Our (almost) four-year-old grandson has moved in with us! (Actually, his mom and dad have also moved in; they’ve sold their house and haven’t yet located another residence. My daughter-in-law doesn’t want anyone to assume they’re deadbeats!)

So now, our household size has more than doubled, and the older generation (i.e. my Beloved and I) must transition from our sedate lifestyle to one of seemingly perpetual activity. It’s going to be a challenge as our little H. is a precocious and lively child. (No, the H. isn’t an abbreviation for hellion!) Still, H. is a child with boundless energy and a nicely developed sense of humor. We’re going to have some fun!

The last couple nights, we’ve had the privilege of doing bedtime stories once more … after so many years without them. And I was ready. I found some new books I wanted to try out on this little guy and I haven’t been disappointed. (He loves reading as well as being read to.)

Actually, the first book was his choice, one we picked up at Sam’s Club some weeks ago. For this little boy (not unlike his daddy), the attraction to moving vehicles of every kind comes from deep within. In H.’s world, tractors, jeeps, dump trucks, monster trucks and just about any other machine of this kind is a source of intense interest. So when we ran across this book, Trucks and Diggers, at Sam’s, the book immediately went into the cart. The child already knows the difference between a combine and a hay baler. (They’re all Caterpillars … Cats … to me!)

Furthermore, whenever we shop at Sam’s Club and he hears the unique sound of moving machinery, his ears perk up and he wants to watch the forklift as in operation.

The other book we’ve been reading at bedtime is one a friend of mine told me about. (It’s written by her son.) It is absolutely charming and the illustrations are perfect. (How often can you say that about a children’s book?) The book is titled That Cat Can’t Stay. The book is slightly reminiscent of Dr. Seuss in its memorable and repeated conversational recitations. (In my view, the comical illustrations raise its quality above the Seuss books, but that’s personal preference, I’m sure.)

One warning:  the reviews for this book characterize the Dad as “buffoonish” and I’m rarely enthusiastic about books where either parent is the butt of the joke. With this book, I didn’t consider Dad to be a buffoon. I thought he was simply a good-hearted man who is also practical and knows his limitations. (I can identify with him because he says, “Cats make me sneeze.” I myself am highly allergic to cat dander.)

If this portrayal of Dad can be said to be buffoonish, it’s not in any way malicious or demeaning. It’s a light-hearted presentation of a Dad who loves his family and understands their love for animals.

Get the book! If you’ve got a 4-8 year old child (or grandchild), you’ll enjoy this bedtime read. Krasnesky also has another book (which was actually his first) called I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way. I purchased that one as well, but it still sits in the box because we’ve so enjoyed the cat story!

… And now it’s time for bedtime stories. G’nite!