Best Books: Imagination Inspiration

Ah, the imagination. That magical, wondrous part of all of us waiting to be used. Books are meant to inspire the imagination by taking us into the lives of different characters, walking us across the landscapes of different places (real and fictional), and showing us things we may never see in our real lives. Every single story asks us to use our imagination in some capacity, but some books inspire us in very unique ways. I've compiled a list of some books to read to your toddler to get them to think creatively, and to inspire new ways of seeing the world. Pick up any of these books in the book store or local library and get ready to have a lot of fun.

Book: Not a Box / Antoinette Portis

What Makes it Great? This is a book that is heavily dependent on pictures and not story, but simply put; it's about a little rabbit, a box, and a big imagination. This book challenges children to think creatively and to go beyond prescribed uses for things. As the character keeps insisting that what's he's playing with is "not a box", children get a chance to guess what imaginative thing the box is being used for using the bunny's position for clues. I have read this at many story times and the answers always surprise me! There are hundreds of ways to use a box. Also check out the follow up book with the same structure, Not a Stick.

Book: Press Here / Hervé Tullet

What Makes it Great? This is a book for the child who is obsessed with your smart phone. Throughout the pages, you're encouraged to interact with the dot on the page, seemingly manipulating it's movements. Press on it to multiply, shake the book to get it moving, etc. Children will love how they make an impact on the images by moving and touching the book. If your little one can already read, it is a great book for the back of the car on a long ride. If they can't read yet? Cozy up close and read it together, but don't be surprised if you have to read it more than once!

Book: It Looked Like Spilt Milk / Charles G. Shaw

What Makes it Great? Similar to Not a Box above, this book asks the reader to think creatively based on simple images. Each cloud picture has the shape of something recognizable, that your non reader can guess before you read the words. The pictures are no more than white blobs on a bright blue background. Simple and sweet. I suggest reading this book at the park on a nice spring or summer day, and then laying down and finding shapes in the actual clouds above you. Or, on a rainy day, you can create your own bright skies by gluing down cotton balls on blue construction paper in different shapes. Keep those imaginations ever working!

Book: The Book With No Pictures / B.J. Novak

What Makes it Great? While the other books on this list focus on pictures to inspire the imagination, allowing the images to do all the work, this book goes in the opposite direction. As the title states, there are no pictures at all, and the fun comes from the cadence and emphasis used when reading and the silliness rampant in the text. This book needs to be read aloud, and don't be surprised when your very visual child laughs out loud the whole time. When you commit to reading this book, you really have to own it. Use your most enthusiastic voice. Full of nonsense words and hilarious imagery (what does a robot monkey look like?), this book is sure to please.

Best Books: Fun with the Alphabet

Books for children serve many different purposes. They teach a love of reading, an appreciation for storytelling, empathy, literacy - the list goes on and on. While every book helps in development, some books are more obviously didactic, like the classic alphabet book. An introduction to letters is the first step towards independent reading, and publishers have been expanding their offerings as of late. Sometimes, you want something that goes beyond the basic "A is for Apple" alphabet books and are ready to delve into a more creative territory. If that's the case, I strongly recommend you check out these titles. 

Note: I usually have a "What's it About?" section in my Best Books posts, but in this case, I've left that out as they aren't traditionally structured stories. 

Book: Once Upon an Alphabet / Oliver Jeffers

What Makes it Great?

This collection of 26 different short stories (one for each letter of the alphabet) is fun for both adults and children. The illustrations are classic Jeffers, simple and adorable pictures that both depict and enhance the text. The stories are absurd vignettes which highlight vocabulary for each letter while making you laugh out loud. I cannot recommend this book enough.

*My husband, who was hesitant to let me purchase this book at full price, reads this book aloud to our 12 week old and has even given it the following review: "This book is amazing and hilarious. It goes into the list of the greats, like The Stinky Cheese Man." [ed. note: written by Jon Scieszka]

Book: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom / Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

What Makes it Great?

This is now a classic book, recommended by children's librarians everywhere. The book introduces kids to a personified alphabet with rhyme, action, and onomatopoeia. Using a simple story structure, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom goes through all 26 letters (twice!) in a way that doesn't feel repetitive or boring, but is memorable beyond the traditional song. Check out this book with your 2-5 year old toddler or preschooler and find out together whether or not there will be enough room atop the coconut tree for all the letters A through Z!

