40 Favorites

In honor of my 40th birthday, I am taking a trip down memory lane. Here's a list of 40 of my favorite children's books, in no particular order. They are books I loved as a child or that I discovered later as a child-at-heart. I wonder if any will be on my daughter's list of favorites when she is my age?

 

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak     
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert D. San Souci
The Bearer of Gifts by Stephen Kenneth
The Hero and the Crown series by Robin McKinley
The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
Witch's Sister series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper
Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Alfred Hitchcock's The Three Investigators series by various authors
Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett
The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
Julius by Syd Hoff
The Fire Cat by Esther Holden Averill
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Krauss
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt
I Love You, Stinkyface by Lisa McCourt
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by James Howe
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
So You Want to be a Wizard? series by Diane Duane
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. La Fevers
The Loathsome Dragon by Davis Weisner
When the Tripods Came series by John Christopher



* FYI The links are the official websites of the authors.

Baby Signing

A few years ago, I knew a child who had several older siblings and did not seem to want to talk. It may have been that she wanted to get it just right before saying things or that she felt that she couldn't get a word in edgewise! Or it may have been simply that she was more comfortable communicating with her body and facial expressions than with her voice. She was in no way delayed but her reticence to communicate verbally brought much frustration to her and her family. So her mom started teaching her baby sign language, something she had never done with her older children. The change was amazing. Suddenly, the little one had a way to communicate that she could master until she was ready for words.

I Have Ten Fingers

"I have ten little fingers and they all belong to me.
I can make them do things, would you like to see?"~ traditional fingerplay

A friend told me once when Emily was very small, "Wait until she discovers her hands!" She was right. One day, Emily suddenly found her hands to be immensely fascinating. This was more than sucking on them. She twisted her hand one way and then another, with intense scrutiny and awe.

She is past that stage now, but is still learning how to make them do what she wants. Someday she'll blow kisses and wave, but for now she is content to grab a toy and put it in her mouth. (Success!)

Ten Little Fingers by Annie Kubler is an oversized board book of the fingerplay. (Published by Child's Play, it also  won the platinum award for best book by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.) It's illustrated with giggly children doing each of the actions. The story can be read, and done with the actions. It can also be sung, with the music on the back cover. (I've also done this fingerplay as part of storytime because it ends with hands folded quietly and held just so.)
Fingerplays are great to help children learn listening skills and to follow directions. They love to model and feel a sense of accomplishment when they can do simple movements.While Emily isn't ready to do them yet, she is just as fascinated with my hands as she was with hers.

Do you have a favorite fingerplay?

Tickles, Giggles, and Bouncy Rhymes

It's a joyful day when you hear your child laugh for the first time. Once you hear it, you want to hear it over and over. And then the quest is on, to find what else will make her laugh.

Emily loves bouncy rides. One of my favorites is to the tune of "The Mulberry Bush." I put her on my lap and gently bounce.
"This is the way the baby rides,
Baby rides, baby rides
This the way the baby rides
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy."

Sometimes it's surprising what will make her laugh. I also do "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as a bouncy rhyme and she thinks it's ridiculously funny. (Who would have thought?!)

A new one she likes is a tickle rhyme~
"There once was a bumblebee under the barn
(circle finger in air closer and closer to baby)
carrying dinner under his arm
and when he got there he went "Bzzzzzz!" (tickle baby)

Bouncy and tickle rhymes are great ways to have some together time when we are sitting on the porch enjoying the weather or when she is tired of playing with toys and wants to be held. I like variety, so when I was on my quest to find more lap games, I discovered this CD.

'Round and 'Round the Garden: Music in My First Year! is one of several collections by John M. Feierabend and Luann Saunders. It has over 60 rhymes and songs for playing with baby. According to the insert, they have been collected "from the memories of our parents and grandparents, in hopes that these treasures will be preserved for future generations." In addition to bouncy and tickle rhymes, there are "wiggles" (done while wiggling baby's toes or fingers), tapping and clapping songs, and lullabies. While your voice is the most exciting to baby, having a CD is a great way to learn the words and melodies. Or you can have laptime and play along with the CD. I was reminded of some old classics and found some new favorites.

How do you make your little one laugh? Any lap games to share?

