Reading Our Library: Marion Dane Bauer

Marion Dane Bauer is an award-winning author who has written books for children of all ages, including a Newberry Honor book. We picked up several of her books for younger children at our local library. Here's what we read:

The first two books are a sweet celebration of parenthood. They come complete with a greeting card that a child can give to his or her mother or father (although our library copies obviously didn't come with the greeting cards).


My Mother is Mine by Marion Dane Bauer illustrated by Peter Elwell

This book is a beautiful tribute to the mother-child bond. Bauer's rhyming text is sweet, but not overbearing. Elwell's pastel illustrations show animal mothers caring for their babies- bears, tigers, kangaroos and ultimately culminate in a little girl and her mother. Both Jonathan and Grace enjoyed this book as well as the sequel (below). Jonathan particularly had fun naming the different animals.

The Very Best Daddy of All by Marion Dane Bauer illustrated by Leslie Wu

This is a companion to My Mother is Mine. It shows different animal daddies caring for and protecting their babies. The simple text and soft pastel illustrations show animals from gorillas to zebras and prairie dogs. But the very best daddy of all, is the daddy of a little child at the end. After reading this book, Jonathan told me that his daddy is "the best daddy in the whole world!" :)


The next several books all emphasize different body parts and were fun for both children. Jonathan has long known his body parts, but he still has fun pointing to or moving his body parts. Grace, however, is just starting to try to figure out the nomenclature of things. So she enjoyed these books as well and she's started pointing to her nose as a result!

If You Had a Nose like an Elephant's Trunk illustrated by Susan Winter

This is a clever, imaginative book that takes children through the animal world. What would happen if you had cheeks like a chipmunk or a tail like a porcupine? Each page asks a similar question and gives an answer. For example, "if you had a tail like a monkey's, you could swing from your grandmother's antique chandelier". It's a very fun book that teaches the benefits of being you! It brought out lots of grins and giggles at the lunch table!

Thank You For Me! illustrated by Kristina Stephenson

This is a cute book for teaching children how special they are made. They have hands to clap, feet to dash, a mouth, tongue, cheek with a nose above and chin beneath. The book even mentions that children have hands to pray to say thank you for me. It's a sweet addition to any unit on the human body.

Toes, Ears & Nose illustrated by Karen Katz

I was surprised to find a book we already owned was written by Marion Dane Bauer. This is an adorable lift the flap book that helps to teach the parts of the body. It's most appropriate for young toddlers-- about 9 months-24 months. Grace particularly has started enjoying these type of books and we've been working on the parts of the body.



So that's what we've been reading-- we link up to these bloggy parties. Check out these blogs for more read aloud ideas!