So I typically pick up 7-10 books for her every trip to the library and maybe 3-5 of those are accepted with only a couple being really loved. I'm getting better though, I've learned that she likes pictures with a lot of contrast, not just in color but defined lines, or real photos. She loves books that have rhythm or funny sounding words and she really likes books with lots of emotions - the more people crying the better :-) Your little one might be the same, but he/she might not. That where the library is great. Even if I think a book is going to be one we need to purchase, it is still nice to take it for a test drive.
So without further ado, here are Lucy's top 10!
1) Llama Llama Red Pajama
Animals, bright colors, funny rhymes and crying - its a good combination! We read this as a bed time story all the time and she doesn't seem to tire of it. I think it is a lot of fun to read because I can really find my inner actress as I explore baby llama's feelings at being left all alone in bed, waiting for his mama to bring him a glass of water. Craig thinks it is repetitive and boring, but he's wrong. It's great.
2) Knuffle Bunny
Mo Willems is to children's books what Pixar is to children's movies. They are technically for kids, but adults are not left out either. Knuffle bunny is the story of Trixie and the tragedy that strikes when she loses her beloved Knuffle Bunny at the laundromat. It is probably the best of Willems' books for Lucy's age and she really loves it (it has crying and "going boneless" so its got the emotions well covered) but we have gotten quite a few pigeon books from the library that have been hits too and I'm sure our Elephant and Piggie books will be well loved once she is a tad older.
3) Kiss the Baby
This was a Chinaberry book. When I first picked it up, I will confess, I doubted them. The pictures reminded me of a psychiatrist ink spot thing and there weren't a ton of words. But I was wrong, very wrong. Lucy loved it!
4) Farmer Will
I picked this up randomly at a book sale and once I got over the fact that in it pigs say "wink" and not "oink,"
I found a story Lucy and I could both love. The little boy Will, loves his four farm animals so much and spends the day playing, feeding, and eventually napping with them.5) More, More, More said the Baby
Another Chinaberry book. Maybe I should have just sent you to them instead of writing this post:-) But this is three very similar stories of three babies and their caregivers (dad, grandma and mom depending on the story) interacting, with the first two ending with the baby asking for more, more, more - which leads to the next story. It was the one mentioned before that finally "taught" Lucy to say more. She really loves the first two stories but not the third, I'm not sure why but when we get to the third, she closes the book then opens in up at the beginning for me to read it over again. It is a good choice if you are looking for a book with babies of different colors/races although it seems a bit forced to me.
6) Thank you for me!
You guess it, another Chinaberry recommendation. I think this is a better book for those looking for a book with a rainbow of babies. The illustrations show babies of lots of different skin tones but in a more natural way. Some of their rhymes, well, don't, which is a pet peeve of mine but with other lines like "I love my skin, its nice and tight, see how it fits exactly right!" and "I have two feet that dart and dash, that sprint and splash," how could I not forgive it? Who exactly the book is thanking for the body and all its parts is not exactly clear but Christians parents can easily work that in if they want.
6) Hurry, Hurry Mary Dear
This one is fun for us because it shows poor Mary preparing for winter (at the request of her husband) by doing all sorts of things I love - canning, gardening, churning butter. At the end, poor Mary is a bit tired and
annoyed with her husband. Truth be told, the punch line on the last page where the husband gets his just "reward" is not my favorite but Craig picked it out so he can't blame me for whatever lessons it is teaching his daughter :-) But the paintings are great with lots of little details to talk about and there is a little black cat on almost every page. Once Craig showed Lucy have to find it and point it out, this one became a consistent favorite.
7) Amazing Baby Series
I'm not going to lie. I don't like these. But Lucy loves them. We get at least one from the series at every library visit. And I have to read it over and over and over again until I hide it and it goes back to the library. They feature pictures and simple drawings of babies doing baby things like sleeping or eating. The pictures aren't particularly great and the words are not exactly imaginiative or vocabulary building. They are boring. But since Lucy loves them, they made the list.
*Chinaberry is a great little online/catalog bookstore with amazing recommendations. I get a lot of their recommendations from the library but I also try and support them when I need to buy books as well.
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