Books That Make Sense

These precious feet have miles to go!

One of my favorite books I read to my daughters as babies was Pat the Bunny .  It was a given as a gift by my sister-in-law because my nephew loved it.  So this book is a real baby pleaser.
Babies learn so much by touching (and yeah, mouthing) everything, so touch and feel books are wonderful for this age. Sensory integration is developing and these books that use the senses are a great addition to the library.

When I babysat PDub, I would touch different textures to his fingers, palms, and feet.  Touch and Feel books give you a natural way of interacting in this way. 
As he grew, he could begin to reach and touch for himself and even learned to play peek-a-boo.  That was a happy day!

Where's P?

This is one of PDub's
very favorites!  Almost anyone who picks
it up to read it to him enjoys it, too!

Don't toss the books too quickly as your baby grows.  These books can teach other lessons later.

Here's a few for starters:

Touch and Feel Animals Box Set

Good Night: A Touch & Feel Bedtime Book

Who Do You Love?: A Touch and Feel Book

Now find a comfy spot, snuggle up close, and yes, you guessed it, read!

Hugs,

~Grammy

www

Worldwide Web?  Nope!  Wee Willie Winkie came first and was written, like many other nursery rhymes, to help children relate to real life, grown-up jobs, and other events of that time period. This was written around 1841 when the Town Crier was the fastest mode of messaging.  If there had been texting then, it might look like this:

Wee Willie ;-> runs thru d twn ^stairs n downstairs n hs nightgown Tapping @ d windoz, khoc n d locks r d kids ll n bed 4 now it's 8 o'clock?

My oldest daughter, Mama at Law, really surprised me when she announced she was expecting.  I can't honestly say I love surprises, but that was a good one.  Right away I started looking for books to stock the nursery.  The first?  A Nursery Rhyme book, of course!

This really is a beautiful book.
It would make a great gift
for a new mommy.

Since she is a huge fan of Mary Engelbriet, I snagged the ME Mother Goose book from my school book fair.  It contains all the old favorites and many that I had never heard or had long forgotten.  Mary's illustrations are perfect for the characters portrayed by Mother Goose.  And what about those characters?  The characters in nursery rhymes are one of the reasons they appeal to a a wide audience, but especially to the little ones who are full of imagination. Our daughters entertained us many nights with their reenactments of their favorite Mother Goose verses. The oldest, Mama in Law, did a fabulous Wee Willie Winkie by using the a little window nook beneath the stairs to fully recreate the action. The youngest, Kitty Cat, would put us in stitches with her portrayal of the little old lady in Old Mother Hubbard.  Lucky for them, this was pre-You Tube. 

What's next? I like this.
 Humpty Dumpty picks himself up
 and gets back on that wall!

The seeds of reading are planted in our children from birth.   For infants and tots, nursery rhymes are a great place to start.  I read that they are disappearing from our childrens's repertoire.  That would be more tragic than Humpty Dumpty! 

So glad my girls aren't drama queens...

A wise old owl lived in an oak

The more he saw the less he spoke

The less he spoke the more he heard.

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

 

~Grammy

Baby's Out!

How can someone that small be so loud?!?

"Baby's out!" the nurse tech proclaimed like a towncrier.  I didn't need an announcement though.  PDub, our first grand, made his presence known loud and clear to all.  Not much has changed in the twenty-one months since.  Except maybe this.  I never knew I could love someone else's child so much.

As a teacher, I had the pleasure of reading lots and lots of children's books.  It was one of the best parts of the job.  Now I want to make sure that my grand (and the new arrivals to come) appreciates the wonders of books.  I know PDub's mom does.  I had to beg her to come out of her room whenever she got a new Babysitters' Club book in her hand.  She still loves to read.  Even law school couldn't ruin her love of books. 

This blog is to share the books that I discover as a new grammy.  I am still finding new ones, and I will throw in some oldies, but goodies along the way.  If you love your grands, your children, or just books in general, I hope you join us on our journey.   There will be lots of mysterious twists and hilarious turns, high adventure, and sweet memories made along the way.

Let's get started!

Grammy