Fun Lists from the Top
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The Children's Book Blogs Community
This is exciting and surprising to me. I had a bias against the whole notion of blogging. I imagined bloggers as a whole were people who wanted an audience but didn't really deserve it.
Leave the writing, I thought, to us professionals.
After surveying the stunning range of children's book blogs out there, I'm taking it all back. In fact, I'm apologizing. This is a great bunch of people with a love for children's books and, clearly, for children.
And, to top it off, most of them do seem to be professionals. (In fact, a lot of them are children's book authors themselves!)
These children's book blogs have a lot to offer...
and the bloggers are offering it for free. So I'm advising you to check out their sites and get some terrific book suggestions from people other than me.
Are you a children's book blogger? I'd love to have your list. There's a form to submit children's book blogs and book lists at the bottom of this page.
What I did was ask the authors of a few of the top children's book blogs to each come up with a category of children's books they love and then name the top three books in it.
I love the categories they came up with. And I hope some more of them submit lists.
So here we ago. And remember to check out their blogs!
- Blogger: P.J. Rooks
- Children's book blog: Tell It Again Tales
- My notes on the site: Well, clearly P.J. is my favorite children's book blogger; that's why she was the first official children's book reviewer on this site. P.J. always has a uniquely thoughtful take on whichever book it is she's reading.
List Name:
Critical Thinking 101: Toddler Style
- 1) The Butter Battle Book, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss
- With his usual imaginative flair, Dr. Seuss launches an arms race of crazy contraptions between neighbors who disagree (with increasing vehemence) over which side of the toast should contain the butter. A peace-lover's take on war, this book is one of the best-kept secrets of a true genius.
- 2) Nonsense!
, by Sally Kahler Phillips
- 3) Hey, Little Ant
- Blogger: Anne Boles Levy
- Children's book blog: Book Buds Kidlit Reviews
- My notes on the site: Wow. Anne pretty much posts a review a day and she has the impressive credentials to back up her opinions. She does a great job of telling you what you want to know. And her grown-up book reviews appear in the Los Angeles Times.
List Name:
The Picture Books That Will Change Your Life
- 1) Zen Shorts, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
- Three siblings befriend a giant panda, who turns their little psyches inside-out. Muth is one of the most in-demand illustrators, and his spare, watercolors and calligraphy-brush drawings pull us into the panda’s imagination. Although this is a "message" book about being more clear-eyed, wise and forgiving, it delivers its lessons with Zen quietude and not Western preachiness.
- 2) Learning to Fly, written and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser
- 3) The Sound of Colors, written and illustrated by Jimmy Liao
- Blogger: Jill Swanson
- Children's book blog: Orange Marmalade
- My notes on the site: Jill specializes in reviewing books with something in common, for instance Five Books About Mingling Cultures. The reviews are extremely thoughtful and she's great at finding books that are out of the mainstream.
List Name:
Delightful Dragon Tales
- 1) Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, written and illustrated by Grace Lin
- The story has a Chinese-Wizard-of-Oz feel, steeped in Jasmine-Scented Fairy-Tale Tea, a sweet beauty that will not be rushed, and poetic prose. The book is beautiful: gorgeous full-color pictures,many line-drawings and decorations, beautiful jacket, well-chosen fonts,even creamy, lovely paper!
- 2) My Father's Dragon
, written by Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett
- 3) Bearskin
, written by Howard Pyle, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.
- Children's book blog: Happy Birthday, Author
- Blogger: Eric Van Raepenbusch
- My notes on the site: This former teacher and stay at home dad celebrates the work of a top children's book author every week - on the occasion of that author's birthday!
List Name:
Best Picture Books for Young Boys
- 1) I Stink by Kate and Jim McMullan
- This book has a great audio book companion. Once you listen to it then you will be reading the book in the same voice. Fun to read with a little attitude.
- 2) Robot Zot!
, by by Jon Scieszka and David Shannon
- 3) Trashy Town
, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
- Children's book blog: Cynsations
- Blogger: Cynthia Leitich Smith
- My notes on the site: Voluminous. This is a site that covers, well, everything. Resources for parents, children, teachers and writers. But most notably, Cynthia is a children's book author herself. Her books receive some amazing reviews.
List Name:
Gorgeous Art Picture Books
- 1) An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
- Lyrical, informative language combine with magnificent illustrations to introduce children of all ages to the world of eggs. Perfect for lap reading and classroom discussions. A must-buy for school and public libraries. Arguably the best concept book in print. It's received stars from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus. My '06 Caldecott pick!
- 2) Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How A First Lady Changed America, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein
- 3) Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water, by Kurt Cyrus
- Children's book blog: The Children's Hour
- Blogger: Ray Van Neste
- My notes on the site: Ray is an assistant prof of Christian Studies at the R.C. Ryan Center in Jackson, TN. His blog is the perfect destination for parents looking to incorporate faith into their children's reading. A focus on the bible, history, and just good fiction.
List Name:
Bible Story Books for Young Children
- 1) Big Picture Story Bible, David R. Helm; Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker
- The Big Picture Story Bible is an incredible book. Whereas typical Bible story books simply retell various stories this one sets out to communicate how all the stories fit together in one grand story. This is accomplished with the text and the pictures. Especially young children can even gather much of the story simply from the illustrations.
- 2) My First Study Bible, Paul J. Loth
- 3) The Picture Bible, Iva Hoth, Illustrated by Andre Le Blanc
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