Fun Words

When picking out a board book for your littlest baby sometimes it is good to try to find a book that has really fun language and a rhythmic text.  Any book that is more song-like than book-like is a good choice.  Babies find the rhythm calming and the more fun words we can get into our babies ears the better.

Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig is a perfect example of a book with fun words and rhythmic text.  Dancing Feet is a sing-songy book about animals, their feet and the sounds their feet might make.  The book includes repetition, silly words and rhyme, three things little babies love in their books! It is so fun to read words like tippity, thumpity and stompity and the question and answer format will engage a baby's curiosity.   Your baby will be sure to clap along to this fun read aloud.  At first it was always the book my daughter picked off the shelf to read and now she is saying, "again" when it is finished.  Even the pictures, by illustrator Marc Brown, appeal to kids. I love the footprints that trail throughout the book and the big animal feet that are on the question pages.  His illustration help give clues to the children about what animal it might be dancing around.

Lindsay Craig and Marc Brown have also collaborated to make Farmyard Beat a book very similar using farm animals.

Happy Reading!
Laura

Reading to Babies

I just came across this video of parents reading aloud to their babies in the NICU... seriously gave me chills.  This is what I want to encourage ALL parents to do.  Reading aloud to our new babies does not only give them access to the language they need for growing and learning but it is a way to bond and fall in love.  Please spread the word and considering donating a book to Books for Babes!

In the video they are reading Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, a classic baby board book. Here are some other classics by Margaret Wise Brown.

Runaway Bunny

A sweet tale of a little bunny trying to get away from his mama, only to realize she will always be there.

Good Night Little One 

A soft, poetic bedtime story for all little ones.

Big Red Barn

With text similar to Good Night Moon, only this is set on the farm.  All the animals are there playing during the day and then slowly getting ready for sleep as the sun goes down.








Happy Reading!
Laura

Books to Check Out in 2016

There are so many great new books that will be coming out this year it is hard to pick just a handful to highlight.

Just released last week on January 5 is Silly Wonderful You by Sherri Dusky Rinker (who also write Good Night, Good Night Construction Site).  It is a great book to celebrate the love and joy children bring into a home.

Children love tales about a journey and Lionheart by Richard Collingridge is just that.  Little Richard has to gather all his courage as he takes off on a journey through a jungle right before bedtime.

In March we can look forward to a sweet brother sister tale called Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge.  Peep is finally old enough to join her brother and learn all the tricks of the trade from him.  I know this will be perfect for my two children!

In July we can look forward to Come Home Angus by Patrick Downs.  It is about a little boy who gets angry and runs away.  He quickly finds himself lost and realizes that moms can always help make a bad situation better.

Finally, one that I wish was out right now because my baby is obsessed with babies.  Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers is a board book with rhyming text all about babies!  What they love, what they do, what they eat and of course all the people who love them.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

Happy Reading!
Laura

New Year! New Goals!

So with the beginning of a new year always comes new goals.  What are my goals this year?  To read more of course! I want to read more for myself and more to my kids.  Here are a few books on my to read list this year:

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Ross
Creative Schools by Ken Robinson
Grit by Angela Duckworth
5 Love Languages of Children by Gary D. Chapman
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskers
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

In addition to reading this books I plan on using The Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2016 Reading Challenge checklist, just to help keep my reading interesting.

Another big goal I have for this year is to really get the word out about reading from birth and growing Books for Babes.  Books for Babes is a project I have been working on the last year where I give board books to moms and their new babies in the hospital.  I have been working with University Hospital and last year we were able to give 350 books to the babies there.  I would LOVE to double that number this year to 700, but I need YOUR help.  Please consider donating books or money so that we can get books into the hands of moms.  You can check in here every week to find information on reading aloud to kids of all ages (including why it is so beneficial), great book recommendations as well as where I am on my goal of giving out 700 board books.

"One of the greatest gifts adults can give- their offspring and to their society- is to read to children."
                                                                                         - Carl Sagan

What are your goals this year?  What books are on your to read list for 2016?

Happy Reading!
Laura