Tag Archives: favorite books

Book Recommendations: Our Favorite Picture Books

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A few months ago, we shared our favorite books for children 1 year and under. Next, we are sharing our favorite picture books. It is a good mix of recently published and rediscovered classics. To choose our list, we considered several criteria. First, did we enjoy reading it as adults (quality of craft and/or a multilayered story)? Did our children ask to read it repeatedly? Did we feel compelled to buy it and add it to our permanent home library? Can we anticipate saving the book for future generations?

As before, each of our personal lists brought back many memories. We will have to read some of these again soon!

Here are our favorite picture books for children, in alphabetical order by author:

An Egg Is Quiet, Dianna Ashton

The Mine-o-saur, Sudiptha Bardhan-Quallen

The Curious Garden, Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Peter Brown

One Cool Friend, Toni Buzzeo

If You Find A Rock, Peggy Christian

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, Cressida Cowell

Llama Llama Red Pajama, Anna Dewdney

Moonshot, Brian Floca

Whoever You Are, Mem Fox

Ox-cart Man, Donald Hall

Bread and Jam For Frances, Russell Hoban

The Horse in Harry’s Room, Syd Hoff

The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin, Jr.

Me…Jane, Patrick McDonnell

Race You to Bed, Bob Shea

Born Yesterday: The Diary of a Young Journalist, James Solheim

The Stinky Cheeseman and other Fairly Stupid Tales, Jon Scieszka

Grandpa Green, Lane Smith

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Mo Willems

Owl Moon, Jane Yolen

You are a Lion, Taeeun Yoo

Do have other favorites not on this list? Please share!

Why Read a Book More Than Once?

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Joanna and I were discussing our favorite books recently, and Joanna mentioned a few books she liked so much she has read them multiple times. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book more than once. Why is that? The short answer is: I don’t have time.

The longer answer is that I have many books I absolutely love. I keep a small collection of my favorites on the bookcase in my living room. I would like to read them again, but many of my favorites – Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc.- are over 900 pages long. So the chances of me finding time to read that many pages on a short period of time is slim. I might set aside the needed time, but my list of “want to read” is very long. So I choose to discover a new story instead.

bookcase

 

I may like the new book, or I may not. It might get donated, or I might find room for it with my other favorites. Perhaps I will think of my bookcase as a collection of stories for a future day when my obligations are less and my free time is greater.

Do you read books multiple times? If so, what books are they? Please share in the comments.