After yesterday’s post and discussion, I figured we’d move briefly to a more light hearted subject.
It’s another question. My daughter is a reading maniac. We’ll she doesn’t read, but she wants us to read to her ALL the time. And she’s just 16 months. The problem is, we read the same books fifteen times a day, and it’s driving me a little batty.
Anyone have recommendations of childrens books I should check out that both she and I will enjoy?
She can handle a couple sentences per page, but it must have pictures and can’t be to too long.
Thanks.
No advice on books, but your question reminded me of a quote I think you will enjoy:
“The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
It is from G.K. Chesterton in the book Orthodoxy.
my son loves the richard scarry books from when he was very young. lots of pictures and lots of activity, so she could look at alone, and not too many words per page.
@ Keane- Wow, what an amazingly beautiful quote. 🙂 LOVE that!
I feel your pain. I must have read at least 50 books yesterday. Some more than twice.
We enjoy the pigeon books by Mo Willems. Don’t let the pigeon stay up late. Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus. The Pigeon wants a puppy. The Pigeon finds a hotdog, The Pigeon loves things that go, The Pigeon has feelings too, Etc. Not all are board books, but a few are.
Also, Sandra Boynton has some great ones that have somehow turned into songs in our house. The Going to Bed Book, The Belly Button Book. Oh My, Oh, My, Oh Dinosaurs. Hippos go Berserk. Pajama time, Barnyard Dance, Etc. These all come as board books, and are a fun read.
We’ve just started with Dr. Suess, as there are a few more words, but not so many words on one page. Just way more pages. But now that she’s two, our daughter can sit still long enough to finish the book. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Mr Brown can Moo, Can You?
Matthew Van Fleet’s Dogs and Tails are both favs, and have been for a long time. Interactive, but I’ve resorted to taping and patching up some of the moving parts, since she was a bit young to understand how to be gentle with some of the tabs.
Hope this helps.
Well, I’m kind of a slacker mom so I mainly just explain the pictures and get her to tell me what everything on the page is. I get so bored reading the words over and over when she doesn’t even know what I’m saying! =) My daughter (22 mos.) loves this book called “I love my Daddy” which is SO cute.. and really just the simple ones with animals and colors and shapes are best. I think her favorites are the ones with just one big animal on a page and the sound it makes, so I just flip through and say, “what’s this? What does a duck say?” She’s learned almost every animal I know just from reading those. (you can get them anywhere) Often the Target $1 rack will have great children’s books, we just got a bunch of Sesame Street books from there.
Have you tried “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” yet? Many kids her age enjoy that one. You might wanna try some of the shorter Dr. Seuss books, too. I personally really like those…should keep you both intrigued, cause Seuss is never “boring”. LOL As she gets a bit older and her attention span grows, she will sit for longer periods and then you can read her Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” and “Giraffe and a Half”. Amazing books that all my kids still adore!! 🙂 HTH some
Peace,
Jamie
Oh, another good one is “The Very Quiet Cricket”, by Eric Carle, same guy who wrote the hungry caterpillar book. 🙂
Ariah: drop me an email…My eldest daughter is soon to be five, I can list a whole ton of books as she has her own bookcase of books we have gotten her over the years…