Clara Ann Cookie duet

Oppositional behavior. This storm is fierce at my house. When I came across Harriet Ziefert's Clara Ann Cookie books, I thought she had been reading my mind. Written in a jaunty rhyming verse, Ziefert highlights two difficult times of day for young children (and their parents) - the beginning and the end.

In the first book, simply titled Clara Ann Cookie, she doesn't want to get dressed. When her mother helps make it into a game, it takes Clara Ann's mind off the task and makes this bothersome daily chore fun.

In Clara Ann Cookie, Go To Bed! (both illustrated by Emily Bolam), Clara Ann's mother is not as energetic or creative in dealing with her daughter's behavior. She leaves Clara Ann to go to bed on her own and Clara Ann acts out her frustration with bedtime in a role reversal as she puts her toys to bed. You'll have to read the story to see how she responds when Popcorn the bear refuses to go to bed!