Each link takes you to a list of the author's favorite kids books. We haven't had time to check out all of these, of course, but I expect we will try. And into that mix we want to ask you what children's books you loved as a kid, or as a parent.
Amy and I plan to read to Hale at least fourteen or fifteen hours a day, of course.
Because it just firms up my respect for his esthetic and perspective, and because it sounds right to me, I'll excerpt Raul Gutierrez's kids' books advice here:
My general advice on buying kids books:Susan Ryan, of A River Reader, the Guerneville, CA bookstore that hosted the first Edges of Bounty reading, was kind enough to send us a little package of four cute books from this series. They're books about different kinds of ethnic food--Mexican, Jewish, Soul Food and Dim Sum are the titles of the books we've been reading to Hale.
1. Always buy hardcover. A used hardcover is usually better than a new softcover. If your kids loves a book, he will read it hundreds of times. Softcover books just don't hold up.
2. As a general rule avoid celebrity authors.
3. Avoid modern "message" books.
4. Love the politically incorrect. The Tiny Nonsense Stories feature gun wielding kittens, cigarette smoking ducks, and pig families that sneak around scaring the daylights out of each other. Kids of course love these stories.
5. For vintage books, never worry about finding a first edition if you plan on actually reading your children's books. Your kids will want to bring them to the dinner table, they will bend them, tear, them and so on. This is how children's books like to be read. Just find the cleanest cheapest copy you can find.
6. Don't buy junk books - novelizations of children's films, books about Disney or Pixar characters ect...
7. Don't underestimate your kid. If you read books to them regularly, even books that might seem a little advanced for them, they will absorb them like little sponges. In a few months you'll be shocked when they start reading the books back to you from memory.
If you ever get to Guerneville, do yourself a favor and stop into A River Reader. Great bookstore, seriously.
So... what are your favorite kids books?
The titles I think of imediately are not necessarily award winning nor are the stories deep or profound, but in my 11 years as a preschool teacher and my time as a parent and "nana" I have found several that I have memorized because of multiple readings. Here are some of them:
ReplyDeleteThe Stinky Cheese Man
Where The Wild Things Are
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
A Fish Out of Water
There's a Monster Under My Bed
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Pat the Bunny
The Napping House
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Madeline (mostly for girls)
Are You My Mother?
Just about any Dr. Seuss book
I am sure I will think of more!
My children and grandchildren (including not only my own, but 11 years of preschool students) were never really into Nursery Rhymes or Good Night Moon... they seemed to have preferred the more cheesey, commercial, junk food type stories. I still have many of the books memorized line by line from repeated readings. Here are some of them:
ReplyDeleteThe Stinky Cheese Man
A Fish Out of Water
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Where the Wild Things Are (WARNING - I think this one taught my kids how to make a good rumpus!)
Madeline
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
The Hungry Caterpillar
The Napping House
There's a Monster Under My Bed
Pat the Bunny
Are you My Mother?
Strega Nona
Any Dr. Suess book (Never underestimate the power of a Rhyme)
Any book by Shel Silverstein (for older children)
I'm sure I will think of more...
Spru
Love You Forever--"love you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be"
ReplyDeleteThe Grouchy Ladybug--"hey you!" said the grouchy ladybug "wanna fight?"
Stephanie's Ponytail--When the children at school saw Stephanie's ponytail they all said "Ugly, ugly, very ugly" Stephanie's reply was always "It's my ponytail and I like it"
I'm a big Robert Munsch and Eric Carle fan!!
my favorites as a kid were:
ReplyDeleteMr. Gumpy's Motor Car (an english guy and a bunch of animals get stuck in the mud while out for a Sunday drive)
Borka (a duck with no feathers wears a sweater instead)
The Bear's Bicycle (a boy and a bear ride their bicycles)
The Babar books. (the fashionable city Elephant)
Anna's favorites are Richard Scarry's books.
We have our favorites for Asher, but he is still mainly really into the "board books" with thick pages, so he can manhandle them.
So far, Asher's favorite is "Goodnight Moon." So standard, I know, but really it is a truly great book. I especially love the part "Goodnight, Nobody. Goodnight, mush." He grunts and frowns and turns his head away if we try to read him a different book at bedtime.
At the Delridge library they give you free board books and you can return them only if you want to!
It is silly that I am blabbing away, seeing as how we live in the same building and I'm going to see you tomorrow night.
Mmm, Susanna--not silly at all. Perfectly lovely. Thank you. Goodnight neighbor.
ReplyDeleteI got this book for my nieces: http://www.sikulu.com/. It's a great book, and the author is a local guy who's originally from Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteLua says, "The news just came in from the county of Keck, that a verrrrry small bug by the name of Van Vleck, is yawning so wide, you can look down its neck. This may not seem, very important, I know. But it is. So I'm bothering, telling you so." The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
ReplyDelete(The ultimate go to sleep book.)
Lua Sundqvist lua
Lua says, "The news just came in from the county of Keck, that a verrrrry small bug by the name of Van Vleck, is yawning so wide, you can look down its neck. This may not seem, very important, I know. But it is. So I'm bothering, telling you so." The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
ReplyDelete(The ultimate go to sleep book.)
Lua Sundqvist lua
Lua says, "The news just came in from the county of Keck, that a verrrrry small bug by the name of Van Vleck, is yawning so wide, you can look down its neck. This may not seem, very important, I know. But it is. So I'm bothering, telling you so." The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
ReplyDelete(The ultimate go to sleep book.)
Lua Sundqvist lua
Lua says, "The news just came in from the county of Keck, that a verrrrry small bug by the name of Van Vleck, is yawning so wide, you can look down its neck. This may not seem, very important, I know. But it is. So I'm bothering, telling you so." The Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
ReplyDelete(The ultimate go to sleep book.)
Lua Sundqvist lua