Books

“There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.”

— May Ellen Chase

From Beth Crye:

The Saving Name of God the Son (Teaching the Language of the Faith: Blessed Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit), by Jean Ann Sharpe

Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown

 

Because...Babies need good board books!

From Aunt Ann:

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has probably been the book that influenced my life and my imagination more than any other, C. S. Lewis spoke of how reading George MacDonald gave him a "baptism of the imagination" long before he became a Christian. I am sure that LWW did the same for me. When I first read it, before my father was reconverted by reading CSL, we were not a church-going family, so when I first encountered the Gospels, they seemed like a fulfillment of the Narnia books. And yes, this is why Ann-Therese has a Cousin Lucy and a Cousin Timothy Peter.

From K.C. Sykora:

Paddington, by Michael Bond

From Karen Fischer:

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

I chose Harold and the Purple Crayon because I remember it from my own childhood, both as a book I liked to have read to me, and as a book I would return to many times when I began to read myself. Something about the creativity and calmness in the face of unexpected events is very appealing, I think.

From Katie Fox:

Little Pea Box Set

From Katherine Gardner:

When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne

These poems are among the first things I remember having read to me, and even now when I start to read one I hear it in Mom’s voice, with all the expression and inflection that made them so wonderful to listen to. I think little ones can enjoy these poems long before they learn to understand the words, and yet they’re so charming and funny that as an adult I still enjoy reading them aloud.

From Mom:

Jeremy Fisher, Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Cecily Parsley's and Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes, by Beatrix Potter

   

 

From Camille:

My Storytime Bible, by Renita Boyle

I chose it because I like how the book doesn't skip over the “bad stuff" in salvation history—it actually talks about the Fall, but in a kid-understandable way and while teaching empathy (i.e that we all err, but God loves us through and through).

From Kate Gardner:

A Child's Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson

This book has been our boys' favorite collection of poems (next to the 'Pooh' poems). It is so sweet to hear little voices going around the house reciting snippets of them. And, I love the accompanying pictures from Tasha Tudor. James, Matthew, and Andrew have spent many an hour poring over the illustrations even before they are able to read the poems!

From Christy Wahl:

Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town

Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day

 

Busy, Busy Town centers on a town full of anthropomorphic animals like Huckle Cat and Hilda Hippo who perform specific jobs in Richard Scarry’s busy little town. My mom tells me that I loved the characters! Look for the artist in the window.

The Snowy Day (1962) is considered one of the first "multicultural" children’s books because it featured an African-American boy as its main character. Entirely composed of collage, the book won the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1963. I loved this book because of the sweet story—a kid walking around in the snow—and the gorgeous illustrations.

From Catherine F.:

Pride & Prejudice: A BabyLit Counting Primer, by Jennifer Adams

My sister introduced me to this series of books that she discovered on a blog written by a Catholic mom named Kendra (see this post from Dec 10, 2014). I thought the book concept was so clever! I hope this book will make Miss Elizabeth a familiar friend to little Miss Herchold long before she is old enough to read Miss Elizabeth's story.

From Margaret Gardner:

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown