OK, so we haven't exactly got a bookshelf - we've got shelves and baskets and books tucked into bags and under pillows and just everwhere! We are bookworms! I thought I'd share with you some of our fall favourites!
(It's an older photo - I know - but it's a pretty common sight in our car!)
AUTUMN by Gerda Muller
This sweet little board book is a favourite indeed! It's simple pictures have kept our little ones busy 'reading' for hours. Sascha enjoys describing what he sees on each page and relating his own experiences - like making jam with mama (toddlers and jam making, not for the faint of heart!) We've got the whole series and with each season one goes back into the box and one comes out - our year seems to be marked by Muller-seasons at present!
CHILDREN OF THE FOREST by Elsa Beskow
Like Gerda Muller, Elsa Beskow's become one of our favourite authors! We love her books! This one, about a tiny little family who live under an old pine tree, manages to stay out year-round (which happens with our very favouritest of books!) and follows the family through the changing of the seasons. The thing about Beskow is that her charming illustrations and tender stories are timeless - this book has been around for generations and although I only just discovered it myself with my own children, I am positive it will be in our family for many more children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren. Did I mention we love this book?
PUMPKIN SOUP by Helen Cooper
My favourite of our autumn collection! This is a hilarious little board book about a cat, a duck and a squirrel who live together in a cottage in the woods. The three friends make pumpkin soup - my favourite kind of soup - I could eat it every day! (I'll include a couple of recipes soon.) One day, the duck decides to upset the system - what ensues is a lovely, funny adventure and a lesson about sharing and turn-taking. The illustrations are entrancing - you must find this book, you'll love it!
THE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO WASN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING by Linda Williams
Just scary enough for toddlers, without being too scary. Sascha is into scarcows in a big way this fall - and pumpkins! - and this book with its rhythmic language is ideal for actions. This is not a before-bed-book, as it winds people up. We keep borrowing and borrowing this one from the library. (I have a feeling it will eventually end up arriving at our front door in one of those frequent brown boxes labled 'amazon'.) It's got a kind of 'Amelia Bedelia' feel to it.
OLIVER FINDS HIS WAY by Phyllis Root
Ned's choice! A little bear follows a yellow leaf down the hill, around a clumpy bush, under a twisty tree... and he gets lost in the woods! Poor Oliver! And he's so cute! The story reminds little ones that stopping to think out a solution to a problem is a useful step.
AUTUMN STORY by Jill Braklem
We stumbled across a set of Brambly Hedge books at the thrift shop and am I ever glad we did! They are so sweet. The little mice who live at Brambly Hedge are a charming addition to our bookshelf. The illustrations are carefully detailed and keep Sascha busy for hours.
THE GIGANTIC TURNIP by Aleksei Tolstoy and Niahm Sharkey
This is a Barefoot Book and a classic! It's the first Barefoot Book I ordered, but certainly not the last. The cds that come with many of the books have been very helpful on long drives. We love pumpkins, yes we do, but there comes a point when pumpkins get a bit tedious - enter the humble turnip to the rescue!
I do like to rotate our books a bit. It seems odd to me to be reading about snow in the height of summer, or tulips in October. Naturally there are some favourites that never get tucked into the closet, and i'll share a few of those tomorrow.
What are you reading as these golden leaves are falling?
Recent Comments