Reading to Children, Part 3 - Favorite Books

I have always loved children’s books.  Children’s Literature was one of my favorite classes in college.  During that time, I also worked in the children’s section of the library at my school and loved my job.

And now, finally, I have a child of my own, and I get to read to him to my heart’s content.  And it has opened up a whole new world for me of all the preschool books available, which was an area I was less familiar with, not to mention that thousands of new ones have come out since my college days.

This is actually sort of a hard blog to write because there are SO MANY good books out there, but I will attempt to put them into a few categories, using books that Cooper and I both love.  Your child probably has many that he/she loves that I don’t mention.

Dr. Seuss:  These are classic.  I remember my parents reading me The Cat in the Hat Comes Back when I was a kid.  Many people cite Green Eggs and Ham as the first book their child learned to read.  Dr. Seuss wrote it after his publisher challenged him to write a book using not more than 50 different words.  The rhythm, repetitiveness and limited vocabulary make it easy for children to begin reading on their own.  Another interesting factoid about Dr. Seuss: his real name was Theodore Seuss Geisel.  He wrote under the name “Theo LeSieg” (“Geisel” spelled backward) when he wrote books that he didn’t illustrate himself.

Other Classics: Old classics are constantly coming out in new forms.  I enjoy reading these to Cooper as he relates to the modern illustrations and, in some cases, updated language.

Books Designed to Teach Concepts:  Teaching your child his ABC’s, how to count or factual information doesn’t need to be a chore.  He can learn while sitting in your lap, relaxing and enjoying a book together.  There are thousands of books available that teach useful things.  You can begin “homeschooling” your child without either of you even realizing you have done it.

Rhyming Books:  Besides Dr. Seuss, there are a myriad of other books that are written in rhyme.  These books are easily memorized by children (and probably by you too).  Cooper was “reading” some of these books cover to cover almost as soon as he could talk because the rhymes stuck in his head.  Memorizing is a first step in reading, and over time, children will begin to associate the written words with the ones they are quoting.

Bible Story Books:  I am a big fan of these.  These books instill in children a love for precious Bible stories that they will likely carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Lift the Flap Books:  “Spot” is a favorite of Cooper’s, and it is one of many lift-the-flap books that young children love.  Even I am always curious about what is underneath.

Little Golden Books:  These, too, are books that I remember from my childhood.  I don’t think they’re in print anymore in this format; I got most of these at Goodwill.  I personally don’t like books that promote TV shows, movies, etc., a popular topic in these books, so not all of them have appeal for me, but there are still many that do, and I am always excited when I see the familiar “golden” spine on the shelf when I am perusing through potential books to buy.

Touch and Feel Books: Great for young children, Dorling Kindersley has a wonderful series, but there are many others available as well.

Eric Carle:  I love Eric Carle’s cut-paper illustrations, and his books are designed to teach concepts such as counting, telling time and facts about animals. 

Margaret Wise Brown:  Deceased since 1952, Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon is still on the shelf of millions of homes where young children reside, but she has also written a number of other books that we love.  Big Red Barn uses rhyme to teach what life is like in a day on the farm as well as incorporating other learning concepts such as colors and counting.

Baby Einstein: This series of videos, flash cards, books and more is very educational and enjoyable for children.  These books teach facts but also contain captivating illustrations.  Windows to Color contains a number of classic pieces of artwork, something rarely found in children’s books.

Richard Scarry: A childhood favorite of my husband's, these books are fun for children to look at and help build their vocabulary.  They contain many labeled pictures of objects that children can learn to identify.

Biscuit, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, is a personal favorite of Cooper’s.  Biscuit is a little dog who is always getting into some sort of mischief, but who is continually loved by “the little girl” (whose name is never revealed and whose parents are never seen).  It is easy reading and will probably be among the first books Cooper reads on his own.  This particular volume contains 10 separate Biscuit stories.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, by Philip and Erin Stead, is another favorite of both Cooper’s and mine.  Geeky but loveable, Amos takes care of the animals at the zoo, until one day when he is sick and the animals all come to his house and take care of him.

 

I have only scratched the surface, but hopefully I have given you some information you can use to help you choose from the millions of wonderful books available for young children.