PregnancyNovember 20, 2009
Holiday Book Preview
The holidays are coming and I thought I'd share some great books for "older" kids. I have older in quotations because I mean the 5-7 year old crowd, ones that still believe in all the magic but are old enough to learn some of the deeper meanings. These three books are all great to learn more about each of these holiday traditions.
November 13, 2009
Hot At Our House
We have a large library of children's books, and we have on average 50 books signed out of the library at any given time. So my son has ample books to choose from. Yet, as any parent can attest, toddlers and preschoolers play favorites. We read throughout the day but at nap time and bedtime favorites are clearly defined. Here are the favorites at our house right now.
November 6, 2009
Multicultural Books
My Granny Went To Market by Stella Blackstone is an amazing book. It's a counting book, a trip around the world and a view into different cultures as well. Granny buys a magic carpet and goes from place to place, buying souvenirs that number from 1-10. The text isn't lengthy and the illustrations are bright and busy that even really young toddlers will love it.
October 22, 2009
Berenstain Bears!
I love the Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain, and am so excited that my son loves these books too. The messages are classic and wholesome but they talk straight to kids, not down to them. Here are 4 books that seem to be read over and over again at our house!
September 25, 2009
Ballet Books
Having a son we read our fair share of truck, train and dinosaur books, but just because he naturally goes towards those types of books doesn't mean it's all we read. He greatly enjoyed all these books as well, especially the last.
September 18, 2009
Author We Love : Lucy Cousins
Lucy Cousins Maisy books are delightful. The text is super simple, the illustrations are bright and have a childlike quality to them and kids love these books. I began reading Maisy books to my son when he was a tiny infant and he immediately reacted to the bold large blocks of colors. Even though we read much more complex books now, at almost three my son still often chooses these to read before bed. Here are a few of our favorite Maisy books:
September 10, 2009
Books About Feelings
Days like today that bring back such horror, sadness and strong emotions are the perfect time to talk to our kids about how we are feeling, and to open a dialogue about their feelings. These books are a great place to start.
September 4, 2009
Please and Thank You : Books About Manners
Manners in Public by Carrie Finn is a great to the point book about things you should and shouldn't do in public. It covers using polite words, being kind , waiting your turn and more. What made this book stand out from many others was how simple it was without talking down to the reader. The illustrations by Chris Lensch are funky ,and I think they really add to making manners cool in this book.
August 27, 2009
Familiar Friends Go To School
I am not usually a fan of character books, the writing tends to be unimaginative and formulaic. However one time of year I really like these books is back to school time. More specifically, for children starting school for the first time. The reason why is that when children can recognize and relate to the characters immediately they can be comforted more easily. If Barney, Clifford or Maisy like school and were okay, maybe they will be too. Also these books are very affordable, usually under $5 and easy to find.
