Five on Friday: Children's Literature Edition

As a former preschool teacher, I know how important it is to read to my children. I adore children's literature, and was thrilled when Stephanie finally started to sit and snuggle for reading sessions. Choosing books to read one-on-one is very different than choosing them for a classroom setting, and it's been a lot of fun for me to learn what Stephanie likes and find books that will hold her interest as well as being fun for me to read. Below are 5 authors whose books she adores.

1. Dr. Seuss
    We read the Beginning Reader's, and she can't get enough of them. Those silly, nonsensical rhymes hold her attention and make her laugh. Her favorites are Mr Brown Can Moo, Can You?, The Cat in the Hat, and There's a Wocket in my Pocket.

2. Nancy Tillman
    My first experience with this author was on the night Stephanie was born, and my sister gave her On the Night You Were Born. The beautiful, lyrical words in this story never fail to bring tears to my eyes. If you haven't read it to your child, I highly recommend it. It celebrates the love that forms when a child enters the world, and tells children how special and loved they are. Joseph received another book by the same author for Christmas. This one, Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You is equally beautiful. Children need to know how important they are, and these books do a great job conveying that.

3. Sandra Boynton
    I receieved two of her books when I was pregnant with Stephanie, and fell in love with them. They are board books, with only a few words on each page, which are perfect for squirmy toddlers. They feature adorable, cartoonish animals, and the stories are rhyming and silly. Stephanie's favorites are The Going to Bed Book, But Not the Hippopotamus, and Moo Baa La, La, La.


4. Anna Dewdney
    We love reading Anna Dewdney's Llama books. Our favorites are Llama Llama Misses Mama and Llama, Llama Red Pajama. Little llama is a silly young boy who has little adventures that toddlers can relate perfectly to. In Llama Llama Misses Mama, he has his first day of school, and is sad because his mom goes away. But in the end, he learns that she always comes back, and that it's okay to love both his mama and his school. Llama Llama Red Pajama is about bedtime, and the things little Llama will do in order to avoid going to sleep. Again, perfect for toddlers because they relate so well to these scenarios.

5. Karen Katz
    These books are perfect for babies and young toddlers. They are board books, with only one small sentence on each page. They all feature a baby, and many are related to holidays. We have Where are Baby's Easter Eggs and Where is Baby's Valentine. We also have Daddy Hugs which I would have to say is Stephanie's favorite book of all time. It's a counting book, and each page names a different type of hug, starting with 1 "i'm so glad you're my baby hug" and ending with 10 " I love you hugs". This was the first book that Stephanie ever asked us to read by name, and it continues to be one she frequently requests, even though she has since moved on to loving other, longer books. It is one that will always remain a classic in our house.

Tweet