Books We Love

Rachel Rainbolt, M.A., CEIM
www.OhanaWellness.com

You can really help to shape your child's experience and understanding of their world through the books you read together. Choose wisely and make reading books together a part of your lives. I have spent hours on the floors of bookstores and libraries reading through piles of books and gratefully receiving wonderful additions to our library from friends. Here are our favorites:

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
My Many Colored Days is absolutely one of my favorite books.  It gives little ones so much.  Emotional intelligence is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.  Research shows the factor that most predicts success is not physical appearance or intelligence but Emotional Intelligence (EQ).  This book gives the littlest ones a platform to grasp these concepts, dive into their imagination, explore themselves, and read others.  The art is absolutely gorgeous and so eye-catching.  The animals characters make the story relevant and interesting for the youngest of readers.  I have the board book version so my babies can really "experience" the book but it comes in a standard version as well.  Very classy book- a staple of any solid family library.

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
This is my absolute favorite book- a must have for your child's library.  Read it with a sense of humor and really play up the emotional states in the book.  It's so entertaining, has super cute illustrations, and so effectively teaches one of the best lessons you can teach your kids; life and who you are is all a matter of interpretation.  Be a kiss-kiss fish!    

The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark
The much anticipated sequel to The Pout-Pout Fish, one of our absolute favorite books, is here! Our beloved Mr. Fish with his new friend Ms. Shimmer embarks on a journey of friendship, overcoming his fear of the dark. If you loved The Pout-Pout Fish (and how could you not), your little ones will enjoy reuniting with Mr. Fish as he discovers his true strength: friendship. The perfect addition to your growing library. Read with your child every night and grow the mind, grow the heart.

Someday by Alison McGhee
The seasons of life are something that can be difficult for a little one to comprehend. This story captures the essence of love throughout time between a mother and child, on through generations, so well.

I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rosetti-Shustak
This adorable book breaks down all the sides of your baby that you love.  In addition to being simple and sweet, this book is playful.  You can touch or enact all the sides of your baby that you love (ex: bottom side, loud side) as you read.  One of my favorites to read with the little boys I love through and through.  This is one of those books I will save for the rest of their lives.    

Where To, Little Wombat by Charles Fuge

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

It’s Time to Sleep, My Love by Nancy Tillman
I love this book. I breathe deeper just thinking about it. It's a great nighttime story with beautifully serene artwork and a poetic and loving story. It's like a lullaby weaved with visual imagery.

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
This book is great.  It is so funny and kids relate so well all while providing opportunity for great conversations about emotion.  It is the story of a little girl name Trixie who ventures to the laundry mat with her daddy and on the way home realizes something… (her knuffle bunny didn’t make the trip home).  She “bawls” and goes “boneless” all while her daddy gets more frustrated and angry.  Then, of course, the minute they open the door to the house mom says, “Where’s Knuffle Bunny?” and a mad dash and search and rescue operation ensue.  The book is short and the illustration mixes real life photo with bright and vibrant drawing so it captures the attention of little ones.  It so accurately tells the tale of a baby’s world and how their behavior is about communication and emotion.  Our favorite thing to do is identify what Trixie might be feeling by her various facial expressions.  Read with your baby’s stuffie in hand!

The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler
My 4-year-old son chose this book to bring to preschool for me to read to the class. He is so empowered and entertained with hilarity at the storyline of animal friends, terrified of a ferocious swamp monster... which turns out to be their own shadow. The story is written in such a way, with a repetitive chorus, that even your littlest ones will be reciting the story along with you. Plus, the artwork is so rich with color, scenic and detailed; it keeps you hanging on the turn of every page with suspense.

Have You Seen My Potty by Mij Kelly
This book is just ridiculously cute.  This little girl "has something very important to do" but the animals keep swiping her potty seat!  They revel in the joy of finally having something to solve all their potty needs but Susie Sue has to poo!  Make the potty seat a part of your little one's world.  The adorable illustrations and sweet rhymes of this story are just what you need to introduce your baby to the potty seat as a fun, positive thing.  Such a funny story- just as enjoyable for the story reader as the story listener :).

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson
Bear Feels Sick is a great book about friendship, empathy, and tender loving care.  I love the whole Bear series and this story in particular just teaches such great lessons about being a good friend that so many children today seem to be missing.  All the animal friends take care of their friend Bear when he is sick and then when he feels better all of his animal friends fall ill and Bear gets to reciprocate.  My favorite part about the Bear books is the writing.  The rhyme and flow is so easy and fun to read- poetry you both will enjoy and the illustrations are beautiful works of art.

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
The Llama Llama books (as my kids affectionately refer to them) display undesirable behavior but the key to the stories is that they lead the way out of the stressful situation, away from the maladaptive coping mechanism currently being employed by Little Llama. Mad at Mama is about a shopping trip tantrum, Red Pajama is about being alone (and panicking) at bedtime and Misses Mama is about missing mama at the start of preschool. If you have ever dealt with any of these issues, you can read these books with your little one and see the situation together through a new (and entertaining) lens. It is great to see the little reader at your side shocked and dismayed at Little Llama's bad choice and cheering for Mama Llama as she teaches Little Llama to make good choices.

