Guest Blogger: Angela May, PR liaison and Assistant for Mary Alice Monroe
Since Mary Alice has been busy these last couple of weeks getting to know her newest grandchild, I offered to be this week's guest blogger. If you were hoping to be spared from baby talk for the month, sorry to disappoint. Mary Alice and I both have baby on the brain these days. Actually, I've got baby and books on the brain.
My little mister is not due until mid-June, but my husband and I have spent most nights reading to our little one. As we read slowly with child-friendly expression to my growing belly, we're also wondering which books he’ll want us to read to him time and time again.
We don’t even have the nursery furniture ordered yet, but we do have a bookshelf in place, already more than halfway full of a hodgepodge of children’s books (we're serious about storytime in this family). Part of the collection is thanks to the kind donations of friends, while the rest are oldies dating back to husband's and my childhood.
Hubby and I recently visited the local bookstore and had a great time pointing out some of our childhood favorites and flipping through some of the more recently published stories. There are so many choices-- the classics, award winners, bestsellers and local authors. Where do we start?
I’ve been quietly wondering which dozen or so are the most important books to buy for my baby’s personal library? Which ones will best feed his imagination, stoke his curiosity and fill his heart with the fondest storytime memories?
I think our current collection already has several standouts-- Dr. Suess’ Hop on Pop and The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, Eric Carle’s colorful creation The Very Hungry Catepillar and an autographed copy of Mary Alice Monroe’s award-winner Turtle Summer to name a few.
Note: for anyone for has not read her book-- even though it's for children, I was surprised by how much I learned about the beach, and I'm a native!
I must admit that our baby's book collection is off to a good start. And even though I don't know which ones I'll be buying during the next several months, I look forward to watching the collection grow along with my child’s love for reading. I eagerly wait to see which ones he’ll pull off the shelf for me to read over and over again.
Love all of your choices, Angela. I'd also suggest "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. We have created a tune to the words that are repeated througout the book, and my kids sing it with me. Another favorite is "Big Red Barn" by Margaret Wise Brown. It has beautiful pictures and words, and our youngest snuggles her best when we read this one. Best to you and your growing family!
ReplyDeleteAll of the above, but you can't leave out "Goodnight Moon!" One of the great bedtime stories that I can almost still quote.
ReplyDeleteAnd could our girls ever go to the doctor's office and not have dad read "Green Eggs and Ham?" Don't think so--since it was a staple at the Dr. office, but also at our house!
"Goodnight Moon" and "Green Eggs and Ham" deserve a spot on the shelf. And I will definitely check out Munsch's book and "Big Red Barn" by Brown. I love the book suggestions! Storytime is unforgettable. I still remember when my dad would read me stories from my fairy tales book, which I still proudly have today.
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