Read, read, read

Wow, I’m on a blogging spree tonight.

To make up for the silence the whole of last week. I was super bee-say.

Anyway, a few of my preschool friends asked me how Raeven is reading so well today (she can actually read my blog so I have to put a stop to my incessant swearing. Or ban her from reading my blog).

I promise you, I did not force her. She loves Dr Seuss and those Scholastic picture books which are just marvellous. I’ve also been reading to her since she was a baby, mostly board books with pictures, where I make up the stories because well, those books aren’t cheap so I make up different stories even when I am using the same book and the same words and pictures, the cheapskate that I am.

I think it also helps when she sees me spending so much time with my nose buried in a book or the computer, reading something or other.

“Mommy, let’s read your blog!” she will ask because she knows she’s in here. I refrain of course, what with the things I put in here.

Anyway, the girls have a few favourites that Lokes and I have to read each night and in Skyler’s case, during her nap time.

Right on top is Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We borrowed the board version from the library a long time ago and she loved it. Then I saw one at a garage sale. It was brand new and cost only 50 cents, so now, she even sleeps with it. My gut feeling is that it has all kinds of junk food in there, like an ice cream cone and a cup cake and salami. Oh, she loves the damn thing.

Her other top favourites are Dr Seuss’ ABC and One Fish Two Fish. She must be read one of these or she will not be able to go to sleep.

Rae’s book du jour is Martin Wadell’s Once There Were Giants. It’s a beautiful tale about growing up and I love reading it myself. Rae also loves to ‘read’ a new children’s atlas we bought her, which I explained to her is a ‘book of maps’. Now that Lokes is travelling, she has fun looking at all the places he’s visiting. She also loves a book her preschool teacher recommended, called The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald and Mary Newell DePalma.

But my favourite book of all is Joyce Dunbar’s Tell me Something Happy Before I go to Sleep. It’s a sweet tale about a brother telling his sister all the happy reasons why she should go to sleep, and why I like it is because by the time I finish, the girls are both yawning and ready to call it a night!

So what are your favourite books to read to your kids? Share!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 10:38 pm and is filed under Imperfect Reads. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  1. nissa

    Here’s a few,

    Brave Potatoes (by Speed/Root) this is my very favorite the rythm of the text is complex and wonderful- not many kids books are this funny and well crafted.
    Insectlopedia- poetry funny smart unusual..
    Zak’s lunch- its my dream too…
    No, David -D. Shannon Ro’s favorite- wonder why…
    Thundercake- P Polacco
    Blueberries for Sal
    Tumble bumble- Bond
    Is your mama a llama- Guarino/Kellog

    Enjoy!
    Nissa

    Jun 19, 2007 @ 11:17 pm


  2. Blur Mommy

    My gal doesn’t have an all-time favorite but her current favorite are Mouse’s First Fall, The Deep Blue Sea, Who’s Hiding and Dora books : )

    Jun 19, 2007 @ 11:41 pm


  3. Shireen

    My gals’ current favourites are Dr Seuss’ pocket library flip-the-flap books and a kids’ bible which my sil bought them coz it’s full of colourful pictures. They also love e-books from http://www.starfall.com, http://www.kizclub.com and http://www.storyplace.org

    Jun 20, 2007 @ 12:00 am


  4. Abel

    Thanks for the list, Jenn. My daughter’s taste in books changes as she grows. But she once loved Eric Carle’s books a lot. Eric’s books are marvellous and nicely done.

    Jun 20, 2007 @ 2:04 am


  5. jennemede

    Woooo thanks Nissa! Def going to check them out. Hey, we need to do a playdate soon!

    Shireen: Def going to check kizclub and storyplace!!

    Blur Mommy: Thanks lady. Def will check these out.

    Abel: Yea Eric Carle is great. Like I said, Sky loves his book so much she sleeps with it. It’s all the food, I tell ya!

    Jun 20, 2007 @ 7:12 am


  6. Big Pumpkin

    Hey, we have the same books! Except for the last two. I must check out the sleeping one since Tee never wants to go to sleep. In hope that it will motivate her. :-P We have Eric Carle’s DVD too – it’s great, has all his stories in it.

    Jun 20, 2007 @ 10:52 am


  7. Lia

    hi jenn :) I know it’s been a while!

    the kids love the Axel Schfaller (sp???) books (the spiffiest giant, room on the broom, the gruffalo).

    I must try and find the book (sleeping) u recommended, j2 has been having trouble sleeping.

    Im glad ur girls love books, I am also glad my kids do too. I guess you reading etc does “spread” the word. my only concern is my kids reading the newspapers now. I’ve had to fudge many an explanation now LOL

    Jun 21, 2007 @ 2:39 am

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