Eric Carle books are popular for kids for good reason: they are awesome.  The popular ones include “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?” and “The Hungry Caterpillar.”  My son really likes Brown Bear, but he has a new favorite that is not as popular: “From Head to Toe.” 

This book is fantastic because it teaches the names of the animals – but it also involves movements that the child can learn and do along while you read.  Some are basic that the little guy has been doing for many months, like clap his hands, and others require more critical thinking to understand – like the difference between shaking his head (like the penguin) and bending his neck (like the giraffe).    This past week the little guy learned a bunch of things – now he knows how to pound his chest like a gorilla, stomp his foot like an elephant, and bend his knee like a camel.  And the very fact that I can say what animal does those things without thinking twice shows you just how many times we have read it 😉