It’s time for a trip down memory lane, back thirty odd years ago when I was reading books to my three children. They are now grown and creating their own libraries – but I still have bookshelves full of books we read when they were young. They are the ones we read and reread, some dating back to my own childhood, the ones I needed to save for memory’s sake, for potential grandchildren, and for tradition.
When my husband and I decided to retire and move as far west as we could get in the mountains of Virginia, we spent months weeding out furniture, clothes, toys, and all the belongings one accumulates over 21 years in one place. The hardest thing in the process was choosing which books to keep and which books to sell, give away, or (horrors!) throw away. We had a lot of books, stacked on shelves, tucked in crates, on and under beds and couches. We were avid supporters of Friends of the Library sales, yard sales, old book stores and new book stores, Scholastic and Chinaberry book fairs.
How do you go about choosing which books to keep and which to let go? Well, we returned all the library books. The books which were falling apart, either from toddler zeal or many readings, I slipped gently into a trashcan in the dark of night, averting my eyes and making a silent promise to replace them. For the rest, it came down to a Konmari moment – pick up a book and see if it sparked joy. Many did. Here are a VERY few of the ones we couldn’t do without.
Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban, published originally in 1964, is my very favorite of our books for young children. Frances is a precocious and spirited young badger who only wants to eat bread and jam, and her wise mother chooses to let Frances come to her own conclusions about limiting her choice of foods. There is a delightful description of her school lunch at the end, with lace doilies and cup custards that to this day makes me want to go on a picnic.
If you like audiobooks, Glynis Johns read four of the Frances books (Bedtime for Frances, A Birthday for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, and Bread and Jam for Frances) in the Frances Audio Collection, and her charming British accent lingers in my mind each time I read this again to my grandchildren.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, (1960) takes a different approach to expanding food choices, as Sam-I-Am badgers his friend relentlessly to try green eggs and ham. This was probably the book my children read on their own first – it has a vocabulary of only 50 words with lots of rhyming and repetition. What list of books to read and reread is complete without Dr. Seuss?
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962) received the honor of being the #1 circulating book in the history of the New York Public Library since 1895. The illustrations and the writing are pristine, and the child’s inner voice foremost. This book was among the most requested in our house at certain ages, especially at bedtime, when we reviewed our day and settled down.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947) is surely the first book any of my children would name as an essential book of their early childhood, and I couldn’t count the times we read it. From time to time it may have hidden itself behind a couch cushion for days so we could enjoy something else for a while. The littlest ones loved to examine the illustrations and seek out the mouse in the pages, while mom or dad rested their eyes.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963) was the recipient of a Caldecott Medal. Max gets wild and is sent to his room, where he dives into fantasy jungle adventures. As in all the best children’s books, he returns to the security of his loving family. We turned to this book at the end of tumultuous days, when it worked magic on child and parent alike.
Katy and the Big Snow was written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton (1943). Katy, the strong and determined snowplow who digs out the city of Geopolis after a big snowstorm, models hard work, confidence and a can-do attitude. The big snowstorm stops the work of the city, and Katy is the helper who makes things go again.
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson and published in 1955 has simple text and simple illustrations, but powerful prompts to imagination. Harold creates the world he needs at the moment with his purple crayon, and always manages to come home to his own room.
Madeline was written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939). Madeline is a brave and irrepressible schoolgirl who deftly manages in any crisis. The rhyming language is irresistible, and the illustrations full of interesting detail.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is the first of the If You Give: series by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond (1985). The jaunty demands of the house mouse for a cookie lead to one thing and another, and wear out the boy who kindly acquiesces. By then it’s time for another cookie. It strikes a chord with every parent, who doles out the cookies and is worn out at the end of the day!
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry (1974) is filled with the entertaining and diverse versions of vehicles, however implausible, that delight children. We pored over the illustrations and did not start reading this too close to bedtime, as there was always something new to find and bedtime was inevitably delayed. Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever (1963) was another favorite.
I hope you enjoyed this diversion down memory lane! One of the things I love best about being a grandmother is reading to my grandchildren, and sharing a little bit of what their parents enjoyed at an earlier age. Books and storytelling are among the most powerful ways we pass down the history and traditions of the family.
Thank you, Mom, for writing this beautiful guest post. I vividly remember these books from my childhood, and they are definitely keepers! If you liked this post from A Grandmother’s Library Shelf, please also check out the best Wordless Books for Toddlers.