Children's Books

[genevieve]

I work in a book shop and I find all sorts of interesting things for kids. Some of it is truly crap and other things are kind of amusing.

There is one book that often has people divided. "Walter the Farting Dog". Some find it crass and slightly gross. Others think it is a delightful alternative to simpery Pollyana-like books.

[megan]

My 2 year old's current favorite is Richard Scary.
Me - I'm not really even a very good mother. I only buy really beautiful large-ish hardback books because I think they look really lovely in his bookcase. When my husband buys ugly books I hide them.
Of the beautiful books, I really love "don't let the pigeon drive the bus" and "the pigeon finds a hotdog". Goodnight Moon is another favorite of my son's.

[ang]

I bought 'Guess How much I love You' for my daughter, having just come across it in a sale, and not knowing it was already quite popular.
I've bought it for practically every nephew/neice born since then, I think its just lovely.
Although it sometimes makes me a little misty eyed when I read it to the kids.

And also, I don't think they actually like it.
It's my 'Dammit, you'll listen to this story if I have to pin you down and yell it at you' bedtime story.

[Deleted]

Our favorites right now are kind of obscure, I think. We found Chimp and Zee by Catherine and Lawrence Anholt at the Dollar Tree amd the kids love it. It's actually about two monkeys who fool around in the store and accidentally get carried away from their mother by unknowing elephants. I like being able to explain the repercussions of not listening to me in public. The fact that they actually love the book and ask me to read it every day makes it easy to reteach the lesson.

The other book they love is Sleepy Dog by Harriet Ziefert. It's very simple and singsongy, and deals w/ going to bed. There's also a mention of having a nightmare, which kids can relate to.

[genevieve]

My 2 year old's current favorite is Richard Scary.

I adore those books. I buy them for my friend's son all the time. He loves them. I don't have any kids yet so I spoil all of my friend's children with books.

Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things that Go" is a true classic. I adored the book when I was small and I think one of my favorite things about his books are how most have titles next to things so children can learn the names and that is room for them to make up their own story. I used to do that a lot.

[dwanollah]

I actually have a Master's in Children's Lit., and I've discovered that one of the polarizing topics (usually between those of us who, *lofty head toss*, consider ourselves to be literary critics, and those who don't) is the book Love You Forever.

I think it's perhaps one of the most disturbing, gross, and problematic texts in the universe (plus the illustrations are creepy), but I know people who LOVE it and CRY BUCKETS over it. No offense, but... really?

[woopdedoo]

Has anyone come across the Carl the Dog books? So funny. There is little or no dialogue; it's about this doberman who watches a baby while the mother...goes to lunch or something. The pictures are sweet and you can make up a story as you go along. I think the first one might be called Good Dog, Carl.

God, I loved Richard Scary as a kid. I remember staring at those books for hours as a kid; bet my mom loved Richard Scary too!

My son doesn't really have a favorite book at the moment. He says he's too big for "baby" books and we haven't found anything that has sparked his interest yet. Any recommendations for a soon to be five year old boy?

[woopdedoo]

Well, okay, I just looked up Love You Forever and read it online. Before I had kids, I think I would have thought, ick, stoopid! But now, *non-lofty head toss* ;D I think it's touching. I see it as illustrating ongoing family bonds, watching how your little one grows up and changes, how much you love your kid even when they're being rotten...and since I had an abusive then nonexistant relationship with my parents, maybe that's why I found it moving. Treasure what you got and all that crap.

Why do you find it disturbing? Just curious; if you hate it then you just hate it.

[dwanollah]

Why do you find it disturbing? Just curious; if you hate it then you just hate it.

No *lofty head toss* this time!

Seriously? I think what pushed it over the edge for me was the elderly mother crawling into her grown son's bedroom window to rock him and sing to him. Just... *shudder* And the picture on the front with the kid gives me the willies, too. There's something diabolical-looking about him!

I also have problems with The Giving Tree (even though I ADORE Shel Silverstein to bits) because of the whole female-giving-male-taking-until-there's-nothing-left thing. I've had lots of fun fights w/people about that, in fact!

[woopdedoo]

I read it online, so I didn't have the pleasure of any freaky pictures. I guess I read it (the adult rocking) as being more metaphorical...she'll always be his Mommy, no matter how old she is. She passes away; the son passes on the love and caring he learned from his Mom to his child.

I had never heard of this book before so had no opinion. I think I'm going to go buy it; now you'll have to tell your friends you unwittingly converted another weepy mom...

I have to say I did really like how the mother was so frustrated with the kid she wanted to sell him to the zoo. ;D We all have those days!

But, like I said, if you hate it than you just hate it. No one can convince you to like something that squicks you out.