustrated by: Stephanie Graegin

This book is beautiful in more then one way. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love all the little details but the story of this book is also gorgeous. It teaches us to be grateful for all the little things in life. It's a great lesson for the kids and for us to look at every day with gratitude in our hearts. 

What are your current favourite Toddler and Baby books? I'm always on the hunt for new ones!

<3 Kastles 

This little Wooden Lion Push Along Toy from Petit Collage has always been a go-to for Alder (Emery even likes to play with it too). It's easy to grip, beautifully made and pushes along nicely. The little beads add another element to the toy, and helps them to master more fine motor skills. It also comes in an Elephant and Whale. 

Another favourite from Petit Collage is their Magnetic Sets. This Little Travelers Magnetic Play Set comes in a cute metal carrying case, which makes it perfect for long car rides or to bring to a restaurant. You can create tons of different creations with the pieces it comes with. I love seeing what Emery creates and the stories that go with them. 

*Just a side note here. I am always very careful about when Emery plays with this since magnets can be very dangerous to babies if they swallow them. I always count the number of magnets afterwards to make sure all the pieces are counted for. She also usually plays with it during quiet time when Alder is napping or high up on the kitchen table.*

Petit Collage really knocked it out of the park with this Carnival Play Set Wooden Ferris Wheel. This is one of those toys that you love having out on display and don't need to hide. Whenever I see this it brings such a smile to my face. It's classic, timeless and great for imaginative play. Emery and Alder both play with it. It comes with three wooden animals that fit into each of the carts. The beads on the side are great for counting ferris rides or tickets. It's also printed with non-toxic water based paints. One totally random thing I also really appreciated about this was it came in the cutest recyclable box with the most minimal packaging, I was really impressed haha! 

*If you want to place an order with Petit Collage, use the code : kastles for 15% off.*

BlaBla Dolls have been a long time fan favourite in our household. I absolutely love the company

and everything they do. We also have some of their bedding, and it always brings an extra smile to my face. The quality is amazing, and each doll is hand knit which I love! They have been working with the same artisans for fifteen years which is so cool. 

Machu and Pichu the Alpacas are the two newest members to our BlaBla family. Alder and Emery love them, and they are the perfect duo for my little duo. 

Alder particularly likes to body slam Machu, haha! He's really into wrestling whether it's with me, his Dad or Machu. Thankfully he knows better then to wrestle his big sis 😉.

They also have the most adorable little furniture like this high chair. Which will fit perfectly into the Doll House I'm redoing for Emery's Christmas present.