Five on Friday - Children's Books
I'm linking up today with the North Carolina Charm blog and KTCupofTea for Five on Friday.
I love children's books. I love buying them. I love reading them to my niece and nephew. I love seeing the looks on their faces when they discover a new favorite book.
But can we have a moment of honesty here? Some of them are awful. And unfortunately, some of the worst ones end up being their favorites. Books that make me want to shout up at the sky, "BUT HOW CAN THEY LOVE THIS STORY WHEN THERE'S NO PLOT."
And then there are the beautifully illustrated stories that have a wonderful message that result in blank stares from the children. I want them to love the book so much that I end up acting like the a salesperson on an infomercial, desperately pointing out all the best features of the book in the misguided hope that I can make them love it too and the $17.95 I spent on it won't end up being a total waste. "What you don't seem to realize is that this book is very empowering to women. And look at how cute that picture of Elizabeth Cady Stanton it. Doesn't she look like someone you want to learn more about?"
It never works. They can always smell my desperation and it seems to make them dislike the book even more.
It's a rare and beautiful thing when we can all agree on a book, but we have found a few. Today I want to share with you 5 books that your children can enjoy that won't make you want to knock back a cocktail just to numb the pain.
1.
I read this book to my one-year-old nephew. He has a short attention span even by baby standards, and yet he's still willing to sit through this book. I can't honestly say it has much of a plot, but it has more than 2 words per page and doesn't make me want to bang my head against the wall, so I'm counting that as a major literary victory. Plus, my three-year-old niece still enjoys it. So during the 3 minutes when they weren't fighting to the death to see who gets to take up more space in my lap, we all enjoyed the book.
2.
This book has an amusing plot and delightfully retro pictures. And we've read it so many times that it's starting to get that worn-around-the-edges look all well-loved books eventually acquire. It's a book that's better suited for older toddlers, so Sofie and I read this one when the baby is napping.
3.
There is a lovely lyrical quality to the book. Every page is another verse in a rhyming poem. And not like those awful rhyming poems that Ryan used to write for Trista on The Bachelorette, but a really nice poem. This is another book that all three of us could read and enjoy together. You know, during all the moments when they weren't fighting over who gets to be really close to the book and who gets to merely observe the book out of the corner of their eye from a distance. (Someone please tell me that it's normal for a three-year-old and and a one-year-old to get in a cage-match over whose face gets to be closest to the book.)
4.
The book is about a girl who draws a face on a squash and pretends it's a doll and then becomes so attached to it that she refuses to let her Mom cook it. The book was funny and the pictures were great and we both enjoyed it a great deal. Disclaimer: The book seems to have affected my niece profoundly. Several weeks after reading it, I took her to the farmer's market, where she decided that we should buy a giant red pepper and she spent the entire car ride home hugging it, kissing it, and saying, "I love you" to it.
5.
Embarrassing confession time: This book makes me cry. It's about a sweet potato who gets shaken out of his garden patch and can't find his way home again. He goes from garden to garden, looking for the place where he belongs. My niece loves this book so much that she randomly quotes it from time to time. Buy it immediately. You won't regret it. And if you do buy it, please report back to me and let me know if I'm the only one who imagines the Big Sweet Potato at the end having the voice of Flo from Cars. And also, if I'm the only one sappy enough to cry while reading a children's book.
What are your favorite children's books?
I love children's books. I love buying them. I love reading them to my niece and nephew. I love seeing the looks on their faces when they discover a new favorite book.
But can we have a moment of honesty here? Some of them are awful. And unfortunately, some of the worst ones end up being their favorites. Books that make me want to shout up at the sky, "BUT HOW CAN THEY LOVE THIS STORY WHEN THERE'S NO PLOT."
And then there are the beautifully illustrated stories that have a wonderful message that result in blank stares from the children. I want them to love the book so much that I end up acting like the a salesperson on an infomercial, desperately pointing out all the best features of the book in the misguided hope that I can make them love it too and the $17.95 I spent on it won't end up being a total waste. "What you don't seem to realize is that this book is very empowering to women. And look at how cute that picture of Elizabeth Cady Stanton it. Doesn't she look like someone you want to learn more about?"
It never works. They can always smell my desperation and it seems to make them dislike the book even more.
It's a rare and beautiful thing when we can all agree on a book, but we have found a few. Today I want to share with you 5 books that your children can enjoy that won't make you want to knock back a cocktail just to numb the pain.
1.
