Words. Words. Words. – Reading Recommendation

We all know that reading is important for our children’s  language development, brain development, and overall well-being. But it can be hard to persevere when your child only appreciates the tasty corners of board books or is asking for the fifteenth reading of “Pat the Bunny”. In. A. Row.

So in our ongoing mission to help parents, we wanted to offer some book recommendations to complement the classics that may already be on your bookshelf.

July Recommendation: Again by Emily Gravett

Repetition is a joy, as well as developmental requirement for toddlers. Less so for parents.

Again tells the story of a sleepy mommy dragon whose feisty offspring insists that his fairy tale be read “Again!” And again. Alas, sometimes a sleepy mommy dragon can only resist slumber for so long. And a grumpy little dragon has to deal with the consequences of his anger.

(Spoiler Alert)

That mad little dragon burns up with so much anger that his fiery breath burns a hole through the end of his book – a very real hole in the back cover – forcing the fairy tale characters to flee.

My two-year-old Rhooster was blown away by this. Waking up the next morning, my little one pointed at the book basket and said “That book has a hole mommy! A hole!” The little Rhooster is still talking about the dragon.

Beyond captivating my toddler and having a very creative concept, the book has been great for teachable moments. I’ve used it to talk about the consequences of anger, the power of empathy (aka mommy can get sleepy too), and the importance of manners (Again, _please_!).

Recommended ages are 2-6.  Let us know what you think if this book and what you are reading…