Dearest Daughters,
We have a winner!
Thank you to the ELEVEN, yes, eleven, of you who participated. Not just for your participation inasmuch as it stroked my ego to know that ELEVEN people read my blog, but also thanks for your recommendations (more on that below).
We should also thank the dozens of you who did NOT participate; gave everyone a 9.1% chance of winning!
Also, made it much easier for me to determine a winner. I listed your names in order of when you submitted your comment about your favorite book. Then, used random.org to generate a random number.
TA DA!
Before I tell you who Numero 6 is, here's a recap of your recommended books, with my commentary. Because it's my blog, People.
Mud Pies and Other Recipes by Marjorie Winslow - fun book, recommended by my aunt and given to me by my BFF, the girls haven't laid their grubby, muddy hands on it yet, but will one day soon... maybe, if they can pry it out of my hands while I fix daffodil soup for the menagerie.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle - my sister-in-law gave me this book when I was young, but I'm admitting here, before you all, I haven't read it yet. Forget the Dearest Daughters, I guess this one should go on my list!
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - have neither seen the movie nor read the book, but the awesome cover on this Penguin Classics re-issue might get me to the bookstore!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle - Bel's very first favorite book, if only because we read it to smithereens. Luckily, we have extra copies of this classic picture book, which does actually translate well to a board book (not all books do), making it a winner in the baby's first book category.
Mr. Willoby's Christmas Tree by Robert E. Barry - haven't heard of this book before, but given that it's Gramma's favorite, the girls will have to read up come Christmas.
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - I gotta be honest: I loved this book as a kid; the repetition, the message of undying, unconditional love. But, as an adult, this book sort of freaks me out; maybe because I don't plan on sneaking into my elderly mother's room and rocking her to sleep! If I can block that image from my mind, it's a sweet book, recommended by a sweet person!
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson - Bel received this as a gift a couple times from several good friends, all of whom are super creative people. I've read it once to Bel, but the brilliance of Harold's crayon is lost on her for now. We'll keep working those meta-cognitive muscles and come back to it soon.
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel - I read this as a child, but it's true: I gotta add some ancient folklore to the DD collection and this warning not to foolishly fall into wells and sh*t; that's a good place to start. Plus, as mentioned, what gets better than reading-aloud: "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!" NOTHING, I tell you. NOTHING, is better than that.
The Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Edwards - So glad to get this suggestion. I love me some picture books, but I have most of them committed to memory, such that I may have to be committed soon. I can't wait for the days of reading "chapter books" to the Dearest Daughters, ones with actual plots that make our imaginations shift into overdrive!
Stop That Ball by Mike McClintock - might have this one tucked away in a set of Seuss books that were handed down to us. I have a faint memory of reading this one as a child, but given my personality, I was probably freaking out about this out-of-my-control ball more than is appropriate for a five year old.
Hooray For Fish by Lucy Cousins - this one is truly a beloved board book; it's colorful and rhymes and uses onomatopoeia. What more could a toddler want? Maybe a favorite fish? Who we happen to find out at the end of the book is who else, but Mommy Fish! Hooray! Mommy Fish, FTW!
Some other mentions: The Secret Garden, A Little Princess
Oh. So. The winner?
I'm really excited to announce that the winner is someone who just had her own baby girl! So, there couldn't have been a more perfect person to receive a bundle of the Dearest Daughters' favorite-ist books for her little bundle.
Even though you all would have enjoyed them or found someone who would have, the books that we're sending do skew a little to the woman/girl/sister category.
So, BIG YAY! for Deniz and her baby girl, Mila! Shoot your mailing address at me via Facebook message if your name is Deniz and you have a gorgeous little baby girl named Mila! And don't think I won't be able to weed out the impostors!
I wish you all could have won! But, I'm not made of books over here, people. And, anyway, look out for a future post on the books we'll be sending baby Mila. Then, go to your local library: where everyone is a winner!
Thanks, again, everyone! For your support and for this moment of interactive bloggy fun-ness!
I'm SOOOOOOO glad I didn't win! I couldn't resist (being the advice-prone Auntie I am, and given that I spent my childhood buried in a book, and that I AM a former-but-always librarian) giving you my best suggestion. I did sort of squee a little when you mentioned you have Mud Pies! I just KNEW you'd like it! But I'm very very glad someone with a little girl won!
Posted by: amy | 04/19/2012 at 05:43 AM