What We're Reading Archives - The Ten Thousand Hour Mama

13 essential children’s books about starting school: Ease first day jitters

August 22, 2018catherinemryan

Getting ready for the first day of school? These essential children’s books about starting school will help your kids prep for the next big stage in their young lives: going back to school. (This post contains affiliate links.)

This is a big year in our family: It’s the first day of preschool for Kiwi and the first day of kindergarten for Peeper. (How did they get so big?!) Peeper is absolutely jazzed about starting school—in fact, the other day she asked when fall was, and when my answer wasn’t soon enough she started crying.

When you ask Kiwi how she feels about starting school, though, her response is more mixed (and impressively nuanced for a 3-year-old): She says, “I’m excited but also little bit scared.”

That ambivalence about a new experience is totally understandable—and probably very familiar to you, if you have kids getting ready for their first day of school.

That’s why we’ve been reading these children’s books about starting school. They’re silly, fun and relatable. These children’s books about starting school are also a perfect opportunity to talk through what to expect—and to discuss the mixed feelings your kids might have about the first day of school.

Back to school season is exciting - but not every child has what she needs to succeed. Here, 4 things your family can do to help. Ten Thousand Hour Mama — This was Peeper’s first day of school last year. She has grown so much!

So request these from the library or order them on Amazon Prime. You and your kids will love reading these books about starting school—I know we have.

Good luck, parents!

Getting ready for the first day of school? These 13 greatest children's books about starting school are perfect to prep for back to school. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

7 best children’s books about bees: What we’re reading

March 19, 2018catherinemryan

When I first introduced the idea of beekeeping to my kids, Kiwi put on her grouchiest frowny face. “Me no like bees,” she said. “Bees sting me!” I tried to explain to her that honeybees are, in fact, mostly docile and that it’s wasps and hornets that aggressively sting, but the distinction was lost on my toddler. Yet I was determined to get the whole family on board with backyard beekeeping—and these wonderful children’s books about bees helped us get there!

We’ve had these children’s books about bees in our rotation for about a month now, and the girls have gone from going “eek!” whenever anyone said “bee” to asking to read these, playing bees (complete with waggle dances!) and asking to make our own mason bee houses.

With beekeeping season upon us—and with us about to set up our brand-new beehive—the timing for their enthusiasm about pollinators couldn’t be better.

Whether you’re interested in family beekeeping or you just want your kids to learn about these crucial pollinators, these children’s books about bees are a wonderful starting point!

The 7 best children's books about bees and honeybees. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more →

12 best children’s books about a new baby: What we’re reading

January 31, 2018catherinemryan

These children’s books about a new baby will help a big sister- or big brother-to-be understand what’s coming, process their emotions and feel reassured that they’ll still be special even after the baby arrives. The post contains affiliate links.

12 best children's books about a new baby - Ten Thousand Hour Mama

When I was pregnant with Kiwi, Peeper and I read a lot of books about a new baby to help her know what was happening—and why Mom’s belly suddenly took up my entire lap. She had a lot of questions, which books helped us answer in a comforting way.

Kid’s literature also gave a reference point for us to talk about what would happen when our new baby was ready to come—and after.

12 best children's books about a new baby: Ten Thousand Hour Mama How to help Big Sister adjust to a new baby: children's books about babies. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

When the Big Day came, Peeper was more calm and comfortable with everything that happened—and I’m convinced these children’s books about a new baby were a big factor. All the changes were more familiar and less scary because she’d read about them many times.

Rereading these books with her and Kiwi now, I finish with stories about when they were born: like the very first time Peeper met Kiwi in the hospital, she came in and sang her new baby sister “Happy Birthday.” Awwww!

And although their relationship has had its rocky points, they have become the best of pals.

How to help Big Sister adjust to a new baby - Ten Thousand Hour Mama

If you’re looking for children’s books about a new baby to explain what it means to be a big sister or big brother, start here. Add them to your cart or request them from the library: You and your child will want to read—and reread—them even after Baby arrives. Read more →

Children’s books about sound: Exploring the 5 senses

January 10, 2018January 2, 2018catherinemryan

A few weeks ago, we hosted Kiwi’s homeschool preschool, and we explored one of the 5 senses: sound. Although the highlight of the day was having a dance party on bubble wrap (see my post about a sounds theme and activities for details!), the kids got a chance to listen during story time. I read aloud a few of these children’s books about sounds during the preschool lesson, and I gathered recommendations for even more picture books here.

My friends told me that after our homeschool preschool lesson about sounds, their kids practiced their listening and observation at home! “I hear vacuum,” “I hear plane,” “I hear doggie,” one preschooler told her mom in the days that followed our lesson about sounds.

I love these books about sounds because they offer a chance to learn about the 5 senses every day. They encourage kids to pay attention to noise, an often-overlooked sense, and gives them the language to describe sounds. What’s more, they’re fun! Kids crack up at their parents imitating everyday noises like a tea kettle, a jackhammer or even falling leaves.

