In “This Book Just Ate My Dog” by Richard Byrne, a girl named Bella takes a walk with her dog. During their walk, her dog disappears into the gutter of the book (the center seam where the pages come together). Friends and various vehicles come to the rescue only to be eaten by the book. Bella goes in after them but then sends out a note to the reader asking for some help.
Books that allow a child to participate in the story are fun to read together. Help your child gently shake the book to help the characters return to the story. Talk about who comes to the rescue—a friend, dog rescue, firefighters, police officers.
Make your own hungry book – have your child draw a picture of something on a sheet of paper (landscape orientation), then fold the sheet of paper in half with the picture on the outside. Fold a blank piece of paper in half to create a “book.” Give it a title, author and illustrator on the cover. Place the picture page inside. Now when you open the book it looks like the book is eating the picture.
Songs about eating can be found at Preschool Education
Songs and activities about safety can be found at Twiggle Magazine
More books to get into:
“Duck’s Vacation” by Gilad Soffer
“Open Very Carefully: A Book With a Bite” by Nicola O’Byrne
“The Monster at the End of this Book” by Jon Stone
“Can You Make a Scary Face” by Jan Thomas
“Press Here” by Herve Tullet
Remember to help your child vote for his or her favorite Missouri Building Block Picture Book after you have read five or more titles.
