My ultimate favourite gift to give and receive is books.They are timeless and can give hours of entertainment! Kids' books are relatively inexpensive and easy to send to family and friends who live abroad. Importantly they are reusable time and again.
As the holiday season is upon us, I wanted to share with you a few of the classics that have hit home in our house.
Age 0-12 months
Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball
Authors: Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge
This is a sweet book about a wombat and his favourite things to do. It's a great, short book for little ones that gets them inspired for sleep.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Author: Bill Martin (Author), Eric Carle (Illustrator)
This is a classic Eric Carle book that many of you know well. Each page is a peak at a different animal, which helps with animal and colour recognition. It is simple, predictable and bright. Even young children can easily memorize the pages and 'read it' to you by age one.
Goodnight Moon
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Yes, it's on my list, how can it not be? Many of us had this book read to use when we were kids. This is a great book for teaching simple words such as 'comb' and 'balloon'. I have to say it is not the most eye pleasing, and the telephone is out of date (it should really be a cell phone now) but kids really seem to adore it. This is another book that kids easily memorize, and love to recite back to parents before bed.
Age 12 months - 2 years
Peas On Earth and Bear in Underwear
Author: Todd H. Doodler
I adore Todd Doodler's books and could recommend many more. Peas on Earth is one of my kids' all-time favourites. Who wouldn't love a book teaching kids to share, play nicely and eat healthy too? We love the rhymes, cute drawings and a pop up at the end.
Bear In Underwear is another great book about a bear who stumbles upon a bag of random underwear in the woods and finds his favourite pair. His friends all find great pairs too. My kids and husband think its hilarious and the pictures are adorable. This is great book for kids transitioning to underpants too!
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
Author: Eric Litwin (Author), James Dean (Illustrator)
We have been fans of the Pete the Cat series since the first one, His Four Groovy Buttons. There are now several more and my kids can't get enough. Pete is a friendly, chill cat who gets into some trouble but stays happy and positive. The illustrations are cute and you can even listen to the stories being sung by Eric Litwin online for free. So fun.
Grumpy Bird
Author: Jeremy Tankard
Don't let the name get you down. Yes Grumpy Bird is a story of a bird down on his luck, but his helpful friends soon cheer him up. This book will turn a bad mood around and teach kids about various animal types and how to look on the bright side.
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Author: Mo Willems
I get a kick out of the various Pigeon books, of which there are several. These stories are about an eager pigeon who wants independence and choice -- much like our toddlers. He has to learn to accept this isn't always possible. Mo Willems wrote several brief and funny for both kids and adults.
The Very Cranky Bear
Author: Nick Bland
This is a great book about a team of animal friends who work diligently to cheer up a friend. I love the lessons about friendship, sacrifice and kindness. Great rhyming and illustrations.
How To Catch A Star
Author: Oliver Jeffers
There are several books by Jeffers that I love. This one is about a boy who wants a star of his very own. He is persistent and his hard work pays off. My kids love the ending.
Age 3-4 years
Fly Guy #4: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy
Author: Tedd Arnold
There are now many books in the Fly Guy series about a boy and his pet fly. They are great stories about friendship and acceptance. This book is a hilarious take on the classic idiom that consistently makes our kids giggle. These books are excellent for new readers too, and our older son can read many of the simple sentences already.
Big Book of The Berenstain Bears
Author: Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
The Berenstein Bears are a classic that I remember well from childhood. I love the stories about family, friendship and values that we all share are parents.
Please do share your favorites with me!
My kids' library can never get big enough!
Happy Holidays!
ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
