Picture Book Favorites

Little did I know that as a mother I would fall so hard for picture books. I have started to find myself searching picture book lists/recommendations in my free time and putting picture books on hold on a weekly basis. Picture books have easily become one of my favorite things about motherhood. 

A few reasons I have fallen in love with picture books:

1. Intimate quiet time with my kid(s). I can only play pirates and dragons, or cars, or wrestle, or roll around in blankets and pillows for so long, but cuddling up and reading on the couch, I could do that for a long time. Plus, I just love watching the wheels in Shae's mind turn as he asks me questions or points things out in the pictures. (Reading with Belén is a bit less intimate and more like, me trying to pin her down and read a few pages quickly before she runs away with the book).

2. Books stimulate our imaginations during play time, walks, meal time, driving in the car, etc. We talk about eating "gruffalo crumble" and "roasted mom" and often have characters of books (or shows) eat with us. Whenever we go on walks, we find someone waiting on the bridge in the woods for us (last time it was Goldilocks and the time before that it was Hansel and Gretel).  We usually end up bringing them home with us and Shae continues to "play" with them the rest of the day.

3. There's just something about seeing Darin read a book to the kids that makes my heart skip a beat. Who knew that a man with a picture book and a kid or two on his lap was so attractive. 

4. It's like Christmas once a week when we bring home a big stack of library books. I am probably more excited than Shae to sit down and read the books for the first time and see what they are about and what the illustrations are like.

5. There's just so much to learn and discover!

 

Because I have become such a fan of book lists, I thought it was high time that I make a list of my own. (More than anything for me to remember what books I want to introduce Belén too in the coming year as she starts--hopefully--to sit through books better). Here's a list of some of our favorites over the past few months:

My favorites:

Journey, Aaron Becker

Falling for Rapunzel, Leah Wilcox

Tuesday, David Wiesner

It's A Tiger, David LaRochelle 

(The End is another good one from him)

Goodnight Already!, Jory John 

(Dying to read I love you already! but our library doesn't have it yet)

Bear Sees Colors, Karma Wilson

(My mother-in-law introduced us to these bear books and we really love all of them, but I especially like this one). 

Seven Silly Eaters, Mary Ann Hoberman

More Bears, Ken Nesbitt

No Sleep for the Sheep, Karen Beaumont 

(This is on my "to own" list. It's just SO fun to read out loud)

Bernice Gets Carried Away, Hannah E. Harrison

Z is for Moose, Kelly Bingham 

(This makes both mine and Shae's list. Probably our favorite alphabet book just because it is so much fun).

Down by the Station, Jennifer Riggs Vetter

The Farmer and the Clown, Marla Frazee

Shae's Favorites:

(Based mostly off of the frequency and how loud he yelled "Again!" after reading these books).

Leo, A Ghost Tale and Extra Yarn, Marc Barnett

Fraidyzoo, Thyra Heder

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, Audrey Wood

The Black Rabbit, Phillipa Leathers

The Very Little Cinderella, Teresa Heapy

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, Mo Willems

Even Monsters Need Haircuts, Matthew McElligott

The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy, Jacky Davis 

(also loves any of the Ladybug Girl books)

John, Paul, George, and Ben, Lane Smith

The Watermelon Seed and Number One Sam, Greg Pizolli

Flora and the Penguin, Molly Idle

Not a Stick and Not a Box, Antoinette Portis

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, Alice Schertle

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Little Pea, Amy Krouse

10 Minutes till Bedtime, Peggy Rathman

Where's Walrus? and Super Truck, Steven Savage

Mix It Up, Herve Tullet 

(Pretty mucah any Herve Tullet book)

McToad Mows Tiny Island, Tom Angleberger

Any Olivia books, Ian Falconer

(We discovered little 10 minute Olivia episodes on Youtube that we have been enjoying as well)

Any Llama Llama books, Anna Dewdney

Take Me Out to the Yakyu, Aaron Meshon

Little Critter Hansel and Gretel, Mercer Mayer

The Princess in Black, Shannon Hale

(We just discovered this series and love it! It's a perfect transitional book from picture books to young reader chapter books).

Elephant and Piggie Books, Mo Willems

(Favorites thus far being: I Will Surprise my Friend and Today I Will Fly)

(I read a few of these to Shae about a year ago and he just wasn't in to them, but now he LOVES them, like laughs out loud loves them).

The Wearable Book series, Donald Lemke

(Beard book, Mask book, Hat book)

 

Belén’s favorites:

(purely based off of her being able to sit through it, period).

Mini Myth series, Joan Holub

(Shae LOVES these books too)

Red, Blue, Peek-a-boo, George Birkett

(felt flaps, I love you)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Bill Martin

The Babies on the Bus, Karen Katz

Peek-a-Who?, Nina Laden

Spot books, Eric Hill

Barnyard Dance and Snuggle Puppy, Sandra Boynton

Shae just finished reading his 1000th book for the "1000 books before Kindergarten" program. It was so fun to track each page of 100 books. He loved turning in his paper every few weeks and getting a prize ducky and a book at the end. Now time to do it with Belén!