Well, it seems Parker has developed a love of books, something I want to encourage as much as possible. Right now he has two favorites that he keeps asking us to read to him. I’d like to broaden his horizons a bit, so I’m soliciting reccomendations for good children’s books. I have a few in mind, but I’m interested in what other parents out there might have found.
So, read any good children’s books lately?
The Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak: Great story, good rhythm, and (unbelievably) banned in some places.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin Jr.: A book that gets stuck in your head–I’ve never come across a kid who doesn’t love this book.
Astro Bunnies, Ora Eitan: Probably my own favorite..beautiful illustrations, and who doesn’t love bunnies in space?
At his age, I’d suggest just about anything by Sandra Boynton. Her little board books are funny, and after the first 50 reading or so, you don’t even need to look at the words. Horns to toes, A to Z, Barnyard Dance, Snuggle Puppy, all big favorites around here. I am glad to see her stuff in board books, when Owen was small it was all paper so many of his favorites got torn and colored and otherwise Loved by a toddler. I was sad to read that A to Z was rewritten, the original was wonderful.
Also, Click Clack Moo, cows that type by Doreen Cronin and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. Don’t forget that Dr Seuss is ideal for this age. The bright and early and I can read it all by myself books like Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You, the Foot Book, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. And the Cat in the Hat beginner books like A Fish Out f Water by Helen Palmer and I Wish That I Had Duck Feet by Theodore LeSieg. Have fun!
My little friends are big fans of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ – Eric Carle and any of the Gruffalo books – Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler.
Enjoy!
Definitely second Maurice Sendak – his “Where the Wild things are” is still a classic, and so is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
My fave – and one of my daughters when she was litle – is Jenny Lives with Eric & Martin, but I can’t believe it’s that price ($100!) It’s about a little girl who lives with dad and dad’s boyfriend. Sweet, simple and yet profoundly human.
Maybe I should sell my copy..
Also available here, at a much more sensible $7.95. A must have, I’d say.
Daniel Kirk’s entire career:
Hush Little Alien features a little green alien and his papa.
Little Miss Spider finds a home with a parent of another color and species.
Chugga-Chugga Choo Choo is a rhyming storybook with a cute little engineer in charge of the action.
All of these are paper pages, so whether he’s ready will depend on his ability to control the little fists of Doooooommmm (I’m convinced this is how my niece’s books see her hands). My daughter, now 5, has been gentle with books from an abnormally early age…her cousin, sadly, is normal. And her books are scared.