Day 14:
This is my favourite post of this series: BOOKS! All sorts of books, from infant board books to novels for teens.
These are books that we’ve just discovered; some that were mine when I was a kid (and we’re now all reading again); and teen books that were my favourites.
We read books before naptime every day, 2 two before bed (one english and one french), and now that the 7-year old can read on his own I find him curled up with a blanket and a book.
“WHY is it so quiet in here??!”
“Oh, you’re reading. Carry on!”
I told him reading was going to open up a whole new world, and it looks like he agrees!
In order by age (sort of), starting with babies/toddlers to teens.
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
A not-too-babyish board book with a nice cadence and a soothing tone. Great for before bed.
Warning: Mine were always alarmed by the horse weathervane because they thought he was being impaled. Despite that, a great book!
Cat Is Sleepy by Satoshi Kitamura
One of StrollerDad’s favourites. Now kind of tattered from being chewed on by kid number 1.
Also, you have to pronounce the author’s last name as “KITTYmura”. And then laugh uproariously.
Limited text but cute pictures.
Big Little; Yummy Yucky etc by Leslie Patricelli
I love all these board books by Leslie Patricelli. Big Little gets read just about every night.
They’re super simple so you can read them quickly, or take a while and laugh at the baby’s expression.
A cute way to teach kids opposites.
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Even though the dump truck is a bastard, everyone comes together to help him out.
And they all feel good about themselves after. A life lesson?
ABC of Canada by Kim Bellefontaine
And the others in this same series.
They have a very different style of illustration that I didn’t love at first, but now I appreciate the simplicity.
And everyone loves Canada!
Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
I can’t even write about this one, I’ll cry. It’s beautiful.
Snoozers by Sandra Boynten
With tabs on the side, kids can choose one (or seven) of seven different short stories.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by
What toddler wouldn’t like putting all the diggies to bed?
And then they’ll go to bed, and you can watch Netflix.
The Colection P’tit Garcon from Fleurus
And pretty much anything from Fleurus including the baby board books, the Abécédaire Bébé, Imagerie des tout-petits, L’imagerie des bébés…..
All the “First” books by Matthew Priddy
First Machines, First Numbers, First 100 Words, First trucks…..
Bright and colourful and my little guy will sit there and “read” on his own.
Like a dictionary for toddlers!
ABCs (the chunky version) by Charley Harper
Modern and minimalist geometric illustrations make this a visually stunning book.
The Prince’s Bedtime by Joanne Oppenheim
Comes with an entertaining CD narrated by Jim Broadbent. I bought this at FAO Schwartz in NYC, which may play a part in why I like it so much.
Tricky to read out loud if you go too fast! “A feather-down quilt stuffed with feathers of pheasant”!
All the Little Critter Books by Mercer Mayer
The Little Critter’s expressions crack me up every time. “I Was So Mad” is probably my favourite to read.
I’m My Daddy/I’m My Mommy a Sesame Street book by Daniel Wilcox
This is out of print and next to impossible to find. But if you happen to see it at a garage sale, grab it.
it’s a super cute 2-in-1 book that you flip over for the other story.
Tails by Matthew Van Fleet
And all the other books by Matthew Van Fleet. With tabs to pull and tails to touch, this book unfortunately didn’t last long with The Destroyer.
But a little crazy glue put it back together.
Come Follow Me: To The Secret World of Elves and Fairies and Gnomes and Trolls by Gyo Fujikawa
One of my childhood books that we are now re-reading.
STUNNING drawings with poems, stories, and songs about fairies, goblins, elves….
Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
This one is also out of print. But you should find it. He’s just SO. Cute.
An Apple to Eat Or Cross The Street by Sam Q. Weissman
Published in 1980, this book encourages the imaginative use of fifteen common objects;
e.g., a brush can be a jungle, a hat can be a mountain, or a banana can be a boat.
Fun to read for all of us.
Harper Collins Treasury of Picture Book Classics
From Goodnight Moon and Harold and the Purple Crayon to such recent favourites as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Pete’s a Pizza, this collection has twelve of the best picture books ever published.
Except for Caps for Sale. I HATE that story.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
If you have a child going off to Kindergarten, or away from home for the first time, this story of a parent’s love always being with them should help calm some fears.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Fairly heavy reading, this is a classic that gets me choked up.
Poor bunny 🙁
The Little House; Katy and the Big Snow; Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Most of Virginia Lee Burton’s storybooks were published in the 30s and 40s and have a very old-fashioned charm.
You’ll find yourself cheering for inanimate objects, cursing industrialization, and maybe shedding a tear.
Really, they’re five minutes!
Now go to sleep!
Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the next generation by Ann Droyd
I find the original Goodnight Moon book rather annoying, but this one (for a new generation of techno kids) is funny because my 7-year old knows what all the words mean!
Star Wars – La boîte à lecture by Quinlan B Lee/Scholastic
Great for kids just starting to read, and those learning to read french. They were more interesting than the short stories brought home from school.
Animalia by Graeme Base
A search-and-find book with beautiful elaborate illustrations. I could pour over this one by myself!
Great for rainy days curled up on the couch.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
A weird book from my pre-teen years. A bunch of wild kids take over their church’s Christmas pageant. Hilarity ensues.
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Weird and gross. Kids will love it.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
This book is sometimes given as school reading. I just remember being a wreck after reading it.
Hard, but important.
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
A classic. this book is a sequel to Freckles (which I didn’t like as much), and was written in 1909.
There aren’t any explosions or aliens, so I don’t know if kids today would read it 🙁
The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen
Holy scary and difficult to get through. A story about finding courage within yourself.
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Bizarre and entertaining.
The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn
A story about time travel and the Civil War. Again, no aliens.
