Favorite Picture Books and Audios for Kindergarten :: On Xavier's Shelves

I've been wanting to put together something on this topic for ages but documenting Xavier's kindergarten shelves finally spurred me on!

Before this school year began, I pulled some of my very favorite picture books onto a couple special shelves for reading aloud to Xavier during his kindergarten year.  These are ones I read to my older three over and over, and I wanted to make sure I hit them all with him as well.  The nice thing about these is that of course they span a variety of ages.  So the Baby Girls (ages 4 and almost-3) happily join us too, as does my first-grader.  (And who am I kidding--my Big Kids eagerly listen in on most of these as well!)

This list is not meant to be exhaustive.  I'm sharing what is on Xavier's kindergarten shelves right now.  There are lots of other wonderful books that are not!

(I'm also not duplicating the AmblesideOnline Year 0 list.  The ones I have linked here are our family recommendations; the ones listed but not linked can be found on the AO Year 0 page.)

Picture Books

If I could only choose two fiction books for kindergarten, they would be:

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter and The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh

But his shelves hold more than just those...

Eloise Wilkin Stories (THE most requested picture book in our home over the years)

Virginia Lee Burton - Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, The Little House, Calico the Wonder Horse, Choo Choo, Maybelle the Cable Car
Don Freeman - Corduroy, Dandelion
Robert McCloskey - Make Way for Ducklings, One Morning in Maine, Blueberries for Sal

Marjorie Flack - Wait for William, Ask Mr. Bear, the Angus books, The Story about Ping

Bemelmans' Madeline books (we have both Mad About Madeline, which collects the original six books, and the same books in individual copies just because we love them so!)

H.A. Ray's original Curious George books

Virginia Kahl - The Duchess Bakes a Cake, The Perfect Pancake

Patricia Thomas' Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze!

Barbara Cooney - Ox-Cart Man and Miss Rumphius (two all-time favorites of mine)

Beatrice de Regniers' May I Bring a Friend?  

Margaret Wise Brown - The Little Island, The Little Fireman

Elsa Beskow's Pelle's New Suit

Paul Galdone - The Owl and the Pussycat, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Henny Penny, The Little Red Hen, and other folk tales

Tony Johnston's Yonder

Mary Ann Hoberman - A House is a House for Me, The Seven Silly Eaters

Wanda Gag's Millions of Cats

Margaret Mahy's 17 Kings and 42 Elephants

Esphyr Slobodkina's Caps for Sale

John Vernon Lord's The Giant Jam Sandwich
Arlene Mosel's Tikki Tikki Tembo
Jean de Brunoff's original Babar books

Lois Lenski's "Small" and "Little" books - Cowboy Small, Policeman Small, The Little Train, and more

And a few more in specific genres...

Folk Songs (Xavier's personal favorite) - Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night, You're a Grand Old Flag, The Glorious American Songbook, The Star-Spangled Banner, Frog Went A Courtin, The Rooster Crows ... (I've documented well our love for folk song picture books if you're interested in more!)

Non-Fiction Picture Books - the Smithsonian backyard series (my oldest son particularly likes reading him these)

Poems and Rhymes collections that have as lovely illustrations as they do text - Lavender's Blue, The Glorious Mother Goose, The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems

Audiobooks

Cate and Xavier listen to a bit of an audiobook most days of the week.  Here are the ones we're hitting this year:

:: Beatrix Potter collection, read by Nadia May

:: Winnie-the-Pooh collection, read by Peter Dennis

:: A Bear Called Paddington and More About Paddington, both read by Stephen Fry

:: Little House collection, read by Cherry Jones (this is one AO free read that I don't save for the scheduled years--my littles have listened through several times along with the older kids)

:: a few Jim Weiss CDs: Uncle Wiggly's Storybook, Tell Me a Story, Animal Tales, Famously Funny, Arabian Nights, Giants!  (I avoid the ones that are retellings of books we'll be reading later on for AO, which is why I only have selected ones listed here)

:: records from Arts Reformation, including Mother Goose Songs, A Child's Introduction to the Orchestra, and more

:: Peter and the Wolf narrated by David Bowie, along with The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra and The Carnival of the Animals
:: Catholic Children's Librivox (I'll admit I am not a huge Librivox fan, but it is nice to have these religious books available!)

What We're Reading :: Easter Edition

The children's Easter baskets were filled with books, so suffice it to say that those have kept them entirely occupied over the last few days.  More on that in just a moment...

Me:
Wojtyla's The Jeweler's Shop (for my local book club)
Karen Glass' Consider This (doing a re-read alongside the "slow simmer" thread on the AO forums)
Goudge's Pilgrim's Inn (still barely started)
Lowry's Number the Stars (pre-reading for my kids)
Linney's Getting Started with Latin (trying to decide on a Latin option for next school year)

To the Kids:
Lewis' Prince Caspian (on audio--we're doing all of Narnia on audio for summer!)
Wilder's These Happy Golden Years (just finished!)
Marigold Hunt's St. Patrick's Summer (on the last chapter of our Lenten reading)
deJong's The Wheel on the School (just finished this free read up from Term 3 yesterday)

For Vincent, age 8:

For Gianna, age 8:

detail of the red hardcover -- swoon

For Cate, age 6:

For Xavier, age 4:

For Bridget, age 3:

For Clara, age 2:

we have these in full size, but these are sweet miniatures that I couldn't resist

Baby Andrew didn't get a basket this year; he was very happy playing with the kids' leftovers. ;)

(Oh, and as always: every one of these was pulled from the box I keep in the garage for all the used children's books I buy throughout the year!  My favorite kind of holiday shopping is sorting through that bin for books that will suit each child. :))

So did books fill your Easter baskets this year?  (Ours had a few other goodies too--I'll share those in another post.)  What does your early-spring reading look like?  Any current favorites?  I'd love to hear!

Picture Books We Love :: Five Favorites for Fall

I finally got around to pulling out our fall picture books this week.  Admittedly, it has not been very autumnal here (in fact, it's supposed to be in the 80s pretty much all week), but we welcomed November with a wet Halloween and the seasonal wardrobe switch-out over the weekend, so I thought it was time.  I'm still waiting for the crisp afternoons and crunch of leaves underfoot, but I suppose fall picture books will have to do.

Sharing a few of my favorites younger crew this morning...

Elisa Kleven's Snowsong Whistling - I've raved about this one before--my personal favorite fall book.

Cynthia Rylant's In November, illustrated by Jill Kastner - Soothing prose accompanies soft illustrations depicting the quieting of the natural world and the celebration of families.

Over the River and Through the Wood, illustrated by Christopher Manson - I've mentioned this one before too, and I've also gone on and on about our love for sing-along books.  Woodcut-style illustrations set to a folk song?  Couldn't get much better.

Cynthia Rylant's Scarecrow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer - Another by Cynthia Rylant.  Here she gets at the heart of fall's beauty from the perspective of the scarecrow, watching the changes of the seasons from his perch with stillness and quiet confidence.

Lois Lenski's Now It's Fall - Lenski has a set of four miniature seasonal books and each one is charming (and sadly out of print).  A very nice introduction to the customs of the season for little ones, and her illustrations are, as usual, delightful.  (FYI: One of the little girls dresses as a "funny witch" for Halloween in this book, so if that bothers you, you may want to skip this title.  I do like that both Now It's Fall and I Love Winter include religious scenes.)

Any fall books special to your family that we are missing?  I'd love to know.

Picture Books We Love :: Favorite Folk Songs, Part Two

I'm back to add a few more of our favorite picture books based on folk and patriotic songs.  (You can read my first round of picks here.)  Summer seems like the perfect time to get these out and enjoy some singing-along...and of course, July 4th is coming up as well.

We really enjoy Will Hillenbrand's illustrative take on the simple Fiddle-i-Fee--I won't spoil the surprise, but it involves a charming animal band preparing for a special performance.  I remember reading this one over and over when my two oldest were tiny.

