Day 3: Getting into a Rhythm

Three days in, and we are getting the hang of this. We do 4 books in the morning (when he is happy but not attentive), 4 during lunch (when he is both happy and attentive), and 2 in the afternoon (when he is more concerned about food). To keep things honest, both books in a pairing are read at once. It wouldn't be fair to read one book after he's been fed and the other right after a bath, for instance. On to the books.


Sandra Boynton Region
1. The Monster at the End of this Book vs. 16. Optical Physics for Babies
Every year an Ivy League team gets an automatic bid into the tournament, and most of the time they are steamrolled in the first weekend. An Ivy hasn't made it to the Elite Eight in my lifetime, and Bill Bradley ain't walking through that door. So it went with "Optical Physics for Babies," a scrappy 16 seed that taught Jack where double rainbows come from and taught me that 10-week old babies could furrow their brows in confusion. Grover and "The Monster at the End of this Book" showed why they are the #1 overall seed, even if the only thing we learned was that sometimes the monster was inside of us all along.

2. The Goodnight Train vs. 15. Opposites

Jack loved both of these books in exhibition readings, but the train noises pushed "The Goodnight Train" to a comfortable victory here. I may have dozed off towards the end and forgotten the details.

Beatrix Potter Region
1. Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug vs. 16. I'm Just a Puppy
My wife came downstairs 15 minutes ago to confirm that the #1 seed didn't disappoint. This was a closer match-up than I would have guessed, with "I'm Just a Puppy" being lifted by my relentless Tom Haverford voice and the built-in googly eyes. But "Tiny T. Rex" was a cover-to-cover laugh riot. . . if there was a spread, it covered.

Shel Silverstein Region

3. Go West! vs. 14. Little Hockey
I had never heard of "Go West!" before a friend got it for Jack, but it's grown on me. It's a very imaginative story with artwork that resembles brightly-colored metalwork. "Little Hockey" is from the same series as Seuss Region upset "Little Wisconsin," and Jack enjoyed the first few riddles here as well. Then, for no discernible reason, his lip quivered and his nose scrunched up and he threw a mini-fit. This was enough to sink "Little Hockey" in this tournament, and the only acceptable time I've ever imitated Ilya Bryzgalov. Jack's mom think's he will grow up to be a hockey player, but she's never seen me on ice skates.

2. The Snowy Day vs. 15. Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail
These two books about outside adventures ended what turned out to be a very chalky day for the bracket. This was also very close, and "Grandma Gatewood" is going to be in the rotation for a long time. But the story of Peter and his adventures in the snow are classic for a reason, and Jack was transfixed.

More tomorrow. . . at this rate, we could be into the Round of 32 by Saturday.