Let’s be real. Children’s books can suck.
I would rather take my friend’s daughter and 9 of her friends to a Twilight marathon than have to read Robert Munsch‘s Love You Forever before bed time. It may be the 4th best selling children’s book of all time, but the creepy way the mother spies through the window gives me the chills.
There are dozens of others that I flip through at the library, get four pages in at nighttime and then just start ad libbing because the story is so terrible.
There is, however, an author I will gladly engage an “again” wish from kids every time they ask; Oliver Jeffers.
If you don’t recognize his name, you’ll easily remember his art work.
How To Catch A Star is the story of a boy who longs to own a star and eventually catches one. The Way Back Home is about the boy and his alien friend co-operating to get off the moon. Up and Down and our favorite, Lost and Found, follow the story of the boy and his best friend, a penguin.
In 2008, the simple tale of the boy and the penguin he found riding to the South Pole and back, Lost and Found, was turned into an animated special.
His pictures tell incredible stories and the words on the page are few. Jeffers‘ imagination is stunning. His story telling is simple. His artwork is subtle.
Simply, his books don’t suck.
What are your favorite (and least favorite) bedtime books?
I loved this! I didn’t know about this guy when my kids were small. Beautiful. Our favourites were anything by Sandra Boynton, Dr. Seuss (except Fox in Sox which I refuse to read!) and the Henry and Mudge series. I, too, am not a fan of Robert Munch (exept his pigs book) and that “I’ll love you forever” really freaks me out as well.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Glad to hear I am not the only one creeped out by ‘Love You Forever’! That said, I do think his other stories are fun, but you have to watch which age you read them to. (The marker story may incite everything to be markered!) The reason I enjoy Munsch is I have had the pleasure of hearing him read his stories to kids. He does it like no other and when I read his words now, I can hear his voice and see his crazy faces!
One of my favourite all-time kids books is The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Although I like it more for the pictures. 😉
Thanks for the tip regarding Oliver Jeffers. I’ll be sure to check him out.
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