November 28 – Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day

Happy Shopping/Not Shopping Day!

Depending on your mood, wallet, and gift list, today is either Black Friday or Buy Nothing Day. Personally, I hate to go shopping in massive crowds so today is the one day of the year I won’t go shopping. Well, today and any other day I don’t absolutely have to go out. Let’s just say shopping is not my favorite activity. But when I do go out, I do love to shop for my family. So, with that in mind, I have a few picture books today about shopping.

Baby Max and Ruby: SHOPPING written and illustrated by Rosemary Wells (2009)

Max and Ruby go grocery shopping. They buy carrots, broccoli, apples, blueberries, yogurt, eggs, and Max’s favorite Mac and Cheese. The pay for their groceries and go home. Max is so hungry, he wants to eat it all at once!

The Runaway Shopping Cart written by Kathy Long and illustrated by Susan Estelle Kwas (2007)

Kaleb and his mom go on their usual Friday grocery shopping trip. They buy all their usual things and pay for them. But just as his mother realizes that she has forgotten the ice cream, the grocery boy’s nose tickles and he sneezed a big sneeze sending the shopping cart, with Kaleb inside it, rolling out the door and through the parking lot. The grocery boy chased the cart but slipped on some broken eggs. The cart rolled on down the street past a little old woman and a little old man and their little old dog. They all three joined the chase. The shopping cart zipped through a stop sign and the driver jumped out and shook his fist. Soon the driver was chasing after the shopping cart, the grocery boy, the little old woman, the little old man, and their little old dog. The shopping cart rolled past the school yard where Kaleb’s brother and his friends were playing. Soon all the children in the school yard were chasing the shopping cart too. Then the principal, seeing all the children leave the school yard joined in the chase as well. Finally the shopping cart rolled back into the parking lot and stopped with a thud against the curb. Everyone came huffing and puffing behind it just as Kaleb’s mother returned with the ice-cream.

Harry Hates Shopping! written and illustrated by Ronda and David Armitage (1993)

Mother Koala needed to take the kids shopping for new school shoes. Matilda skipped and danced the whole way there. Harry trudged along. Harry hated shopping. Both kids irritated and bothered the other while Mother was trying to get some things done. Mother threatened to do something horrible if they didn’t stop arguing. They didn’t. She did. Mother Koala picked up a large pair of shiny purple bloomers and sang in a very loud voice embarrassing the children. She purchased the bloomers and the kids came out of hiding. The next time they started to argue and fuss, Mother Koala slipped the bloomers out of her bag and started singing very softly to herself. The kids immediately stopped fussing and became very obedient!