You Can Do It, Sam by Amy Hest

The Night Before Christmas- Jan Brett

The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman
I love all of Nancy Tillman's books and this Christmas book lives up to her poetic and artistic style, centering itself on that beautiful and emotional bond between parent and child.
"And so then, my darling, wherever you roam,
may you always be safe...may you always come home.
For as long as the world still spins and still hums,
wherever you are, and no matter what comes,
the best part of Christmas will always be...
you beneath my Christmas tree."

Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
I love the whole Bear series by Karma Wilson.  Other books in the series include Bear Feels Sick and Bear Snores On.  These stories teach such great lessons in friendship and are so fun to read.  If every child learned to be a good friend, the work would be so much closer to peace.  The illustrations are so pretty, Jane Chapman is one of my favorite illustrators. 
Read seasonal books.  Not only are they a great opportunity to celebrate your beliefs (you can select books tailored to your family's beliefs) but they connect children to the earth.  Celebrate the seasons!   

Relax Kids: Aladdin's Magic Carpet: And other Fairy Tale Meditations for Princesses and Superheroes by Marneta Viegas
Want your child to have inner peace?  Get this book.  This book is perfect as a final story before bed or during those times when you and your child need to connect and re-center.  Each story promotes relaxation, strengths of character, and ignites the imagination.   
Note: I hate gender stereotypes but don't be put off by the mention of princesses and superheroes in the title.  The author discusses in the foreword that her characters are meant to ignite the positive masculinity and femininity in every child. 

Born with a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story by Jennifer Morgan
This book was given to my 4-year-old son by his friend Tara with the inscription, "This book will blow your mind." My sons response: "It did Mommy, it did."

Dr. Seuss

Yertle the Turtle

The Lorax
The quintessential children's story of why we must conserve our environment; how things can start off so simply, go so wrong, and how we are all connected. Of course, all done through the silly and entertaining tongue and imagination of a classic Dr. Suess book.

ABC

Green Eggs and Ham

The Sneetches
This was my son's favorite book for a long time. The story of The Sneetches is such a good one that teaches children how ridiculous, arbitrary and cruel social exclusion and trying to fit in can be. This should be a prerequisite for entry into public school- a definite must read.

Sibling

Baby on the Way by Dr. Sears

What Baby Needs by Dr. Sears
When I was pregnant with my second child my husband and I knew we wanted our son to be involved in the entire process of bringing our new baby into the world, and into the fold of our family. We wanted him to feel as if this baby belonged to him, just as much as he belonged to us. We wanted to prepare him through the lens of our family values. I was so grateful when I found Baby on the Way and What Baby Needs by Sears. As the founders of the modern Attachment Parenting movement, the Sears books for big brother or sister include aspects of our parenting that most sibling books (when you can find them at all) do not, like breastfeeding. While preparing for the arrival of our new baby these books were Skyler's top choices for night-night stories. He excitedly looked forward to his role in caring for his new little brother. I highly recommend these books for mamas with a Baby on the Way, and one already in your arms.

You’re All My Favorites by Sam McBratney 
I don't love the flow of the writing in this book- it is a little awkward- but we love the message. It illustrated through the lovable bear family characters how we could love both him and his new baby brother in a special way. It put to ease any insecurities he may have had as the bear siblings work through theirs. When any emotional situations come up that may trigger feelings of emotional insecurity, I can just say, "You're all my favorites." and I can see the assurance the book provides wash over him.

Chapter Books

The Magic Tree House
This is the book series that introduced my son to and made him fall in love with chapter books in kindergarten. They are about a brother and sister who travel to various times and places throughout history using a magic tree house to become Master Librarians. Magical, adventurous, suspenseful, historical, educational, exciting... these books have it all!

Grown Up Books

The Attachment Parenting Book by Dr. Sears

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine
The sneaky chef is an awesome book that every parent must have. The first several chapters delve into the whole philosophical debate behind sneaking vegetables so I will only simply state that there are only two things little ones are absolutely in control of: what goes in their mouth and where they put it when it comes out. Potty training and eating can turn in to major battle grounds that they need not be. It is your job as a good parent to provide your child with healthy meals. It is not your job to make them eat it.
Personally, I don't cook and I hate vegetables. I hate them. I refuse to eat them. As a grown woman I will not touch so much as a leaf of lettuce. Nada. The therapist in me is sure I am rebelling from a childhood of being forced to eat them instead of allowed to appreciate them. But the bottom line is they just taste icky and you can't make me! I am a picky eater and unfortunately my eldest little angel inherited my numerous taste buds (that's right, research shows that picky eaters actually have MORE taste buds on their tongues, making them more sensitive to the flavors and textures of foods). So how do I get the healthy vegetables our bodies need past the taste buds in a way that is respectful of my son's ownership of his body and fosters an appreciation instead of aversion for healthy foods? The Sneaky Chef. All of the healthy goodies like chickpeas, cauliflower, and spinach are pureed, mixed with masking flavors, then cooked with the food. I am fostering an appreciation for these foods in my son by framing them as ingredients that are a part of our favorite meals, kitchen, and lives. And personally, I am excited! This book has changed my life. I am eating bushels of vegetables every week. Since I bought this cookbook I have consumed more healthy foods than I ate in the last decade. Thank you Missy Chase Lapine!