What makes a picture book stick with a child for life?

My mom recently dug up a picture book from my childhood that I had been asking her about. I figured the book was long gone, and had been scouring Amazon and other sites trying to find it. I was pretty sure of the title, but had no clue who the author was. And I was coming up with absolutely nothing with my online searches. So I was more than thrilled when I went to visit my family for Easter and my mom plopped the long-lost book on my lap. The Nothing.

Look closely at the photo of the cover and you can see how well-loved this book was. There are water stains (or is it some other liquid?) along the bottom, and then there's the lovely added illustration that one of us kids put on there with a Sharpie. Obviously, the book jacket went missing at some point over the years.

I'm not exactly sure what made this book stick with me into adulthood. We were read all kinds of books when we (my siblings and me) were growing up. My guess is that there was something about this book that I particularly liked and so I must have asked my mom to read it to me over and over and over.

As soon as I picked this book back up, the story came flooding back to me. And the illustrations were so familiar to me, like I had just seen them yesterday.

The book is not particularly noteworthy in terms of story or illustrations (though I recently discovered that Sal Murdocca is the illustrator for The Magic Treehouse series). I don't recall being gifted this book for a special event, or it being read to me at a particularly meaningful time. There was no deep message in it that resonated with my childhood life...

So why do I remember this book from my childhood so fondly? I think it was simply a book I enjoyed being read (for whatever reason), and so I heard it a lot. And thusly, it has stuck with me. Sitting with my mom or dad, maybe my aunt, or a brother or sister, snuggled up, hearing the familiar words... It's those kinds of cozy, repeated experiences with books that (in my opinion) can hardwire a seemingly random story into a person's heart and soul.

So that book that you have read to your child so many times you want to chuck it out the window? You know the one. The one you don't even know why they like so much? Yeah, that one. Take care of it. Don't chuck it out the window, or give it to Goodwill. When you're child has seemingly outgrown it, tuck it safely away somewhere. Because chances are, when they grow up, they'll recall it with great fondness, and hope you hung onto it for them.

Thanks, Mom! And Happy (early) Mother's Day.


I would love to hear what long-lost book you recall from your childhood. Did your parents save it for you?

What book of your child's do you suspect might stick with them into adulthood?

Books Worth Checking Out

I've had this stack of library books sitting in my house, needing to be returned. But I couldn't send them back till I shared at least a handful them with you guys, because they are definitely worth checking out at your local library!

What child doesn't love arts and crafts? And here's a story all about being crafty. My son loved this one, and I need to read it to my eleven year old daughter before I return it. She would love it too since she's crazy about crafts! Since this story is about a little girl that creates a special, one-of-a-kind, homemade birthday gift for her friend, it might be perfect to read around Christmas time to get your kids in the mood for some Christmas crafting! Or just lay out a smattering of craft supplies anytime and let Crafty Chloe inspire everybody's creativity!

This book just warmed my heart. Not sure exactly why, because it wasn't necessarily a sentimental story. I think it reminded me some of my own mother and siblings (there were five of us). And then it also reminded me of my own children (only three, not five) and myself as a mother. I guess we really do become our mothers to some degree? (I'm more than OK with that.) This book was sweet, but not sappy. From the gentle illustrations, to the idea of little Edwin trying to help his mommy remember the sugar with his adorable little babbles. It did take my kids a couple reads to really fully understand what was going on in the story; they didn't immediately get that Edwin was trying to actually tell his mom something and wasn't merely talking gibberish. Once they understood that, they thought the story was a hoot.

This is one my new favorite books! It's so creative, fun, and well done! It shows any "mistake" in art can be turned into a "beautiful oops." A tear in a piece of paper becomes and alligators's mouth, a bent corner becomes a penguins bill, a crumpled up piece of paper becomes the body of a sheep... It's really clever and interesting! A great read for any age! Maybe I like this book so much because it feels like a metaphor for my life? Ha!

I'm not one for picture books with themes that go over kids' heads, and are really meant more for parents. But this is one of those rare books that makes parents giggle, but that kids can understand too. My little guy enjoyed this one. It's another one that I need to read with my older kids too, as they would appreciate the humor in it a little differently than my youngest. It would be fun to brainstorm and make a list of all the things parents ask kids to do, and what it would look like if they asked them to do the opposite. Might be a great writing prompt!

What a gorgeous book! It takes the reader through the various settings and seasons in nature, pointing out all the places, sometimes unusual or unexpected, where we find beautiful swirls. It's fun to let the kids find the swirls on each page. Bring this one along on a picnic at the park or a nature hike and go on a swirl hunt! Perhaps bring along some paper, journals, or cameras to record what you find. Depending on where you find swirls, you might be able to do a crayon or chalk rubbing of them. Ooo, as I was just sitting here, looking at the illustrations, it occurred to me that black scratch-art paper would be perfect for recording the swirls you find! It would mimic the style of the illustrations in the book. So cool!

Another clever book! Another one that's so perfect for my kids! A monkey tries to explain to a jackass that what he is reading is simply and wonderfully just a book. This does not compute with the jackass. You can't scroll down? There's no mouse? It can't text or tweet? No! "It's a book!" The jackass finally discovers how enjoyable a book can actually be, and borrows it from the monkey. But he promises to "charge it up" before returning it. Loved this one! Wouldn't it be interesting to have a discussion with my preschoolers about the characteristics of a book versus something like an iPad? The pros and cons of each? I would have to make a list or chart of some kind, because I know my kids would come up with some great stuff!

I love a book that's fun to read aloud, and this is one I could read aloud over and over. It's really true to its title. Yes! Be ready for some fun! This one is maybe even as good as a Mo Willems title. Yes, really. At least in my own opinion.