The Best 4 Children’s Books to Give this Year
There is no better stocking stuffer – well, as long as your stocking is flexible – than a Children’s book for your littles ones. In general, we rotate through the books from our local library, but, the holidays provide the perfect time to add a few timeless masterpieces to our kids’ bookshelf forever.
When planning to buy a Children’s book as a holiday gift, I follow three rules:
- Don’t buy Christmas themed books. You’ll read these once and than they’re obsolete. Own the classics, leave the new ones at Barnes and Noble.
- The illustrations – especially the cover art – are MORE CRITICAL than ever. A drab cover will have the book thrown aside immediately in favor of the next gift.
- Buy a book pertaining to a topic (or by an author) that is interesting to you. After all, if you expect to read the book several times over the next year, holding your parenting interest is as selfish as important.
So, this year, if you’re planning to give a Children’s book as a gift, I’d recommend the following four:
Stanley the Dog: The First Day of School by Bobby Bones (Illustrations by Stephanie Laberis)
Funny, serious, sensitive, and relatable for any kid that has (or will) experienced anxiousness, radio and TV host, Bobby Bones, pens his first Children’s book after two previous NYT Bestsellers. Stanley is bright and uses lively (and unusual) words throughout – adding to interactions you’ll have with your kids while reading together. This is a timeless book with an endearingly hopeful message.
Dandy by Ame Dyckman (Illustrations by Charles Santoso)
Maybe Ame Dyckman had me at a tale about lawn maintenance. Or, maybe, Dyckman pulled me into reading this book with my youngest daughter because of the adorable daddy-daughter storyline. Either way, my family has taken “Dandy” home from the library nearly six times over the past year. This year at the holidays, though, the title will be my daughter’s forever.
African Proverbs for All Ages by Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Nelda LaTeef
There is no better way to sound smart than having a few African Proverbs at the ready for parenting situations that come up. This title generated so many insightful questions from my kids and tidbits I can remind them of later on. All this said, this is the most educational of the titles here and, for me, is perfect one for a creative kid that loves learning new things from different cultures.
Shel Silverstein Books
You cannot go wrong with a Shel Silverstein title. #1 for me is “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and the brilliant “Afraid of the Dark” poem. A very close second pick would be “The Giving Tree” – a staple for any parent’s Children’s bookshelf. If all current titles fail, Silverstein is a stone-cold lock gift idea.
Whether one of these four titles or any other, a book is a gift for you and your kid – and not just on Christmas Day.
So, buy the book.
You’ll be glad you did – even if stuffing it into a stocking is not an option.
