Buy it: Dance Me, Daddy
Dance Me, Daddy (By Cindy Morgan) – If you have a little girl, you will probably tear up when you read this touching story about the love between a girl and her daddy. Each turn of the page, shows the little girl growing up from tutus, pigtails and tea parties to sleepovers with friends and homework. But through every age, the daughter and her daddy still dance together and the daughter says the same thing – “Dance me, Daddy…” Then she says that if she’s his princess than he is king of the world. Then the girl leaves home, falls in love and gets married. And on her wedding day, she goes up to her dad and says the same thing, “Dance me, Daddy…” And the last page shows the daughter visiting her parents with her husband and her own little girl. The book comes with a CD of the song “King of the World,” which tells the same story in song. The CD also features the author reading the story and an interview with the author.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? (By Carol McCloud) – The award-winning book is a great way to explain to your child the importance of being kind to others. The book explains that everyone in the world carries around an invisible bucket to hold their good thoughts and feelings. You can fill up other people’s buckets by doing or saying nice things. And when you fill someone’s bucket, you are also filling up your own bucket because you feel good about helping others. But when you are mean to someone, you are dipping into their bucket. The book also gives kids some ideas of how to be a bucket-filler. After reading this book, we continued to use the phrase “bucket-filler” around the house. When my daughter was helping me or saying something nice, I would point out that she was filling my bucket, which made her want to do even more good deeds. It’s a simple concept that very young kids can quickly pick up on. A wonderful book!
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink (By Diane de Groat) – Gilbert is making valentines for his classmates with a nice poem on each one. But then he remembers when two of his classmates – Lewis and Margaret – were mean to him. So he writes poems that aren’t so nice for them and signs a different name. Margaret and Lewis are upset with the valentines and soon they figure out they were from Gilbert. Gilbert explains to Lewis and Margaret why he wrote the bad valentines and they become friends again. Then Gilbert makes two nice valentines for his friends.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Franklin’s Valentines
Franklin’s Valentines (By Paulette Bourgeois) – I’m a big fan of all the Franklin books because they always include a lesson. This one is no exception and features a great lesson about friendship. As Franklin is rushing out of the door on Valentine’s Day, his fails to notice when the cards he made for his friends fall out of his backpack and land in a puddle. Franklin is crushed when he realizes he doesn’t have any valentines to hand out at school. He’s even sadder when his friends give him their valentines. But his friends let him know they don’t need a valentine to know that they’re his friend. The next day, Franklin brings cards for his friends and explains that these cards are for Friendship Day, which can be any day of the year.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: You Are My I Love You
You Are My I Love You (By Maryann K. Cusimano and Satomi Ichikawa) – This may be a tear-jerking read for parents (it certainly was for me), but it will be a sweet book for parents to read with their children. It explains what parents and their children mean to each other and what they give each other. “I am your dinner; you are my chocolate cake. I am your bedtime; you are my wide awake” is just one example from this lovely, rhyming story. The illustrations of the two bears are precious. I just love it.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Froggy’s First Kiss
Froggy’s First Kiss (By Jonathan London) – Froggy has a crush on his classmate, Frogilina. They play together on the playground and Frogilina gives him treats from her lunch box. Then Frogilna kisses Froggy and he gets teased that she is his girlfriend. For Valentine’s Day, his class makes valentines and Froggy hides as he writes “I love you” on one of his cards. The next morning, Froggy gives his mom the special valentine he made and his mom gives him candy kisses.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Fancy Nancy Heart to Heart
Fancy Nancy Heart to Heart (Based on the creation of Jane O’Connor) – Fancy Nancy loves all of the fancy parts of Valentine’s Day from the flowers to the chocolates. And of course, she loves making fancy valentines. Then Nancy finds a valentine that someone left for her, but she doesn’t know who it’s from. She solves the mystery by following a trail of glitter which leads to her little sister. Nancy gives her sister a valentine and her last piece of chocolate.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Love, Splat
Love, Splat (By Rob Scotton) – A cat named Splat likes another cat named Kitten. But Splat doesn’t understand why Kitten always pulls his ears and pokes his belly. On Valentine’s Day, Splat makes a card for Kitten but throws it away when he finds out that Spike also likes Kitten. Kitten finds the card in the trash and then gives Splat a valentine. Her valentine explains that she pulls his ears because his fur is soft and she pokes his belly because it makes a silly noise. Both Splat and Kitten’s valentines end with the same three words – “I like you.”
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: My Heart is Like a Zoo
My Heart is Like a Zoo (By Michael Hall) – This is a fun, ryhming book with brightly-colored illustrations that young readers will love. The story begins “My heart is like a zoo …” and explains on each page how it is as “eager as a beaver,” “silly as a seal” or “steady as a yak.” Each animal illustration in the book is made of heart shapes and readers are encouraged to see how many hearts they can count.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
Buy it: Henry in Love
Henry in Love (By Peter McCarty) – This is a sweet story about Henry who has a crush on his classmate, Chloe. One day, Henry is excited to take a blueberry muffin to school for his snack. At recess, Henry does a forward roll to impress Chloe and she shows him a perfect cartwheel. At snack time, Henry gives Chloe his blueberry muffin and he ends up eating a carrot instead.
The book recommendations included on this website are books that my daughter Ally, now age 5, and I have read and enjoyed together. I recommend the books that stand out to me as excellent children’s books for writing, illustrations, originality, story and characters. Ally and I hope you enjoy them too!
