I'm going to have a one year old come August 4th. What?! Not possible.
This post is allll about our favorite books throughout Charlie's first year. The books that I basically have memorized now. The books that I know exactly which page he will crack up at. The books that he never pushes away (he can totally communicate which books he does
not want to read, let me tell you). The books that have sweet stories and beautiful illustrations.
Charlie loves reading right now. He loves to read before naps and at bedtime. He loves to wander into his room and sit next to his book box, throwing books out, flipping through a couple, and then tossing some back in. He loves to "read" in the rocking chair and in the car. And he can be kinda picky!
But I need to share this picture before we get into the book titles because 1) THAT HAIR. At what point do I know if I'm emotionally ready for his first hair cut or not?? 2) He's reading one of MY favorite books as a child that I distinctly remember my parents reading to me over and over,
Go, Dog. Go! And 3) look at those perfect page-flipping thumbs. I was super impressed he mastered this at only 11 months old. Maybe he has books in his genes. After all, his daddy works in books. Books just might be
his job one day. ;)
Okay, let's get into it. These are our top 5 favorite books from year one:
1. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Without a doubt, this is Charlie's number one favorite book! He L O V E S this board book. I think it's a combination of the colorful underwater pictures and the repetition of the words that he just eats up. He never says no to this one and always greets it with a happy sound when we pick it up! There's one page in here where the fish is really big and has a very happy/friendly face (I won't ruin the ending for you haha) and that is his favorite page. This has been one of our go-to before bed books.
2. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Eric Carle
I found a giant board book copy of this classic at Halfprice Books when Charlie was a few months old and in the last 3 months it's been one of his favorites. We kept this one in the car for him to flip through as we drove for a while and he really enjoyed that. It's GIANT and I think that's one of the biggest reasons he loves this one. Pictured to the left is his favorite page. He forms his little mouth into a perfect circle and says, "oooooh" everytime. I started taking his pointer finger and counting the children and now he gets it ready for me as soon as we arrive at this page! The illustrations and vibrant colors in this book are perfect for little babies. And it's a perfect book to teach your baby some animal names and colors!
3. Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
This is a repetitive song-type book that's easy make really fun. Think square-dancing! Bounce them on your knee, or make it into your own little tune, and your kiddo will go crazy for this one. An older woman from church recommended this one at our first baby shower so I knew I had to pick it up when I found it at Halfprice Books (are you sensing a theme in where I have had a lot of luck finding good books?). It never disappoints for a fun read!
4. Charlie Goes Camping by Carrie Weston
I have a sweet friend from college who, the last 2 or 3 times I've seen her, has given me several "Charlie" books she's found. She's a teacher, so she's always hitting up Goodwill and thrift stores for books and she has found some gems! This is one of them and it is PERFECT because, as some of you may know, I grew up camping with my family. And we actually call him "Charlie Bear" as a nickname! The pictures are gorgeous and bright. The story is sweet and encourages being a helpful friend. It's a keeper.
5. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Storybook Rhymes
This was one of Charlie's first Christmas presents from Mommy and Daddy and he has so enjoyed it! It sings the rhyme when you flip to the next page and when you press the buttons, they point out letters, shapes, and count items on each of the pages. It's clever, I find myself singing these songs almost daily, and it's a great beginner book for teaching babies the techniques of handling books/flipping pages. Ours has been well loved.
I would love to know some of your favorite books! What books have your babies and toddlers loved reading over and over? Which ones give you all the feels or make you giggle? I'm always in the market for new children's books. Please share your favorites and suggestions in the comments! :)
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