Just Because - Favorite Children's Books

I remember our home always being rich with children's activities. We had books galore, and always had someone to read to us.

Kakunaa wrote a great post about her favorite Children's Books, and it got me thinking about all of my favorite books.... the books that I want to include when I build on my vision for my Someday Family. When I picture my future with children's things scattered around the house, I picture these things laying around.

I think that The Runaway Bunny might be my all time favorite book. It is so sweet and shows the unconditional love of a mother for her little bunny. Sometimes I feel like our journey to parenthood shadows this story.


“If you become a fish in a trout stream,” said his mother, "I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.”

“If you become a rock on the mountain high above me," said his mother, "I will become a mountain climber, and I will climb to where you are.”


“If you become a bird and fly away from me", said his mother, "I will be a tree that you come home to.”







Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel is another one that I love. I think that I have probably read it a thousand times, as it was one that I used to carry with me in my babysitting bag of tricks and all the kids I watched loved it as well. Again it is a story about loyalty and unconditional love, mixed in with determination to persevere thru the most hopeless and challenging conditions.

Reading it now, I relate to the outpouring of love and support that helped fuel Mike and Mary Anne (his steam shovel) to achieve what seemed impossible.



I recently discovered this series of books by Sibylle von Olfers. I love the illustrations and the way that each story connects nature with imagination. I actually bought a whole bunch of these books off ebay - some of them are for gifts, but there is a complete set sitting on my bookshelf for My Someday family.

Someday, I will read these stories to my children and talk about the seasons, and imagine that snowflakes are really little snow children.


Please tell me that you all remember this record... I LOVED this record as a kid. I remember listening to this record in the living room while my mom put my little sister down for her nap. I was 3, maybe 4 years old. The record was a mix of songs and little stories, all with the message that you are perfect just the way you are.

There was a 25th anniversary edition book published recently that I randomly found at the book store. It is crazy how all of my memories of these songs and stories came rushing back to me. I bought a bunch of copies of the book, and have been giving them away as birthday presents.


It feels so good to think about the future so positively. I really do have a section of my bookshelf reserved to hold the growing library of books that I will someday read to my little ones. Until then, I am grateful for this space and for being able to share these books with you.

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17 comments :

Anonymous said...

I love these. Thank you for the trip down memory lane! I, too, have books already on the shelves for my future little one(s). Hopefully we will both be able to read them to our pregnant bellies soon.

Krissi said...

These are great! I'll have to check some of these out! I think it's great that you keep a shelf for your someday family! Happy ICLW! (#119 & 120) BTW, I featured your blog today!

Les said...

I love Runaway Bunny... but my all-time favorite is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I read this one to my kindergarten class several times a year!

Emmy said...

Great selection of books! And thanks, now I have 'Free to be' stuck in my head!

Kristen said...

I love the Runaway Bunny too! I think my favorite is The Giving Tree.

Grace said...

i loooooooove children's books! it's one of my absolute favorite things about being a teacher :) love these classics, but i have lots of new favorites that i am sure will become classics also. you MUST check out all of mo willems' books, especially knuffle bunny and the elephant and piggie series. they are absolutely hilarious and so well-written. you can thank me later! ;)

happy iclw!

Kakunaa said...

I am totally asking for children's books for Christmas, and keeping my eye out to start building more of my library, as it is pretty bare right now. And I have some of my favorite young reader books in storage...I cannot wait to have a shelf full next year :) Thanks for the shout out!

theworms said...

I love free to be you and me :)

I can't wait to build my children's libraries.

Thanks for stopping by. ICLW

Kir said...

HI Foxy,
I love all your books, even the ones I wasn't familiar with...thanks for doing this.....

hugs , hugs :)

Elise said...

Stopping by from ICLW. I have never read any of those books! I do however have a few children's books in mind that I want to have when I have a baby.
Love your blog!

The Infertile Mind said...

Oh - I had forgotten all about Mike Mulligan Steam Shovel. Seeing that cover took me back! Thanks for smile today...and every time we cross paths, really! :)

Lily

Les said...

Hey Foxy- Thanks for commenting! We're so glad to have the home study out of the way. Once we're licensed, we could get a placement call any day. We've heard stories of couples getting a call the day of placement or the next day. We'll be prepared for whatever!

Mrs. Gamgee said...

I love children's books... Runaway Bunny is great! Have you ever read Old Turtle? It's my favourite kids book.

ICLW

cdg said...

thank you for your kind comments on my blog.
I love free to be you and me and am enjoying that new target commercial featuring the music :)

Three Cats and a Baby said...

I have a children's book obsession! I'll have to check those out. Thank you for sharing with us.

Jessica said...

I read SO much when I was a child. I still do! Unfortunately, I never had these books you specified. I can't wait to read to a little one!

Anonymous said...

Love this. Children's books are so great for capturing all kinds of feelings and moments, aren't they? Your kids will be so lucky to have a mom who is into books and reads to them.

 

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