In her book pictured here, Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide, Betsy Hearne writes:
”Literature is vital to children’s reading and learning. But children’s books are crucial to more than children. Children’s books are a matter of adult self-interest as well. There is a child in every adult and and adult in every child, and it is a tragic thing to see them separated. Adults and children can both get a lot out of children’s books, just as their ancestors did out of myths and folktales. The power of story is not to be denied. In prehistoric caves, during Irish famines, in Nazi concentration camps, stories were as important as food. They were sometimes served instead, and they nourished starving hearts.” (page 5)
The first time I read this, it resonated: my immediate response was, yes, of course adults and children can both get a lot out of children's books.
And then I started thinking more about it. What are those books for me?
My number-one answer to this question is The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld, which I reviewed in issue No. 13.
It’s not only lovely — a masterpiece of a picture book for social-emotional learning — it helped me explain to my husband what I want from him when I am upset: not a bear who shouts, or an ostrich who buries its head, or a snake who wants to exact revenge, but rather a quiet rabbit who will approach slowly and calmly, sit right up next to me, and simply listen as I talk and shout and just generally process.
I’ve received a tremendous amount from this book, and this idea made me curious:
What’s a children’s book you’ve gotten a lot out of as an adult, either as you’ve read it to the children in your life, or encountered it on your own?
I love all of Cori Doerrfeld book’s! I think she is from Minnesota maybe? I get a lot out of picture books. It’s hard to pick! I mean, ‘oh no gotta go’ made me very seen as a parent whose child often urgently needs to go to the bathroom with little warning. ‘Rissy No Kissies’ helped me explain to my child that they can say no to things like hugging and kissing. Some books are just so entertaining and delightful, like See the Dog/Cat and the pigeon books in particular from Mo Willems although I love all of his books!
And you can clearly see the impact you’ve had on our reading since most of the titles I mentioned were suggestions from you. I thought oh no gotta go was just hilarious and so relatable! And our kids go to Spanish immersion daycare so I love books that include Spanish vocabulary. I ended up requesting all of her books are reading oh no gotta go!
I did notice that 😉 And I'm so glad you've enjoyed so many of my recommendations. (I think Oh No, Gotta Go! is totally hilarious, even though when my kids did that constantly, I didn't think it was so funny.)
I'd love to hear about any Spanish and/or bilingual English-Spanish picture books you've found that you and your family enjoy. My eldest is highly motivated to learn Spanish, so I've been putting more energy into finding these titles lately.
I would recommend Abuela by Arthur Dorros. And all of the oh no gotta go author’s books. She uses lots of Spanish and includes a glossary at the end but you can usually understand the word from context. I am learning Spanish so really appreciate having an opportunity to work it into our reading! I will let you know if I think of any others!! Your kids are prob too old for this but I love that highlights high 5 magazine has a story every month with Spanish vocabulary, too! I wonder if the magazine directed at older kids has that too?
And oh yes, the emergency need to go to the bathroom is sooo not funny in the moment and the source of a lot of stress!!
My husband has found comics in Spanish at gocomics.com, it has familiar strips like Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield and you can choose English or Spanish or both. It's a paid subscription but he's loved it! My daughter found that reading Harry Potter in Spanish, a book she read multiple times in English, was a great way to improve her Spanish!
I love Duck Death and the Tulip for all my existential crises, and really love We Found A Hat by Jon klassen for showing at the most basic level what love is!!!! Also madame badobedah for showing a story from a kid view and also an adult view -
Miss Rumphius! It’s a great sadness that my kids don’t seem to love this book as much as me but I find it so moving! Reminds me to cultivate beauty where I can and that it can be done in the smallest of acts!
The picture book Looking for a Smile by Ellen Tarlow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer, is a great way to talk about depression and what someone can do when someone they love suffers from it, following Bear who's lost his smile, and his friend Bird. It's about the power of sitting with a friend without saying a word, the power of presence. This book captures joy well, too, and ends up back at joy so sweetly: "Then Bear felt something deep inside him. It rose and rose and suddenly . . . there was Smile!"
Nov 1, 2022·edited Nov 1, 2022Liked by Sarah Miller
These are slightly older 'children's' books - but I so enjoyed reading The Wild Robot with my 6 year old, and its sequel. My kid loved the story and the pictures; for me it was an essay on motherhood - so beautiful.
