The Lumberjack's Beard

"Yes, there is. I chose this one because it’s just so incredibly funny. The language in it just gets me every time. I don’t know how many times we’ve read this for bedtime since it came out, but it’s a joy, and just beautifully silly. Some words just make me laugh, like a ‘bristly’ beard. It’s about a lumberjack who lives in a forest in a little log cabin. Every morning, he limbers up. My kids now also limber up every morning. Yes, and have a massive breakfast of pancakes. I always like food in a children’s book. Food is very important to children. It’s just a joy to read out loud. “‘Choppity chop,’ went Jim’s axe, echoing through the valley as he fells tree after tree after tree, and we all shout, ‘Timber.’” It gently increases in silliness. You see lovely words: whacking, cleaving, hacking. It’s fun, it’s playful. Now he’s chopped down so much of the forest that various creatures in the forest have nowhere to live. Here we go with the environmental theme. But it has a lovely, playful, joyous ending, and a lovely message to take away from it. The animals come and live in his beard. It’s that perfect silliness. My kids ask for it night after night after night, and I enjoy reading it night after night after night. You can’t lose with that kind of combo."