If you want to see other posts in my Grandma’s Bookbag series, see this link.

Through these almost thirteen years of reading to grandchildren, the Usborne touchy-feely book series “That’s Not My . . .” has been a top favorite. We have three of those books, but when I am at our married children’s homes, I see others in the series.

Our three books are:

That’s not my tractor (Titus2’s Amazon affiliate link are in this post–see our privacy policy).

That’s not my train (you’ll have to toggle to the different options, because the paperback and hardcover link wouldn’t show up)

That’s not my truck

These board books are toddler books designed for interaction. On each page, we learn why the tractor, or whatever the theme of the book might be, is not “my tractor.” It might have windows that are too shiny. On that page, the child can look into the shiny train windows. Perhaps the next page tells us the train has a side that is too bumpy where the child can run his fingers over a corrugated insert. The book ends with, “That’s my train” and the special reason why.

In addition to that cute theme on each page is a little mouse, bunny, or bird. That gives something else to ask interact with the child concerning. They can point out the animal when asked where it is after looking around the page for it. And I can teach them the animal and how to find it if they too young to do it on their own.

Two of those books, we bought twelve years ago and the other, I purchased used. They are all still in good shape and part of my toddler Grandma bookbag.

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and
become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom
of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).

So far in our Grandma’s Bookbag series, I shared preschool book reviews with you. But, of course, as my grandchildren get older, I move into reading more advanced books to them.

Three of the favorites for the younger readers are from the “An I Can Read Book” series.

The Josefina Story Quilt by Eleanor Coeer (the Amazon’s links are Titus2’s Amazon affiliate link; see our Privacy Policy ) is the top favorite. It tells the story of a little girl traveling with her family to California in a covered wagon in 1850. She takes her hen with her, which makes for many adventures on the trail.

Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner is about a daddy and his three boys who move to Kansas for free land in 1878. It shares the difficulties they experienced and how they managed through them. Because the setting is in Kansas, the state the Maxwells live in, it holds particular interest for us.

The Long Way Westward by Joan Sandin tells of a boy from Sweden arriving in New York on an immigrant ship with his family and then making the trip to Minnesota where they would settle.

All three books give a picture of a child’s life in various parts of America’s past. I read the books aloud to my grandchildren during our reading time, but I first purchased them years ago as readers for my younger homeschooled students.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).

If you’d like to read past Grandma’s Bookbag posts, just go to this link.

Fire Engine Man and Digger Man

Andrew greatly enjoyed Train Man (see this post for more info on it), and he would see two other books in the series advertised on the back of Train Man. So he regularly asked if I would get those other two books. As a treat during Covid reading when we were doing it via Face Time, I ordered Fire Engine Man and Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha (Amazon links in this post are Titus2’s Amazon’s Affiliate link, and Titus2 is blessed from qualifying purchases, see the Privacy Policy). Andrew and Benjamin were thrilled!

Fire Engine Man and Digger Man are simple board books with engaging illustrations. The one-sentence-per-page story line involves a little boy who loves his play enough to think about some day doing it as a vocation. He imagines all he would do if he were a real fireman or a digger man. One of the best parts for me is that he has a little brother and includes him through out each book.

Momma, Will You?

Momma, Will You? by Dori Chaconas was recommended by a reader of the Grandma’s Book Bag series. It turned out to be a favorite, especially with three-year-old Benjamin. This simple story has a farm setting with a mommy and two children. The children ask mommy one question per page about something they might do with one of the animals, giving her a choice of answering, “Yes, or no, or maybe.” 

On the following page, Mommy gives the answer with a cute explanation. Benjamin loves guessing what the answer will be, and the more we read the book, of course, the less guessing! 

The illustrations are outstanding and truly make this book a delight to read. 

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

Keeping life normal for our children is good during difficult times so Grandma’s reading time continues via FaceTime. Here are four more favorite preschooler books. Some of the books are only available used on Amazon but since they are board books, for us they have held up well.

Trucks is a pull tab book by Priddy Baby (All the links in this post are Titus2’s Amazon affiliate links: see the Titus2 Privacy Policy for more information). The younger crew (and some of the older ones too) enjoy pulling the tabs and looking at the various types of trucks on each page.

Find My Feet by Salina Yoon is a fun book with a different type activity. The body of an animal is on each page. At the bottom of the book is a wheel the child can turn that spins through various feet. The goal is to match the animal with its feet.

I Am a Dump Truck and I am a Fire Truck are solid board books with colorful illustrations leading to discussions our preschoolers enjoy about the actions, people, and vehicles in the book.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise thee” (Psalm 63:3).

My grandchildren like the three newest books in the bag book. They all have a gardening theme.

Jody’s Beans (Titus2’s Amazon Affiliate links are in this post, see our privacy policy) by Malachy Doyle is a delightful story of a grandpa and his granddaughter growing beans. The illustrations in this book are superb. It seems that several of our books, including this one, show pregnant mommies in them, and all my grandchildren notice and love that part. 

Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression tells the simple story of a little girl during the depression who ends up going with her parents from their home in Iowa to Idaho for two weeks for potato picking. In this book, too, the illustrations are fantastic.

We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines is the story of a family’s love for gardening that starts with a potted plant purchased at the hardware store and eventually that love grows into a beautiful, productive garden. There are many lessons learned in the process. In this book, the baby in the garden at the end of the story is a big hit. The storyline of We Are The Gardeners is a little more in-depth than the other two books with a paragraph or two per page rather than a couple of sentences.

Trusting in Jesus,
Teri

“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth,
and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord
God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there
was not a man to till the ground.” Genesis 2:5