I love this question. I teach high school students and this year my advisees are seniors. For our first meeting of the year I read them "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and we all talked about who or what our purple crayons are and it was lovely. I debated if they were going to appreciate it or think it was silly and was so happy that they also loved it (and loved being read to even as 17/18 year olds!)
YESSSSSS! Kyle, I love this — and thank you for affirming that older kids still enjoy being read to and can still relate to the picture books of their younger days. (I’m so curious about their answers — and yours — to the question, who/what is your purple crayon!)
A picturebook called "Pizza for Breakfast" now OOP unfortunately. With a wonderful theme of recognizing happiness when you have it, a rather adult "message," but my sons loved the book! By Maryann Kovalski.
I love that one too, Kristin (I reviewed it in my 2021 special edition on Easter) and have the same feelings about the mama bunny -- she basically a superhero!
There are so many, but one I keep thinking about is After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat. It has such a delightful twist that kind of gives me a more enchanted view of the world?
So many to choose from, but I have to go with Hap-Pea All Year by Keith Baker.
This book isn't especially poignant, it's just a cute rhyming book about the months of the years (with peas), but I love picture books with lots to look at in the pictures, and Hap-Pea All Year does this beautifully. I love studying the pictures with my kids and on my own.
Oh, we used to love reading the Baker's Peas series! I forgot all about those. (I don't know if we've ever read Hap-pea, but you had me at the title alone.) Thanks, Elena!
The Rabbit Listened is so wonderful (and I love learning from the comments below that I ought to check out Cori's other books).
Saturday by One Mora makes me feel all the feels as a working mom who often feels guilty and gets frustrated when activities and life don't proceed as planned. I feel for the mom so much... plus, the lesson that, in the end, our children just want our time and attention and grand gestures or "perfect" days aren't required.
I love all of Cori Doerrfeld book’s! I think she is from Minnesota maybe? I get a lot out of picture books. It’s hard to pick! I mean, ‘oh no gotta go’ made me very seen as a parent whose child often urgently needs to go to the bathroom with little warning. ‘Rissy No Kissies’ helped me explain to my child that they can say no to things like hugging and kissing. Some books are just so entertaining and delightful, like See the Dog/Cat and the pigeon books in particular from Mo Willems although I love all of his books!
I also love Cori Doerrfeld -- and she is from Minnesota, yes!
It hasn't occurred to me to consider which picture books make me feel seen -- that's a pretty interesting side question.
And you can clearly see the impact you’ve had on our reading since most of the titles I mentioned were suggestions from you. I thought oh no gotta go was just hilarious and so relatable! And our kids go to Spanish immersion daycare so I love books that include Spanish vocabulary. I ended up requesting all of her books are reading oh no gotta go!
I did notice that 😉 And I'm so glad you've enjoyed so many of my recommendations. (I think Oh No, Gotta Go! is totally hilarious, even though when my kids did that constantly, I didn't think it was so funny.)
I'd love to hear about any Spanish and/or bilingual English-Spanish picture books you've found that you and your family enjoy. My eldest is highly motivated to learn Spanish, so I've been putting more energy into finding these titles lately.
I would recommend Abuela by Arthur Dorros. And all of the oh no gotta go author’s books. She uses lots of Spanish and includes a glossary at the end but you can usually understand the word from context. I am learning Spanish so really appreciate having an opportunity to work it into our reading! I will let you know if I think of any others!! Your kids are prob too old for this but I love that highlights high 5 magazine has a story every month with Spanish vocabulary, too! I wonder if the magazine directed at older kids has that too?
And oh yes, the emergency need to go to the bathroom is sooo not funny in the moment and the source of a lot of stress!!
Oh yes, Abuela is so good -- we have that one but haven't read it for awhile. (Thanks for the reminder!)
My husband has found comics in Spanish at gocomics.com, it has familiar strips like Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield and you can choose English or Spanish or both. It's a paid subscription but he's loved it! My daughter found that reading Harry Potter in Spanish, a book she read multiple times in English, was a great way to improve her Spanish!
This is a fabulous idea; thank you so much!
I love Duck Death and the Tulip for all my existential crises, and really love We Found A Hat by Jon klassen for showing at the most basic level what love is!!!! Also madame badobedah for showing a story from a kid view and also an adult view -
Also I think I need The Rabbit Listened haha
I don't know these! (I mean, I know *of* We Found a Hat but have never read it -- the others, I've never even heard of.) Thank you!
Everyone needs The Rabbit Listened, in my opinion...
