My Favorite Books - Hug Time

I was perusing the bookcase tonight while getting ready to read Tot #1 a bedtime story and remembered one of my favorite books - Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell.

It is a simple poem about a kitten with a "hug to do list" that takes him (quickly) around the world.  It has cute watercolor pictures.  One line per page makes it an easy read and keeps the attention of even a squirmy toddler.

My Favorite Books - Feed Matisse's Fish

Both of my children (and their friends) love Feed Matisse's Fish. The touch-and-feel elements are all well done and narrative is simple and charming. There are just enough words per page to keep the narrative consistent and helpful, but not so much as to bore kids (or adults).

Note, that the books says this is for children 3+ because small parts can potentially detach and be a choking hazard, but the content is great for kids 12m+ (supervised of course).

Feed Matisse's Fish and Touch the Art: Brush Mona Lisa's Hair are both excellent books from this series. Touch the Art: Make Van Gogh's Bed is also pretty good (although not quite as good as the other two).  Touch the Art: Tickle Tut's Toes is particularly weak in terms of both content and narrative.


This will also go on my eventual list of drool-proof books.  The high-gloss board book pages are nicely drool resistant.

My Favorite Books - 18m - 2yrs

Continuing the previous posts, here are some of my favorite books for kids 18m - 2yrs. Early toddlers all of the sudden catch a sense of humor. They "get" that something is funny, or sounds funny, or rhymes (or doesn't). Some of the early Seuss board books (not the regular Seuss yet), Doreen Crownan, and Laura Numeroff are all good authors for this age group. For "stories" keep them short (a few words per page) and feel free to condense the story to keep up with your toddler's attention span. Toddlers are increasingly able to learn by example at this age, so keep an eye on what behavior the books are modeling (and whether you are ok with that as a parent). At our house we love some Mo Willems books, but NOT "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" because we felt like it didn't show a behavior that we wanted Tot #1 or #2 to mimic. This is purely a personal choice and we may very well be reading too much into what they can pick up from a book, but it is something to think about as you choose books for this age group and beyond.

Some are still board books, but we're starting to dabble in "real" books. The decision of board book vs. hardcover vs. paperback it totally up to you, but be aware, the board book versions of regular books (such as the Dr. Suess books) are condensed versions of the full stories.

Here are some of my favorites:

My Favorite Books - 12 - 18m

A continuation from the last post, here are some of my favorite books for kids 12 - 18m.

For the 12-18m set, my favorites are all books that encourage curiosity, language and parent/child interaction. Board books with basic vocabulary and big, clear pictures are always a big hit. These are all books that they may still be reading when they're two or three - they will just be getting something different out of it at that age. As with any tool, you are going to get as much out of it as you put into it. The more repetition and interaction the faster their little brains can build the association of the sound of the words you're saying and the pictures. As much as you can, stick to board books for this age group, since the lack of fine motor control can lead to a lot of ripped pages otherwise. All of my favorites (except the last one) are still board books.

Here are my favorites:

My Favorite Books - 0-12m

As the holidays roll around and I start planning gifts for friends and family, I've been thinking about my favorite books for different age groups.

For the 0-12m set, my favorites are all board books or cloth books. Minimal words, lots of touchy-feely things. If you've ever tried to read to a very young baby, it's not all that exciting. If your lucky they'll sit there while you turn the pages. If you're unlucky, they'll just cry the whole time. Giving them something to do while in between turning the pages (like touchy feely bits, textures, etc.) makes everything go a lot more smoothly.

Here are my favorites:

My Favorite Books - Slide and Peek! by Amazing Baby

The tots both love this book. It is fun to read and easy for big chunky fingers to move since the sliders go in a circular pattern instead or up/down or side/side. Unlike most of the other touchy-feely baby books, it is almost indestructible. Now I just have to keep Tot #1 from stealing it out of Tot #2's book basket...