Picture perfect
There are still spots available for Writing for Charity. If you haven't pre-registered at this point, it's probably a good idea to pay at the door.
For my third post in a row on the delights of picture books, here's a list to shop by. Some books adults like, some books kids like (and adults wished they didn't), and some are winners all around. Here are Max's (age 4) and Maggie's (age 18 months) favorite reads that their parents also enjoy.
MAX
Chicks and Salsa, by Aaron Reynolds and Paulette Bogan - Max loves these animals culinary adventures, and I love to read about food. Yummm...
Everywhere Babies, Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee - A babyhood favorite that Max still enjoys. This one has been around for a decade and won't be out of date anytime soon.
Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School, by Nathan Hale - Nate's colorful, bold paintings work so well with the simple text. There's so much exploring to do in each illustration, and the story is familiar and fun. A winner!
Baby Shoes, by Dashka Slater and Hiroe Nakata - Fun, rhyming text with great repeating lines both my kids love, and a story idea mom can so relate to.
Goodnight, Me, by Andrew Daddo and Emma Quay - If you like the idea of Goodnight, Moon but can't bear to read it one more time, this is a fantastic alternative. Sweet pencil sketches of a baby chimp saying goodnight to all his/her body parts. Lovely.
Bark, George, by Jules Feiffer - Some adults find this bizarre, but kids love it, and honestly, so do parents like us. Jules rocks.
The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi - Max tends to be a little macabre, and this is so up his alley. From the old poem, Tony's Newbery Honor-winning illustrations make this good creepy fun.
A Kitten Tale, by Eric Rohmann - Let's pretend we don't know that Eric is one of the hottest men of children's literature and look at this book on its own merits--yep, it still rocks. The illustrations are luscious. Max loves examining what the kittens do on each page and repeating the line, "I can't wait!"
Anything by Mo Willems.
A Very, Hairy, Scary Story, by Rick Walton, David Clark - I mentioned Max's enjoyment of the slightly scary. He totally digs this book.
But Not the Hippopotamus, by Sandra Boynton
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak - of course.
MAGGIE
Red Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton (one of the best kids books EVER written)
Hey, Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton
Good Dog, Carl and Carl's Afternoon in the Park, by Alexandra Day
Hug, by Jez Alborough
Busy Piggies, by Jon Schindel and Steven Holt
Anything by Matthew van Fleet
Good Night, Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann
Also, Freud. Seriously, she's always pulled the Freud books off our shelves, sitting down and flipping through them while reading aloud in her own sweet language. I wouldn't really recommend Freud for all 18-month-olds, of course. At least not until they come out with an illustrated edition.
What are your childhood favorites? Household favorites that both kids and parents enjoy?