Favorite Kids Books (vol. I)

Lately, reading with Anne has gotten really fun. She not only can pick which books she wants but she has started to really understand the stories and we will talk about them long after we've finished reading, making up alternate endings and talking about other things the characters would do.

Our list of favorite books is growing longer every day. One of my favorite bloggers, Darcy, does really great lists of her family's favorite books for kids, and I love them as inspiration and as a record of books that have been enjoyed. So much so that I really want to share some of ours, too. (NOTE: this post contains affiliate links, which may result in a small commission for the blog if you click/buy anything through them!)

Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb: Sometimes someone else's perspective can change the way we see things. This is what happens to Paul, a goldfish, after the lovely Bernadette is dropped into his bowl and shows him a new and fanciful way to understand his surroundings. The paintings in this book are so beautiful that I have considered copying them and hanging them in the house!


Nothing by Jon Agee: I love Jon Agee because he has kind of a weird, adult sense of humor. In this book, a harried antiques dealer sells "nothing" to a rich customer and the town goes crazy for it, wanting nothing for themselves, too. Pretty much all of Agee's books are hilarious, especially Terrific, in which a grumpy man learns that sarcasm and parrots don't mix.



if you want to see a whale by Julie Fogliano: Another one with great art. The text reminds me a lot of e.e. cummings and Anouk enjoys trying to find a whale on each page.



Little Smudge by Lionel Le Neouanic: In a series of Matisse-like illustrations, Little Smudge learns to stand up to the brighter colors by showing off his particular talents.



Press Here by Herve Tulliet: This is an interesting concept -- on each consecutive page, the dots respond to being pressed, shaken, and blown on by changing color, growing bigger, and moving. Of course the pages are the same whether you do the action or not but for now, A. still believes in the magic and has a lot of fun with this book.



Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long: Otis is a lovable tractor who helps solve problems around the farm. This is the third in a series (we like the others a lot, too).



Fancy Nancy Stellar Stargazer! by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser: I really appreciate the way the Fancy Nancy books introduce kids to new vocabulary words with clear explanations of what they mean, and the way that Nancy is traditionally girly but still interested in a wide variety of subjects. We're plowing through this series.



Swimmy by Leo Lionni: In this Caldecott winner, one black fish teaches a school of red fish how to swim together to avoid danger. Doesn't it seem like we read a lot of books about fish? Anyway, this one is beautiful, too.

What have your kids been reading lately?