I am always astounded to watch my sweet Little One and her friends play with stuffed animals....what an amazing example of a budding imaginative mind! These stuffed, soft friends are there for everything, from learning to potty, to being scared of the dark, to having tea parties. Children seem to project all of their feelings - imagination, fear, joy - onto their stuffed buds. Is it any wonder that they love books about them, too?
This is in no way a comprehensive list of great stories about stuffed animals and the great place that they hold in your child's adventurous mind. It is just a list of books that we have read in the last few months that have made my LO smile. I hope that you will enjoy them, too!
Where's My Teddy?
This book incorporates so many great toddler ideas: big vs. small, scary situations vs comfortable situations, great rhyming text, and of course, the favorite teddy bear. Our version of this book is a board book, and I'm not sure it it is abridged (as many are), but this has been a favorite. My LO asks to read about "Eddie and his Teddy," as they embark through the scary, dark forest to reunite.
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
by
Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny has become a standard frame of reference in our household. When LO is throwing a fit, I tell her that she's "going boneless" like Trixie. When we are just being silly and laughing, LO says "AGGLE FLABBLE KLABBLE!" and we all have a good laugh. In short, we adore this series...especially the first book.
Apparently, the author of this book is writing about his own child, Trixie. Since I'm not really a children's literary expert, I had no idea, until we checked out a video of the first Knuffle Bunny and I saw that it was narrated by Mo and Trixie Willems. Long after Knuffle Bunny 1 became a beloved classic in our tiny family, we checked out the following two volumes, and the epilogue at the end of book three brought tears to my eyes. These are books about the love of parents for their daughter, and the love of the daughter for her stuffed rabbit, and how these great loves shape great lives. The stories are simple, but their simplicity and humor is what makes them so great. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Apparently, the author of this book is writing about his own child, Trixie. Since I'm not really a children's literary expert, I had no idea, until we checked out a video of the first Knuffle Bunny and I saw that it was narrated by Mo and Trixie Willems. Long after Knuffle Bunny 1 became a beloved classic in our tiny family, we checked out the following two volumes, and the epilogue at the end of book three brought tears to my eyes. These are books about the love of parents for their daughter, and the love of the daughter for her stuffed rabbit, and how these great loves shape great lives. The stories are simple, but their simplicity and humor is what makes them so great. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Book 2 of Knuffle Bunny has Trixie grown up, going to Preschool, and learning more about friendship. This is a sweet tale, and answers the great question: is it pronounced Kuh-nuffle Bunny, or Nuffle Bunny?
(We always say "Nuffle Bunny" around here...)
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion
by
Mo Willems
Book 3 is every bit as bittersweet to me as the end of Toy Story 3 (though Trixie isn't quite college-aged yet in the story.....and like I said before, the epilogue is killer). I think this is by far the least favorite of LO, probably because she can't really comprehend the selfless act of giving away yet, but she is always really upset when Knuffle Bunny goes missing on a plane and is elated when said Bunny is found again. Since Trixie and K-Bun are family favorites at this point, I am interested to see how her comprehension of the latter books evolves over time.
I Must Have Bobo!
Bobo is a sock monkey. Earl is the cat that likes to capture Bobo. These funny little books are essentially about a boy who loves Bobo, and his eternal consternation that his cat loves Bobo, too. The stories are silly and it is slightly irritating to me that the boy dislikes his pet so much...but at the same time it makes perfect sense to me: we have three furry animals with free reign of our house, and sweet LO loves them all....but like any good "sibling" rivalry, they certainly have their moments. Let's just say that LO has no problem telling the animals off when she doesn't approve of whatever they are doing. And that is probably why she cackles with delight.... "Oh, Earl!!!"
I'll Save You Bobo!
These all look like fun books to share. Don't forget Posey Cat and Cooper!!
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