When it came time to stock our home library after my Bonus Kids started staying with us, I wasn’t really sure where to start. I picked up a couple of my favorites from my childhood and then got stuck. However, when you work in an industry where little ones are the focus eventually you start to learn about more books.
With the Holidays coming up I wanted to share some of our favorites. I’ve included links to the books on Amazon to make shopping even easier. I don’t benefit from any of this but I know as a parent I hate reading crappy children’s books so consider it my gift to you.
1) Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
I am a big person and I 100% needed to hear this story and so did my tiny people. The story follows Jim Panzee through a day filled with friends trying to make him less grumpy. The more they “help” the grumpier he gets. I won’t spoil it for you but suffice it to say that we have all been Jim at some point. This story is a great way to teach your kiddos about feelings without being mushy and weird.
2) We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
This book made me laugh so hard in the bookstore that I bought it and then brought it to work to read to my staff. They loved it too. I’m a firm believer that children’s books are supposed to be fun for the grown ups that read them too and this one is definitely fun.
3) Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems
This awesome retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is filled with sass and fun. Mo Willems is probably most famous for Don’t Let the Pidgeon Drive the Bus. His writing and illustrations make his books (especially this one) easy for everyone to enjoy.
4) Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Alright so this one has won a ton of awards but I’m putting it on here for Moms like me who missed the memo. Not a Box takes you back to the days of make believe and encourages children to see the world differently. I especially love this book because we have a thousand kids so we do our best to encourage imaginative play that requires few toys. If you like this one then you’ll probably like Not a Stick as well.
5) The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstien
This is my kiddos number one favorite book for me to read to them! We have read it a thousand times and they know all the words. I loved this book growing up but I love it so much more now that I’m sharing it with them. We laugh and giggle and I make stupid voices. I feel like its got a great message about being able to stand on your own too. (Admittedly, I didn’t pick up on this until I was an adult.)
I hope that you enjoy these! I’ll be sure to let you all know when I get introduced to other great books. If your family has a favorite book or two leave me a note in the comments! The bigger our library is the happier I’ll be!
Mom Van Confessions 