Looking for some great books to read with your kids while inside this winter? Check out some of our recent favorite book recommendations for kids.
As we neared Christmas break, we were finishing up the letters M and N in our preschool homeschool curriculumn. After a quick internet search, I came across the website "The Measured Mom," which I have been consulting every couple of weeks to get some ideas for books that go with the letter we are working on, and then I order them ahead from our library. It makes our reading time extra fun and fresh, and introduces us to some really great books.
We don't just read every book on the list, we pick and choose and see what is available to us at the library, but if I can get books that go with the season we are in, or a particular interest of one of our kiddos, I do. And as we were in the winter months our first pick was quite an easy one and by far one of our favorites.
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The Mitten by Jan Brett

When I told my mother-in-law (a retired kindgeraten teacher) that we had been loving this book she was excited to share this had been a favorite in her classroom and she even had a craft she used to do with the kids! In this story, little Nikki asks his grandmother, Baba, to make him white mittens. She hesitates at first worrying that he will lose a white mitten in the snow, making it hard to find. But make them she does. However Baba is right, the mitten does get lost, and before Nikki even realizes it, a bunch of animals find it and one after another, jump inside. In a very silly fashion, from a hedghog to a bear, way too many animals are crammed inside.
The illustrations of this book made it a favorite, as the sides of the pages show what the unaware little boy is doing, the middle shows what's happening to the mitten and the right shows what is coming next. A wonderful, playful, little read. Grab a copy to see for yourself to see just what happens to the mitten in the end.
The Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, Ill. by Kevin Hawkes

In this sweet tale, with absolutely wonderful illustrations- a lion comes to visit a library. But there are rules in a library-the chief one being that you must, must, must be quiet. And being that lions like to RAWRRR, the lion has to learn to behave himself if he is to visit. Behave himself he does, and the beloved lion even becomes a favorite of the children and the librarian Miss Merriweather. And lion does follow the rules, until one day, when a friend is in trouble. Lion breaks the rules and RAWRS to help a friend in danger, and gets kicked out of the library, until the truth comes out, and he and Mr. McBee learn that rules are put in place to keep people safe, and since that's what lion was trying to do, there is forgiveness and understanding.
I hesitated to recommend this book because it's a little interesting introducing the idea of "breaking rules" to children. But this book reminds me a bit of the story of The Good Samaritan. Though helping the hurt man on the side of the road would have inconvenienced the Jews and even made them unclean-they needed to learn a lesson about the heart, and why God's law was given to them to begin with. Great story for having deep conversations with kids about right and wrong.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Another family favorite as my father-in-law's name is Mike, who loved this book as a child. In this classic book published in 1977, Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, are becoming obsolete in a world of fast changing machinery. But seeing an advertisement, they volunteer their services for free to a town building project, if they can't finish digging the foundation in just one day. But there's a plot twist and Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne find themselves dug into their own hole. What will they do? How will they get out? Will Mike Mulligan get paid? With a hint of ingenuity the story comes to a happy close, but just what happens, well, you'll have to read the book to find out.
The Best Nest by Dr. Seus (P.D. Eastman)

This was hands down our son's favorite, and maybe because I actually made a song that we would sing together for the song in the book that the birds chirp. But the storyline made both my husband and I laugh at the adult like humor, from none other than Dr. Seus! Yes, this book is a Dr. Seus book and was entirely new to me. In this adorable book, Mr. and Mrs. Bird go looking for a better nest to live in. Mrs. Bird is quite discontent with their current nest, and after many trials and errors, she thinks she's found just the right new home....or has she? The plot thickens and obstacles ensue, as Mrs. Bird learns a valuable lesson on contentment and gratitude.
The Sour Grape by Jory John Ill. by Pete Oswald

In this wordy little story, part of the Food Group series, recommended by some friends, the little grape, who used to be sweet, has become a grudge holding sour grape. He tells the tale of just how his demeanor changed and lead to his sourness. But along the way, he encounters a struggle of his own and learns compassion and empathy for others. He learns that he is not perfect either and he shouldn't hold his friends to such high expectations. Another wonderful book about grace and having an attitude of gratitude.
As always, we hope you give some of these books a read for yourself. Keep learning, keep reading, and making memories together. Let me know in the comments below-what have you been reading lately?
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