International Children’s Book Day 2018

Before my son was born, I was an English teacher by trade.  I have a deep seated love for books and reading.  I am the crazy lady who loves the smell of books and old libraries.  My family thinks I am nuts.  Anyone else love books as much as I do?  Each night before bed, part of our bedtime routine is to read a few stories as a family before my son goes to bed.  It’s a special part of the night that I really look forward to!

Call me a nerdy book lover but did you know that today (April 2^nd) is International Children’s Book Day? In case you are curious, International Children’s Book Day has been celebrated since 1967 and is always celebrated on or around April 2^nd.  Why April 2^nd?  April 2^nd just happens to be Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday which honors the Danish author who is most widely known for his Children’s books.  If you don’t know off hand, he is known for his fairy tales and the story of “The Ugly Duckling.” The Slogan for this year is “The small is big in a book.”

What does “the small is big in a book” mean to you?  To me, it means that books inspire your imagination.  Impossible things are possible within the pages of a book and you can experience things that you would never or could never in real life.

Reading to children is SO important.  It encourages development of speech and imagination and helps children to learn about the world around them.   Recently my son started flipping through books on his own.  A couple of weeks ago I caught him turning the pages of one of his board books and naming the animals in it.  It was the coolest thing to see!  I was so proud!  This past week he started being able to finish the end of the sentences in a few of his favorite books.  No, he’s not REALLY reading the books, he has basically memorized them but that’s the first step toward actual reading!  My heart is so full every time I see my son enjoying a book as much as I do!  I make a point to take my son to the library once a week if possible and between my son’s personal library and the ones that we have checked out, I have compiled a list of our top ten favorite board books and pictures books.  Some of these titles are available in both formats but in any case, I hope that you check a few of them out and that you enjoy them as much as we do!

Top Ten Board Books  

1. Go, Dog. Go! – By: P.D. Eastman

Right now, this is hands down my son’s favorite book!  He loves the rhymes and the pictures of the dogs on each page.  He has almost memorized it!  The book is reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss book and describes the various modes of transportation that the silly dogs take to a party.

 

 

2. Moo, Baa, La La La! – By: Sandra Boynton 

My son’s second favorite book, this book describes the sounds that various animals make.  My son loves to make the animal sounds.  His favorite is “What do three singing pigs say? La, la, la!”

 

 

 

3. The Going To Bed Book – By: Sandra Boynton

A book by the same author as Moo, Baa, La La La, this book is the perfect bedtime story.  It depicts animals on an ark going to bed and goes through their routine.  My son picks it out all of the time and usually wants my husband and I to read it twice!  The illustrations are cute and on some pages humorous.

 

4. Little Quack’s Opposites – By: Lauren Thompson 

The illustrations in this book are incredibly vibrant!  We just love the cute little ducks showing opposite actions such as near and far, happy and sad.  There is a whole series of Little Quack books but this is a favorite.

 

 

 

5. Ollie – By: Olivier Dunrea

Ollie has made me literally laugh out loud.  The story is about a duckling who refuses to come out of his shell so his siblings use reverse psychology to convince him to come out.  It is adorable and I could read it over and over.  It is part of an entire series but this is by far my favorite of the bunch.  That said, the entire series is worth a read.

 

 

6. Good Night, Sophie – By: Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff

This book stars the famous Sophie La Giraffe made popular by the teething toy in her likeness.  What makes the book extra cute though is that it is a touch and feel book.  Each page has a texture or cutout for little ones to touch and explore.  The bedtime theme is an extra bonus for us since that is when we do most of our reading.

 

 

7. The Little Engine That Could – By: Watty Piper

Does this one sound familiar from your own childhood?  It may seem like this book has been around forever but the message is timeless.  Believe in yourself and never be afraid to help others in need.  My son gets excited every time we get to the “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can” part.  He calls it the “choo choo” book and picks it out often.

 

 

8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar – By: Eric Carle 

This one also probably seems like it’s been around forever and it’s one of my personal favorites partly because I vividly remember reading it with my own mother.  This is a story about a caterpillar who eats everything in sight for a week.  It’s humorous but also somewhat educational.  My son loves turning the food pages with the holes in them that the caterpillar has “eaten through.”  The art is great and I feel like this book will always be a classic.

 

9. Peanut and Grape – By: Kathy Knight and Shannon Chandler

My sister bought this book for my son’s birthday.  It is absolutely adorable.  It depicts the friendship between a peanut and a grape and how much fun they have together.  The pictures are really cute and the story line is heartwarming.

