Georgie's Favorite Books

This isn't a travel post. This isn't a cooking post or something about how cute and cozy our new flat is, which it is by the way. Nope. It's a post about my daughter's favorite books and let me just say, we've got a lot of them. So, if you're looking for something new to read to your toddler, maybe I can give you a few suggestions. We're currently at the stage where rhyming is great and so are shorter books especially if they can lift the flaps. Toddlers and short attention spans and all that. :) 

Our absolute FAVOURITE book of all time is Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy. We read this book without fail, every. Single. Day. I think it's the great rhyme scheme, although Georgie loves Scarface Claw "the toughest Tom in town". I had never seen this book until I moved over here, but I absolutely love giving it as a gift now to American friends! In fact, we're big fans of all of Lynley Dodd's books. Slinkly Maliky books are absolutely adorable, and as a bonus, the little black cat looks and acts just like our little black fuzzball. Highly recommend her books for little ones! 

Another favorite is "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." At first I read it and thought, "This is without a doubt the most boring book I've ever read and she'd never like it. And then Georgie wanted it read again, and again, and again, and now it's a firm favorite. From the cute illustrations to the sound of the family going through each page "Splish-splash, Splish-Splash, SPLISH-SPLASH" to them running home to escape the bear, it's a definite classic. 

Her first favorite book was "Peekaboo Jungle". We were given it by the council and as soon as she could turn the pages, she would turn them at the right time and she always, ALWAYS kisses her reflection at the end. The book held up surprisingly well until one day, the back cover fell off (too much love, I think?) so now I need to grab a new one for the next baby! 

Every night Georgie and her Daddy read "The Going to Bed Book" and we all love it. I think it's the soothing rhyming scheme and happy pictures, but she knows that book signals bedtime. "The sun has set not long ago, now everybody goes below..." 

Dinosaur Roar (which is really amusing to listen to Gaelic by the way!) And like so many of the other favorite books, we read it over, and over, and over again. :) 

Dear Zoo has held up far better than so many other lift the flap books ("Where's Spot", I'm looking at you!) and it's a firm favorite. She was given it at Christmas and she read it four times in a row before we hid it. 

And a few of my favorites that she hasn't quite fallen in love with yet... 

The Tiger who came to Tea. It's still a little long for her to sit through just yet usually, but it's the cutest little story about a big, friendly tiger who eats up everything in the kitchen during his unannounced tea-time visit. 

"Make Way for McCloskey" has all six of Robert McCloskey's stories in one lovely volume. My mother-in-law found this book for me and I'm so grateful to be able to read these classics to my babies! I read these stories to her while she's playing or read bits of them at a time when she holds still for cuddles. The illustrations are classic McCloskey and there is a bit of history about the man himself at the very end. Worth every penny! 

Guess How Much I Love You. Still my favorite and I tried so hard to make her love it, but no. Maybe the next one will appreciate it some more. ;) 

Honorable Mentions (Ok, so we love books around here) 

Peepo! 

Baby Bear, Baby Bear What do you See? 

James Herriot's Treasury for Children - Mostly because we just like to sit and look at the pictures right now instead of listening to the stories. :)