Books We Read Today -- In the Garden

Yesterday my daughter and I had fun in the garden. Actually, at 6 months old, Emily had fun watching me plant flowers and prune bushes as she chewed on her toys. Whenever we go outside I can tell she is listening and watching intently. Is it a bird she hears? A bug whizzing by her? Someday she will be old enough to explore the garden with its flowers, insects, and mud. Until then, we can both enjoy some books on gardening, bugs, and birds.

 The Little Composter by Jan Gerardi.
I had to smile when I saw this book. We compost at our house, but I never expected to see a board book about it! This is a clever lift-the-flap book with a simple story in rhyme. (See the melon, lift the flap, and see the rind.) The perfect book to illustrate composting for your little gardener. Part of the Teenie Greenies series.

In My Nest by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich.
Look closely at the illustration at the right and you'll see it looks just like a nest with a bird in it. The pages are cut out to give the illusion of a nest and the bird is a finger puppet! This is sure to get the attention of a child, and yet it is not gimmicky. It is a wonderful way for a child to explore in a tactile way until you can do it with a real nest.  There are other similar books in this series, such as In My Pond, and In My Den.

 I Like Bugs (a touch-and-feel board book) by Lorena Siminovich
At first glance, this is a very simple book. It's about bugs and counting to five. That's it. Three beetles, four bees.... Simple. But the illustrations make it something fascinating to explore. Done in collage and texture, it has a 3-D feel to it. A lot of thought was put into the illustrations, too. Most of the illustrations match the number on the page. You'd expect four bees to be on page number four, but there are also four flowers and even four leaves on each flower. It makes reading the same book over and over that much more exciting to both parent and child.

If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands

Sometimes I clap out the ABC song or a nursery rhyme. Emily usually looks at me fascinated when I do this. But then something else catches her attention and we are on to the next thing. Today, she smiled and was watching intently. As soon as I stopped, she gave her squeal that means "Do it again!" So, I did.

A Walk in the Garden

Today we went to Cantigny Park. With its formal gardens, ponds and fountains, it has something to offer every nature lover. We enjoy taking a stroll to see all the flowers. I can imagine when she is older, running through the sprinklers and wanting to smell every flower. Now she is content to smell the fresh air and take a nap in the stroller.

Tiger Storytime

Friday I had the pleasure of doing a storytime for the MOMS Club that I belong to. It was open to children of all ages, so I planned it for preschoolers. The theme was tigers, so the books either had a tiger or some of tiger's friends. Here are some of the books and songs I chose.

Starry Safari by Linda Ashman; illustrated by Jeff Mack.

Bold, fun pictures, and text in rhyme, this book follows the adventure of a child in a jeep. With lots of action and the chance to make animal noises, children will bump along on safari and learn a few new words along the way.This book is a fun choice to expose children to new vocabulary. The surprise ending encourages imagination and active play.

The Top Shelf --Books for Adults

Most of the books I will share on this blog will be for children. Occasionally I will post "The Top Shelf," adult books that pertain to early literacy, reading, play, etc. This will depend on how often I actually have a chance to read a book on this topic, but I am optimistic. I'd like this blog to be a place for people to come and find easy, fun ways to encourage a love of reading in children. When I find a good book that assists in that, I'll share it. Here's the first.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddlers. (Building literacy through reading and play!) by Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim; Illustrated by Joan Auclair. (c) 2006; 103 pgs.
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, it is an independent review guide to children's media (books, toys, video, etc.). According to the back cover, Joanne Oppenheim is the author of more than 50 books for and about children and is a first and second grade teacher. Stephanie Oppenheim is a child development expert and co-author of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

About Storytime Mom--the Mom and the Blog

As a child I loved the library and books.

As a librarian, I fell in love with books all over again and wanted to share them with everyone.

As a new Mom, I am learning first hand how busy life can be with a baby.

My hope for this blog is to share with you books, songs, and activities that you can do with your child. They are meant to be fun and easy.

Doing little things every day will create memories for your children, and instill a love of reading and learning.

I called my blog "Storytime Mom" because that is what I am. As a librarian, I conducted storytimes as a fun way to interact with children and get them excited about reading and learning. As a Mom, I continue to do those things with my own daughter. But I am here to encourage you that YOU can be a storytime Mom or Dad (or Aunt, or Grandfather...), too.

