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Our Favorite Kids’ Books: Part 1

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Eva Amurri's daughter Marlowe reads one of her favorite kids' book on the kitchen floor of her Connecticut home.

Reading is a big part of my life with my kids, especially at bedtime! We love reading 2-3 books a day together,  and I’m always on the lookout for new favorites.  I find that reading with the kids is such a great bonding exercise, as well as an awesome opportunity to build up their vocabulary and get into really interesting discussions about storylines.  I am always surprised by how much they retain from the stories—plotlines will come up in conversation months down the road at times! I get a lot of questions about our favorite kids’ books, so today I thought I would share a roundup of our current faves. Just click below to shop!

Do Not Take Your Dragon to Dinner

by Julie Gassman (Author), Andy Elkerton (Illustrator)

We know you shouldn’t take your dragon to the library, but what about taking him out to dinner? After all, dragons need to eat too! But with fiery breath, flapping wings, and pointy spikes, that might not be a good idea! Rhyming text and diverse characters bring the importance of dinner manners to a new level in this colorful picture book.

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

by Jo Witek (Author), Christine Roussey (Illustrator)

Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions.

Bees: A Honeyed History

by Piotr Socha (Author)

One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages. From Athena to Alexander the Great and from Egypt to Ethiopia, Bees explores different methods of beekeeping and uncovers the debt that humans owe this vital species. With beautifully accessible illustrations depicting everything from bee anatomy to the essentials of honey making, readers will be captivated by the endless wonders of this seemingly small speck of the animal kingdom.

Five Stinky Socks

by Jim Benton (Author)

In Five Stinky Socks, one silly monster searches his house for his five super stinky socks!

The Seven Silly Eaters

by Mary Ann Hoberman (Author), Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Peter wants only milk, Lucy won’t settle for anything but homemade lemonade, and Jack is stuck on applesauce. Each new addition to the household brings a new demand for a special meal. What’s a mother to do?

Over and Under the Pond

by Kate Messner (Author), Christopher Silas Neal (Illustrator)

In this book, readers will discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. Over the pond, the water is a mirror, reflecting the sky. But under the water is a hidden world of minnows darting, beavers diving, and tadpoles growing. These secrets and many others are waiting to be discovered over and under the pond.

Mama, Is It Summer Yet?

by Nikki McClure

In this charming book, one little boy can’t wait for summer to arrive. He keeps asking, “Mama, is it summer yet?” Mama responds saying, ”Not yet,” but there are plenty of signs that indicate spring is changing into summer: The earth is soft and there are seeds to plant, birds singing, ducklings in the pond, and pink blossoms blooming. The young boy even wears his bathing suit and carries a beach pail in preparation, but will it ever be summer?

The Kissing Hand

by Audrey Penn (Author), Ruth Harper (Illustrator)

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.

Eva Amurri's daughter Marlowe reads one of her favorite kids' book on the kitchen floor of her Connecticut home.

Photographs by Carter Fish | Happily Eva After, Inc. © 2018 All Rights Reserved

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15 Comments

  1. Kelly Lord says:

    I’m all about getting new books!!! Best timing ever to share these. I’ve put them on my amazon list ? thanks x

    03.16.18 Reply
  2. Stephanie says:

    My daughter loved a book called Odd Velvet. Try and get it. Your kiddy cats will adore it.

    03.16.18 Reply
    • Jessica says:

      LOVE Odd Velvet!

      03.16.18 Reply
    • I will check it out! Thanks!

      03.18.18 Reply
  3. Jessica says:

    Must haves: Edward the Emu & Edwina the Emu. Both by Sheena Knowles. We are obsessed over here and have been reading them every night for weeks! BEST illustrations.

    03.16.18 Reply
    • oh awesome, I need to order those! Sound cute

      03.18.18 Reply
  4. Nichole says:

    As a child I LOVED going to the library and checking out new books each week and/or spending hours at the public library scouring for new books to read and my love of reading has carried over into adulthood, though most the reading I do now is very child centric :). I always hoped that when I had kids, they would love reading as much as I did. Luckily, they do! Reading to them before bed, is honestly one of my favorite things. Especially reading them books that I loved a child! In our nightly routine right now is at least of the Llama Llama books from that series. And you can’t go wrong with good old Dr. Suess.

    03.16.18 Reply
    • Aww I love this! When I was a kid reading was a sort of escape for me too. I was such a bookworm. I just love having bookshelves in the house where my kids can pull down things they’re interested in if the mood strikes 🙂

      03.18.18 Reply
  5. Tabitha says:

    Thank you for the list! Checking it!

    03.17.18 Reply
  6. Barbara says:

    I’d forgotten all about The Seven Silly Eaters. My grand daughters LOVED that one – as did I.

    03.17.18 Reply
    • My MIL actually got me that one– she has 5 kids and they were ALL super picky eaters! LOL

      03.18.18 Reply
  7. Have you read Caps For Sale? It was my favorite book as a child. So sweet and great classic illustrations.

    03.19.18 Reply
  8. Love the dragon book, I just ordered that actually, looking forward to reading it.

    03.21.18 Reply