Author Topic: Book recommendations for toddlers (Read 2239 times)

s2srea · « **on:** August 17, 2011, 08:37:24 AM »

I was hoping some parents out there could provide some advice on books they read, or have their chilren read/ look at, with their children.

I'm a little over Mickey Mouse, and would like something more Catholic.

Iuvenalis · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2011, 11:18:31 AM »

My daughter likes The Very Worried Sparrow.

I have mixed feelings about Curious George because it's vapid and without any moral lesson, but she enjoys it (pictures are a necessity)

s2srea · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2011, 01:04:44 PM »

Thanks Iuven-

I'll look into it :)

Daegus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2011, 02:10:36 PM »

Quote from: s2srea

Thanks Iuven-

I'll look into it :)

How about the most obvious book of all?-

The Bible.

Simplify the stories for kids and they'll understand.

You could also become a story teller and make up stories that have moral lessons and things like that.

Iuvenalis · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2011, 02:20:39 PM »

There are already "Bible Stories" for this age group, the question becomes are the stories as altered doctrinally sound, or not altered/protestantized....since they tend to produce the largest volume of these type of books.

Daegus · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2011, 02:53:53 PM »

Quote from: Iuvenalis

There are already "Bible Stories" for this age group, the question becomes are the stories as altered doctrinally sound, or not altered/protestantized....since they tend to produce the largest volume of these type of books.

When I typed that message I was telling it from the point of view of YOU coming up with non-heretical Bible stories, not getting them from someone else. In fact, I don't think it was unclear in any way that that is what I was alluding to in my post.. I think it challenges your brain more that way and by simplifying the stories and telling your own tales, you make it less likely that heresy is going to be encountered.

MaterDominici · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2011, 03:02:24 PM »

I started a list here...

http://www.cathinfo.com/catholic.php/Good-Books-for-Catholic-Kids

I didn't make it very far, but I'll try to add some later today. We have quite a few good kid books. Some are Catholic and some just generally good books.

Fr. Lovasik's picture bible is a good bible for kids. Toddlers wouldn't get much from the text, but there are plenty of pictures.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2011, 03:57:11 PM »

Quote from: Iuvenalis

My daughter likes The Very Worried Sparrow.

I have mixed feelings about Curious George because it's vapid and without any moral lesson, but she enjoys it (pictures are a necessity)

The Very Worried Sparrow is a dear and compassionate read for little ones.

When I was a nanny, I'll Love You Forever made me cry every time.

We LOVE the Little Golden Book Collection with comforting stories and darling illustrations by Eloise Wilikins and others.

Everything by Margaret Wise Brown and Beatrix Potter!!
The Fur Family I will still read to mykids who are giant toddlers-they pretend not to hear and I pretend I don't notice that they still yearn for this little gem of loving family life.

MaterDominici · « **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2011, 02:30:45 AM »

Quote from: Elizabeth

When I was a nanny, I'll Love You Forever made me cry every time.

I'm not a fan of that one. (In fact, I sold our copy at our garage sale.) A book has to be really superb for me to overlook an "only child" storyline. Much too modern for me. : )

ADD: I presume you're talking about the very popular book by Robert Munsch which is actually just called Love You Forever. If not, I take it all back. : )

Iuvenalis · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2011, 02:36:45 AM »

I don't know why I didn't remember this, but an illustrated Wonder Clock holds a toddler's attention too.

MaterDominici · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2011, 03:47:01 AM »

Here are some my kids like...
(I'll post some specifically Catholic ones in the other thread some other time.)

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Sam and the Firefly and Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

I'm not a huge Margaret Wise Brown fan, but I read somewhere that Goodnight Moon contains every sound in the English language, so I read it regularly to my kids who seem to have developed their own language due to the number of words they routinely pronounce incorrectly. : )

Especially if your toddler hasn't mastered the basic colors yet, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin is a good read and easy for little ones to memorize and "read" themselves.

For the early talkers (well, pretty much everyone likes this book), there's Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss. We have the board book, but I think there are more noises to immitate in the full version. (While Matthew is a big Dr. Seuss fan, I really only like the ones that actually make sense. Call me picky, but I don't like to explain at about age 3 that you won't be finding any Wosets in our closets and we can't get a Zans to open our cans. And, yes, Dominic has asked repeatedly if we could buy one of those Cat in the Hat cars to clean up his messes.)

We just added Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson to our collection. I'm hoping it'll inspire my kids to be a little more creative in their drawings. ; )

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

Eric Carle has several good books for toddlers. We have The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Busy Spider

The Bear that Heard Crying by Helen Kinsey is based on a true story. We checked it out at the library and enjoyed it very much.

lefebvre_fan · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2011, 12:22:31 PM »

God's Alphabet :wink:

s2srea · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2011, 01:16:02 PM »

Thanks all.

MD- thank you for the specifics- when I get them through Amazon, you know I'll make sure to go through here :wink:

Daegus- while making the stories in the bible up is a great idea, it would also be nice to have additional reading. Children are different than grown ups, they like pictures (obviously). Unfortunately, the majority of bible related picture books out there aren't sound (as was previously mentioned). So while your idea is great, there's nothing wrong with also reading books to children which teach also basic skills- colors, math, moral lessons, etc.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2011, 01:56:26 PM »

Quote from: MaterDominici

Quote from: Elizabeth
When I was a nanny, I'll Love You Forever made me cry every time.

I'm not a fan of that one. (In fact, I sold our copy at our garage sale.) A book has to be really superb for me to overlook an "only child" storyline. Much too modern for me. : )

ADD: I presume you're talking about the very popular book by Robert Munsch which is actually just called Love You Forever. If not, I take it all back. : )

You probably have the correct title. In those years of being a nanny my longing for a child of my own was ever-present. (I really loved the children I cared for and their families.)

At long last I finally had a baby. Over and over the utter delight and amazement would wash over me at a certain time when I was strolling him around downtown. I would think, "I don't have to drop him off!!!! Thank God!!"

His birth was called miraculous by all, and he would have been an only child if we had not God's infinite mercy allowed us to adopt two others.

So it was longing for a baby to love forever that made me cry over Love You Forever, lol. :baby:

Darcy · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2011, 08:38:39 PM »

Anyone familiar with Veggie Tales? I think they are vegetables that are the characters in stories depicting morals. They may be based on biblical stories but they are not from a Catholic source. I am inquiring as I have not read any.