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Today, we’re bringing the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Pinterest to our blogs. I am super thrilled to have Zina from Let’s Lasso The Moon here today while I am over at Not Just Cute sharing a simple and deceptively educational playdough activity ( I swear we can not get enough of it these days, because it is THAT much fun). After you check out my activity there you can follow the tour to the next blog until you end up back here. This group of women fill me with inspiration. Later, if you want a quick glimpse of how rad they are check out our collaborative Pinterest board .
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by Zina Harrington
“Again, Mama”. Seriously, how can you resist the request? A good children’s book not only connects with the child, but also with the parent. These are the books that moms and dads willingly read over and over and over again. And then, these are the books that get dragged around the house, that are bent by little hands, that are treasured. These are the books that make reading with your little one an absolute pleasure.
Below are 20 books that are so good you’ll break the binding.
Oh, David! A Diaper David Book by David Shannon is a board book that won over our hearts. No matter what mischief David finds himself in, above all, he is reassured his mother loves him. The watercolor illustrations are true to life. The story has a sing-song appeal that little kids love. They can easily pick-up saying “Oh David!” as you read because it just flows. The binding was broke, it was sticky, and one of the corners had been sucked on. When it was time to say goodbye to our board books, of course, this one was loved beyond the point of donation.
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal was my daughter’s favorite. I am a huge fan of all of Rosenthal’s work. Her utterly amusing stories and simple watercolor illustrations allow the child to enjoy the story without distraction. We read this book to our toddler night after night… after night (and then again). When my daughter was two she had the entire book memorized. And then, one evening I captured her reading the book cover to cover on my iPhone. Click here to see the adorable storybook video created from the recording. Now that my daughter is seven, I treasure this audio even more. This book still holds a special place in her heart as well. She often listens to the Land of Nod author reading of the story [free podcast] when going to bed. She also read the book to her class at first-grade show-and-tell this year!
Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat by Cynthia Rylant was a lucky find for our family. Our girls desperately wanted to move-up to read “chapter books,” but they weren’t quite ready. I picked up this early reader at a rummage because it was broken down into three chapters. Immediately, we fell in love with Henry and Mudge. In this story, Henry’s family takes in a shabby cat. When the owner comes to collect his pet both Henry and Mudge are devastated, but happy to know he’s going back home. Rylant writes in a way that allows children to understand the depth of their conflicting emotions and then connect. Of course, the short book leaves children with a happy ending. The entire series is wonderful, of course, but this book is by far our favorite.
And then, when you finish these, check out other well-loved books from our in-home library:
Brownie and Pearl by Cynthia Rylant
Me and My Dragon by David Biedrzycki
My First Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse by Leo Lionni
Little Bear by Maurice Sendak
Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn
Have You Got My Purr? by Judy West
Good Night Moon [Board book] by Margaret Wise Brown
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
The Very Hungry Caterpillar [Board book] by Eric Carle
The Snowy Day by Erza Jack Keats [Board book]*We get a lot of snow in Wisconsin!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? [Board book] by Bill Martin Jr.
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
What are your little one’s absolute favorite books? Did you break any bindings at your house? There are so many amazing authors and illustrators out there. Recently, my daughters just started with early chapter books. Do you have any book recommendations for us? From your family or even from your own childhood? Let’s chat!
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Zina is the author of Let’s Lasso the Moon, where she inspires parents and children to interact creatively and, of course, enjoy the beauty of everyday moments. Let’s Lasso the Moon and No Time for Flash Cards co-host a Little Book Lovers Pinterest board.
Connect with Zina Online
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Check out the rest of the Top 20 Moms on Pinterest. Click through the images and then visit their blogs.
Holly Homer says
We LOVE Little Pea…and yes, the binding is broken :).
Linda Shelley says
Try ‘Dogger’ by Shirley Hughes – my children’s favourite for years. I had to read it every night until It fell to bits!
Kait says
We love “The very cranky bear” by Nick Bland, it’s a board book, but so sweet and worth it!
Definitely going to go check out the books you’ve listed!
Krista says
Thank you for this list! I am also searching for easy readers for my son who has started to read. My younger daughter is joining in where she can too. My son loves the Elephant and Piggy books by Mo Willems. They are quite simple – generally single short sentences per page – but they tend to be about 50 pages per book. The illustrations are lovely and he finds them very amusing. Also, it is written in dialogue form so good practice in that regard. My daughter adores Marvin wanted more by Joseph Theobald. I have ordered the sequels for her, I hope she will love them as much. Of course we all enjoy Julia Donaldson. And my children love There was an old woman who swallowed a fly. Happy reading!
Robin says
Early readers my daughter likes: Katie Duck series, max Spaniel Funny Lunch, Best in Show, and Dinosaur Hunt (David Catrow). A book we keep checking out at the library is the Dollhouse Fairy. Don’t remember the author offhand.
Robyn says
My boys love ‘The Book With No Pictures’ B.J. Novak. There really is no pictures so if you’re not a parent that likes to read in an animated voice, this book isn’t for you but if you like to make your child laugh…get this one! My boys have me read it 3 times in a row and would have me do it more if I’d keep going.
Shirley says
you have to read the Pete the Cat books. Pete the Cat and His White Shoes and Pete and Four Groovy Buttons. Be sure you have the CD for the music. They are marvelous.