Do you have a little one who sits nestled on your lap? It is never too early to start the practice of reading out loud. A great place to begin is with the following three board books by Margaret Wise Brown. These are classic bedtime stories showing the comfort of a bedtime ritual, the steadfast love of a mom, and a fondness for farmyard animals.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
It is bedtime for little bunny. Little bunny is snug in his bed in the big green room. The storyline of this book creates an interactive opportunity for your child to search for various objects on each page. One by one, the focus shifts from bedside objects to wall art to items on the floor. And then, once you are familiar with the big green room, the bedtime ritual of saying goodnight to these beloved objects begins. The goodnights are spoken as the room slowly darkens until at last all is at rest.
The Runaway Bunny
In the next story, little bunny decides that he is going to run away. Rather than quietly carrying out his plan, he announces to his mother what he is going to do. She replies that if he runs away, she will come find him. Dismayed by this, the little bunny imagines himself as a fish or a bird or a sailboat so that he can get away. But then mother shows little bunny how she will respond to each of his imaginations. This is an endearing story of hide and seek that showcases a mother’s love.
Big Red Barn
Big Red Barn begins with the sun peeking up over the horizon bringing light to a farm. One after another, the barnyard animals come out of the big red barn to greet the day. This is a classic book for teaching the names and sounds of barnyard animals as they appear on the pages. After a big day out in the pasture, the sun begins to dip below the horizon. The animals once again make their way back to the big red barn as the field is enveloped in the shadows of nightfall.
I hope that you will return again and again to enjoy all three board books by Margaret Wise Brown with your little one. They provide an easy way to dive into the practice of reading out loud together. To find additional thoughts about creating family connection through the practice of reading out loud together, please click here.