Monthly Archives: February 2014

Good Night, Gorilla

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My youngest loved this book as a young toddler.  He’d ask for it every night before bed and we’d watch the gorilla release all of his animal friends so they could follow the zookeeper home.  We’d loved the details, like the toy in each animals’ cage,  the balloon that drifts through each double-page spread, and the mouse constantly lugging around a huge banana.  He would giggle and giggle when one of the characters got a big surprise.  A real charmer and, of course, perfect for bedtime. (He also loved the Scholastic video version of the book, which is less detailed but equally sweet.)

Author:  Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

Usborne Touchy-Feely series

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This series is nothing if not predictable.  A little white mouse says “That’s not my [robot/monster/train/etc.]” over and over, explaining why the item on each page is not the one he is looking for (usually based on their textures or colors).  At the end of each book, the little mouse exclaims “That’s my [robot/monster/train, etc.]!” and then explains why.  (For example, “Its antennae are so sparkly.”)  These books were very popular through the toddler years–we had the robot, monster, and train versions and there were lots more at daycare.  Strangely, the whole series is now out of print.

Author:  Fiona Watt
Illustrator:  Rachel Wells

Goodnight Moon

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Another book that needs no introduction, Goodnight Moon was part of my oldest’s bedtime routine for about a year, beginning when he was around six months old.  We hoped the hypnotic words, the coziness of the pictures, and the unchanging routine would help him (finally) go to sleep.  And, as he got older, we enjoyed looking for the mouse hiding in each picture of the room.

Author:  Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrator:  Clement Hurd

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

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I’m not going to pretend this book needs an introduction.  I read it on my honeymoon and now I’ve read it to my six year old.  I loved it then.  He loves it now. 

Author:  J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Mary Grandpre