Story Time with Harper- How We Choose Our Books

image via pinterest

I get a lot of questions about children's books. Friends and family always want to know what I read to Harper and how I choose books for her.

Reading with Harper is one of my favorite things to do (seriously, I've been buying books for her since before she was born). I know that I enjoy it just as much as, and probably more than, Harper does. I am picky about our material because I want this special time to be enchanting, educational, and inspiring for Harper (just like I want my own books to be for me).

You should build your child's library the way you would build your own- by purchasing quality stories that will be as interesting during the third, fourth, or fifth read as they were for the first (note that while I've read Twilight, I don't own it. I do, however, own the entire Jane Austen collection and all seven Harry Potter books).

The first thing to remember about choosing a book for your child is that you're going to be reading it over and over for years to each of your little ones and maybe (hopefully) even their little ones as well. If you don't like it, you won't want to read it. Don't purchase anything that you don't love and be sure to test drive new material from the library before buying it. Children's books are expensive and you want to make sure that you're $15-30 is well spent.

When I buy books for Harper, I make sure that they read aloud well. Some books (Disney ones, for example) are absolutely no fun to read (neither Harper nor I have ever made it through The Little Mermaid or The Great Fairy Rescue). Other books (Where the Wild Things Are, for example) flow and read almost like poetry. These are the types of books that I buy because they are as fun for me as they are for Harper. I prefer stories that let me read with expression (Are You My Mother? and Fancy Nancy, for example).

Harper loves anything Disney and so we do have Disney books in our house. She loves to look at them and point out her favorite characters. She doesn't, however, love having them read to her, which is good because I very much dislike reading them. They are wordy and awkward and altogether too long for even my attention span.

When I do purchase a Disney book, I usually go for a Look-and-Find (around $8 at B&N). Harper loves looking for items on each page and talking about the different characters. They provide opportunities for us to chat about colors and counting and are a fun and interactive book experience that both Harper and I enjoy.

As with my own personal reading, I most enjoy the classics when it comes to kid lit. Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, Llama Llama Red Pajama, and Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See are among our favorites right now. So are the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Like A Tale of Two Cities or Crime and Punishment, these stories have stood the test of time for a reason- they are special. They are magical.  

Here are a few of my favorite children's books. Some of them are board books and most of them are older than me.

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

Fancy Nancy (anything from the series is really fun) by Jane O'Connor

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Pingo by Brandon Mull

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See by Bill Marten and Eric Carle

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Marten and Eric Carle

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

The Tale of Peter Rabit (it it's original form) by Beatrix Potter 

(In fact, anything from Beatrix Potter would be a good choice)

Moo, Baa, La La La (or pretty much any other Sandra Boynton book)

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans 

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems 

I Know a Rhino by Charles Fuge

In Grandma's Arms by Jayne C. Shelton and Karen Katz

Anything from Dr. Seuss