Storytimes at your library are fantastic experiences for you and your children. Take advantage of these free activities. Engage in them with your children. Interact with them and model for them.

At home, in the car, at the park, at the grocery store, wherever you are, take the opportunity to engage your children with literacy-rich activities.

As parents we are our children's first teachers. We have an awesome responsibility to give them the building blocks for learning. Please don't take this as another way to be overwhelmed or pressured. We are their first teachers, but unless we actually are teachers, it is not our job to teach children to read. It is our job to foster reading readiness and partner with teachers.

I want my child to be able to happily communicate. I want her to love books, reading, learning and exploring. I want to give her the best foundation possible, but I don't want to pressure her into reading before she is ready.

By engaging in early literacy activities --really just reading, singing, talking, playing and writing-- in developmentally appropriate ways, we give our children the foundation and building blocks for their future. But more importantly we create fun and meaningful memories to last a lifetime.

I hope this blog will give you some ideas on how to incorporate early literacy practices into your busy lives. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.

Books We Read Today -- Snuggletime

Hide-and-Seek Baby by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon.
This is a sweet board book to share. Baby plays with a soft blanket and asks, "Where are my toes?" She lifts the blanket, and exclaims, "Here they are!" There are plenty of opportunities to play with your child with this one. Peekaboo, naming parts of the body, and tickling are just a few. Drawn in pastels, this is part of the "Snuggletime Touchy-Feely" series by Usborne. Each page has a soft spot where the blanket is and on the last page the blanket can be lifted.

Busy Baby  by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon. ("Snuggletime" series; board book)
Baby has his trusty blanket (which can be felt or lifted) as he goes about his busy day. His friends bear, duck and rabbit are back for the fun. Your toddler may mimic the repeated refrain, "I'm busy." If you have an equally busy toddler, you might try reading this while he (or she) is busy playing. It's not essential that a child sit on your lap to listen to a book. Children are often taking in just as much (sometimes more) when they are active. So while he plays with his blocks or trucks, try reading. He just might join you for a page or two.

Pease Porridge Hot

"Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in a pot, nine days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot, nine days old." ~Traditional

Today was a big day for Emily.

We've been going along, "playing the rice cereal game," as my husband calls it, for some time. She was always game to play it. (You are putting something in my mouth, not taking it out!? Yay.) She finally got the hang of eating it, without 98% of it on her face. So recently we switched to oatmeal cereal. This was suddenly exciting. She liked oatmeal. Really liked it. She'd figured out this eating thing, and was all in. We've got a good eater on our hands, I thought to myself. (How naive.)

Today it was time to start a new food. Her first vegetable. What to pick...peas are sweet, right? Let's start with that. Instead of oatmeal, we'll go with rice again. Rice and peas sounded better than peas and oatmeal, to me. (This is foreshadowing, take note.)

She sat in her high chair, with an expectant smile. So sweet, so trusting.

In goes the rice. Hmm, not quite so enthusiastic, but so far, so good.

Then the peas. She gives me a started, huh? but decides it's worth a try for a few more bites.

That was short lived when she gives me a look of astonished distaste. "What are feeding me, mom?!" It was the astonished part that really got me. I so wish I had a camera.

"Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, ...Some like it hot..." Some like it NOT.

Time for Sleep

Only one week into blogging and I'm already behind in posting! Ah, the joys of having a six month old. That probably sounded a tad sarcastic, but it has been mostly joyful ~ the grandparents were here for a lovely weekend visit. Emily, of course, basked in their attention. While they were here, my husband and I went on our first real date since our daughter's arrival. After a delicious and quiet dinner at Macaroni Grill we realized there was a time not that long ago that we would have gone dancing afterwards. Instead, we opted for a nap. Bliss.

Sleep has been a bit elusive for Miss E in the last few weeks. She'll have a great night (which for her is 6-8 hours, eat, then 3-4 more) and then have a night where she wakes up every hour. Yes, that's right, every hour. (Even as I write this, she has just awoken after a whole 30 minutes. I know it's a phase, but momma's tired.)

Not surprisingly, lullabies have been on my mind.

I have always loved the melody of "Brahm's Lullaby." I never knew the words. Several of my nieces have been sung to sleep by me with the words, "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my sweet baby, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my fair child. Go to sleep...." you get the idea. (Hey, it worked.)

