Last week, I told you about what I’ve been reading for the last few months. I’ve dabbled in everything from time-traveling wizards to noodle-cooking human pandas. Realistically though, most of my reading has been with my daughter who just turned two. As you can imagine, she’s not terribly interested in emotional memoirs. She wants colorful characters and simple storylines.
Whenever You’re in Trouble, Just Yelp for Help
Adalynn is a huge fan of PAW Patrol and she already has several of their books and toys as part of her collection. Ice Team is based on the episode that introduces Everest, a happy husky who’s ready to go in the ice or snow. She also happens to be only the second female member of the PAW Patrol.
The sparkly pages are especially attractive and Addie loves pointing out how the “pennins” (penguins) are “sliding down” the snowy hill. It’s a book she has consistently requested by name ever since I borrowed it from the library; we have since purchased our own copy.
The extensive family of stories by Robert Munsch are popular with parents and children alike. Classics like Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess are well-known. I was not as familiar with Ready, Set, Go! when I spotted it at the public library. It tells the tale of a girl trying to get some water to her marathon-running father. Meanwhile, she’s racing past all the other participants.
An Amazing Journey
If you’ve ever read any of the classic Curious George books, you might remember just how dated they can feel by today’s standards. The franchise continues to put out new content and Curious George Discovers Space by H.A. Rey is perhaps one of the most modern. The curious little monkey not only dreams of driving the Mars rover, but he also solves a sticky situation for the scientists back on Earth. The factoid bubbles are a little beyond Addie’s comprehension for now; she’ll get there one day.
The almost satirical pacing of Penguin and the Cupcake by Ashley Spires is quite jarring at first, especially when I’ve gotten so used to the rhythmic rhyming and meter of other children’s stories. It’s almost like tweaking a grown-up comedy routine for a younger audience. The penguin says he flies in search of cupcakes, only be told that penguins can’t fly. So, he hops on a plane. The sporadic interruptions are cute and off-beat, making for a very different reading experience.
Classical Training
When we’re getting ready for bedtime, we usually choose “full” books like the ones listed above. When we want just to fire off some quick reads on the couch, Classic Treasury: Nursery Rhymes by Belinda Gallagher is a little more suitable. Most of the nursery rhymes only take up a page or two, holding Addie’s attention with colorful illustrations, a natural sing-along tie-in, and rapidly changing contexts. It’s where we learned to walk a little slower.
For all the other moms and dads out there, are there any books or authors that you’d recommend for a two-year-old? While I appreciate the humor, some of the other books by Ashley Spires are still a little too advanced for our daughter.
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