If you need to up your noise-making game, there’s lots of practice in these children’s books about sounds. Or you can make your kids make all the noises! They’ll love that, too. So put a few of these children’s books about sounds in your cart, or request them from your library, and read on!

8 best children's books about sounds to teach the 5 senses. Ten Thousand Hour Mama Read more →

Best kids’ books about fall leaves: What we’re reading

October 9, 2017October 7, 2017catherinemryan

Autumn is my favorite season. As much as I love summer, by the end of August I eagerly await fall’s crisp evenings, the trips to the pumpkin patch, the excuse to cuddle under a quilt and drink tea, and the changing leaves. Oh, how I love fall leaves! Good thing for me, Peeper and Kiwi share my love of autumn, so it’s no surprise we’ve collected a list of our favorite books about fall leaves and autumn.

After all, autumn is the perfect time to crack open a book after running around outside.

Jump in puddles, get muddy at the farm, collect fallen leaves, collect a pocketful of acorns—then head inside to read a stack of children’s books about fall leaves. Need some ideas? Check out this list then request a few—or them all!—from your local library. These make for a great unit for homeschool, if that’s your thing, or just a lovely read-aloud to learn about autumn.

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking and buying nets me a small amount if income. Thanks! Read more →

The best children’s books about grandparents

September 22, 2017catherinemryan

September 10 was Grandparents Day—a holiday that should come more than once a year, I say, especially because of how phenomenal my kids’ grandparents are. Although Grandparents Day has passed, we continue to love reading these children’s books about grandparents—and I have a feeling your kids’ grandma and grandpa would love them, too!

The 15 best children's books about grandparents will make your kids smile—and are a great gift idea for Grandma or Grandpa. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I earn a very small portion of your purchase—which helps me earn a living (and support my family)! Read more →

Holiday gift guide: Books for babies

November 21, 2016November 27, 2016catherinemryan

Halloween has come and gone, which means Christmas is right around the corner—at least if you’re listening to radio commercials and shopping, um, anywhere. (I swear the Christmas displays were up before I could stalk the aisles for discounted Halloween candy.)

But with all the tasks I’m juggling, I’m a big fan of getting holiday shopping done early. You too? Well, good news: here’s our baby-tested holiday gift guide, books for babies edition.

The 10 best books for babies: This gift guide makes your Christmas shopping list easy for kids in the family! Ten Thousand Hour Mama

(This post contains affiliate links, which means clicking and buying gets me a few pennies.) Read more →

Our favorite children’s books with no words

October 20, 2016October 19, 2016catherinemryan

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking, then buying something, earns me a few pennies. All opinions remain my own. Read more on my policies and disclosures page.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a wordless picture book is worth a big ol’ internet shout-out. These, our 10 favorite children’s books with no words, are just those.

Wordless picture books still have a lot of story in 'em. Here are our favorite children's books without words. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

Wordless picture books can be intimidating to adults: You have to wing it, since there is no text to read. But making up a story as you go along—and letting your child have a go at storytelling, too—is fun and fosters pre-literacy skills in little readers.

Children’s books with no words encourage imagination and curiosity in kids; they lead little ones to begin to tell stories; they prompt kids to look for plot clues in illustrations; and they promote close listening, as the story may change each time you read the book.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out these children’s books with no words the next time you’re at the library and see for yourself. Read more →

My literary comfort blanket: Roald Dahl’s The BFG

September 13, 2016September 12, 2016catherinemryan

This post contains an affiliate link to the book The BFG. Please see my policies and disclosures page for more information.

Growing up, Roald Dahl’s the BFG was a BFD. I seriously loved that book.

Scratch that. I love—present tense—that book.

When I'm stressed, I turn to children's books and literature to relax. Roald Dahl's The BFG is my go-to title. Ten Thousand Hour Mama

The BFG (which stands for the Big Friendly Giant, for all of you not in the Roald Dahl know) was my favorite book for years. Over and over I read about how Sophie befriended the BFG and together with the Queen of England’s help rounded up all the mean, children’s bone-gnashing giants.

I laughed at (and gobblefunked with) the BFG’s hilarious words (snozzcumber!!!) and wondered what dreams he’d trumpet into my room each night.

So today, on Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday, I say thank you to my all-time favorite children’s book author. Read more →

Our favorite children’s books: Books to say “no” to

April 20, 2016April 29, 2016catherinemryan

Pretty much the day Peeper turned two, she rediscovered the word “no”—and all its power (to refuse, to state her opinion, to frustrate her parents…). Nowadays, one of her most used responses is the “no-yes,” an expression unique to toddlers who simultaneously refuse and demand things like popsicles and bunny crackers.

It makes sense, then, that Peeper delights in books that give voice to this milestone. Here, then, are some titles your little one can say “no” to again and again.

Favorite Children's Books to Say No To