With a new baby on the way, I thought I should finally learn the real words. I discovered there are many versions of the lullaby. So making up my own wasn't that far off, right? (Except real artists did it much better.) My favorite is by Jewel from her album Lullaby. When I can find the piece of paper that I've put the lyrics on, Emily get's to hear this version. Otherwise she gets whatever I can think of that makes sense in the moment--which may not make much sense at all when it is 3 am. (Poor kid.)

Another discovery was the song "Hush" by Sara Hickman. Written by Sylvia Long, it is a beautiful adaptation of "Hush Little Baby." It can be found on her album Newborn. Instead of "If that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring," it's "If that hummingbird won't fly, Mama's gonna show you the evening sky." And later, "When that storybook's been read, Mama's gonna bring you your warm bedspread." This was one of the first songs I sang to her as we got to know one another, rocking in the dark.

Now it is time for sleep. "Lullaby, and good night."

Books We Read Today

Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? by Betsy Snyder
I'm partial to tigers, so this one caught my eye right away. It's a touch-and-feel board book with a variety of textures. It's amazing what can be done with books these days. The ostrich has feathers and the walrus whiskers! It's a silly story, with rhymes and lots of room for actions and noises. The illustrations are lovely--collage style with nice detail. We will be sure to return to this one when my daughter gets the idea of touching the book beyond trying to eat it. (Trying to eating everything is a recurring theme in our house.)

Mary Engelbreit's Funny Mother Goose 
I love Mary Engelbreit, so this was a natural choice to check out. It includes 6 "funny rhymes to share"~ Jack and Jill, Pat-a-cake, Old King Cole, Ring Around the Rosebush, Curly Locks, and Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling. Part of the charm of ME, in my opinion, is her ability to make things both old-fashioned and modern. For me this was spot on for a set of nursery rhymes. This board book will be appreciated more when my daughter is a bit older, but for now she just likes to be read to. It never hurts to have books you like to read. Especially when you'll read it over and over and over and over...

At the Beach by Salina Yoon
A "first-words" board book, this has clever cut outs to give a 3-D feel to the pictures. This one has really captured my daughter's attention. It has bright, bold and shimmery colors. I used to think, how do you read a one-word-per-page book (over and over) and not think, BORING!? I've found it helps when the child is very excited by those simple words and pictures. Pointing out different things on the page each time you read it helps too, at this stage. First time through, it's a shovel. Second time, a green shovel, third time, ask "What do you do with a shovel?" and so on. Until it really is time for another book! This one is perfect for babies and toddlers.

Rubber Ducky Club

"But the one little duck with the feathers on his back, he led the others with a quack, quack, quack..." --From the song, six little ducks, traditional.


This summer my little one joined the Rubber Ducky Club, a Summer Reading Program for babies. "But, babies can't read," you say. True, but they can participate in early literacy activities. It is never too early to do fun, easy, literacy-rich things with your child.

This 8 week program, provided by the Naperville Public Library, was a super fun way to play and read with my daughter. The reading log suggested 12 simple activities for parents to do at home with their child, incorporating the 6 early literacy skills that encourage reading readiness. Some examples included singing the alphabet song while flipping through an alphabet book, and reciting or singing a nursery rhyme with actions.

This became a family affair. My husband declared a letter of the day and walked around the house pointing out anything and everything that started with B (and again with E, and T... He really got into it.) Emily would listen intently, thrilled that Daddy was walking around with her and talking to her. It didn't matter that she had no idea what a thermostat was or that the purple plastic thing she was trying to eat was supposed to be an elephant. But she was gaining the building blocks of language while having fun with her father. 

Midway, she received her own rubber ducky. At the end, she earned a book. This is what I chose for her:

Hey Diddle Diddle! published by Child's Play; illustrated by Annie Kubler. The traditional nursery rhyme is rendered in watercolor with adorable babies dressed in costume acting out the rhyme. The music is printed on the back cover.

The summer program is now over, but we'll continue to do the activities throughout the year, until it is time to sign up again. Your library just might do something like this for your child and you might not have to wait until next summer -- some do winter programs. And even if they don't, your family can still have fun with simple games to play with your baby.

What games do you play with your baby?

Magazines for Babies?