Peter Spier's The Star-Spangled Banner is a favorite here for a couple reasons: his historically-detailed and vivid illustrations delight us all, and we're so happy that he includes all four verses of our anthem.  (And I just noticed that they are re-releasing his Caldecott-winning version of Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night this September--that'll make a perfect Christmas gift for my 4yo!)

I have to admit that I cringe slightly at the overtly political lyrics in This Land is Your Land...is that just me?  But those first few stanzas are truly lovely and the tune is so fun--and Kathy Jakobsen's detailed paintings make this book irresistible.

I didn't mention it last time, but one of the most fun things about this genre is that even my preschoolers can "read" these books aloud for their younger siblings.  You can imagine how proud that makes them. :)

Now I'm on to a new project: I have a big stack of folk song compilation books out from the library with an eye toward adding a few new ones to our personal collection for my big kids to play piano from.  I'll be sure to share which ones make the cut. If you have a favorite or two (especially if they're suitable for beginning-intermediate piano players), let me know!

Picture Books We Love :: Favorite Folk Songs, Part One

My children started piano lessons this past year and have been playing simple folk tunes from their music books.  Hearing those melodies reminded me of the wonderful folk-song-turned-picture-books that I used to read day after day to my two oldest when they were small but had completely forgotten with my current littles.  Considering how much my kids love sing-along books, I decided to remedy this right away and grabbed a bunch of our old favorites from the library and our own picture book collection--and I thought I'd share them with you too.  Here's the first batch:

John Langstaff is a folk song legend.  He collaborated with Caldecott-winning Russian illustrator Feodor Rojanovsky on two titles that we particularly enjoy: Frog Went a-Courtin' and Over in the Meadow.

And Anita Lobel provided fittingly charming drawings for Langstaff's version of Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?

I usually don't prefer cartoonish selections, but Ed Emberley has a winner with his quirky London Bridge is Falling Down.

It's hard to go wrong pairing Normal Rockwell prints with one of our favorite patriotic tunes. George M. Cohan and Norman Rockwell's You're a Grand Old Flag is in constant rotation at our home.

Robert Quackenbush's Pop! Goes the Weasel and Yankee Doodle is actually a recent discovery for me.  My youngers love the colorful but simple illustrations and my olders are enchanted with the historical background provided on each page.  Plus: two songs in one!

Carol Jones' Old McDonald Had a Farm and This Old Man remind me of the Ahlbergs' work, with the peek-a-boo cutouts on each page and the detailed drawings.  Perfect books for reading to little ones.

I have two favorites for "The Farmer in the Dell": Ilse Plume's (bottom) and Alexandra Wallner's (top).  Usually I'm pretty opinionated when it comes to picture books and have no trouble deciding which version I like best, but both of these are just so good.

More coming soon!  (Do you have any favorites to share?  I'd love to know!)

(Edited to add: You can read Part 2 here!)

Picture Books We Love :: My Top Ten Christmas Books for Littles

I narrowed my list of favorite Christmas books down to just ten to share with you today.  

First, the disclaimers -- These are especially geared to the younger set, so I left out chapter books and longish books like The Story of Holly and Ivy.  I also didn't include Advent favorites (for example, St. Nicholas or Our Lady of Guadalupe selections) or Epiphany favorites (we have several books on the Three Kings that we all enjoy). I'll have to share those another time because there was NO WAY I could fit all of those into one Top Ten list--I mean, I do have my limits! ;)

So here they are, in no particular order.  Maybe you'll see some of your old favorites here--or find some new favorites?

Petershams' The Christ Child

First up: for a more traditional telling of the Nativity, I like to have a well-illustrated version of the Bible text itself.  In that category, we have three favorites: 

A Christmas Story by Jane Ray

The Christ Child by Maud and Miska Petersham

The First Christmas from The National Gallery, London

All three set beautiful illustrations to the King James translation of the biblical text.  They are quite different in style: Ray's has a decidedly Middle Eastern flair, The First Christmas uses works from the Italian Renaissance masters, and the Petershams' features their simple yet distinctive 1920s style.  I find all three to be suitably lovely companions to the holy words they illustrate.

