10 Books for My Tiny

I used to be a children's librarian, so it was super hard for me to narrow down my favorite books for kids to only 10. {Here are Sarah Bessey's two sets of recommendations.}

Anyway, I decided to focus on 10 of the books that Catherine seems to be especially enjoying right now.

Z is for Zoo by Roger Priddy
I like several of the Priddy books, but this one was the first that really caught her attention. Bright colors, cool pictures {and a few that fold-out}, and rhyming words.

That's Not My Angel by Fiona Watt
Although I suspect that this one is not theologically correct ;) , she really likes feeling the different textures of each of the angels.

All Over Alabama by Laurie Parker
This book works in the name of almost every city in Alabama {in a story about frogs}. It's long for her, so we just read a page at a time. But I do it in rap mode...entertaining myself just as much, I think.

Animals Animals by Eric Carle
She likes this Eric Carle classic as much as the real animals in Z is for Zoo, and I love the poetry that goes along with the illustrations.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Reading {or saying, since I have it memorized now} has already become a nightly ritual for us. I can't wait until she enjoys examining the pictures, too! For right now, the rhythm just calms her down and lets her know it's time for bed.

Yum! Yum! by Joanne Fitzgerald
We have a lot of fun with this one! C got it for me for Mother's Day, and the short nursery rhymes are perfect for her right now. The illustrations are lovely, too.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Honestly, Mommy sometimes needs to read this after having her own tough days. I didn't think she'd be into it because of the black and white illustrations, but she seems to enjoy it.

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
I seem to have more fun with most of Dr. Seuss than she does right now {still a bit long perhaps?}, but I think she might like this one because I tickle her feet when I read it.

Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
I had only heard of this one before we got it at our book shower, but I love it! The story is charming and so funny, and I love doing the voice of the peddler.

The Story for Little Ones by Josee Masse
This was another gift from one of my student workers, and we've made it all the way through. She gets really excited about the stories here {and it excites me to see her interested in God's story}. We'll be looking for a children's Bible soon, I'm sure, but this is a fabulous starter.

These are the ones she likes for now, but I can't wait to read her more Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, Jon Scieszka, Don Freeman, Tomie dePaola, Mo Willems...the list goes on...and those are just picture books!

If you can't tell, I'm super passionate about literacy and literature, and we're doing our best to pass on that passion to our little one by reading to her every single day.

If you're a parent, I highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, too. It has research on the importance of reading aloud, recommendations for all ages, and tips on how to go about actually doing it.

OK, this is starting to feel like a PSA, so I'll stop for now. :)

What are your favorite children's books?