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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Books from the Crib

I was cleaning out my closet and came across some special books I had put away. We talk about and review all kinds of books on this site for every demographic but one...the two and under crowd. Most of us have kids, grand kids or friends who have kids. "The Crib Set" as I like to call them need books too. At some point all of us will need to buy a gift for a baby and what gift would be better than books!


When my kids were around 4 months old I started putting Board Books in their crib. I would read it to them for bedtime and then put it in the crib with them. Board books are sturdy and safe. Many a morning I would hear my kids babbling to their book. I have a few favorites that I think every baby should own. 




Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown


goodnight comb and goodnight brush
goodnight nobody goodnight mush



This is the Gold Standard when it comes to baby books. I started reading this one when my kids were 3 months old and we kept reading for years more. The cadence of the lines are hypnotic. Perfect for helping baby relax. My kids loved finding the tiny mouse on every page. This is a must have. Every baby shower I buy for gets this book.




I Am a Bunny by Ole Risom




I am a bunny. My name is Nicholas. I live in a hollow tree.In the spring, Nicholas likes to sniff the flowers, and in the summer, watch the frogs in the pond. In the fall, he watches the animals getting ready for winter, and in winter, watches the snow falling from the sky. This beautifully illustrated, gentle story is one of Golden’s most beloved titles

This was another favorite of my kids. The simple words, the colorful eye catching pictures. You can use this book to teach counting, colors and the seasons of the year. My kids liked counting the butterflies. I would leave this one in the crib. 



Pat the Bunny
 by Dorothy Kundhardt





"Judy can pat the bunny. Now YOU pat the bunny." 


This is was another favorite. It lets the child touch and interact with the book. Because there are 'parts' to it you can't leave it in the crib, but my second child wouldn't go to bed without reading it. My favorite part was shaking mommy's button box.






Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire


Illus. in color. Spot, a polka-dot leopard who can change colors and even juggle his own spots, tries to convince two children that he is special enough to be exhibited in the zoo.


This one is for kids over 1 year old. It helps with reading, counting and colors. I loved this book! You really can't go wrong with any Dr. Seuss early reader book. I still have memories of reading them when I was a kid. Go, Dog, Go was my favorite (I also bought it for my kids <G>), but Put Me in the Zoo is just a fun read. You can also buy some of the Dr. Seuss books in Board Book format.









Guess How Much I Love You




written by Sam McBratney 
illustrated by Anita Jeram



I don't know how much my kids enjoyed this book, but I loved reading it to them. It is fun to read how Little Nut Brown Hare tries to outdo Big Nut Brown Hare in expressing their love for one another. My favorite lines are when Little Nut Brown Hare thinks he wins by saying "I love you all the way to the moon" and as he falls asleep, Big Nut Brown Hare says "I love you all the way to the moon, and back".






These are just a few of my favorites. Whether you are buying them for your baby or for someone else's there is no better gift to give than time reading with a baby. But you need to make sure you like it too. If you notice I kept talking about how much I liked the book. What they don't tell you is one of the first words a baby learns is "again!" so you better like the book because you will be reading it over and over and over and....


Do you remember a special book from your childhood? Do you have a favorite your kids like to hear?


    

7 comments:

  1. i dont think i read any of those..

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  2. I LOVED sharing books with my kids when they were younger. And now we enjoy sharing books as adults too! (Only instead of Pat the Bunny, one of my daughters recently introduced me to Pat the Zombie!) You hit on one of our most-loved books - Put Me In the Zoo. I read that aloud to my younger sister, to each of my kids and now I'm planning to read it to my granddaughter.

    I find it interesting that I can't remember my license plate number but I remember all the words to this book!

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  3. I loved where the wild things go and one called (i might mess this title up) teki teki tembo no sa rembo cherry berry ruchi pip perry pembo.
    lol yeah i know i jacked that last title up. Kids should be read to from day one and be reading as soon as they can. great post sharon :)

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  4. My brother was the one who loved Where The Wild Things Are .

    @Dani, this post came about because you mentioned something about your grandbaby. Got me thinking about books and babies!

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  5. Oh Sharon, I know you remember the ,Good Dog Carl books! Another favorite of my boys was James and the Giant Peach by Dahl. I still have Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You after 19 years. Great review! Kathryn P.

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  6. My kids love The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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  7. I remember Put me in the Zoo! I loved "Panda Cake" by Rosalie Seidler.

    http://www.amazon.com/Panda-Cake-Rosalie-Seidler/dp/0819309621

    by the time I could talk I had it memorized form Mom reading it to me, LOL!

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