The Animals' Christmas Carol by Helen Ward

This is one I don't see mentioned often, but the verses are clever and the illustrations are fantastic: detailed close-ups of animals, rich watercolors decorated with gold leaf.  I love books with this motif of the animals on Christmas night, of which there are many.  This one stands out for a couple reasons: first, because it never shows the Child Jesus--just His light emanating from off the page.  I rather like the mystery.  It also expands to include a wider range of animals, which adds something new.  And did I mention the illustrations? :)

The Friendly Beasts by Tomie de Paola

Like I said, I love this motif.  This is actually a double whammy for me because not only does it involve the animals of the nativity, but its text is made up of song lyrics--another genre of picture book that I find absolutely delightful, though hard to do well.  And this one is done well!  I am actually not an unabashed Tomie fan like so many others, but the lyrics to this song seem to fit his rustic style.  A chorus of singers (feels very Greek-drama) sets the stage (literally--it has the look of a play) and then takes us through the song as each animal joins the cast of characters. (And please do yourself a favor and listen to Harry Belafonte's "The Gifts They Gave" while you read!)

Helen Ward's The Animals' Christmas Carol

Good King Wenceslaus by Tim Ladwig

I'm including this one because it's my husband's first choice to read aloud to the children.  He is a Christmas-songs-turned-picture-books lover like I am, and this is his top pick.  Ladwig's illustrations are, as always, realistic while not going off the cliff of Kinkaid-like sentimentality.  And being Catholics, we just love the story of Saint Wenceslaus here!  We save this book for "the feast of Stephen," which is the day after Christmas, and my children are absolutely delighted when we pull it out.

What Can I Give Him by Debi Gliori

This book takes the first and last stanzas of Christina Rossetti's "In the bleak midwinter" and shows a young girl in two different times and places (as a servant at the stable in Bethlehem and as a modern-day girl with a beloved grandfather) asking the same question anyone would ask in the face of such sacrificial love: "What can I give him?"  We see that her answer in each case is quite similar.  The lesson is told primarily through the illustrations and might go over the heads of very littles, but even my preschooler loves this one.

Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and Barbara Cooney

Unfortunately, this version is out of print, because Cooney's charmingly simple illustrations so perfectly match this text.  We have the Diane Goode rendition, but in my opinion, it pales in comparison to the older illustrations, so I end up checking out Cooney's version every year from the library.  I went to place a hold on it last weekend and was saddened to see it no longer in the system--I'm guessing it was discarded? (Sob.)  So I'll now need to hunt down my own.  I actually love how the Nativity story has been placed by Cooney in what seems to be nineteenth-century American countryside. (I just love the "Star" and "Bright" yokes on the barn wall--Almanzo, anyone?)  It feels very quaint and--not to be overly-philosophical about a children's book!--places the Christmas story outside of time, as it truly is.  Fans of Brown's will notice the similarity between the verses in this book and Big Red Barn, which is another of hers that I enjoy reading aloud, so I don't mind that at all.  There is a soothing, lullaby-like quality to so much of her writing, and that's certainly present here.  Just a wonderful read-aloud to quietly ponder over with the little ones.

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown and Barbara Cooney

Another partnership by this wonderful duo, and another home-run in my book.  There is a version illustrated by Jim LaMarche that is more available (and a pleasing alternative), because I believe Cooney's is sadly out of print.  But hers is definitely worth seeking out anyway.  As for the story itself: I usually eschew sentimental tales, especially when they feel forced.  Is it just me, or is there not a million and one Christmas picture books that seem precisely aimed to make Mom tear up while reading?  ;)  This one is certainly moving, but in a more genuine way than so many of the others.  A wonderful story of miracles in everyday life and how Christmas somehow makes those miracles seem that much more miraculous.  Life-affirming and just plain sweet.

