bookworms: part one

It seems like ages since we wrote our very first post (a real tear-jerker that makes us cry even today!) here at Small Fry and yet it was only a few weeks ago! While we’ve shared a lot of ideas in these few weeks, some elaborate, some inconsequential, it could be said that none will connect us more readily to our kids than sitting down and reading a book with them. Watching their little backsides settle into our laps, smelling their hair, feeling their soft skin on our arms and legs, watching their chubby fingers turn the pages. Feeling their chests rise and fall, or their shoulders shake with laughter.  It really is one of life’s most simple pleasures and studies show the benefits to our kids’ well-being and intellect are staggering.

What could be more important for a children’s lifestyle blog than to promote reading together? For today and tomorrow we have gathered our favorite bloggers from across the country and asked them to share their family favorites. Check back tomorrow to see the rest, and enter to win the whole series of our favorite bloggers’ favorite books!

>> Dani of Sometimes Sweet:

Being an English Lit. major and later a high school English teacher, I’ve always considered myself a lover of books and a total bookworm. So when my husband and I found out we were expecting a son back in 2010, I had many dreams of bedtime story sessions, trips to the library, and spending hours upon hours reading with our little guy. From day one we read to Henry, and now, two years later, our sweet boy is just as big of a bookworm as his mama. Our favorites change weekly and sometimes even daily, thanks to the insanely huge vintage book collection my parents kept in tact for my sister and me. My Mom is an elementary school teacher and former librarian, so you can imagine how many books she handed down for us to enjoy. And enjoy we do! Henry’s current favorite book is Crictor by Tomi Ungerer, a story from 1958 about a very distinguished lady, Madame Bodot, and her pet Boa Constrictor. Another current favorite is Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton, a book about one of Henry’s favorite things in the entire world, big trucks! Reading with Henry is one of the sweetest things in my world, and I can only imagine one thing sweeter- the day he is able to read to me!

>> Elizabeth of Dear Lizzy:

Choosing one of our favorite books to read was tricky! Mostly because there are my favorite books and there are the girls’ favorites. My favorites make me cry… like the one when the mother rocks her son to sleep until she’s too old… “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always…” (even now… sniff.)The girls’ favorites we re

ad over and over and over yet they laugh their faces off like it was the first time we’d cracked it open.
Let’s settle this with one we both like:
I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa Mccourt.They enjoy it because of one obvious reason… anything close to the word “stinky” to a six and four year old is hysterical. And I don’t mind reading it for the umpteenth time because I can’t resist their cute, crinkled noses and their laugh helps me forget when I wanted to pull my hair out earlier that day.

It’s a good one. Even though the pages are wrinkled, torn and we all practically have it memorized, it is far from ordinary to us.

>> Dana of Dana Made It:

When it comes to reading with my kids I’m often drawn to books with bright colorful artwork, because they enjoy it AND I enjoy it. Sometimes I’m even inspired by the illustrations to sew clothes, like the Put Me in the Zoo outfits here. But I have to say that our all-time favorite stories are classic Curious George. They’re just perfect for all of our ages!

My six year old Lucy can read the words to me or her four-year-old brother Owen. Or I can read the books to everyone. Or we just sit there oooing and ahhhing over the simple art (Lucy often asks which hot air balloon is my favorite when we get to that story). Or Lucy and Owen can flip through the books in the car. We love Curious George! I mean, who doesn’t? Just another two years till our baby Clara will love him too.

>> Liz of Say Yes to Hoboken:

One of my very favorite books is called Where You Came From by Sara O’Leary. The little boy’s name is Henry (my son’s name!) and it’s a really sweet, beautifully written, and gorgeously illustrated discussion between the mother, father and s

on as they try to remember where he came from, “Don’t you remember? Your mother grew you in her garden. She said the hardest part was waiting, be patient, stopping herself from picking you too soon”.

I’d highly recommend it for a young child or toddler whose too young for the real birds and bees talk. A friend recommended it to us a year ago and I still can’t get through it without tearing up a little bit. It’s so sweet. [Image credit: Modern Kids Photo]

>> Nicole Christensen of Small Fry:

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal was a gift to us when my first baby was born. It is quite the coincidence because it is such a parallel to his life, in a very opposite way. Little Dash sure has a sweet tooth, and the story teaches of a pea that isn’t allowed to eat his veggies unless he’s finished all his sweets. It’s a perfectly charming way to teach kiddos about the importance of eating healthy. We never tire of this darling little story.

It’s old-school, I know, but I loved reading Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to both my little ones when they were babies, even tiny babies. There was something so special about reading them the same words my mom once read to me.

Even when they were too small to understand the story, my kids loved to watch me point to everything we were saying goodnight to and, bonus, when they got bigger we moved on to “Goodnight Seattle”. Did you guys know there are versions available for lots of different cities? They’re fabulous.

>> We don’t know about you, but we’re all anxious to add these books to our own collections!  Check back tomorrow for 5 more blogger’s pics and a huge giveaway of each of these selections!

Have a great weekend everyone, thank you for reading Small Fry! Also, thank you to everyone who entered our Old Navy gift card giveaway! Congratulations to Megan, check your email for details!

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