 

 

 

10. Railway Race Day – By: Britt Allcraft

Some may find this book annoying and yes, I sometimes give it a “time out” but, that said, my son loves it.  This book has sound effect buttons for toddlers to push to go along with the story.  It features the popular Thomas and Friends characters and as an added bonus each page has a flap for kids to lift up to find a surprise underneath.  The book entertains my son longer than other because it has the sound and the flaps.  Just be warned… the sounds may make you crazy after the 50^th time!

 

Top Ten Picture Books

1. There Is A Difference – By: Hans Christian Andersen

I included this book because it’s one of my favorite Hans Christian Andersen stories and since International Children’s Book Day is on his birthday it seemed only fitting.  My copy happens to be from my own childhood but it looks like you can find it on Amazon included in a Hans Christian Andersen anthology.  This story is a little advanced for my toddler right now but I love the message.  The story features a discussion between a dandelion and an apple blossom.  The apple blossom thinks it is superior to the dandelion who, in the eyes of an apple blossom, is “just a weed” but the apple blossom learns that beauty is in the eye of the beholder – such an important lesson for children.

 

2. Make Way for Ducklings – By: Robert McCloskey

This book holds a very special place in my heart.  It takes place in Boston and I grew up in Massachusetts as a child so the places in the story are familiar to me.  I grew up being read this story by my dad.  The story is about a family of ducks who make their home in Boston and visit Boston’s public garden.  In the real present day public garden in Boston, bronze statues of the ducks have been installed in the park as a tribute to this book.  So sweet!  The illustrations in the book are black (or brown) and white but the story is fun to read and my son enjoys pointing out the “duckies” on each page.

 

3. Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – By: Judith Viorst

Another book from my childhood, this one is still relevant today.  In fact, a few years ago it was actually made into a movie (although the book is better.)  The story is about a little boy who is having the worst day ever and while some may think that he just complains too much, the book is very humorous.  The illustrations in this book are black and white but my son still enjoys them.

 

4. I’d Know You Anywhere, My Love – By: Nancy Tillman 

Even though I’ve read this book several dozen times, it still chokes me up sometimes when I read it.  This story is about a parent who will always know who his/her child is no matter what animal they try to become.  The illustrations are beautiful and the story flows really nicely.

 

 

5. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site – By:  Sherri Duskey Rinker  

If you haven’t read this book yet and you have a little boy (or a little girl) who loves trucks this is a must read.  The book is a pleasure to read with its pleasing rhymes and the illustrations are cute and engaging for little ones.  It’s the perfect bedtime story as each truck is put to bed as the construction site closes down and all of the trucks go to sleep.

 

 

6. Wherever You Go – By: Pat Zietlow Miller

Similar to Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go, this book explores the idea of travel and self- reflection but in a way that is a little easier to read to a little one with a shorter attention span.  The book uses “road” imagery and has attractive pictures to engage readers.

 

 

7. Llama Llama Red Pajama – By: Anna Dewdney

There is an entire series of Llama Llama books and now even a Netflix series but this one is one of our personal favorites.  Mama Llama puts baby llama to bed and like a typical child he delays a bit.  Children can relate to Llama and the books combine real life scenarios with a bit of humor.

 

 

8. Racecar Dreams – By: Sharon Chriscoe  

Racecar Dreams has beautiful color illustrations that really bring the story to life.  The day at the racetrack has ended and the book shows children the bedtime routine of a cute little racecar.  My son enjoys looking at the pictures in this book and comparing the car’s bedtime routine to his own.  It’s an enjoyable read for the whole family.

 

 

9. The Little Snowplow – By: Lora Koehler

I know that this one is a “winter” story and we are all more than ready for spring at this point but I couldn’t help including this book in my top ten.  The story features a little snowplow who has just joined a team of other utility vehicles.  The bigger trucks make fun of his size but in the end the little snowplow becomes the hero and proves the bigger trucks wrong about his abilities.  Isn’t a story about overcoming challenges a great one to read to your child?

 

10. Rainbow Fish – By: Marcus Pfister

Last but not least is this story about a selfish fish who doesn’t want to share his beautiful scales.  He is deeply unhappy until he learns to share and discovers that the value of friendship is far more than his vanity.  Toddlers are notoriously bad in the sharing department so anything that teaches the value of sharing is great in my opinion.  The book also features illustrations with shiny metallic paper depicting the glittery scales.  My toddler enjoys touching and pointing them out.

 

 

I hope that at least a few of these stories peak your interest and inspire you to take a trip to your local library.  Do you have favorites that are not on this list?  I’d love to hear about them.  Feel free to share in the comments! Happy International Children’s Book Day.  Happy Reading!