Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
This book is about a baby llama who is scared to go to bed at night without his mama. This is a familiar scenario in our house. Madeline empathizes with Llama Llama scared and missing his Mama Llama alone in his dark room. Meanwhile, I understand the frustration Mama Llama feels as she tries to do the dishes as her child yells upstairs.
Plus, the rhyme scheme makes it fun to read aloud. "Llama Llama don't you know? Mama Llama loves you so!" never fails to make Madeline smile.
Don't Squish the Sasquatch by Kent Redeker
This book is equal parts strange and wonderful. Ever hear of a whale goat? Well, there's one in this book. The silly names and illustrations appeal to both kids and adults. Besides, if you've ever felt anxious on a crowded bus or subway, you'll totally get where Señor Sasquatch is coming from. We've read this book repeatedly, and I have yet to grow tired of it.
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Marla Frazee
I listed this book the last time I wrote about our favorite books, but that's how much I love it. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is so sweet it makes me want to squish and smooch Madeline extra hard. It's a nice reminder that the world can be a simply beautiful place if we let it. Every child read this book.
Adele and Simon by Barbara McClintock
Basically I like this book because I want to live the life siblings Adele and Simon have. On their way home from school, they get to play in the park, eat pastries, visit The Louvre, and watch a parade. My only stop on the way home today was the grocery store. Womp.
The illustrations of Paris' famous landmarks are extremely detailed, and the reader gets to search for Simon's missing items among the busy scenes. Madeline loves pointing out his lost crayons when the characters in the book can't find them.
My Little Dinosaur by Ilse-Margret Vogel
This is one of the books we've inherited from Eric's childhood. It's adorably retro. The dad smokes a pipe, there's an apple on the teacher's desk, little girls wear knee socks...It looks like the world inside Zooey Deschanel's head.
The book is about a little boy who finds a small dinosaur and takes him home as a pet. Everyone is mysteriously nonchalant about this discovery mostly because the dinosaur is so polite and doesn't leave mud prints on mother's floor. After reading this book about 100 times, Madeline now wants her own little dinosaur, and so do I.
Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg, Roy McKie
This is another oldie. A lion, a dog, and a tiger compete over how many apples they can balance on their heads. When things get out of hand, a bear chases them with a mop. My inner English teacher is convinced this book is secretly a commentary on capitalism versus communism. Political agendas or no, Madeline has most of the book memorized.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
It would just not be right for a little redhead named Madeline to not love the original Madeline. We were reading the story of Miss Clavel and the bold Madeline on almost a nightly basis until Madeline asked me what a scar is. When I explained it to her, she freaked out. Parenting fail. When I told her that Eric has a scar on his arm that she could see, she freaked out even more. Double parenting fail. She hasn't been as interested in the book since, but it's worming its way back into the rotation. She's also warmed back up to Eric in spite of his scar.
Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
This is a favorite from my childhood, and Madeline asked me to read it to her at least once a day for the first month we had it. She spent a lot of time pretending to live in a nest and calling me, "Mother Bird" during those first weeks. It's a pretty cute book. I also recommend we all start replacing the word "bulldozer" with "snort."
Click Clack Moo by Dorin Cronin, Betsy Lewin
Another children's book that seems to have a political agenda. After a group of cows get a hold of a typewriter, they demand electric blankets. When their request is ignored by the farmer, they go on strike. A series of negotiations between the cows and the farmer ensue. (The chickens and ducks eventually get involved too.) Madeline likes the repetition of "Click, Clack, Moo" throughout the story. I like that the cows unionize.
I'm not going to lie, this book got old fast for me, but Madeline LOVES it. She lies in bed flipping through the pages long after I tuck her in. Girl just can't get enough Cinderella. Luckily, there are a lot of different stories to choose from within the anthology, so even though we read it almost nightly, I can at least try to mix things up.
What books do you love reading with your child?
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