3 Essential Children's Books
OK everyone, here's something that we can talk about a little to pass the time while we, the members of Waiters Anonymous sit frustrated that we do not yet have our child(ren) placed with us.What children's books do you think are essential to have in your house to read to a child?
If you have children, or care for children, what books do they like?
When you were little, what were your favorite books?
I'll start the conversation. Please get folks to comment on this blog so we can start to create a great list of essential children's books that are tried and tested!
First, I loved a book called "Fish Head" (1972) by Jean Fritz. This is how the book begins:
"Fish Head was a cat. A raggedy,scraggledy,patched-up,scratched-up cat. And right to the tip of his chewed-up tail,Fish Head was proud. Everyone on Clambake Island knew him. They were all used to seeing him pound down the waterfront with a stolen fish head dripping from his mouth. And so most of the people--most of the time--called him Fish Head. But not the butcher at the Waterfront Market. He called him a LONG-TAILED LIVER-LOVING THIEF........"
It is for an older child, but the writing is simply fantastic. I loved this book so much, it got worn so that the pages were falling out.
Second is the Phil Eastman (1960) classic "Are You My Mother".
In this book, a baby bird sets out to find his mother. But he doesn't know what his mother looks like--or even that she's a bird! Mother and child are ultimately reunited, but not before some pretty confusing situations. It's funny (and touching, really) and for a younger child - though I would probably still enjoy it.Next is the "Berenstain's B Book"
(1971). I can still recite the words to this book like it was just yesterday. "Big brown bear, blue bull, beautiful baboon, blowing bubbles, biking backwards, BUMP black bug's bananna boxes and Billy Bunny's breadbasket." It's great for teaching reading and word sounds, and the pictures and great - and very funny.Sadly, I think many of these are out of print. There are plenty of used copies on Amazon and Ebay, though for reasonable prices. My wonderful mother think she has saved boxes of our children's books in the attic. Barring water damage from 3 hurricanes in the last year, we might be able to salvage some.
So, friends, what are your favorite children's books? Let me know, and I'll post pictures of them so everyone can be on the lookout. I'll keep working on this project, and maybe it will distract me from the horrendous wait for our first placement.
posted by No Longer In Crisis @ 9/20/2005 10:14:00 AM
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