Pete's a Pizza by William Steig

My six year old rates Pete's a Pizza by William Steigas the second funniest book we have ever read. The plot follows a sad boy on a rainy day.  His father gets him laughing by making Pete into a pizza.

This dovetails with one of our family games.  I turn Tyler into a human burrito using a real blanket and pretend condiments and ingredients.

The story is wonderful and Steig's photos (also featured in many a New Yorker magazine) enhance Pete's a Pizza.  This is a must read for all.

Enigma: A Magical Mystery by Graeme Base

This book captivated us on many levels.  I'll get to that in a second.  First, the story.  My son and I read this book ALMOST cover to cover while the doc wrapped a permanent cast on Tyler's broken arm.  He didn't move at all.  The tale of a magician's stolen props kept the pages turning and the fascination level high.  Each illustration is beautiful in detail and theme. 

We didn't get to the last page.  That was saved until tonight.  What a treasure.  The last page of Enigma is code that must be broken by:

• seeking clues on every page
• assembling the clues using the clever back cover decoder
• plus you can sort out what country each character hails from and
• find the magic rabbit hiding in each scene

Graeme Base has crafted a masterpiece of a story that will last longer than one bedtime.  Check out Enigma: A Magical Mystery before it disappears from the library shelves.