Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Top 10 Toddler Books

I have to admit that when I heard Katie's Top 10 list for this week, I was hooked. But I had no idea how I would make a list of ONLY 10 books.

I mean, seriously? I was a teacher. And not just a teacher but I have taught in different grades. So technically I could comprise a 3rd grade Top 10 list, a 1st grade Top 10 list, and a Toddler Top 10 list. I could also do an adult Top 10 list since I love to read. And hey, while we are at it, I could do a Parenting Books Top 10 list. I think I'll do the Toddler one today and maybe do some others another day.

Top 10 Toddler Books (in no particular order):

That's Not My Puppy - Fiona Watt
These books are fantastic for little ones. It teaches describing words and has something to touch on each page, including the cover. For the longest time I didn't realize that the story really started on the cover. And to be honest, any of the Usborne books are fabulous. There are characters for everyone: trucks, dolls, princesses, dinosaur, train, car, and teddy bear (another favorite!).

Mommy Hugs - Anne Gutman
This is such a sweet book and I love that it teaches kids names for groups of animals. The girls always giggle when I read, "Mommy mouse loves her pinkies." Who knew baby mice were called pinkies? Also each page is numbered and the number on the page is the number of baby animals on the page.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin, Jr & John Archambault
This book is so fun for my girls. Every time we read "Boom Boom" I bounce them around on my knee. They think it's hysterical. I love that this book does lower and upper case letters too.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? - Bill Martin, Jr.
What a great book to teach colors, animals, and the skill of prediction.

The Going to Bed Book - Sandra Boynton
This was, and still is, a definite favorite. It's read to the girls at least 4 times a week. And it's always the standard bedtime book for our babies until they are at least 6 months old. I can recite it by heart (and so can Kate & Caroline).

Counting Kisses - Karen Katz
Very short book so it's perfect as a first book. I also like that it not only teaches counting but also teaches body parts.

Daddy & I - P.K. Hallinan
This is a cute book about the things kids do with their Daddy. Since Matt works so much I read this book often to remind the girls of the things they did with him. I also like that P.K. Hallinan always sticks a religious comment into each of the books.

Water, Water, Everywhere - Julie Aigner-clark and Nadeem Zaidi
This was a favorite for a long time. We read this to Kate every night (along with The Going to Bed Book) for over 6 months. What can I say? She was a creature of habit and liked predictability. I think we need to buy a new one because Oliver (our Yorkie) chewed it for dinner and we haven't had it in a long while.

I Love You Through & Through - Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
A good reminder that we love our children - every part of them, regardless of what they do.

Barnyard Dance - Sandra Boynton
This book is such a fun book and I find myself singing it to a made up tune everytime. It alwasy makes me smile when I read it. Heck, I am smiling now just thinking of it!

It seems as though the majority of our favorite toddler books are by Sandra Boynton. And that's no surprise to me. Her books are funny, well-illustrated, and short. They are perfect for short attention spans. I also think the girls (and I) see something different in the pictures every time we read it. And we sometimes try to sing them. Like Snuggle Puppy! What's up with that book? I swear I can't read it. I must sing it and every time I do it's to a different tune. I think there's supposed to be a song that goes with it. I'll have to look for it so I can sing the correct tune.

Also, while on Sandra Boynton's website tonight I found this:
http://www.pintsizeproductions.com/pintsize_personalized_Boynton_boardbooks.html
Now you can get a personalized Sandra Boynton book with a picture of your child and their name. You can bet each one of our girls will be getting one of these for Christmas.

That's my list! Whew, that was tough! I am sure I left out a ton. And as Matt reminded me, the girls favorite books are changing now as they get older. They LOVE longer stories now. I guess I could do a preschool Top 10 list, too!