Reading is one of the most important habits we can pass down to our children. Early exposure to books is essential.
As for my preschooler, J, she was presented with different kinds of books from when she was a baby to what she is today. From flash cards to cardboard books, from puzzle books to short story books.
We make it a routine to read together before sleep. Recently, what surprised me was she could read (in fact, memorize) a story. We used to read to her this story but this time around, she read it to us instead. She could read the book (even though without knowing the words) because she has read the book for gazillion times.
Just for the fun of it, I asked J what her favorite books were. She told me a few and slowly a trend emerged. She seems to have a special inkling toward one author: Eric Carle.
Sure enough, Eric Carle is a talented writer. His books are unique (every book is presented in a different way) and his stories are captivating, well, even to me.
When you go through J’s top children books, please bear with her if you see more than one book from Eric Carle. That’s what happens when you fall in love with something or someone.
My Daughter’s Top Children Books
Here’s the list of Top Children Books as rated by J:
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This book tops the list. It’s about a caterpillar that goes through a series of things before it turns into a beautiful butterfly. Don’t be alarmed when you see a lot of holes in the book. This is the book that J can read to us, as I previously mentioned.
2. Rooster’s Off to See the World by Eric Carle. A rooster who sets out to see the world. But in the end, the best place on Earth is his own home.
3. Guri and Gura’s Surprise Visitor by Rieko Nakagawa and Yuriko Yamawaki. A story of how Guri and Gura find their surprise visitor in their very own home. Originally written in Japanese.
4. The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle – A chameleon tries to be everyone else. But soon it realizes that nothing is better than being a chameleon itself.
5. ABC Letters in the Library by Bonnie Farmer and Chum McLeod – Teaching the letters by using items found in a library.
6. The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle – A spider is so busy spinning her web that other animals fail to distract her. Not only can the pictures be seen, they can be felt too!
If you’re looking for a list of children books for older kids (Ages 8 up), check out Top 10 for Children list by Washington Post.
What about you? What are your child’s favorite books? You may share with me in the comment area below.
For more Works for Me tips, head over to Shannon’s Rocks in My Dryer.
