Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
I Wanna Be a Rodeo Queen!
Kylie Jean: Rodeo Queen by Marci Peschke (illus. by Tuesday Mourning). Picture Window Books, 2011.
I'll admit I was a bit skeptical when Pie pulled this off the shelf. It's very pink. But Pie Had to Have it, so into the Library Bag it went.
On Fairies and Frogs and Such
Rainbow Magic: The Party Fairies, Cherry the Cake Fairy by Daisy Meadows. Rainbow Magic Ltd., 2005.
In my quest to understand early chapter books, I read a handful of the Rainbow Magic series. I enjoyed discovering that strict "logic" isn't so much of a concern for this sort of book. No one is asking...
Two Undecodable Books (ok, maybe a little decodable)
An adventure story about fun and friendship.
Rylant uses short sentences, though I must say from a reading-developmental level (whatever it’s called), the vocabulary used requires decoding skills a Level 2 might not have. “Knocked” and “enough” are more...
Friends Forever: George and Martha
Very similar to Frog and Toad in that it’s told in short tales, and “adult” characters who act and think like children, yet with a soft, sweet tone similar to Rosemary Wells.
In the stories two happy friends...
Silly Old Bear! Winnie The Pooh by AA Milne
Bump, bump, bump on the back of his head. Winnie Ther Pooh. Haycornes and Heffalumps.
How many times have I read these charming stories to my own kids, skipping whole pages so bedtime doesn’t stretch on until 10pm?
The tone is gentle, paternal (without being didactic). And there’s a lesson to writers...
Like Sitting on a Cloud and Flying: Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Four easy-to-read chapters with engaging pen and ink illustrations (Sendak). Each story uses carefully controlled and repeated vocabulary; many have surprise twists at the end. And as with most books...
Is there a Doctor in the House? Two by Seuss
Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat, 1957.
Singsong rhyme and controlled vocabulary are great for beginning readers. The story is incredibly imaginative, with the twist that the cat is the “child” who tears up the house and makes a mess, while the children are the...