Inside, Outside by Lizi Boyd
Beautiful illustrations take you through the changing seasons with a little boy, by peeking through a window to see what's going on outside–and then peeking back in. We admittedly often avoid wordless books; sometimes, bedtime is tough enough to come up with stories on our own. But this one is a wonderful exception. There are so many details and surprises, the story unfolds easily, and our kids love adding their own commentary and questions–again and again.
Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo by E.S. Redmond
Our pick for flu season is a cautionary tale. "It started one day with a trip to the zoo, when a pale, sniffly girl named Felicity Floo wiped her red, runny nose without a tissue." In her trail (of icky green goo), she leaves all of the animals feeling sick. In our house, the story leads to laughs and dramatic sneezes-into-elbows. Aaaaa-choo!
Acorns and Stew, Too by Ruth Orbach
We picked up this book because of the beautiful black-and-white illustrations with bursts of neon. And after reading it, we loved it even more. Lenore, a clever little girl with a really big heart, is doing whatever she can to keep the ducks she loves from flying away for the winter. Her resourcefulness pays off – and kids learn that creative ideas and hard work can make a difference. First published 25 years ago, we're charmed by this timeless story of friendship.
Bring on the pumpkin patches, costume parades and sugar highs. We love this time of year. Our favorite way to get in the Halloween spirit is curling up with these not-too-spooky reads.
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How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
To celebrate World Space Week, we're reading a sweet book about a boy who loves stars. He decides he wants to catch one, which turns out to be an impossible task (even with his paper rocket ship), and leads to a series of disappointments. In the end, the boy is on the beach when he comes across a sea star, and it feels like magic. It's a bedtime book at our house – teaching that while sometimes things don't turn out like you planned, they can be pretty awesome anyway.
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney
Our preschoolers adore the Llama Llama series, and we often use the narratives to help them deal with tough situations. In the latest book, Llama Llama is teased by Gilroy Goat at school. Llama Llama and Nelly Gnu appropriately stand up for themselves (which we appreciate), and then "walk away and tell someone." It's a sweet story that models empathy, courage and friendship – a perfect pick for Bullying Prevention Month.
Eli, no! by Katie Kirk
Our talented friend Katie from Eight Hour Day wrote and illustrated this charming tale about their dog Eli.
There's no stopping kids from shouting, "ELI, NO!" as they follow his messy and misbehaving adventures. And when they're asked, "Do his owners still love him?" it's "ELI, YES!"
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and David Shannon
In celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day, here's one of our favorite pirate reads. A boy playing on the beach spots a pirate ship and joins Capt. Braid Beard's crew. And because nobody tells pirates to go to bed, or take a bath, or brush their teeth, he decides he'd like to be a pirate forever. Until bedtime, when the boy learns that "pirates don't tuck." (On the ship there are no stories, no goodnight kisses.) So the little boy cleverly finds his way back home. It's a fun, imaginative read that makes our kids roar "scurvy dog" and "up yonder pole!"
