Oh, we loved Where the Mountain meets the moon as a read aloud--same with Ronia (your recommendation) 😍. AND I think Circus Ship is one of our most read picture books, one that I will keep forever.
Agreed -- Circus Ship pure gold and I, too, will keep it forever. I just gave a copy to a little friend who had a birthday last weekend and I was so happy, like, here, you are going to enjoy this SO MUCH!
Ronia is incredibly underrated. I think it's 100x better than Pippi Longstocking. It's one of my favorite books I've ever read with my kids.
I love Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (and all Grace Lin books), but Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is particularly enjoyable for adults too! I can't wait until my kiddo is old enough to read it. She has two follow ups to it, Starry River of the Sky and When The Sea Turned to Silver, that are on my list of books to read.
I have to tell you, I bought my daughter Ronja for her 8th birthday after your recommendation. She’s finished it already, she absolutely loved it, and - wait for it - she says it’s even better than Ramona! So thank you so much. I know you’re having a difficult time and I wanted you to know that your work has made one child (and her mother) ecstatically happy.
Oh my goodness, Catherine, this makes ME ecstatically happy; thank you so much 🥰 It's incredibly motivating to know that the work I'm doing here actually makes a difference for kiddos and their families.
Also? RONIA FOREVER. As a book, I agree that it's better than Ramona -- Lindgren was a more sophisticated writer than Beverly Cleary, which isn't to knock Cleary, they're just different people with different styles. But as a character, I think Ronia and Ramona are tied (I definitely think they both surpass Pippi Longstocking, which is really saying something). A good next read, if you're looking for one for your daughter, might be Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr -- do you know this one? It's less serious than Ronia but has the same vibes.
I don’t know it, and have added it to my list. Thank you! By the way, yesterday I googled ‘can we read books about magic’ hoping for a post from you on books about magic, obviously, but instead I got a load of results about whether it is morally acceptable to read books about magic. Which made me laugh heartily!
Anna Hibiscus and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon both sound great! Added them to my list of books for T!
Both are absolutely wonderful.
There are so many good books in this gift guide! You have great taste, Sarah!
Thank you, Sri!
Mean Margaret sounds perfect for my daughter! Thank you!
You're welcome! It's a fun one. Both my kids and I laughed out loud at numerous points.
I’m going to buy Mean Margaret and give it to myself. Just the title makes me laugh!
Please do -- it's hilarious.
Oh, we loved Where the Mountain meets the moon as a read aloud--same with Ronia (your recommendation) 😍. AND I think Circus Ship is one of our most read picture books, one that I will keep forever.
Agreed -- Circus Ship pure gold and I, too, will keep it forever. I just gave a copy to a little friend who had a birthday last weekend and I was so happy, like, here, you are going to enjoy this SO MUCH!
Ronia is incredibly underrated. I think it's 100x better than Pippi Longstocking. It's one of my favorite books I've ever read with my kids.
I agree! I read it specifically to my daughter, but my son would always find reasons to stay in the room and listen.
I love how many books I don’t know about! I’m always the “book gifting” auntie or friend and will be shopping from these lists this year for sure! 📚🎁
So glad you found some titles you don't know about, Alexis!
Such a wonderful round up. My 5 & 3 year old are DEEPLY obsessed with The Circus Ship! We love reading it!
It's seriously one of the only books that I would recommend to anyone/everyone -- it's that good.
So many fun titles in this one! The illustrations on The Circus Ship look so vibrant and enticing!
Wait, wait, wait, wait: YOU DON'T HAVE THE CIRCUS SHIP?!
I love Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (and all Grace Lin books), but Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is particularly enjoyable for adults too! I can't wait until my kiddo is old enough to read it. She has two follow ups to it, Starry River of the Sky and When The Sea Turned to Silver, that are on my list of books to read.
I agree that it's also a great read for adults (the whole trilogy is wonderful!)
I have to tell you, I bought my daughter Ronja for her 8th birthday after your recommendation. She’s finished it already, she absolutely loved it, and - wait for it - she says it’s even better than Ramona! So thank you so much. I know you’re having a difficult time and I wanted you to know that your work has made one child (and her mother) ecstatically happy.
Oh my goodness, Catherine, this makes ME ecstatically happy; thank you so much 🥰 It's incredibly motivating to know that the work I'm doing here actually makes a difference for kiddos and their families.
Also? RONIA FOREVER. As a book, I agree that it's better than Ramona -- Lindgren was a more sophisticated writer than Beverly Cleary, which isn't to knock Cleary, they're just different people with different styles. But as a character, I think Ronia and Ramona are tied (I definitely think they both surpass Pippi Longstocking, which is really saying something). A good next read, if you're looking for one for your daughter, might be Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr -- do you know this one? It's less serious than Ronia but has the same vibes.
I don’t know it, and have added it to my list. Thank you! By the way, yesterday I googled ‘can we read books about magic’ hoping for a post from you on books about magic, obviously, but instead I got a load of results about whether it is morally acceptable to read books about magic. Which made me laugh heartily!
Oh brother…..