Anyone who has cared for babies knows they love to put things in their mouths. And they will grab everything in sight. So magazines and babies don't usually go together. Not when you want to be able to read the magazine after the baby!

But there actually are magazines for babies and toddlers. Here are two that I checked out from the library.

Babybug
According to the publisher's website www.cricketmag.com, it is meant for children 6 months - 3 years. The pages are thicker and hardier than regular paper. It is not as durable as a boardbook, but made for little hands. It's about 6 x 6 and a dozen pages. Just like a magazine for mom, there are several short stories in each issue. It includes rhymes, poetry, and counting. There are even recurring characters, Kim and her rabbit, Carrots. Parents can go to www.babybugmagkids.com for more ideas on reading with kids. Other than a pull-out to purchase their line of magazines, this is advertising-free.

Wild Animal Baby
Published by the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org, they intend it for ages 2-4. The pages are thicker than a typical magazine but not as durable as Babybug, so I would read this with my 6 month old only when she is in a quiet mood. It is the same size as Babybug and filled with photographs and other fun illustrations. It regularly features a simple I Spy, action rhymes, alphabet games and a simple craft. You can check out a sample issue online. The website has a section for parents for additional activities that go along with the current issue, including patterns, crafts and coloring pages. The mag is also an ad-free zone.  For screen-time conscious parents, there is a regular feature, "Wild Animal Baby Explorers," which is also a tv show on PBS. Wild Animal Baby is a 2011 Parent's Choice Award Winner.

Children want to do the same things we do, so having magazines just for them is a fun option. They will enjoy them for the same reason we do. Short stories, variety, and lots of eye-appeal.

Are there magazines you share with your little ones?

This is the Way We Sing Our Song

    “Children learn by repetition. Infants and young children have the most active brains. The more stimulation they receive from their environment--what they see, hear, touch, taste, and smell--the more connections are made between brain cells.... It is repetition that keeps these connections between brain cells and makes them strong. So at home or in the car, do these rhymes and songs over and over again.”                     -Saroj Ghoting, early literacy expert

I am a terrible singer. I forget lyrics, I don't have a good memory or voice for music. I hope that my daughter picks up her father's musicality, not mine. But the thing is, kids don't care. They love the sound of music and singing.

One of the things I do with my daughter every day is sing. It's often the same song(s), but that's okay. Children thrive on repetition.

Here is one of our favorites.
(Head and Shoulders)
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes and
Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes"

I touch or tickle the parts of her body as I sing it. At 6 months, she stills gets so excited when we sing this song. I know she recognizes it. This simple song will grow with us. Right now it is a fun way to bond. As she learns words and then coordination, she will be proud to be able to do it herself.  This is also great fun with a group of children. Have them try to do this as fast as possible. They love it!

Another of our daily songs is
This is the Way We... (fill in the blank.)
To the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush."
"This is the way we [wash our ears]
[Wash our ears, wash our ears]
This is the way we [wash our ears]
So early in the morning [or evening, or late in afternoon]"

I've adapted this to practically every situation possible from changing diapers or clothes to bath time. It's very versatile.The repetition of the melody and many of the words helps with language development. It also works to quiet a fussy baby.

So no matter what kind of voice you have, sing a song with your kids today. Be silly about it, make up words, sing the same songs over and again. Put on a CD or ask them to sing to you. And if you think you don't know any songs, you can always try "This is the way we sing our song..."

Do you have any songs to share?

Books We Read Today

Go, Baby, Go! by Jorge Uzon
Babies and toddlers love photographs, especially of faces. It is one of the first things babies connect with. This book makes me want to have a  book of my daughter's photos for her. Hmmm... I can see a family project in our future. This is a day-in-the-life of a busy toddler.



  
  

I Love You Baby from Head to Toe! by Karen Pandell; illustrated by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
This lovely book is done in crayon and colored pencil. It's quite lyrical. Seemingly simple, it has a subtle complexity. (For example, "Baby's skin is as smooth as petals.") There's lots to explore on each page, but it isn't busy. Great for a quiet snuggle. As board books go, it is a bit larger, so it would work for a small group.

Where is Baby? by Sally Rippin
Simple board book with bright, bold colors (which are easy for little babies to see). Each page asks "Where is baby?" with answers in rhyme. For the older toddler, you can also search for the three little friends of the three babies--frog, parrot and bear.