Dearest Daughters,
You know that giveaway we did last week? Well, here's the big reveal of the books we chose for the winner. And by "we" I mean our foolproof, three-fold book-choosing criteria.
1) Parental Enjoyment: If I don't like reading it, I'm not going to read it to you. In fact, I'll probably hide it. And if you find it, I'll tell you my voice is broken. Or I forgot how to read. Or something like that.
2) Child Enjoyment: If you don't like listening to it, I end up reading to an empty lap. Which is fine if it's the New Yorker, but it's usually not.
3) BFF Librarian: But, to be honest, the majority of our bookshelves are filled with books given or suggested to us by Auntie Ninang Librarian Katherine.
So, for those of you who aren't so lucky to have personal access to Criterion #3, here are some of our favorites:
Board Books
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins: it's one of our favorites because... as I said last week, but here goes again: 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!
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell: it's one of our favorites because... it's a lift-the-flap book! And if that's not enough, my genius girls enjoy the dramatic irony as box after box of unsuitable pets are delivered from the zoo. And the sing-song, read-aloud, abundance-of-ellipses-wait-until-your-cute-baby-responds, makes this book a heart-warming, snuggle-bunnying read. Not to mention the happy ending!
Picture Books
Tip Tip Dig Dig by Emma Garcia: it's one of our favorites because... Babybel discovered this one all by herself at the library. Well she wasn't all by herself. That would be child neglect and against library rules. But, she stuck it into our library bag. And when we got home, I discovered this awesome construction-themed book! The scene is set with a mess of an empty lot. And it remains to be seen what all those construction vehicles will do. Such a nail-biter! It's repetitive and goes over the same few construction-y verbs in three different tenses, which I think is the point. But, mostly we just enjoy using our made up hand-motions to tell the story and act surprised at the big-reveal at the end.
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney: it's one of our favorites because... it helps us think about the important toddler themes of missing one's mommy, of the frustration of having to wait, of general hysteria and coping with our overwhelming emotions. Plus, it rhymes and it uses synonyms! Between Bel who cries and Danjo who yells, we are in certain need of "llama drama" vocabulary.
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney: it's one of our favorites because... it's a wordless book! Which is fitting because this retelling of one of Aesop's fables can be read a million ways. Whether you are familiar with the story or not, you can tell your own version of this kind-hearted tale. After a couple of read-alouds, examining the detailed and gorgeous watercolor illustrations, Bel could pick up this book and read it to herself, voices and beaming, proud smile and everything!
Tweak Tweak by Eve Bunting: it's one of our favorites because... Danjo has a particular affinity for elephants. And it's about a very inquisitive little one. She walks and talks with her mommy, learning about all the different animals of the jungle and their special gifts. It's a book about a journey. And the elephant's discovery of her own gifts. Super deep, really. Like us.
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch: it's one of our favorites because... this one's too easy: it's about a princess who is intelligent, clever, witty and does no way, no how need a prince to rescue her. It's the Disney princess anti-venom! I think Bel just likes it because of the dragon. Good enough for me.
The DDs-Will-Read-These-in-the-Future Books - these are books that I love for reasons I've mentioned before and will repeat below, but the girls haven't read them... yet. Dum dum dum.
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker: I want the DDs to read this because... of the awesome parents, who support their child, ask the right questions, and say the right things, duh! Oh, and because of the awesome cogent, attention deficit, emotive mis-adventures of this red-head. Another dose of anti-venom for the Disney Princess crowd. It's the first of several Clementine books. And I look forward to reading them aloud to my quirky babies.
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall: I want the DDs to read this because... it's a book about what it means to be a family, to be sisters and to have adventures. It's such a sweet book about four mother-less girls, unique in her each way, their bond and adventures supported by a clueless, but loving father. When I die, I hope the girls will rent a cottage in the Berkshires and reenact this book. Even if you're seventy-five years old. (Also, there are more in the series; every one is great!)
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia: I want the DDs to read this because... it's another story about sisters, who, um, are also motherless. That is, until they fly across the country to spend a summer with their poet mother. Set in 1960s Oakland, the girls spend their days interacting with Black Panthers, neighborhood kids and some other fun characters. The book is as much a serious look into the Black Power movement, inequality, the process of learning to love oneself (or one's mother or daughters, as the case may be) as it is a light-hearted tale of three sisters and their summertime adventures. The narrator is the oldest sister and she is also one awesome, wise, insightful and witty brown young woman. All things my DDs are certain to become.
For a running list of recommendations that I keep on Pinterest, click here for picture books we love or here for books I will force my children to read. While you're at it, feel free to follow me to see what I add in the future.
Love,
P.S. This post is not sponsored in any way. Except maybe by Auntie Ninang Librarian Katherine who recommended most of these books to us. So, if you want to send her money, you can. Otherwise, this post comes from the bottom of my good-book-loving heart.
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