I read this book to my one-year-old nephew. He has a short attention span even by baby standards, and yet he's still willing to sit through this book. I can't honestly say it has much of a plot, but it has more than 2 words per page and doesn't make me want to bang my head against the wall, so I'm counting that as a major literary victory. Plus, my three-year-old niece still enjoys it. So during the 3 minutes when they weren't fighting to the death to see who gets to take up more space in my lap, we all enjoyed the book.
2.
This book has an amusing plot and delightfully retro pictures. And we've read it so many times that it's starting to get that worn-around-the-edges look all well-loved books eventually acquire. It's a book that's better suited for older toddlers, so Sofie and I read this one when the baby is napping.
3.
4.
The book is about a girl who draws a face on a squash and pretends it's a doll and then becomes so attached to it that she refuses to let her Mom cook it. The book was funny and the pictures were great and we both enjoyed it a great deal. Disclaimer: The book seems to have affected my niece profoundly. Several weeks after reading it, I took her to the farmer's market, where she decided that we should buy a giant red pepper and she spent the entire car ride home hugging it, kissing it, and saying, "I love you" to it.
5.
Embarrassing confession time: This book makes me cry. It's about a sweet potato who gets shaken out of his garden patch and can't find his way home again. He goes from garden to garden, looking for the place where he belongs. My niece loves this book so much that she randomly quotes it from time to time. Buy it immediately. You won't regret it. And if you do buy it, please report back to me and let me know if I'm the only one who imagines the Big Sweet Potato at the end having the voice of Flo from Cars. And also, if I'm the only one sappy enough to cry while reading a children's book.
Hi Angela! Its so nice to meet you. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Your blog is lovely, and I immediately subscribed. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis post on picture books is timely on several levels. I have a little grand baby who loves books, and I'm always looking for new ones for him.
A writer friend and I co-wrote a picture book which will be released in September, 2018 (sigh, nothing goes quickly in the traditional publishing world). Between that and the grand baby, I always have my eye on picture books. I'll be sure to check out your suggestions.
Pat
www.patwahler.com
Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoy my blog. Congratulations on your upcoming book. That's so exciting!
Deletecute picks! we're always on the hunt for new books! xo jillian - cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by my blog!
DeleteLove this post!! I may have to pick some of these up for my new nephew!!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. And congratulations on your new nephew! Being an Aunt is so much fun.
DeleteSO many cute books! Two of my nieces just had birthdays, and I sent them a bunch of books. I will keep these in mind for next time :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't book shopping for nieces so much fun! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteI love the visual of your niece kissing a pepper - that is amazing
ReplyDeleteShe looked so cute while she was kissing the pepper! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteNothing to be ashamed of it all! I've cried at tons of children's books! How I miss reading to my boys when they were small, I have saved all my favorite books of theirs so I can read to my future grandchildren someday! Have a beautiful weekend!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better than pulling out old favorites and reading them to the next generation. Lately, I've been reading Sesame Street books from my childhood to my niece. They're from the pre-Elmo days and they're so much better than the current Sesame Street books that are available. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a great weekend too!
DeleteMy niece's birthday is next weekend so I might have to get some of these for her!
ReplyDeleteIsn't shopping for nieces and nephews so much fun! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteI'm going to go out on a limb and guess that if you cry for the sweet potato book that you ball for the "I'll love you forever" book. I could never make it all the way through with breaking down. Thanks for sharing these books. Have a great weekend!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I've read that book, but I do seem to recall getting kind of choked up. The one that really makes me cry is Runaway Bunny. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteI am always looking for new book for little Miss That won't leave me wishing I had never picked it up. Your suggestions look great. I gotta get Sophie's Squash something tells me Little Miss would love it then adopt every veggie in the house LOL. Thank you for the awesome suggestions.
ReplyDeleteSophie's Squash was one of those rare books that both my niece and I found amusing! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
DeleteThere is nothing wrong about crying over a children's book - now I'm in need of the book about the sweet potato!
ReplyDelete"Look how cute that picture of Elizabeth Cady Stanton is!" totally cracked me up. :D I don't know any of these books! (Granted, I don't have kids, so I'm not in the loop.) This was one of my favorite books as a kid, which is so fitting now that I totally want to smother all the cats in my 'hood! https://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Dolores-Barbara-Samuels/dp/0027782107
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love The Little Blue Truck books and the Goodnight Goodnight, Construction site books. We have read them over and over numerous times. Oh and Duck on a Tractor. :)
ReplyDeleteTacky the Penguin was one of my favorites when I was little. Although I didn't really understand the meaning until a lot later. My nephew loves The Pout Pout Fish and it's so fun to read. I'll have to check out your recommendations for next time we see him.
ReplyDelete