Children's Book Monday for Little Girls

Pssssst - there's a contest at the end of this post! Keep reading!

Last week, Laura, from A Work in Progress, asked this question:

"Elise-just wondering, does your little girl like these books too, or do you have other favorites that you read to her?"

Excellent question, Laura! My boys are seven and five, and Eliana just turned one in December, so there is definitely a difference in reading interests. When I read to the boys, she either tries to pull the book out of my hands, or plays quietly by herself. The only book I have read to the boys that she showed interest in, i.e. clapped her hands and smiled, was an old Golden book from our library called, The Monster At the End of This Book. (I like to do voices and shout or sing while I'm reading silly stories.)

So, I will devote this week to sharing my little girl's favorite books to read with me!

If you enjoy singing to your child(ren), then this first book you will find to be a very sweet encouragement of that tradition.

The Lullaby Bible
by Melody Carlson
Illustrations by Carolyn Croll





The very best thing about this book (besides the fact that it's a board book!) is that with each song, they've included a tune you can use to sing it! Here is an example and a snippet:

"The Creation Song", (sung to the tune of Rock-a-Bye Baby)

God made the heavens
Earth, sea and sky.
God made deep valleys
And mountains so high.
He made the flowers, green grass and trees.
He made all creatures,
And He made me!

(Oh, that was pretty! I heard the lovely sound of a dozen bloggers, singing quietly to themselves to see if the words fit the tune!)
You see? There are twenty-three poems in this beautifully illustrated book, and it is oh, so peaceful. If you want a little head to snuggle into the crook of your neck, try one of these poems about our Lord's stories set to music, and rock away.

"In the great green room there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of...."

Eliana pitter-patters her way over to her book box when she hears me softly quoting these words. She leans over the box, her pretty dress swishing back as she digs around, and triumphantly pulls out...

Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
Pictures by Clement Hurd





I know this is a popular book, and I can understand why. The little board book has alternating black and white drawing pages, and full color pages. Eliana's favorites are, of course, the bright and colorful ones. The story has a cadence that, were I to replace the words with nonsense, but keep the rhythm and tone she is used to when I read this book, she probably wouldn't even notice! It has made its' way through all three of my children, and, while the binding is chewed through in such a way that you can see the light clear through the book at a certain point, it has withstood teething, crying, throwing, and being stepped on. This is a staple for every Mama's baby book library!

Another favorite of Eliana's is...

Nursery Rhymes: Well-Loved Verses to Share
Illustrated by Susie Lacome






Oh, this is a beautiful book! It was a gift from a friend, Kate, and it is the perfect nursery rhyme accompaniment with its' flocked and embossed cover, sturdy double sided matte pages, also flocked and embossed, and a sweet blue ribbon to tie it closed. We snuggle into the rocking chair in her bedroom and flip through - she flips, I read as quickly as I can! Her favorite is "Little Jack Horner". She seems to come to this page and stay longer than any other, and I think it may be because there are four poems on this two-page spread, and with the illustrations, it looks like a colorful quilt, alternating purple, pale blue, turqoise and yellow squares. And we settled on little Jack most likely because I make a suction and pop-out noise when he pulls out the plum! She thinks this is pretty funny.
Just like Goodnight Moon, this is a perfect book for a quick read before naptime, because you can just read one or two of the rhymes. We love it!

Oh, there are so many to choose from! I will have to settle for just one more, and while it is written textually for slightly older children, Eliana has always done fairly well with "real" books, (paper pages) and if we take our time and just talk about the pictures, she listens very well.


My Mommy, My Teacher
Written and Illustrated by Johannah Bluedorn








Even though this is beyond Eliana textually, it is the first book of its kind that I am introducing to her, to help her learn how to sit quietly through reading aloud.

This is a lovely, soothing, motivating (for me!) story. We are introduced to a little family, brothers and sisters, mommy and daddy, and are acquainted with the home and routines in their simple life. I really love the way the children interact with each other, and the way mommy and daddy's roles are simply, but clearly defined. Eliana seems to like the colorful (but subtle) illustrations; they are full page, and basically just depict a "day in the life". I read as much as I can before she gingerly turns the page, and so I usually just find myself pointing to the pictures and saying, "See the parrot? Her name is Little Dorrit!", or "That Mommy is reading to her little girl just like I'm reading to you!" I truly believe that little ones can listen to stories such as this, with lots of words, and still soak in the nature of the lesson. I hope my little girl will not only love to read, but remember me reading to her in these moments.

There are others that I'm sure you are already familiar with: Runaway Bunny (again, a combination of black and white drawings with full color ones), We're Going on a Bear Hunt (lots of patting the knees and sound effects!), The Very Hungry Caterpillar (little fingers poking through holes), Pat the Bunny (a classic touch and feel book) What Does Violet See? Raindrops and Puddles (a mirror on the page at the end - they love to see themselves!) and many, many more.

Board books are a worthwhile investment - you can read them at most libraries in the baby section, but not too many are available for check-out. And who would want to, really, once we've seen the way our own babies chew and drool on them?

And finally, my last plug will be for vinyl wipe-off books! Not the new plastic, puffy kind, although those are great, too. But if you can get your hands on the old ones, the kind you found in the church nursery when you were a new mama and thought you would NEVER want for your children - yes, those are the ones - you will love them. Most of them were written as early as the 1940's, and they are virtually indestructable - baby can't tear them or wrinkle them, and drooling and chewing doesn't phase these little gems one bit.
I recently checked on ebay and found several sellers who were willing to part with them for very reasonable prices - one was ninety-nine cents! (I may have cleaned them out - keep looking!) The ones we own are: Raggedy Andy on the Farm, My Animal Friends on the Farm, eight books from the God's Gifts series (still have the Lutheran Church Library stamp on the inside cover!), and Nursery Rhymes. Chew away, my little babies! They compact easily into a little diaper bag or even your purse, and you can just wipe it of if baby drops it in her bananas! Trust me, I know.

For other Children's Book Monday reviews, click on the graphic in my sidebar, and visit my friend, Melissa, at A Familiar Path to check out her review this week. Happy Reading!

Okay, so if you've read this far, you are either a big fan of children's books, or you are a big fan of contests! Either way, I'm very happy to announce that, in honor of my tenth Children's Book Monday, I will be giving away your choice of ANY one book I have reviewed thus far! (A brand-new copy)
All you have to do is leave a comment, and I will draw a name on Saturday, February 3rd, and announce the winner Monday morning. This is, indeed, looking like a shameless ploy to get more comments - but won't it be fun?
Don't be shy - now is a great time to de-lurk - and I know you're out there! I'd love to get to know you better, and bless you with one of my favorite books. And most importantly, don't forget to leave your name if you post as "anonymous"!

Let the fun begin!