Monday, September 7, 2015

The Book Love Affair Continues

So, it's about time for my yearly outburst of love for books.
Two year ago, I showed you all some of my favorite books from when I was growing up in A Life-Long Love Affair With Children's Books.  Last year I let you in on our new family tradition in A Book A Day....
This year I want to introduce you to some of my NEW favorite children's books.  As a kindergarten teacher, of course I read more children's books than your average 25 year-old.  But I really do think I would read them, regardless. :)  So, sit back, relax, and check out these adorable titles!


1. What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobi Yamada

This inspiring book is about a boy who has an idea.  At first he's not sure what to do with it; he's worried people will make fun of it; he ignores it.  But then, he decides to care for it, and it grows and grows, eventually bursting, and becoming even more than he could've imagined.  This is a wonderful book to encourage imagination and dreams - especially if you have a particularly artistic child.  You can find it here.


2. The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

This book is HILARIOUS!  It's about a bunch of crayons who write their boys letters about why they are or aren't happy.  Your child will get a huge kick out of the crayons' attitude.  "Blue" is being used too much.  "Yellow" and "Orange" are arguing over who is the true color of the sun, and "Beige" is tired of being called "light brown".  It's a great book for teaching perspective, and a good laugh!  You can find it here.


3. The Boy and the Ocean by Max Lucado

I love Max Lucado.  I have a hard time reading any of his books without getting choked up.  Aidan was given this book as a baby gift.  I love this book for many different reasons.  The illustrations are breath-taking, and the refrain about God's love is very moving.  I also like it for personal reasons - the little blonde boy looks like Aidan, and we all love the ocean.  If you want to affirm God's love for them, accompanied by stunning images, this is the book for you!  You can find it here.


4. S is for Sea Glass by Richard Michelson

I found this book at my favorite little book shop at the beach.  It's a beach themed alphabet book, but instead of just saying "S is for Sea Glass" or "N is for Nautilus", there is a poem for each one.  And not little kid poems - haikus, free verses and odes!  It will make you feel like you're a way superior parent (I mean, you're reading your toddler a haiku), and the illustrations really make you feel like you're at the beach.  You can find it here.


5. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems

Really, you can't go wrong with any of the "Pigeon" books!  I use these books in my lessons all the time!  The general idea in each book, is that the pigeon is upset about something random and off-the-wall (like he wants to drive a bus, or wants a puppy), has a meltdown, and then brings it back down at the end.  It's very helpful for teaching anger- or frustration-management.  It's also fun, because it teaches speech bubbles.  You can find it here.


 6. God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

This is a beautiful book about how it's God's dream that we all love and respect each other.  With the climate of our world today, I feel like this is a great book to read to your child or class.  It shows children from all across the world, all walks of life, and religions.  It shows that we should have love and respect for one another, and kindness.  You can find it here.


I hope you check these books out, and that they soon become your favorites too!




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