The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo (who also wrote the fantastic Despereaux) is about a porcelain rabbit doll. We follow him as he changes hands time after time and as he learns about life and love along the way. A chapter a night would be perfect -- they're very read-aloud-able, and full page illustrations are sprinkled throughout. Each chapter ends with a bit of a cliff hanger, so you'll want to read again the next night. The story is moving as well -- don't miss it.
One of my childhood favorites, My Great Aunt Arizona (by Gloria Houston) is a picture book about the author's heritage. Sometimes you worry about finding an old favorite -- will it be as good as you remember? This one is even better than I remembered. The illustrations were unforgettable, and are still fantastic. The book isn't wordy, in fact it's a very accessible, non-rhyming sort of poetic. It's a short book, but it covers Arizona's whole life by giving little vignettes on the way. I remember staring at one page and telling myself stories about what that must have been like. So, it's a book that can really engage the imagination. sigh. It's beautiful. I gotta get me a copy.
--Alysa
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