Motherhood: Favorite Books for Littles
We have curated quite the collection of children’s books over the last year. I registered for a few before Marin was born, but we’ve also purchased several in the months since because we’re constantly reading. She loves to sit in the glider in her room, pick out a book, and flip through the pages. I’m fairly certain I have every book memorized at this point. Ha!
With that said, it’s suddenly become even more important that the books we own have a good story line, beautiful illustrations, and don’t drive me completely crazy. Seriously. If I have to read it 100+ times, we both need to like it, right?! I feel as if we’ve still barely scratched the surface of children’s books, but the one’s shown below are my top picks based on the collection we have today. I would recommend any of these.
Please Note: Although I’ve been doing a lot of research into Montessori and other educational method’s, I’ve taken a simplified and diverse approach to toys, books, and our life with a little one. While so much of the Montessori method really resonates with me, it emphasizes books that reflect things children know from their daily life - no animals or cars talking or books rooted in fantasy, for example. While I completely understand and appreciate the approach, and frankly have a lot of books that directly align with Montessori, we don’t stick to a strict standard in our house. Feel free to do your own research and select books that work well for your family!
Also, one other thing… these are the books we most often sit and read with Marin. She has several other books that she plays with independently that are great for little hands (and mouths that like to chew on the corners). If you’re in the market for that kind of book, we like Growing Vegetable Soup, Planting A Rainbow, Farm, and all of the books that come in the Lovevery Subscription Kits.
F A V O R I T E B O O K S
Extra Yarn : Hands down, this is my favorite book. I’ve read it countless times and am still not sick of it. The story is great, the illustrations are beautiful (you can’t go wrong with Jon Klassen), and Marin loves it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Gaston : This is Tyler’s favorite book. The story is excellent and the length is just right.
A Greyhound, A Groundhog : A tongue twister but a fun short book when Marin really wants a book but we don’t have all day. :)
Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site : Our builder actually bought this for us when he found out we were pregnant. It has been a favorite since day one! We call it our “Friday Night Book”.
This Is How We Do It : I love this book and Marin ALWAYS picks it out. We typically pick one child/country to read about at a time. I’ve actually learned a lot from this book!
I Want My Hat Back : I’ll admit I didn’t really care for this book at first, but it has grown on me. For whatever reason, Marin thinks it’s great. I have no idea if she actually knows what the heck any of it means, but she always laughs at the end. It cracks me up!
Here We Are : WONDERFUL book. I can see this coming in really handy as Marin gets older as it has a wonderful, straight-forward approach to explaining complex topics. Definitely recommend.
When I Am Big : Tyler really enjoys reading this one. It’s on constant rotation before bed. It’s a cute and fun story.
Good Morning, Neighbor : This one is a little long and repetitive, but it’s a nice story and Marin now loves it when we tell everyone “good morning”.
Way Out In The Desert : My cousins bought Marin this book, and we read it ALL the time. It’s probably one of the only “sing-song” books we have, but it’s super catchy and not annoying. And I’m sure I’m a bit biased, but since we love going to Palm Springs, CA so much, I love the nod to the desert.
Sam and Dave Dig A Hole : I bought this book on a whim and it has quickly turned into a favorite around here. Tyler and I both enjoy it.
You Belong Here : This book is really sweet and makes me weepy every time - and I’m not even much of a crier! I really appreciate the ease with which it explains that we are each right where we belong.
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