Book: ABC of Canada / Per-Henrik Gurth

What Makes it Great?

These days, you can find an alphabet book on almost any topic from dance to things found on the construction site. If you want your alphabet book to do teaching double duty, consider this title which introduces children to the many wonders found in our home and native land, Canada. This book does a great job of highlighting things across the country (it can't be accused of putting Ontario above everyone else). To boot, the simple pictures offer big visual impact, with the use of primary colours and thick black outlining.

Book: Animalia / Graeme Base

What Makes it Great?

For an older crowd (ages 4-7), Animalia is a visual feast that will keep kids interested for hours. Graeme Base treats the alphabet right, giving each letter its own intricately designed illustration and alliterative sentence combo. Its difficult to explain the level of detail that has gone into each image in this book, and you're bound to discover something new upon each viewing. Take an afternoon to soak up the "Lazy Lions Lounging in the Local Library" and the "Richly Robed Rhinoceroses Riding in Rickety Red Rickshaws"... you'll be glad you did.

What's your child's favourite alphabet book? Let us know in the comments below.

Best Books: Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en is right around the corner, and with hundreds of spooky, silly, creepy themed books to choose from, it's a great time to head out to the library for a story session. You probably have a few classics in mind, and your favourite characters likely have Hallowe'en stories on offer, but here are a few can't miss titles for the season.

Ages: 1-4

Book: Go Away, Big Green Monster! / Ed Emberley

What's it About? Page by page, the narrator describes a big, green monster as the parts appear. Once it is fully revealed, he takes control and sends the scary monster away.

What Makes it Great? Visually, this book is tons of fun. The cut outs allow for the perfect pacing, and helps to introduce something "scary" in a way very little kids can handle. In the end, the reader gets to tell the monster to "GO AWAY," which is a very powerful feeling for someone very small. Great to prepare for the sights and sounds of Halloween.

 Ages: 4-6

Book: Bone Dog / Eric Rohman

What's it About? Gus doesn't feel like doing much after his dog Ella dies; not even dressing up for Halloween. But when Gus runs into a bunch of rowdy skeletons, it's Ella--his very own Bone dog--who comes to his aid, and together they put those skeletons in their place.

What Makes it Great? This is a sensitive story about friendship and dealing with loss, but it's also a fun Halloween romp with beautiful illustrations. An older child will appreciate the different levels of this story.

Ages: 7-11

Book: Zombiekins / Kevin Bolger

What's it About? Stanley Nudelman buys a "creepy-cute" stuffed animal from a scary neighbour's garage sale, thinking it is a harmless purchase. Not so much. Over night, the toy turns into an undead monster who, when unleashed at school, starts turning everyone into zombies. It's up to Stanley to fix the problem he's created.

What Makes it Great? This books is hilarious. The pacing of the action is just right for the reluctant junior reader and the subject matter is right on trend. For kids ready for chapter books but hesitant to pick up the books you remember from childhood, Zombiekins is a great pick. 

Best Books: Ages 3-5

Reading with a 3-5 year old is all about building vocabulary, creating positive associations with literacy, interaction, and HAVING FUN! Let your child have a say in book choice and encourage them to "read" with you by selecting books with lots of repetition and onomatopoeia. Try choosing more than one book based on theme, singing a related song, or doing a craft on the theme of the book to build on the experience. The older the child, the more they can participate in the reading. You still may not get to the end of a book with a three year old (be patient) but by now they should have a better understanding of story form and the concept of a book, so it's something to work into every day's activities.

Here are some excellent choices for the 3-5 year olds in your life that you maybe haven't read yet:



Book: Do Like a Duck Does / Judy Hindley

What's It About?

When a fox comes across a mother duck and her babies, claiming to be a duck like them, Mama Duck decides to put him through a series of tests to prove it.

What Makes It Great?

The rhyme scheme in this book is amazing and the onomatopoeia written into the text is super fun. It has the potential for many different levels of interaction, from quacking to getting up and strutting like a duck.

Book: Owl Babies / Martin Waddell

What's It About?

Three owl siblings wake up to discover that their mother has gone out and left them alone. Together, they reassure each other and themselves that she'll be back soon as they consider all the possibilities of her absence.

