As an ex-teacher and a parent, one of the most important things you can do for a child is the daily story at bedtime. In an age of Facebook, tablets, Smartphones, PSP and Wii, this is even more crucial. What books did you like to read your kids, that they enjoyed as well? Here's my list so far, but our daughter (now an adult) concurs:
- "Where the Wild Things Are"
- anything by Alison Lester ("Monsters are Knocking", "I'm Green and I'm Grumpy" especially)
- Tin Tin adventures (my Captain Haddock voice was always crap, though)
- "Thomas the Tank Engine" series (quaint and camp)
- "The Monster at the End of this Book"
- Fairy tales, the grislier, the better - Rapunzel, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel
- "The Muddle Headed Wombat" series
- Barbar series
- Madeline series
- "The Wind in the Willows"
- "Little Lit" (hipster retelling of fairy tales, Art Spiegelman, etc.)
- "I'm Coming to Get You" (Tony Ross)
- "Not Now Bernard" (David McKee)
- anything by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (especially "Each Peach, Pear, Plum", "The Jolly Postman")
- "Oddkins" (Dean Koontz ... go figure)
- Meg and Mog series
- "The Great Escape" by Phillip Dupasquier (text less so I had to improvise all the voices, huge favourite, book became very worn over the years)
- Beatrix Potter books
- anything by Babette Cole
- anything by Mr Dahl (especially "The Witches")
My son's repertoire is limited at the moment, but so far he loves "Goodnight Moon", anything about cars/diggers/vehicles, Pamela Allen books, the Hairy Maclary series, the Maisie series, Spot, and anything by Jeanette Rowe. I'm sure his tastes will expand with time!
ReplyDeleteI forgot Hairy Maclary and Maisie! Thanks Nat.
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