A Book Without Words for a Story Time Full of Words

I Don't Like to Eat is a wordless book from Adarna House. It's meant for older kids (6+) but my preschooler likes it, as she so proudly announced a few nights ago. I actually bought it last year but, understandably, toddler E wasn't ready for some of the illustrations (Marcus Nada's drawings are not your typical cutesy picture book fare) and the ideas of the story:

A boy refuses to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, choosing to eat only junk food. He eats so much that a junk food monster bursts out—Alien-style—from his tummy! (Parental guidance advised.)

Five Kinds of Books I Love to Read Aloud

Happy World Read-Aloud Day! Isn't it funny the celebrations you become aware of when you become a mom? This is one day I'm glad to celebrate because reading aloud to kids is one of my favorite things to do. I wish I'd learned about it sooner because this wonderful initiative has a lot of empowering and engaging suggestions for activities for young readers (do check out the official website and learn more about the advocacy).

Here are some of the books I especially love to read aloud:

(This post contains affiliate links for Amazon and The Learning Basket, however, all book recommendations are my own and are for books we personally own and love. Thanks for your support!)

1) Books with repeating, sing-song verses
The rhythmic quality of these books engage kids who love anything associated with movement. Bob and shake your head or clap along while reading to further highlight the rhythm and beat. Silverstein and Seuss are masters of this art, and the silliness of their verses make their books especially entertaining for toddlers and preschoolers. Don't be surprised if you find these rhymes stuck in your head for a few days.

A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

How to Choose Quality Books for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Pre-readers

I love bookstores: secondhand, mega-chain, indie, foreign-language, or otherwise. I rarely come home empty-handed after a quick stop at a used books store. It's my superpower (I was gunning for mind-reading, but I got this). My husband is amazed—although also frustrated, because budget—by my ability to zone in on the good children's books while browsing through stacks and stacks of books.

How do you find the good titles? It can be tricky. Even in conventional bookstores, the keepers are not always the ones displayed up front, the featured titles that are on everyone's must-read list. If you're a new mom or a mom of an under three like me—and not a preschool teacher—you probably have not had the time to get to know the who's who of the children's book world, or you may only know books by their covers, not their authors, or, as is the case with picture books, their illustrators. Besides, picture book authors are a relatively quiet bunch.

However, to stick to books with familiar characters would be, in my opinion, a disservice to your child, especially your pre-reader, who is relying on you to fill her world with the stories that will become the voices in her head—and often the words that come out of her mouth. Imagine if your shelves contained nothing but quote compilations, biographies, activity books, and fan fiction on the It celebrity of the year. Shelves and shelves of nothing but the adventures of Taylor Swift. I love Frozen as much as the next mom, but walking into a bookstore, I sometimes wonder, how many other adventures, life lessons, and character-building moments can Anna and Elsa really have? What about learning about friendship from Frog and Toad, or courage despite the odds from a Little Blue Engine? Certainly, Sofia the First (my child's favorite) can teach all these things, but wouldn't your child's world be richer if her heroes came in different shapes, colors, and sizes (maybe even green and slimy, but wearing a waistcoat)?

Instead of a crash course in kids' lit, here are a few tips to help you pick out the gems even in crowded shelves of small pre-loved book stalls. Just save some for me, 'kay?

We're Reading: The Little Engine That Could (and the Unexpected Lesson It Taught Me)

All aboard!

One of my joys as a mom is being able to share with my kids a beloved children's book that my mom used to read to me. How I wish I remembered the sound of her voice exactly as it was then. Now, I only hear my own, repeating the same lines probably with the same intonation and cadence, taking the same pauses to wait for a little voice to chime in.

I was delighted to find a copy of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper in excellent condition at Books for Less! First published in 1930, this is certainly not a new book, but I feel it may be a forgotten classic that a new generation of moms may not be familiar with. It definitely has a lot of competition on the book shelves from the fancier, movie/TV-backed titles. But, perhaps what it has to its advantage is that you often can find a copy in used bookstores, a treasure in the stacks.

If you don't know the story, it goes like this: A little train carrying all manner of fantastic toys and delicious treats breaks down before it can go up the mountain, which it needs to climb in order to deliver its wonderful cargo to the good little boys and girls on the other side. Three different trains pass by, but each have their reasons for not helping the little engine (too important, too proud, too tired, too busy). Just when the engine, the dolls, and their ringleader, the toy clown, are about to give up hope, a little blue engine comes along; and, although she is neither the strongest, the biggest, or the most advanced, through the strength of her will, she saves the day, uttering the iconic words, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

We're Reading: 3 Children's Books About the Power of Imagination

The recent winners of the "Again, again, Mommy!" book awards have been three books on highly imaginative kids: Red Wagon by Renata Liwska, Tiger on the Wall by Annette Flores Garcia (illustrations by Joanne de Leon), and The Zoo by Suzy Lee.

Red Wagon and Zoo are both books where the beautiful illustrations are meant to speak louder than the minimal text, making them perfect leave-behind books for pre-readers to flip through. I'm always looking for books like these to encourage E to make up her own stories and explore these worlds on her own.

We're Reading: Pouch by David Ezra Stein

I picked up this book at a used books store, not knowing what to expect. It was still brand new and wrapped in plastic, the unopened lost treasure of someone from Arkansas (according to the mailing label stuck on the back cover). I was drawn to the beautiful illustrations; yes, I totally judged this book by its cover. 

And I'm glad I got it. We love this book! After giggling through our first reading, my three-year-old gave the ultimate review: "Again, Mama!" 

For our second reading, we put our bodies to work. She hopped along with Joey the little kangaroo, and when I said the word, "Pouch!" she hopped and ran back to me. Perfect for my kinesthetic learner! 

We're Reading: Adarna House Books

We just returned from this year's Manila International Book Fair, braving the traffic, the crowds, the potential bankcruptcy, all for the love of books.

For us, this year's star was Adarna House. I'd planned on buying just one or two storybooks for our helpers to read to Ella (and Little J), but seeing the shelves and stacks of great titles, I picked up a few more. Workbooks, storybooks, ABC (alpabeto) books for baby J, books for when the kids are older. I'd have brought home these posters if I had anymore wall space. 

We can't get enough of Adarna House books! Find out why after the jump.