Retail Rant and Raves: Useful Children's Books

One of the things that my kids have a lot of is books.  I remind my kids often of what a blessing that is.  It started when my sister gave us a large collection when we had our lovely "L."  Honestly, I think most of them were gifts or are from the Scholastic Book Fair at school.  I also see a few that have never been returned from Grandma or Papaw's house...oops.  We also get a few when perusing the clearance section of Half-Priced Books.

I think that it is a great idea to encourage guests at a baby shower to bring their favorite book to build the baby's library.  It could also be used as a gift basket for a 2nd or 3rd pregnancy.  The baby and the siblings can benefit well together.

I want my kids to love books, and I am sure that there are many more great ones out there than I will ever discover.  Actually, I wanted to take a minute to highlight a few that my kids enjoy but are actually useful too, so here we go!  I'd love to hear if your family has discovered some good ones too.

You're All My Favorites

by Sam McBratney

If you have multiple children, this is a must! It is a sweet story about three little bears who become concerned when they begin questioning which one of them is mom and dad's favorite.  For the record, the mom and dad are quite clever at reassuring their little ones. 

Have You Filled A Bucket Today?

by Carol McCloud

We refer to this book a lot at our house.  It presents a simple concept about being kind and caring (bucket filler) or unkind (bucket dipper).  It explains that "dipping" from someone's bucket also "dips" from your own bucket.  This is a book that we like to give to teachers as a classroom gift if they do not already have it.

Chad the Allergic Chipmunk and Allie the Allergic Elephant 

by Nicole Smith

Our son has a severe allergy to peanuts and treenuts.  These two books were given to us as a gift (Thanks Tricia!) before he started school.  The books explain food allergies with kid-friendly plot.  After all, how in the world do a chipmunk and elephant live without eating nuts, right?

Pocket Full of Kisses

by Audrey Penn

 

A big brother pleads for his mom to give his little brother back now that he has to share all of his toys and books with him.  His mother comforts him by giving him a kiss in the palm of his hand that he can bring to his cheek anytime he wants to.  The best part, the boys each get their very own.  

I have given out a few "kissing hands" in my day.  Especially if they were nervous about starting school or I was going to be away for some reason...usually to have another child that they'd have to share with.