Clifford's Puppy Fun

Ivie has a lot of Clifford books, thanks to her cousins, Luke and Rodgers. One of them is entitled "Clifford's Puppy Fun", and it's a Lift-the-Flap Book. Almost every night at bedtime, it's one of the several (ranging anywhere from 3, when she listens to me, to 20, when she doesn't!) she chooses for us to read.

Almost every page has Clifford (as a puppy, not yet the "Big Red Dog") hiding somewhere in the scene. Of course, by now, Ivie knows every hiding place on each page (while I sometimes still forget!). And she DOES NOT want me to be the one to uncover Clifford! So as we turn the pages, her fist immediately goes to the flap under which Clifford is hiding, so that she can cover it up and protect it from me! Then, as we turn the pages (as if she's playing along with me), she will let me read the page, which ultimately asks "where is Clifford?", and follow-up by uncovering EVERY OTHER flap on the page. Then, as I act shocked that we haven't found him yet, she will finally, right before I've "given up", take her fist off the flap hiding Clifford and flip it up. And then look at me like she's a star.

Which, of course, in our little corner of the world, she IS!