Family Briefs

***UPDATED AGAIN! I submitted this post to be included in the Carnival of Children’s literature. You can see all the other participants at Po Moyemu - In My Opinion.

***UPDATED: Proud to Be Country is giving away a children’s book of her choosing. All you have to do is leave a comment on her site or blog about the giveaway and tell her your favorite children’s book.***

Reading LOTS to my children over the last eight years means I’ve read LOTS of children’s books. When you check out ten books a week from the library for a few years, you can’t help but read LOTS of children’s books. It’s a good thing, really; the kids learn a great skill and I fall in love with LOTS of children’s books. Guess what we have all over the house - you guessed it - LOTS of children’s books!

I’ve found there are LOTS of really awful children’s books. No real story . . . terrible pictures . . . B-O-R-I-N-G! You wonder how some of these get published! I’ve also determined for myself that some of the best children’s books seem to reflect something about my children or something I remember from my own childhood.

Since our children are growing and changing, I think our taste in children’s books may grow and change with them. This can make it really tough to pick out good children’s books - after all, you want a book that you enjoy reading to your children as much as they enjoy hearing the story!

Because books are such a big part of our family life, I decided to begin sharing with you some of my favorites. I realize book likes/dislikes can be very personal choices. Maybe if I tell you what it is I like about a particular book, you may find that you like it for the same reason (or not ).

Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep.

When I first saw this book advertised, we were having some major nighttime fear issues with our first-born. You know, you read the bedtime stories, go potty, get your last sip of water, get tucked in bed, turn on the music and the ceiling fan, etc.; just as you turn to walk out the door, you hear, “I can’t get to sleep, I’m too scared.”

Now, I know, it was mostly an excuse to stay awake a little longer (the bedtime stories we read were NEVER frightening, so this always seemed bizarre to me). But the title of this book by Joyce Dunbar really struck me, and now it’s one of my all-time favorites.

Two bunnies with long floppy ears are the main characters. Willa, the younger sister is having trouble getting to sleep and seeks help from her older brother, Willoughby. As the story progresses, Willoughby gives Willa lots of happy things to think about to help her get to sleep. He also convinces her that the morning will be sad if it doesn’t get to wake her up. Of course, by the end of the story, Willa is in bed asleep.

I think part of what I like so much about the story, aside from the warm, rich illustrations, is the care the older brother takes with his sister. Never would that happen in our house - the older brother would tell his younger sister to stop whining so he could get to sleep! So, I like the relationship between the two in the book; it really warms my heart and makes me long for the day when our children care that much about each other. The book, at least, sets a nice example (something I’m quick to point out as I’m reading the story).

The other part of the story I like are all the wonderful happy things that Willoughby comes up with for his sister to think about. When I get to the end of the day, I’m tired and struggle to think back to find the happy things in the day - not that they aren’t there - but I find myself looking for something big and obviously happy (big tickle fights, or winning a game, or finishing some arduous task). Willoughby finds these delightfully simple things that bring happiness to a child (chicken slippers, a basket of toys, clouds, birds, and much more!).

This is a GREAT bedtime story that will surely send off your little one to dreamland thinking lots of happy thoughts! It might even help give you some happy thoughts to hang on to as well!

Joyce Dunbar writes LOTS of children’s books, including a follow-up to THIS book (”Tell Me What It’s Like to Be Big”). It’s a wonderful heartwarming story too, but this one’s still my favorite!

Happy reading!

Be sure to check back at A Path Made Straight for more Children’s Book Monday reviews.