I LOVE to read. Although, I confess, I haven’t gotten much reading done lately. It’s hard to read a good novel when your guilty conscience keeps telling you that you should be reading Your Baby’s First Year and The Everything Breastfeeding Book instead. I guess my love for reading is limited. I really only enjoy reading what I want to read. Therefore if the Bible was the last book left on Earth, I wouldn’t be opening it (which is probably why I couldn’t finish The Shack).
Nonetheless, I was born a bookworm, so I’m hoping Baby Kopp will be a bibliophile as well. You know those parents that force their kids to play the sport that they always wanted to be good at? Well, I’m going to be a pushy parent who forces their kid to read and like it. One day I dream of having literary conversations with my son or daughter discussing the meaning of 1984 or Wuthering Heights. In addition to wanting my children to be my own little personal book club, I also think reading is a great hobby for children and teens – generally it’s a silent activity and doesn’t make a mess, and I like peace and quiet and tidiness.
Anyhow, as thrilling as acquiring diaper bags and strollers is, I’m most excited about building a book collection for It. I love children’s books as much as I like adult literature, so I’m happy to have an excuse to buy them now. And to have an excuse for getting back to watching Arthur, the cartoon PBS show based on the children’s book series (I admit that I still have the theme song memorized).
Here’s my top ten favorite children’s books, in no particular order, that will definitely be on Its nursery book shelf. Let me know what children’s books you love too, as I’m always looking for reading recommendations to add to my repertoire (suggestions for fiction novels are welcome too!).
Baby Bookworm Top Ten List
- Pat the Bunny
My sisters and I loved this book when we were little. Probably the most used and worn book of our childhood.
- The Runaway Bunny
A simple, reassuring story about a mother always finding her child.
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
A classic, nuff said.
- The Velveteen Rabbit
I’m sensing a theme here. Clearly I enjoy books about bunnies.
- Owen
Since I had a security pillow as a child, I can totally relate to Owen and his blanket. Plus, I love the name Owen.
- Are You My Mother?
This book is just too cute for words. Who doesn’t love a story about a lost baby bird?
- The Poky Little Puppy
Little Golden Books are classics, and this story about a curious doggy is the greatest of them all. Remember when you could get a Golden Book at the grocery store for less than a dollar? Those were the days.
- Harry the Dirty Dog
Since reading this book as a child, I’ve always wanted a dog like Harry. And now I do, his name is just Walter instead.
- The Mitten
The illustrations with the snow and the animals are just perfect. And it’s a great book to read with puppets.
- Stellaluna
I love a good Tarzan-style story like this. There’s just something about another species adopting a baby as its own that gets me every time.
In addition to these individual books, there are a few series that I love: Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer, the Arthur Adventure Series by Marc Brown, and the Serendipity books by Stephen Cosgrove.
And here are a few “children’s books” that I’d like to add to my collection, but Richard was appalled. He has no sense of humor.
Mercer Mayer is one of my favorites too. I never heard of the books that Richard was appalled of, but the titles sounded very funny!
I love “Go the F**k to Sleep!” This title is inspiring me to write a book for middle school students called, “Sit Down, Shut the F**k Up, and Stop Asking Questions that have Nothing to Do with the Lesson.”