I try to re-read "The Little Prince" every year, and every year its counsel that "one sees clearly only with the heart" seems more and more true.
If you want to dive deeper, there's a great New Yorker essay on the book, by Adam Gopnik: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-strange-triumph-of-the-little-prince
A classic with so much wisdom. I admire the fact that you reread it every year!
Miss Rumphius! It’s a great sadness that my kids don’t seem to love this book as much as me but I find it so moving! Reminds me to cultivate beauty where I can and that it can be done in the smallest of acts!
Such a good one. Great answer, Emily!
I can never make it through this one without crying! So good.
Matilda, always and forever. A story about listening to children, bad grown ups, magic, love, and books.
I was waiting for your response 😉
Matilda. A thousand times yes.
The picture book Looking for a Smile by Ellen Tarlow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer, is a great way to talk about depression and what someone can do when someone they love suffers from it, following Bear who's lost his smile, and his friend Bird. It's about the power of sitting with a friend without saying a word, the power of presence. This book captures joy well, too, and ends up back at joy so sweetly: "Then Bear felt something deep inside him. It rose and rose and suddenly . . . there was Smile!"
Ooooh, thank you, Meredith! This one is new to me -- putting it on hold right now.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 💕 ✨ 🐰 🎩 🫖 👧
Nice! I haven’t read it as an adult — I’m adding it to my book challenge for 2023!
A annotated copy is a good idea as an adult... knowing what made hatters mad... and so on (mercury as used in felting!)
I did know that! But because of Alice in Wonderland, of course 😉
Yes!
These are slightly older 'children's' books - but I so enjoyed reading The Wild Robot with my 6 year old, and its sequel. My kid loved the story and the pictures; for me it was an essay on motherhood - so beautiful.
I’ve heard such good things, though we haven’t made it to either, yet. You’ve made me look forward to them both!
Yesss!!! The Wild Robot was such a hit with my kid!
I love this question. I teach high school students and this year my advisees are seniors. For our first meeting of the year I read them "Harold and the Purple Crayon" and we all talked about who or what our purple crayons are and it was lovely. I debated if they were going to appreciate it or think it was silly and was so happy that they also loved it (and loved being read to even as 17/18 year olds!)
YESSSSSS! Kyle, I love this — and thank you for affirming that older kids still enjoy being read to and can still relate to the picture books of their younger days. (I’m so curious about their answers — and yours — to the question, who/what is your purple crayon!)
What a great question to ask kids! I've wondered how to have discussions based on this book. Definitely not only for babies.
The Ari Ara series by Rivera Sun. It's soooo good. Nonviolence. Coming of age. Beautiful storytelling. Love!
Never heard of this series, Sarah, but will check it out! Thank you.
A picturebook called "Pizza for Breakfast" now OOP unfortunately. With a wonderful theme of recognizing happiness when you have it, a rather adult "message," but my sons loved the book! By Maryann Kovalski.
One of my favorite books is an Easter book titled: The Country Bunny. The mama bunny just speaks to me! :)
I love that one too, Kristin (I reviewed it in my 2021 special edition on Easter) and have the same feelings about the mama bunny -- she basically a superhero!
What a great question!!
There are so many, but one I keep thinking about is After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat. It has such a delightful twist that kind of gives me a more enchanted view of the world?
I love Bear by Himself by Geoffrey Hayes. A beautiful story about the joy of being alone!
Oh, this looks like my kind of book...
So many to choose from, but I have to go with Hap-Pea All Year by Keith Baker.
This book isn't especially poignant, it's just a cute rhyming book about the months of the years (with peas), but I love picture books with lots to look at in the pictures, and Hap-Pea All Year does this beautifully. I love studying the pictures with my kids and on my own.
Oh, we used to love reading the Baker's Peas series! I forgot all about those. (I don't know if we've ever read Hap-pea, but you had me at the title alone.) Thanks, Elena!
Courage by Bernard Waber! I have gifted copies to many adults because it somehow helps me each time I read it.
I don’t know this one! Yay!
The Rabbit Listened is so wonderful (and I love learning from the comments below that I ought to check out Cori's other books).
Saturday by One Mora makes me feel all the feels as a working mom who often feels guilty and gets frustrated when activities and life don't proceed as planned. I feel for the mom so much... plus, the lesson that, in the end, our children just want our time and attention and grand gestures or "perfect" days aren't required.
Oh my gosh, YES. Yes. Thank you so much for adding that.