My son is learning to read, which is at times both thrilling and laborious to experience. My husband and I are both avid readers and have been reading to him since he was a baby. We have our favorite books, as does he. Here are three that top our list.
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Our copy of this board book is well worn because its well read. Both of my children love the sing-song cadence of the story and enjoy the fun illustrations of the animals getting ready for bed on a boat. The plot stumps us every time, though — why do the animals exercise after they get ready for bed?
Harold the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
I love the simplicity of this book — and all the books in this series (Harold at the North Pole is pictured above). I love how the story inspires the imagination with just simple lines drawn with a purple crayon. The books are substantial reads, too, without being too long for a bedtime story.
David Goes to School by David Shannon
I have a soft spot in my heart for this book. It’s the first book that my son read to me at bedtime, rather than me to him. With every single word he read, I beamed with pride. Its not a hard read, by any means. Its a beautifully illustrated and relatable story about a mischievous boy learning to behave at school.
What books do you love to read with your child? Please share in the comments below.
This post was inspired by “A Critical Analysis of Children’s Literature,” a tongue-in-cheek chapter in Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan, which was a From Left to Write book club selection. As a member of the book club, I received a copy of the book for free. All opinions expressed are my own. Book links are Amazon affiliate links.
Some of our all-time favorites (among MANY): “Sam and the Firefly,” “Wemberly Worried,” “Where’s My Teddy?” “Sleep Tight,” “Muddigush,” “Leonardo the Terrible Monster,” “Mouse Was Mad,” “Llama Llama Misses Mama,” “Llama Llama Red Pajama,” and “Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes.” I could go on…