The Reader

I think the best part about this picture is that after I took it she made at least two more trips to get books and take them back to the bathroom.

Books For Parents who Actually Read to their Children

Several weeks ago (was it really months ago?...how time flies) you helped me make a list of the books that you read to your young children that they really love and that you don't mind reading.  I told you that I would compile the list and get it back to you. I didn't do it then but I'm making up for it by posting it now.  So, without further ado here is the list that you (as parents who read to their children) helped me compile.

It may not be pretty but it's informative.  Print it off and put it in your library bag.  We've been making our way through the list and Claire has loved every one of them. She still sometimes asks for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and the Freight Train book.

**don't be worried if your book didn't make the list.  I'm making a list for older kids too and some of your suggestions were geared toward the 4-6 year old range so I moved them to the other list.

Children's Books For Parent's Who Actually Read to Their Children

Ladies and gentlemen,
Your responses to my rant about the list of 50 best children's books was incredible. You had such good suggestions so this weekend I am going to use my considerable skills* to make a little list that you can pin to pinterest. So if you haven't checked in yet with your favorite books for toddlers that are actually fun to read and that toddlers actually like you should do so now.


*When I say "my considerable skills" I mean my skills of persuasion because I have no design skills AT ALL. However, my mother-in-law does and my skills will be used trying to convince her to make this list look lovely.

I haven't read this one yet but it's on the list.

50 Best Children's Books

So I broke down and joined Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. It's been fun but I'm certainly not obsessed yet but it's a fun place to spend a couple of minutes getting good ideas.  

Last week I saw a pin titled "50 Best Children's Books."  I immediately re-pinned it and opened up the file ready to be inspired. (it's a PDF so I can't post it here but you can just click that link to see it)

Is that inspiring to you?   Me neither.

Not only are several of the books listed twice but I'll Love You Forever got a nod?  PUKE.  Have you read that book?  It's terrible.  And Guess How Much I Love You had the top spot?  Have you ever tried to read that to a child?  I have. All Claire will do is point out the dad and the baby bunny on every page.  She won't hear a word of the actual text.

There's a whole genre of children's books that aren't made for children at all.  They share fairly sentimental (I don't say that disparagingly--I cry at commercials) ideas that make parents reflect on parenting.  They are the kinds of books that say things that parents want to say to their children (You are Special--I'm looking at you) but they are not books that children love, like or are entertained by.

I was disappointed with this list because it had so many of those kinds of books--books parents like but kids don't.  It left me thinking, "I want a list of books for toddlers compiled by smart people who know what kids like."  And then I thought, "Wait, I know smart people who know what kids like."

So what do you say?  Will you make a list of toddler books with me?  I'll list 10 books that Claire can't live without and you tell me the books your kids can't live without.  And just to show you how honest I'm being here I'm not putting Stella Luna on the list even though I love it because Claire doesn't.  Stella Luna says something I want Claire to learn but she thinks it's boring.  But I'm also not putting the Baby Einstein book called Uh-Oh which we checked out from the library on the list because though Claire wants us to read it 10 times a day I want to poke out my eyeballs every time I read it.

In no particular order:

Olivia- Ian Falconer
Barnyard Dance- Sandra Boynton
But Not the Hippopotamus--Sandra Boynton
Goodnight Moon-Margaret Wise Brown
If You Give a Pig a Party--Laura Numeroff
Goodnight Gorilla --Peggy Rathmann
The Very Hungry Caterpiller--Eric Carle
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More--Karen Beaumont
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight--Jane Yolen
No David--David Shannon

**I'm thinking of writing my own children's book called There are Not Enough Dish Towels in the World.   We've discovered imaginary play and suddenly we're using burp cloths as dish towels in the kitchen.

Both babies in this picture are wearing dish towels.

This baby is wearing two dish towels

This is the face Claire makes these days when you ask her to smile 

Claire's Bookclub: British Invasion

A couple of weeks ago we went to the library and Claire came home with a gaggle of books which all happened to be written by British authors.  Each book was a little more odd than the next but they all were major hits with Claire.

Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham

We loved this.  We are right in a phase where Claire is working on making animal sounds and this book provided ample opportunity.  I also loved that in this book animals and children act like animal and children and still get to go to tea and eat cakes at the end.

Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar

I really didn't like this book but Claire loved it.  It's very odd, though the rhythm and rhyme are good.  Claire loved looking at shoes (shoe was one of her first words) and saying "shoe!" She also liked the elephants and giraffes--anything with animals these days.

Beware of the Frog by William Bee

 WEIRD ALERT! This book is so odd and does not end very  happily but Claire loved it.  She loved the pictures, she loved the silly songs that all of the creatures sing, she loved the little old lady hiding in the house peeking her head out of the windows.

So, in conclusion, all of the British books were huge hits even though they were certainly on the weird side.

**Adults.  Don't forget that we are reading Moby Dick for book club.  I'll be writing about it on Nov 4th.  I'm about half way though and it's fascinating (even if it's a little slow).  So start it if you haven't already.

Claire's Book Club: Huh?

Claire and I checked out this book from the library. 

It's darling.  I love the Lazoo line.  I like their bright colors and their artzy little drawings.   And, now that Claire has mastered knowing her facial features, hair, fingers, toes and belly button I figured it was time to start talking about colors.

She likes the book (she actually took it with her to her nap just minutes ago) but yesterday while I was reading and describing the pictures to her I ran into a little trouble with purple page.

Onions are purple, grapes are purple, plums are purple and ......any ideas as to what that is on the upper right? 

Claire's Book Club: Revised

When I first started book club online Claire had a book club too.  But it just didn't work out.  Something about ordering the book from the library and looking for them.  So I'm revising it. Instead of picking a book and talking about it at the end of the month I'm just going to tell you what's on our reading list this week.

We heard Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus at story time at our local library and Claire was enthralled.  I'm not sure if she loved the book or if she loved the huge amount of giggling that was happening all around her.  Regardless, you are going to love it.

Claire picked out Little Beauty all by herself at the library last week.  The story is funny (but a little weird as they say that it's based on a true story but at one point the kitten is doing sign language?...weird) but Claire loves the pictures.  The gorilla and his big eyes are fascinating to her. The kitten is also a hit. Claire says, "dog" and points to the kitten. (I think she thinks that dog means animal so every time she sees a dog or a cat she says "dog"). She has brought this book to me several times this week and the books that I have picked out for her have been left on the shelf (maybe a lesson for mom to learn there).

Okay.  So what are you reading to your kids?

Claire's Book Club: The Perfect Pinata-La Pinata Perfecta

We loved the Perfect Pinata (La Pinata Perfecta)!  I was a little worried when we checked it out because it wasn't written in English and Spanish.  It was written in English and then translated into Spanish. But I shouldn't have feared.  The Spanish was great, the English and Spanish are side by side on the page and there are great Spanish words that don't need translations (loteria, bunuelos and mi hija--don't mind the fact that I can't figure out how to put accents in there).

The story was charming and the colors and pictures were interesting enough to keep Claire's attention.  You will love it.  Please check it out.

Next up on Claire's book club list is The Happy Egg by Ruth Krauss.  It's on a couple of "great" lists and I thought it might be perfect for Easter which is fast approaching!

 

Claire's Book Club--Henry's Freedom Box

This month for Claire's book Club we read Henry's Freedom Box. The subtitle of the book is, "A True Story from the Underground Railroad" and really...I should have known. I should have know that I wasn't going to be able to make it through this without crying my eyes out (to put that into perspective I have yet to make it through President Obama's book without crying and we own it.) Henry is born a slave and sold away from his family when he is young. Years later his family is sold away from him. Henry comes up with a genius idea. He mails himself to freedom.


This is a great book. The pictures are incredible (done by Kadir Nelson) who also did the book about the Negro Baseball League. Claire still doesn't understand the words we say but be prepared, if you are going to read this to your children who do understand, there will be a lot of explaining to do. Henry makes it to freedom but never sees his family again. It was a nice reminder to me that even stories with happy endings don't have to have perfect endings. And, in real life, things almost never have perfect endings.