The First Christmas, from the National Gallery in London

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Vladimir Vagin

This is my personal favorite of the many, many Twelve Days of Christmas renditions we have read over the last few years.  (Lovers of carols-turned-picture-books, remember?)  Jan Brett's and Leigh Grant's are lovely as well--but Grant's has so many pagan references and Brett's is a bit busy for my little ones.  I have a soft spot for Vagin's fun, folksy twist on the illustrations.  I first encountered him in his Peter and the Wolf (which also happens to be my favorite illustrated version of Peter and the Wolf!), and I knew when I saw his name pop up as an illustrator of the Twelve Days of Christmas that it would be a pleasing match.  His illustrations are fun and whimsical yet not irreverent.

And no Top Ten list would be complete without mentioning my all-time favorite Christmas picture books (scroll down to the end).  Sorry to tempt you, as they're not yet available for purchase. ;)

If you have shared your own list of family favorites, please do leave a link in the comments!

What We're Reading

Me:

Anthony Esolen's Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child (almost done!)

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (recently discussed at AO - one of those classics I missed in school)

Charlotte Mason's Home Education series (always!)

With the children:

The Wizard of Oz, on audiobook, read by Brooke Shields (I was a little unsure how her version would be, but a couple chapters in and we were hooked by her voices!)

Gianna, age 7:

Eleanor Estes' Pinky Pye (finished with a satisfied sigh the other day, "Oh Mommy, he is such a remarkable cat, isn't he?!)

Eleanor Estes' Miranda the Great (her favorite Estes so far!)

Mike Venezia's Mozart and Vermeer (to go along with this term's composer and artist)

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (a constant re-read these days after she finished the rest of the series on Kindle)

Vincent, age 7:

Melissa Wiley's The Prairie Thief (recently enjoyed by both my bigs)

My Nature Friend magazines (he just loves these)

Windeatt's St. Pauline Jaricot (his Sunday reading)

Jean Fritz's Brendan the Navigator

To the littles:

Museum ABC and anything-and-everything Curious George (4yo Cate's current favorites)

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (2yo Bridget's current favorite - I've never liked it as much as the original, but she certainly does!)

...and a funny sidenote: 3yo Xavier's current favorite?  Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House.  And the part he loves best?

When all the trucks arrive, plow a road through the hill of daisies, and build up the subway and elevated train, leaving the little house neglected amidst the tenements, missing the apple trees, sunshine, and seasons in the country.  I mean, really: Trains!  Trucks!  Subways and steam shovels and cranes and road rollers!  A toddler boy's dream.  I don't think the urbanization of the poor little house has quite the effect on him that Burton expected. ;)

And we always seem to have plenty of books arriving in the mail...

This week we had a particularly packed box arrive in the mail--a big package of used books, with lots and lots of goodies.  Some of these are for school this year (Opal Wheeler!), some are hardcover copies of old favorites (more Burton!), and the rest will be tucked away for the children's Christmas gifts this year.

From top to bottom:

Opal Wheeler's biographies for Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven

These are Our People (vintage Catholic reader)

stack of Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Books (to add to our growing collection)

Arnold Lobel's Small Pig (one of my favorites for new readers)

Burton's Katy and the Big Snow

Beauty and the Beast, illustrated by Michael Hague

Dick Whittington and His Cat (one of Vincent's favorite chapters from 50 Famous Stories last year - he'll be thrilled to see this version)

Marianna Meyer's Legendary Creatures of Myth and Magic (for my fairy tale-loving daughter)

d'Aulaires' Abraham Lincoln (nice to have our own copy instead of using the library's)

Enid Blyton's Bedtime Bookshelf

a couple My First Little House books to add to our collection (perpetual favorite of ALL the littles)

And not pictured: I finally found our own copy of The King of the Golden City for a deal.  I think I'll keep it aside as a treat for the First Sunday of Advent.

