What My Daughters & I Actually Read Together This Week

It seems the same handful of picture books and board books are typically on repeat in our home. Lately, my daughters have been reaching for some new titles from our shelves, which has me thrilled! Here are five picture books my daughters chose to read this week.

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1. Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork by Constance Lombardo, illustrated by Dan & Jason (Dan Abdo & Jason Patterson)

This book is adorable and hilarious! It’s about a rivalry between Tiny Spoon and Little Fork. Who does a better job feeding the baby?! It’s ultimately a story of teamwork. I read for Tiny Spoon, my five-year-old read for Little Fork, and my two-year-old “read” for the baby. We had a blast!

2. The Right to Play: How Jane Addams Fought for America’s Playgrounds by Elizabeth Brown, illustrated by Olga Lee

My five-year-old has really come to enjoy this picture book biography of Jane Addams! She was interested to learn about her childhood illness (which got us talking about the importance of vaccines) and enjoyed seeing the different types of playground equipment that existed way back when. This is a great pick for talking about children’s rights and accessibility.

3. Sunnyside School by Lindsay Ward

I believe I’ve shared this one on my Substack in the past. Lindsay Ward’s books are so great! My five-year-old reaches for this one often. This title introduces kids to the many helpers who make up a school, while also sharing the story of a few specific students on their first day. It includes interactive elements, like discussion prompts and seek-and-find activities. I just picked up Lindsay Ward’s book on the White House from the library today, and I’m excited to share it with my five-year-old over the weekend. Hoping it doesn’t mention the orange guy…

4. Failure Friday by Andrea Burns, illustrated by Barbara Bongini

This book was written a few years ago by an Instagram friend of mine, Andrea Burns! It’s such a great story about a child trying something new (a running team) and having it not go so well - at least not in the way we typically define success. The book offers such a powerful message about failure - our failures are something to celebrate! We come from a family of perfectionists who can be quite hard on ourselves, so I try to share this message (and model my own failures) as often as possible!

5. The Golden Hoops by Jen Hayes Lee, illustrated by Mokshini

This book is so gorgeous and joyful! It’s about a child celebrating the milestone of receiving her first pair of golden hoops. She’s thrilled but worried when she loses one of them. I love how supportive and unconcerned her mom is. There are big things to worry about in life, and a lost earring, however special, isn’t one of them. This story is full of Black joy and feels very celebratory. There’s a part that shows the child’s dream at night, and I think my daughter found that especially interesting.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these ones? I’d love to hear what you and your kiddos thought!

Love,

Elizabeth