Leif and I love books. We love, love, love books. Especially used ones. One of my favorite smells in the entire world is that of a used book store.
Clio loves books too. If she is fussing the quickest way to get her to calm down is with a book. She gets so still and becomes entranced with the pictures. Most the books we get her are from used book stores or ones we pick up while at thrift stores. We feel like buying used books encourages her to read but it also encourages her to think in a more environmentally-minded way.
Here are three of my favorite most recent additions. The artwork in these are really incredible and, at least in children's books, artwork is generally how I judge the quality of the entire book.
(we are big Sendak fans in this house).
So, any recommendations for children's books? I would love to hear 'em.
I've got a list growing that will be in your hands come August. :) Although, by that time, you might have every kid book that ever existed! I love these books you mentioned, especially the looks and sounds of the first two.
ReplyDeleteI think Stella and Clio are going to get along great.
Two blogs in one day!
Clio is going to love that list, I'm sure:)
DeleteAlso the blogging is thanks to a baby who decided, unexpectedly, to sleep for two hours.
I'm a huge book lover also, and have been that way for as long as I can remember. My grandmother loved reading, my mother loves reading, and so I really think it's only natural that I do. What a gift that your Clio is already enchanted by books!
ReplyDeleteOne of my absolute faves when I was little was "Rain Makes Applesauce." Such a gorgeous, bizarre, funny book. "The wind blows backwards all night long, and rain makes applesauce. Monkeys mumble in a jelly bean jungle, and rain makes applesauce." I love it. And the illustrations are amazing.
Rain Makes Applesauce is now in my Amazon cart.
DeleteI have never heard of "Rain Makes Applesauce" - but today I requested it through inter-library loan. Thanks MissingMolly. :)
DeleteCiM
My all-time favorite book, even from when I was a little girl, is Make Way For Ducklings. (Something going on with the fact I married a guy named Duckworth?) Anyway, the drawings are gorgeous, and I absolutely love the image of the police officers holding up traffic for Mrs. Mallard and her troop of baby ducks.
ReplyDeleteMake Way for Ducklings is in my Amazon cart too.
DeleteOh how I adore books! I love the top one- Into the night kitchen... read it a lot as a child.
ReplyDeleteFaves- goodnight moon, tikki tikki tembo, the rainbabies, the little prince... ;o)
Leslie , I love those books! I've never read the rainbabies but it seems like the perfect book for Clio. In the Night Kitchen is Clio's favorite book:)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis post is driving me crazy. Have been rifling through a card catalog of one hundred million great kids books (in my head) and can't find the Most Worthy.
ReplyDeleteSomeday. I should just calm down and give you something. Even if it's not all-encompassing enough.
Cathy in Missouri
That s/b "kids' books."
ReplyDeleteFreshman English, CiM.
{sorry.}
I'll take whatever you got, CIM. I'm sure you have some great ones to suggest.
DeleteReading to Garland last night, I decided that - at least - these qualify.
ReplyDeleteAre they already on the shelf? (Maybe a little old for Clio now, but a year or two?)
Harry the Dirty Dog, by Gene Zion
- and all the Harry the Dog books. We read them over and over.
Be Nice to Spiders, by Margaret Bloy Graham
The Mysterious Tadpole, by Steven Kellogg
The Early Bird, by Richard Scarry
- and a whole pile of other Richard Scarry books, too long to list (Cars and Trucks and Things that Go! Find Goldbug!!)
HOWEVER:
from bitter experience
I vote *yes* for hunting around a thrift stores and on sites like ABEBooks.com, to find *old* (read: 70s, maybe 80s) copies of these books.
Imagine my fury, accidentally purchasing a newer edition of The Mysterious Tadpole. The publishers altered the pictures/words enough to undermine what was best about the original. This Frosts My Pumpkin!
The kids know: I have a hissy when things that were perfectly great get mucked with...one reason, among many, woe-betide the director who tries to make a movie out of a well-beloved book of mine. (Unless he is Peter Jackson.)
Too long, too wordy, there it is. And there may be more later.
I am so happy Clio is growing up in a Book House. I knew she was, but I still love seeing it.
xoxo CiM
I have not heard of most of those books. Thank you for the recs. I'm off to look for them. abebooks.com is new to me too. Gracias
DeleteTrailing thought -
ReplyDeleteI see you're already familiar with buying library cast-offs. Highly recommended. They do something extra-sturdy with the bindings, not sure what, and often have a protective covering. If not pre-wrecked from years of check-out-love, they can be the best older copies around. ABEBooks.com listings will frequently say, "Ex-Library."
Over and out,
CiM
Ok . . . so why don't updates to either of your blogs show up in my reader any more?
ReplyDeleteBooks! Yum! I am literally salivating over Lengthy. Nom, nom, now.
Also big Sendak fans over here! I'm with CiM, ABE is amazing. And ex-library bindings rock. We have found old favourites from my childhood, Where is the Green Parrot, One-Eyed Jake and The Giant Jam Sandwich there. And In the Night Kitchen as mentioned by Leslie. Nobody has messed with my favourites as yet although woe betide those who try (Peter Jackson excluded)
Richard Scarry is great. Mainly because of my love of Lowly Worm.
Jessica likes Blue Kangaroo, Duck in the Truck (which I hate!) and anything by Shirley Hughes. Don't know if she is at all heard of in the US as she seems terribly British to me. But Dogger (ignore the title) is simply beautiful. Those illustrations. Ah me, they stay with me from my own childhood.
Must go before I spout on. At some length!
Books books books! Our third bedroom we call the library! One of my favorite books that is out of print but you could find it used on eBay or something is "we were tired of living in a house" by Liesel Moak skorpen and illustrations by Doris Burn. The artist is the key to this book. The sketches are amazing. And since the book is out of print it smells delicious.
ReplyDeleteHarold and the purple crayon, beautiful oops, When Sophie gets angry really really angry, the wet dry book, and paddington bear books are some of my other favorites