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Books We Like

Published 12/30/2020 by Danielle Ippolito

As a new parent, one piece of advice I've received time after time, from my parents to co-workers and friends is to establish a routine with my child. After transitioning from crib to toddler bed, we finally got into a bedtime routine that works for us. I call it the "4B Routine": bath, brush teeth and hair, books, bed. Through this routine, we've discovered some of her favorites and I'm sure like other parents of young kids can understand we read at least one of these each night. And yes, sometimes it is the same book...over and over again. Which I am learning is not actually a bad thing. In fact, it's great as she is now "reading" back to me

The first three books are by Leslie Patricelli.

"Nighty-Night" - Dinner is done, bye-bye sun, see you soon, hello moon. This book helps establish the night-time practice of getting ready for bed. Getting naked, taking a bath, and putting on pajamas, this book covers what my daughter and I do each night.

Having read this book to her each night, she now wants to read the book as we do the task that is presented. We bring it to the bathroom to brush our hair and teeth. We bring it to the bedroom to dance and read. We bring it to the bed so she can cuddle with it at night. (Spoiler alert - that part is not in the book). She loves that she can do what the baby does in the book, as well.

"Toot" - Everybody toots. The dog toots, the cat toots, but does a fish toot? Well, you have to read this book about this normal bodily function to find out. This colorful board book with easy to read pages is a gem.

My daughter loves the "toot-toot-toot like a train" part, the fact that the main character is a baby in a diaper like her and there's even a puppy like ours seals the deal for her. I enjoy this read as it has less than five words per page and after repeated readings, I can now read without having to look at the pages. #MomBoss

"Potty" - At some point, hopefully sooner than later, we all go through the tradition of potty training our children. This book helps to establish that going on the potty is fun and easy.

This has been a great book to read during the last couple of months, as we are now in the potty training phase of our lives. The character sits on the potty and goes through the house to see if others go to the potty as well. "Potty" helps reiterate that going on the potty is a good thing to do.


The next three books are by Make Believe Ideas, LTD, Illustrated by Stuart Lynch.

"Never Touch a Polar Bear!" - You must never touch a polar bear unless you are touching the one in this book. This winter-themed touch and feel book, with rhymes, is great for children (and adults) of all ages.

This book has bright colors, arctic animals and is just plain fun for my toddler and I'm sure will be the same for other toddlers as well. They can hold the book, feel the pages, and ignore the advice it gives about touching the animals. Reading it helps to establish that you must really not touch random animals, except the ones in the pages of the books.

"Never Touch a Spider!" - This book is similar to "Never Touch a Polar Bear!" but with insects. A bright red spider on the front page along with great textures is a great way to get your child's attention.

There are different insects and silicone features on every page, which helps to engage the child. They also get to learn about different bugs and creatures that we can look for outside. Words on the pages are brightly colored as well and allow us to go over colors each time we read it.

"How to Charm a Llama" - This book is also a touch and feel book, but with sequins. You can go from silver to multicolored, red to pink, yellow to green, and more. The rhyming theme holds the attention of small children while the colorful pages keep them entertained. Watching the colors change from one shade to the next is a great feature along with the subject matter, llamas don't need gifts, they just need some laughs and love. Which this year is something we all can appreciate.

Another plus side to this one is just how durable it is, making it perfect for little hands. Over a year ago, I found myself strolling through a store and was drawn to this charming book and decided to pick it up. But by the time I made it to checkout I learn just how durable it was as I lost that ever waging battle between me and my newly teething baby.

All of these books are great for a little one who is learning different textures, colors, and things they can find outside in nature.


Now some books just for you parents...

Any one of the above books would be an excellent addition to a nighttime routine for your toddler. But I do have one more recommendation for your nightly routine. If anything, 2020 has shown us all that adults need "me" time and self-care, as well. So my nightly routine now includes sitting down with a book and a nice warm cup of tea after putting the kid to bed.

Now, full disclosure: this recommendation is definitely for adults and I would rate them a four on the Chili Pepper Heat rating scale.

"The Black Dagger Brotherhood" series by JR Ward has been my go-to escape in the past. And recently, I've decided to make it the official other-world that I visit when this one gets to be too much. Vampire Warriors who must protect their race against an evil society of soulless humans all while managing to find love. You literally can't go wrong here. Even the background characters are well developed. They bring humor and a kind of family love that just keeps me reading. You will become obsessed with these characters and the later books that focus on each one of the brothers in the series.

"Dark Lover" is book one of the 18 book series (Ward is still writing, and even has spin-off series, that are equally good). You'll meet Wrath, the blind vampire king, who is the leader of the brotherhood. He is seeking to destroy those who killed his parents. And then there's Beth, a human, who is helpless against the pull and attraction she has for this man who comes to her only in the dark. The love story and twists and turns will keep you turning the pages.