peskypippi.comBecause I have a lot to say…

Here are some of our favorite children’s books:

1. In The Night Kitchen (Classic. Creative.)
   
2. Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe (Empowering non-aggressive dinosaurs to take action.)
   
3. Jamberry (Rhyming is fun. Pictures are peaceful and creative.)
   
4. Owl Babies (Sweet and reassuring.)
   
5. The Giving Tree (Classic. Beautiful, lovely tree. Each time we read this, we get pissed at the man who takes advantage of the tree.)
   
6. The King, The Mice and The Cheese (Funny and clever. About getting along.)
   
7. Everyone Poops (Funny. Great pictures. Simple message.)
   
8. Sally on the Farm (Clever, wood-carved illustrations. You’ll love Sally the Black Labrador.)
   
9. Goodnight Moon (Classic. Calming. Perfect book.)
   
10. The Amazing Travels of Ingrid Our Turtle, by Land, Sea, Sky, Space! (You root for Ingrid, who travels the world at her own pace.)
    

I’d love to know your favorites…please share in the comments!

Reading is cool,

Pippi

I have a lovely stack of books. And they are staring at me from my nightstand, just waiting to be read:

• Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien
• How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
• The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

But I ignore their stare. It seems the second I pick up a book, these days, it’s pushing midnight, and I nod off like an old man and then re-read the same page over and over.

I have always loved to read. Growing up, I had lots of quiet time to enjoy my books. My mother was great at fueling my reading habit and has always surprised me with new book selections, just perfect for a child, then a tween, then a teen.

And she still buys me books whenever we meander through book stores together. Uh, you still remember book stores, don’t you? I admit, I’m not a Kindle gal (yet). I find pleasure in holding a physical book, turning the paper pages, and marking the paused page with a fancy bookmark, hand-drawn by my daughter.

For now, I think I’ll move the books under a heap of laundry. As they sit there unread, they are making me feel guilty and overwhelmed. And books shouldn’t feel like a “to do” list.

Until then, off to read Charlotte’s Web to the two little ones.