Welcome to metomi.com, your online source of great reads and activities for preschoolers! We hope everyone found time for some sun, rest and relaxation over the hot summer months! Autumn will be here shortly (how time flies!) and we're looking forward to apple picking, fall fairs, and an opportunity to see farm animals we rarely get to see (at least in the big city)! So this month we're reading "moo-velous" books about farm animals, cows, sheeps, horses and more! We've listed some of our favourites, from board books to picture books, something for every preschooler! Here's to reading, apple cider and delicious pumpkin pie! See you in October!

We purchased this book as a gift for our nephew and then got the book back as a hand-me-down a few years later. I have read this book to my daughter many times - when she was younger, she enjoyed my crazy antics (as I exaggerated all the "moo-vements") and as she got older she understood the humour behind the words, so the book was enjoyed on yet another level. Readers are introduced to different ways of saying "Moo" (who knew?!) and the illustrations really encourage us to get into it!

Simple, short, sweet and funny! This is a light-hearted tale about farm animals who have had their signature sounds "blown" out of them (we're talking a really windy day) and into their fellow farm-mates! A young girl comes to their aid and finds an imaginative solution to the problem, as only a child can. This is a delightfully refreshing read and a great example of brevity done right. We have chuckled often reading this book to both children.

Our kids really like this book. We have read it enough times that the words are forever etched into memory. In the story, a group of children are enjoying an afternoon at a farm, while in search for an animal who says "Boo". One by one, the animals come and go, saying everything but boo until finally the mystery "creatures" are revealed! The illustrations are great. We especially like the ending (a loud ending is recommended!) and the illustrations before and after the story itself.

Barnyard Dance! is one of our all-time favourite board books. This is another book I bought for a family member, then got back a little later. We also received one as a gift, and both have been very well-loved and sturdy travel companions. It seems pretty unanimous online that Sandra Boynton rocks! ... of course, like many parents, we arrived at that conclusion a while ago. Something about the great rhyming text that makes you really get into it (although that may just be me , send me a note if that's the case!) Example: "Take another spin with the barnyard dog" just goes so well with an accompanying "Woof Woof! Woof Woof! Woof Woof! Woof!" Our children have really enjoyed this book (as well as Hippos Go Berserk, The Going to Bed Book, But Not The Hippopotamus, Pajama Time).

And now for something a little different! This book is hard to find on sale on-line but we found a copy at our local library. A delightful, comical tale about a cow named Marie-Aglaé who suffers from hay fever and - during one particularly sniffly spring - manages to sneeze her fellow cows into space! Her friend Sidonie ends up on Mars, where she meets a handsome Martian (cow) and falls in love. Although the book doesn't reveal how the first cow got there, it addresses nicely the question "Why are there cows on Mars" posed in the title (who knew!?). If you're looking for a French children's book, this one is a treat.