Hellobee

Among Lion’s first 500 books, we ended up reading our fair share of board books. Mr. Dolphin actually prefers reading board books because they are easier to hold and flip the pages. This post should really be titled, “Books that Panda will actually let us read to him” because Panda does not have a particularly strong love of books the way his brother does. However, these eighteen books were big hits for both of our kids and ones that we didn’t mind reading, either:

Baby Touch and Feel Animals – Panda has always been very tactile, much more so than his brother. As a result, this book was very popular when he was two or three months old.

Bear Says “Thank You” – A very short, easy read that repeats the phrase “thank you” throughout the book. It was a helpful book in getting Lion to say thank you frequently and Panda loves the bright colors.

Belly Button Book – I thought this was a silly book the first time I read it, but we actually own it now because Mr. Dolphin and Lion loved it so much. It’s still a silly book, but it has grown on me and is short enough to hold Panda’s attention.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? – This one is a classic and a great book to learn colors and animals. There’s a lot of repetition which both of our kids enjoyed.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – An ABC book that is pretty cute. This was actually my little brother’s favorite book when he was a child and I purchased it because of my great memories reading it to my brother. Panda loves the bright colors and the pacing of the book. There’s a shorter version of the book, Chicka Chicka ABC, which covers only the first half of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

Dinosaur Kisses – This book also made the Dolphin family’s top 50 books because Lion loved it so much and would always laugh when we read it to him as an infant. It’s a very short book, so great for the attention span of Panda. Both Lion and Panda loved the chomping and stomping of the dinosaurs!

Dr. Seuss’s ABC – I’m not always a big fan of Dr. Seuss, but I loved the rhythm of this one and read it to Lion so many times I had it memorized.

First 100 Words – I was a little worried about this one when we purchased it because there is no story. Silly mother, who needs a story when there are 100 different objects to point out? It’s a brightly colored book that grows with a child. Panda enjoyed it for its bright illustrations, but Lion still enjoys it today because he can point out all of the objects and name the colors.

Good night, Gorilla – A favorite of both my kids, we read this one to Lion every single night before bed for his first year. We read it to Panda most nights before bed, too, and he loves staring at the pages. It’s very short with not much text, so it’s great for older kids, too, who might want to comment on the illustrations and the expressions of the animals.

Go, Dog Go! – Another short rhyming book, this was a childhood favorite of Mr. Dolphin. It catches the attention span of our youngest, but was enjoyed by both of our children. There’s a companion lift-the-flap style book that Lion enjoyed, as well.

Going to Bed Book – Another Sandra Boynton book with a great rhyming meter and fast paced enough for Panda’s attention span. It is actually my favorite book by Boynton.

Goodnight Moon – When Lion was colicky, sometimes it seemed like nothing would calm him down, even books. Goodnight Moon was our one “magic” book that, more often than not, would help settle him down. Even if he was still fussy after reading it, it was the one book we could count on to at least reduce the tears and crying.

Hello Ninja – This one is very short and cute. Mr. Dolphin’s favorite line is the ending: “Ninjas ninja hard all day, they need to sleep before they play.”

Is Your Mama A Llama? – This one is a bit longer than most on this list, but it has a cute rhyme and features quite a few different animals.

Peek-a-who? – A very short and clever book. Perhaps like most kids, Panda’s favorite page is the one with a mirror on it. He was fascinated by his reflection.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – This classic was a favorite of both kids, and they both have a favorite page in the book: the page that shows all the different types of food the caterpillar eats on Saturday. In addition to looking at the illustrations, both of our kids liked to poke their fingers through the holes in the book.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – I think both kids liked the repetition in the book. It’s still one of Lion’s most requested books at two-years-old and we often read it (at Lion’s request) to Panda at bedtime.

Where’s Spot – What baby doesn’t love a lift-the-flap book? Somehow, we managed to get through only one ripped off flap when Lion was an infant, but it didn’t fare quite as well with Panda’s eagerness to rip up paper and put it in his mouth. Still, it was a book enjoyed greatly by both kids.