5 Minutes for Books:
Who Loves the Little Lamb?

Simplicity is sometimes under-appreciated in children’s books, but I think there’s something to be said for a book with minimal text and adorable illustrations that also leaves both child and parent with a warm feeling. Lezlie Evans’ new picture book for young children, titled Who Loves the Little Lamb?, is simple but quite lovely.

Featuring a cast of babies including a “fussy lamb,” a “pouting calf,” and a “messy pup” among others, the story shows animals portraying many of the behaviors that seem to come naturally to young children, yet so often are bothersome to their parents. Yet, these loving mamas respond with tenderness and compassion on page after page, finding ways to encourage better behavior while still expressing their love. As the mama of three children who seem to only have one volume setting- EXTRA LOUD- I particularly enjoy one mother-child interaction depicted:

Who loves the noisy bird?

“Sing sweetly, please, you’ll still be heard.” Mama loves her little bird.

The softness of David McPhail’s illustrations perfectly match the tone of this dear book, creating a beautiful visual to accompany the reassuring text. My own toddler and preschooler have both enjoyed our multiple readings of Who Loves the Little Lamb?, and even more importantly to this (too-often-impatient) mama, I very much appreciated the reminders these animal mothers provided for me.

Luckily, five of you can win a copy of Lezlie Evans’ Who Loves the Little Lamb?, signed by the author! Please leave one comment here to be entered, U.S. and Canada residents only, please.

We’ll announce the winner on May 10 right here in the 5 Minutes for Books column.

Also, over at 5 Minutes for Books, we recently featured TWO wonderfully informative pieces by author Lezlie Evans entitled

• Raising Readers in an Electronic World
• Keeping Tweens and Teens Tuned into Books.

Parents of children all ages will find helpful tips that encourage children to develop a love for books!

The winners of My Brother Charlie, a great picture book from the point of view of a girl whose brother has autism, are #2 Sarah at themommylogues (autographed copy!), #50 Gianna, and #45 Rebecca.

Healthy Sex Drive, Healthy You is still open for entries. We also have several giveaways going on right now at 5 Minutes for Books, including a fun new book called the Book of Awesome. Check them out.

Dawn has always loved books and is proud to be a part of the 5 Minutes for Books team. She also deeply loves her own “pouting calf,” “naughty kid,” and “noisy bird.” Their pouts, naughtiness, and noisiness are often on display at her blog, my thoughts exactly.

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