I lived in South America for a couple of years and have been looking for really good Spanish and Hispanic literature for children. Next month's book club will be The Perfect Pinata. Get ready to teach your little ones a few words of Espanol!




*While we were at the Library this month we also picked up Too Big to Dance by Doug Anderson and loved it. Even though it wasn't on our book club list I wanted to tell you how charming it is. We've been listening to Zydeco and dancing around our house like crazy ever since.

Claire's Book Club

The Composer is Dead
By Lemony Snicket


This book is pretty much hilarious. My folks were here this week and they both laughed out loud when the read it. It comes with a CD version of the story which moves too slow to listen to at the house but might be a great if you have to be in the car for a while with the kids. The other great thing about the book is that it is informative. I learned some things I didn't know.

In all honesty, Claire doesn't really pay attention to books (except for this one which she loves and if you have a baby who is Claire's age you should buy it. The words are pretty stupid but the yarn that appears as you turn the pages and the pop-up picture at the end make it Claire's go-to calm down book).

If you're not ashamed about making orchestra noises it will certainly entertain any age of kids. She loved my version of violins.

This month Claire's book club is reading Henry's Freedom Box (in honor of Black History Month). Send me your comments by March 1st of you'd like to share.

No Rubbing!

Claire and I had a busy day planned. After a trip to the gym we had a beach date this morning with two of our favorite families. This afternoon two of our friends were going to come over to make homemade play-doh and Valentines while their mom went to a doctor's appointment.

Sadly, those lovely dreams did not come true because Claire woke up with a case of pink eye. Hurrah! We've been to the doctor and she's already had her first set of eye drops. So instead of sunning on the beach and showing off our domestic goddess skills we're having a slow day at home catching up on laundry and after she wakes up from her nap we'll walk over to the library to pick up the books we have on hold. Now before moms and librarians alike start mentally composing hate-mail I should say that I know the library is not a good place for sick children. We're just picking up books that we have on hold (which they keep next to the front door. Really, we won't touch anything and Claire will stay in her stroller the whole time).

Claire's Reading List.
We're picking up this book (and CD) for Claire which comes highly recommended by two of her aunties*. We are always looking for good reading material for Claire and if you have any suggestions please please send them our way.

My Reading List.
I wasn't kidding when I said that I was trying to make it through 30 years of Pulitzer Prize winners. I'm at least half way through the list (which I am reading in no particular order) and this little gem is waiting for me at the Library.


I'm also picking up this book.

By the same woman who wrote The Glass Castle which I loved. If any of you are looking for a book to reinforce the normalcy of your parents you should pick it up. I don't care what kind of parents you had. This book will make them look normal. Half Broke Horses is a book that my old book club is reading. When we moved I left behind a book club that I loved. Lovely girls who read books that are challenging and made me think. Even though I can't attend discussion night I try to keep up with the reading and I'm always happy when I do.

Those of you who like reading challenging books should pick up one of these and we can read them at the same time. Then we can email each other all of our thoughtful insights! An e-bookclub of smart thoughtful people who read challenging books. As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to that place."

The good news is that even if none of you want to do that I will pretend that you do. I'll make up wonderful things that imaginary readers would say. "Jen from Milwaukee said, 'this book changed the way I think! Life will never be the same.'"

I am returning this book to the Library.





I really liked it. The book centers around a polio outbreak on the east coast in the late 30's (maybe it was early 40's hard to remember now). I found myself wiki-ing polio and reading all I could about it. I also called my mom and talked to her about her memories of what polio was like. It was nice to talk to my mother about something that influenced her childhood that had absolutely no bearing on mine (maybe it will be like me telling Claire all about my memories of VCRs when she gets a little older).




*aunties are any number of women who love Claire because they love me. They consist of college roommates and old and new friends alike. They are the kind of women who would take care of Claire and take the time to let her know what her mother was like if anything happened to me. So, of course, we take it very seriously when they make reading suggestions.