Hellobee

The upside of buying all our children’s books from used bookstores is that I discover older (but still awesome) books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. There are many used bookstores in the Philippines with books from England and the US, and I buy dozens of children’s books every chance I get. We had to leave behind all our books when we moved here, but we’ve built up a pretty big library here. These have been some of our recent favorites!

1) Dear Peter Rabbit – This is a clever book told in the form of letters between the characters of three classic fairytales: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Peter Rabbit, and Little Red Riding Hood. Your kids will get the most out of it if they’re already familiar with all three fairytales (mine did not know Peter Rabbit). It’s fun for adults to read too! You have to follow several plotlines so this is better suited for kids that are a little bit older, 5+.

2) The Easter Egg – We’re big fans of Jan Brett’s books and illustrations (The Mitten is a modern day classic), and this is another winner.

3) Up, Up, Down – We’re also big fans of Robert Munsch and own several of his books. (Mrs. Schoolbus did an Author Spotlight on him here!) Munsch’s books always crack my kids up!

4) Martha Blah Blah – This book is hilarious and is one of the kids’ favorite books in our house right now. I would love to get more books in the Martha series!

5) Halibut Jackson – Halibut Jackson is a sweet story about how to overcoming shyness. I love books with beautiful illustrations like this one.

6) The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig – A twist on the classic fairytale, this is my kids’ favorite book right now!

7) Penguin – A wonderfully illustrated book about a penguin who doesn’t talk until it has to rescue its little boy from a lion. It might be a little scary for some because the lion eats the boy — and spits him back out — but overall it was charming and funny and my kids love it.

8) Wave – I love wordless books as do my kids because they’re such a wonderful way to use your imaginations and change up the story. This is beautifully illustrated in just 2 shades of watercolor, and shares a simple and timeless story of what it’s like to battle beach waves as a little kid. This was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2008.

9) Beach – Another beautifully illustrated book that perfectly captures what it’s like to spend a day at the beach.

10) The Stray Kitten – This is a super sweet story of a stray kitten that learns things like patience and bravery and eventually love when it is adopted. It’s a great introduction to kids about stray cats. I love this book!

11) The Stray Dog – Featuring Caldecott Medal winning illustrations, this is a sweet tale of a stray dog that finds a home with a family. We rescue dogs regularly here in El Nido, so my kids love this one.

12) Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Big Adventure – This is such a fun book, especially for little boys! Sir Charlie Stinky Socks battles beasts and witches and dragons in clever ways that you wouldn’t expect. There are also 4 pages with really fun lift the flaps, though the story is longer so it’s great for older kids.

13) Chester’s Way – We love author Kevin Henkes! You may know him better from Caldecott Medal winning Kitten’s First Full Moon and his popular Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. We also love his Caldecott Honor Book Owen and Wemberly Worried, both of which have been mentioned previously on Hellobee. Chester’s Way is a sweet story about friendship and how two best friends become three best friends.

14) Amos and Boris – We are huge William Steig fans (Doctor De Soto is a classic and he also wrote Shrek)! So many of his books have won awards and Amos and Boris, published in 1971, is no exception. Amos and Boris is the tale of an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a whale and how they both rescue each other.

15) A Walk in New York – We were gifted this beautiful book from friends that visited recently, and it was a wonderful reminder of our former home in New York!

16) Little Miss and Mr. Men – We own many books in the Little Miss and Mr. Men series and my kids love them! It’s a great, classic series to explore all kinds of emotions and characteristics like helpful, grumpy, shy, etc.

17) We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – We recently picked up a HUGE pop-up, interactive version of this classic book the kids have been loving!

18) Snow – A simple story that captures the magical feeling of the first snowfall. Snow was a 1998 New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year and a 1999 Caldecott Honor Book.