Something to Read...Perfect additions to your Children's Library

We continued our family Christmas tradition of:

A Want...A Need...And Something to Read

I am always looking for excuses to buy books for my children and our library.  Christmas is just such the occasion. Additionally, my mom started a great tradition for an annual "Cousins Book Exchange."  More books.  Hooray!  I love not being inundated with junk from the "Under $5 Limit" present exchange.   I'm going to try to transfer this tradition to the other side of the family as well!

To win my heart give my children your favorite book.  At birthday parties, we always bring books.  My friend Amy always gives the most fabulous books.  Oh how I love her!

So....Which children's books did we add this year?  

Here is the sampling:

A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L 'Engle for Ellery.  She's read the first book and has been dying for the next.  This is her first foray into the Science Fiction genre.  

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein for Callista.  I can't believe we didn't have any of his books in our library.  Already and expectedly, "Sick" is the favorite poem.  Callista also loves "The Acrobats."

The Eensy-weensy Spider by Mary Ann Hoberman for Emmett and Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Iza Trapani for Berkeley.  I love books which add clever verses and illustrations to familiar nursery  rhymes and songs.  Hoberman, Trapani and Nadine Bernard Westcott  are the best at this.

Favorites Children's Books We Gave:

The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt (6 year old boy)  If you are looking for a book with excellent "boy appeal" this is the one.  The illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi are fabulous.  All my children love it, but it was a perfect fit for Mark and his 10 year old brother Bruce.  The message is classic and timeless.  All I have to say is "Will you walk into my parlor..." and the girls are hooked.  Ellery even has this one memorized.

Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes illustrated by Scott Gustafson (2 year old)  This will forever remind me of bed rest and reading to Emmett.  It has the most beautiful illustrations of Nursery Rhymes I have found.  I keep 5 or 6 on hand for baby shower gifts.

King Bidgoods in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood (3 year old girl)  Again captivating illustrations and witty prose.  

Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola  (5 year old girl)  I grew up with my mom reading me her favorite story from when she was a little girl "The Little Pot that Wouldn't Stop."  This old Italian folktale is timeless.

Favorite Children's Books we Received:

Iza Trapani of I'm a Little Teapot  we also have Baa, Baa Black Sheep.  I would recommend any and all of them.

he best book we received was a short, unexpectedly clever book about a giant turnip.  It looks like there are myriad versions of this story.  The Tale of the Turnip by Brian Alderson is the one we received.