We had started receiving and collecting children’s books in both English and Japanese before Mio was born, so that we could make sure we had ample reading material for her when she arrived. We got a lot of books at our baby showers and also after Mio was born as well!
One of the clients I work with at our company sent us this awesome Dr. Seuss book collection!
It includes all the classics: The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Fox in Socks, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and Hop on Pop. We love Dr. Seuss, and this collection will be a family treasure for years to come! 🙂
Our friend Ali also sent us these neat books! Another Dr. Seuss book — Thidwick The Big-Hearted Moose. I wasn’t familiar with this one, and it was a great addition to Mio’s Dr. Seuss collection. 🙂
The other book, What will I be from A to Z, is a very cool vintage book from the ’70s! It’s in great condition, and is interesting to read because there are some occupations that are no longer around, or have since become very rare.
The illustrations inside are a lot of fun to look at!
Ali and her husband Tim have an Etsy shop where they rescue vintage books and put them up for sale to find new loving owners for them. Take a look at their Oldies & Goodies store and accompanying blog for some beautiful vintage literary finds!
Our friend Estella (who also happens to be one of my amazing coworkers!) brought over this Baby’s Book of Animals for Mio last week when they brought over a delicious sushi dinner for us. (Did I mention how much I’ve missed sushi?) It has some really cute photos of baby animals, along with all the sounds that they make.
Mio now has quite an impressive assortment of books in her little library. She is all set on the road to becoming a bookworm like Mommy!
Here is a sweet photo I took of Daddy reading one of the books to Mio. (She seems a little disengaged from all the creepy crawlies on the page… I don’t blame her!)
May 20, 2011 @ 9:00 pm
Just like her mommy, Mio is not a fan of creepy crawlies! But in spite of this, she’s becoming such a cute little bookWORM!
May 21, 2011 @ 11:24 am
lol Yes! Love the pun. 😀
We’ve been reading a lot of the books you got her as well! Thank you Tarrin! ♥
May 21, 2011 @ 8:12 am
Woohoo! They say babies are such sponges that every little bit counts; get them exposed to reading, colors, pictures etc. and keep those rapidly growing synapses busy and happy! Plus, it’s extra mommy-daddy-baby bonding time huh.
May 21, 2011 @ 11:26 am
At first I wasn’t sure about when to start reading to Mio, but people I talked to said that you can never start too early, so we’ve been reading to her here and there since she was a couple weeks old. She is not always very focused or engaged, but at least looking at the colors and illustrations and hearing us reading will help develop her brains, like you said. 🙂
May 21, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
Be sure to read poetry, along with lots of Dr. Seuss. Babies love rhythmic language – baby songs, Mother Goose and repetitive lyrics/text. And I always keep in mind what one of my most respected professors (of child development) said: “It’s not that mommies [and daddies] are important because they read stories. It’s that stories are important because mommies [and daddies] read them. Any and all warm cuddly activities you can think of will shower Mio with so many unspoken messages and accidental gifts – because she’s with YOU! Reading together is such a great one!
May 21, 2011 @ 11:57 pm
Thank you for the advice, Laurel! I agree that Dr. Seuss is great to read to kids. The rhyming of Dr. Seuss books and poetry makes them fun for not just the child but for the parents to have fun during reading as well! 🙂 I’m always on the lookout for more fun activities to do with Mio!
May 21, 2011 @ 11:04 pm
Oh, and one more thing (you really struck a nerve here with me!). When she’s about 6 months old and can sit up, start taking her to the library. Find a good library with carpet and comfy places to sit near the picture books, preferably with low shelves so when she crawling she can pull out her own books. (Unless she’s brilliant, you’ll have to reshelve them for her!) All of our local librarians knew Tarrin by the time she was 8 months old! We eventually had to purchase several of her favorite books for replacements as gifts to the library as she went through them so much – and in one case, took her favorite book into the shower when I had my back turned.
May 22, 2011 @ 12:00 am
I never thought to take Mio to the library at such an early age, but it sounds brilliant! I promptly looked up the nearest library and am happy to find that it’s within walking distance of our home! I hope that it’s baby-friendly. 🙂
I remember going to the library was one of my favorite things to do throughout my childhood and adolescent years. During the summer, I’d check out piles of books to help occupy my time.
I can just see adorable baby Tarrin with books at the library! It’s no wonder she is so well-read and articulate now. 🙂