Happy All Hallow's Eve!

What We're Reading Now

I have a post almost finished about Charlotte Mason's thoughts on foreign language study in Volume 1, and I'm trying to type out our own plans for Italian next fall--all that is coming soon!  For now, something fun--another edition of What We're Reading:

Me:

Healy's Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It (still working on this one)

Marshall Ulrich's Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America

Two fiction books I have only just started: Daphne du Maurier's Jamaica Inn and Goudge's The Scent of Water

Charlotte Mason's Home Education series (always!)

With the children:

Ingalls' Little House on the Prairie (on audiobook, read by Cherry Jones)

Margaret Sidney's Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (from the AO Year 2 free reading list)

Gianna, age 6:

The Untermeyers' Legendary Animals

Sr. Julita'sThe Little Flower of Jesus (my Therese-loving daughter has barely put it down since it came in the mail earlier this week!)

Browning's Pied Piper of Hamelin (a AO Year 2 free read that we read aloud together and now she's rereading--Kate Greenaway's illustrations for this are enchanting!)

Mary Norton's The Borrowers (reread)

Vincent, age almost-7:

Cicely Mary Barker's The Lord of the Rushie River

Eleanor Estes' The Moffat Museum (finally getting to the last in the series that we started in the spring)

The Burgess Bird Book (from our first-grade studies - he rereads this one again and again)

Mary Fabyan Windeatt's St. Christopher

To the littles:

Cooper Edens' The Glorious Mother Goose (if you haven't seen this one, please do check it out--truly glorious!)

Felicia Bond's Tumble Bumble and the Ahlbergs' Peek-a-boo! (1yo Bridget's current favorites)

Bannerman's The Story of Little Black Sambo and Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (4yo Cate's current favorites)

Poortvliet's Dogs and Flack's Angus books (3yo Xavier's current favorites)

And in honor of Angela's fabulous book sale finds last weekend: 

A peek at some of the gems from our mail the past week:

Irene Brady's Illustrating Nature

Nebel's Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding

A little pile from Neumann Press: We Go To Mass, Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls Vol. 1, Manners in God's House, First Communion Days

Bruce McIntyre's Drawing Textbook

Diane Stanley's Joan of Arc

Tan's Sermons of St. Francis de Sales

Tomie De Paola's Mary, Mother of Jesus

Helen Waddell's Beasts and Saints 

Common Birds and Their Songs - Book and Audio CD (went straight into my son's birthday gift pile!)

Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers

and more!

Mine came out to a bit more than $10 (ha!), but still--I love book-buying season!

Picture Books We Love: Snowsong Whistling

Jennifer mentioned how pulling out Cynthia Rylant's In November has inspired her to warm up the house with breakfast in the morning.  Me too!  We have been enjoying pumpkin oatmeal, warm challah rolls, and butternut squash bread here in the mornings, definitely a change from my usual routine.  And now I'm thinking perhaps a daily teatime with some of our favorite fall picture books is in order as we take it easy school-wise this week to enjoy Thanksgiving.  One book that always gets me in a cold-weather spirit is Snowsong Whistling, by Karen E. Lotz and Elisa Kleven. 

There's a crisp in the air
From I-don't-know-where
But it might be a snowsong whistling.

Hot pies baking
Chimney smoke snaking
Scarecrow faking
Cornstalks aching

I am a sucker for rhymed picture books when done right, and this one is done right.  I am so sad it's out of print--we don't even own our own copy.  Thankfully, our library does, and each fall I check it out for a few months for us to enjoy.  I find it a pleasure to read aloud--Lotz doesn't shy away from rich vocabulary and rhythm, and the verses are very rarely strained.  And Kleven's illustrations steal the show; they are, as always, absolutely delightful: a mixed-media collage of bright colors, cozy domestic scenes, falling leaves, groups of children outdoors, and playful geometic borders lining each page.  

WINTER'S COME!

We don't get snow here, so I can't say that I have much experience with "snowsongs whistling," but I like to think that they are something like this.