This past year found me reading more, and subsequently, visiting the library more often. I hadn't made it a habit to go to the library, partly because Elijah was stilled enthralled with the Zempel family library and also because Alli was small and napped most of the day. But as she got older, we started making a trip to the library a "must do" every couple of weeks, and Elijah's world opened to new books and the wall of videos, of which he was allowed one choice each visit.
At a loss as to what books I should be reading to my then-3-year-old, I found a list that the library suggested for picture books and we started checking out the past Caldecott winners. Without a doubt, we really loved the list the librarians recommended, and were a bit disappointed in the Caldecott books, mostly because the stories didn't captivate Elijah like some others did.
So without further ado, here is our list of favorite children's picture books from 2007 (that is, the year we read them, not the year they were published):
10. The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster (the 2006 Caldecott Medal Winner)
9. Any of the Froggy books by Jonathan London
8. How Are You Peeling? by Saxton Freymann
7. I Stink! by Kate McMullan (definately a boy's book. On the downside, now Elijah loves to talk about eating garbage.)
6. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin (I will admit that I don't get this book, but both Alli and Elijah loved it - I guess it is the rhymes.)
5. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
4. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
3. Strega Nona: An old Tale by Tomie De Paola
2. Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio
And the number 1 book that we loved from 2007 . . . which I bought to give Alli on her 2nd birthday . . . whose author lives in Wisconsin . . . and also happens to be the 2005 Caldecott Medal Winner is . . .
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin HenkesIt is the story of a little kitten who mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk and spends all night chasing after it. So adorable and fun. A must-add to our family library.
What are your favorite picture books?
7 comments:
That looks like a great list! I have only read two of them....Click Clack Moo, and Chicka Chicka...., my kids love both of those too.
Our favorites are There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by-- Uh Oh, I can't remember his name!!!!! And I love this author too.....He also wrote something about Jacob's Coat (My mind is blank today).
We love Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert too.
Skye picks the unlikely books, like she loves a Yankee Doodle book by Steve Kellog so much we read it every day....Oh and another favorite of all 3 of my kids- Peeka Who?? very cute.
Thanks for the book ideas!
A recent favorite picture book of ours is called The Royal Bee by Korean sisters Frances Park and Ginger Park. The book is about their grandfather who is poor as a child but able to attend school. The grandfather grows up to become a missionary to China.
"Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey (actually anything by him is great!)--I adore his illustrations. And all of the Olivia books are hilarious--she is just like my Big E. :-)
Hello!
This is Kelly DiPucchio, author of BED HOGS, chiming in to say thanks for including me on your list of favorite books for 2007!
I'm so glad your family enjoyed the book.
Keep reading!
hogs & kisses,
kelly
How did I miss this post??? :) Kitten's First Full Moon is great! You might want to check out I'm Dirty, which is like I Stink. I think it's about a backhoe or something.
Caledcott's are awarded for their illustrations, but sometimes their stories are pretty dull. I do like almost everything by Mo Willems. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Knuffle Bunny, etc. He makes me die laughing. And kids love the responsiveness of the pigeon books.
How about The Monster at the End of the Book? You know that book with Grover that was out when we were kids? There is a sequel, too, a board book of Another Monster at the End of the Book, which is about Elmo. I always loved the Monster.
When Elijah gets a touch older, he might like The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop. Right now it is probably too long/too many words.
I like the Olivia books, too, but some moms don't because she sort of has attitudes. But Olivia CRACKS me up!
Brooklyn's favorite right now is We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. She loves the fast pace, the descriptive sounds, the "uh oh" on every other page, and the "What's That?!!" when they find a bear. Although she loves books, this is the only one she will actually sit through beginning to end when I read it out loud.
I've been collecting children's books since high school. My favorites are The Daddy Mountain by Jules Feiffer, Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, and Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.
It will be interesting to see if Brooklyn will even like my favorites as she grows older!
Oh man, I cannot begin to list my favorites...I have hundreds and hundreds of them (mostly from thrift stores) One of my very favorites is I love you stinky face. By the way, this is Sara Cutter...from Calvary a long time ago!!
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