What Makes It Great?

A great choice for a grandma or babysitter to read as it helps children to deal with the feelings associated with being temporarily separated from their parents. It is a simple and cute story, with a great read aloud flow and beautiful full-page illustrations.

Book: The Bear Snores On / Karma Wilson

What's It About?

One cold night, a forest full of animals all congregate in a bear's cave for an impromptu party while the bear who owns the cave sleeps beside them. But, what happens when the bear wakes up?

What Makes It Great?

The sounds, the rhyme scheme, the repetition: this book has it all! It is simply a joy to read aloud. The illustration style is really nice, too, which makes for a great story time read. Enough stimulation to keep a toddler/child engaged for the whole of the story. A great go-to read.

Book: The Enormous Potato / Aubrey Davis

What's It About?

This story is a fun retelling of Tolstoy's The Great Big Enormous Turnip. When a farmer plants a potato eye in the garden, it grows into the biggest potato in the world, and it takes some serious teamwork to pull it out of the ground to eat.

What Makes It Great?

This book is all about the repetition and humour. As more and more characters join in the struggle to pull the potato out of the ground, their efforts gets added to the text chain. Kids pick up the pattern quickly and read along. And, let's not forget that it's a great moral about team work.

Best Books: Ages 0-2

In an earlier What to Pack column, I discussed the importance of reading to your baby everyday, and suggested throwing a few board books into your diaper bag for impromptu story times. I am so passionate about this topic that I have decided to offer a continuing list of reading recommendations to keep you (and your child) inspired. Each month, I'll highlight a few books that you maybe haven't heard of that will delight children of various ages.

You probably received books at your shower, for birthdays, and even picked some up on your own. Generally, these are the classics: I Love You Forever, Good Night Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, etc. Don't get me wrong, these are wonderful choices and fit into any first library, but I hope to expand your baby book horizons by showing you a few lesser known titles and letting you know why I love them so much. 

To start, I'll focus on books for the littlest readers - birth to age 2. For this age group, board books are best because learning and experiencing the world is a completely tactile process. Babies are still honing their fine motor skills, and board books are made to survive grabbing, throwing, and chewing. Many of your favourite stories come in board book format, but stick to books with minimal text and large colourful images for this stage. Keepsake stories should be purchased in regular soft or hard cover because they are longer lasting.

Book: Where is the Green Sheep? / Mem Fox

What's It About?
As with many books for this age group, there is no particular plot for this book. It does demonstrate many opposites and near opposites, but the real appeal is in the rhyme scheme and flow.

What Makes It Great?

The build up! As we go from page to page, taking note of the different sheep, we have the wonderful repitition of the refrain "where is the green sheep?" As children get a bit older, they anticipate the question, asking it aloud along with the reader. The illustrations are simple but silly.

Book: Little Blue Truck / Alice Schertle

What's It About? 

The little blue truck makes friends every where he goes, as he takes the time to beep hello to the animals he passes along his route. When a big dump truck, with an inflated sense of importance, zooms by and gets stuck in the mud, the little blue truck is the only one willing to help...but everyone steps in to help Little Blue.

What Makes It Great?

This book is full to the brim with sounds, which makes it very fun to read aloud. The rhyme scheme is spot on, flowing effortlessly like a song. Kids will love to quack, neigh, and beep along!

Book: Piggies / Audrey Wood

What's It About?
Hands! This simply, yet beautifully, illustrated book takes a close look at hands. There is no true plot to speak of but it's a super fun romp with a few opposites thrown in.

What Makes It Great?
This bedtime story is entirely interactive. Children can follow along using their own fingers, and while it isn't set in rhyme it has a sing-songy feel. There is a lot to stop and look at on each page, so this book is good for multiple reads. It might even become a bedtime routine.

Keep in mind, at this age babies don't have amazing attention spans, so manage your expectations before you start reading. You may have to stay on the same page for 5 minutes (and 13 read throughs) and you may not make it to the end of the book. Let your child choose the pacing by picking up on the signs they give you. Enjoy the experience. Point out different images and name them. Relate a line of the story to something you did that day. At this point, it's not so much about cover to cover reading, but about bonding and building a positive association with reading (while also building vocabulary).