Flashback Friday: Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go

The first time I stumbled upon Richard Scarry was way back in my babysitting days about 25 years ago. I remember that whichever small child I was watching at the time was completely mesmerized by all the bits of action, intricate details, and many, many captions attached to the various objects. I remember thinking, even at age 13ish, what a brilliant concept for a young children's book. Tiny vehicles, animals that drive, labels on everything...a perfect reading companion for nearly any toddler or preschooler.

Fast forward 20 years to my youngest child's toddlerhood, a child whose first word was car, who played with Matchbox cars religiously from less than one year old. Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go arrived for his second birthday and remained close at hand for years. I can't even tell you how many times I read that long, long book at bedtime. (It takes serious time to read ALL. those. labels.) Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is still a favorite that makes a frequent appearance. And I can definitely foresee it being one of those beloved books that remains on his teenage bookshelf and eventually is carried off to his adulthood to be saved for his own children someday.

favorite Nativity books

Our Christmas book basket has grown quite full over the years, and I am often asked for recommendations for good Christmas books. I thought I might resurrect this blog starting with a series of Christmas book posts. To begin, I have a list of our favorite Nativity books.

Room for a Little One has been a favorite for several years. I love the soft illustrations and the gentle interaction between the animals; animals that generally do not behave kindly toward one another. The pinnacle in which the animals are able to witness the birth of Christ is quite sweet.

The Christmas Bird is a newer (to us) favorite. Although out of print, you can find plenty of used copies for a reasonable price. Bernadette Watts has been a favorite illustrator of mine for years, and she does not disappoint in this book. The story of Katya taking her favorite toy, a wooden bird whistle, to the baby King, makes it easy for children to identify with Katya and understand her frustration when the predictable mishaps appear along the journey.

Margaret Wise Brown's Christmas In the Barn is more suited to the younger set. My own children have largely outgrown it. I include it here because the story is sweet, the text simple, and the illustrations plenteous, perfect for keeping the attention of toddlers and preschoolers.

The Christmas Star is probably Finn's favorite in the stack. The silver and gold foil pictures appearing on every page definitely captures a child's attention. The watercolor illustrations are quite lovely as well. This book appears to only be available in board book right now, but numerous used copies of the hardback are available.

The next 2 in the stack are favorites purely on their artistic merit. Both use the Scriptures as their text. I can't say that any of my children would choose them if I asked them to pick a Nativity book from the stack. The stained glass illustrations in Bethlehem are exquisite. And the Scripture chosen to accompany each one is perfect.

Juan Wijngaard's The Nativity, also narrated with Scripture, reminds me of the Russian and Greek icons I bought in Rome many years ago. Each illustration a work of art in its own right, I've found it to be the perfect read for Christmas Eve.

Lastly, a favorite of nearly all my children at varying times is Away in a Manger. The all seemed to connect to the illustration of a beloved Christmas carol. I have to sing my way through this book, of course, instead of reading it. In the evening, around the Christmas tree, it creates a lovely end to the day.

It's Snowing!

I wish I could claim the original recommendation of this sweet book, but I found the book over on Ginny's blog, who heard about it from Grace.

Two things really struck me about this book when I looked it up on Amazon, the calmingly beautiful nighttime snow scenes and the very simplistic pictures. I really appreciated that in the house pictures, you only see a cradle, fireplace, pot, kettle and mantle with a few candles. So soothing to see such a simple depiction of home.


It's Snowing shows a mama and baby enjoy a snowfall through each of their senses, smell, taste, touch, hearing. I feared that Finn might find it a smidgen beneath his big boy self to enjoy, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that he really enjoys the simple story.


I think Finn's favorite part is when the snow becomes a bear for the mama and baby to ride.


So you can take it on my advice, or on Ginny's or Grace's, that this is really a beautiful winter book for little ones. And who doesn't love those little round houses with the very pointy roofs and with the smoke curling cozily from the chimney!

Owl Babies

Finn received Owl Babies when he was around 18 months old, and it quickly became his favorite book to read at bedtime. The heartwarming story of these 3 baby owls who wait patiently, if nervously, for their owl mommy to return from her journey will melt any mama's heart, and the lyrical text will captivate any little one's attention.

Martin Waddell's illustrations provide the perfect compliment to the sweet dialogue between the little owl siblings. The owl babies look like an amazing combination of adorable, innocent, and anxious with their huge eyes and soft downy feathers.

Little Bill particularly captured Finn's heart, which I spoke of here, and we would frequently read the story together with me pausing for him to recite the words of Bill. You could almost hear Finn's breath catch in his throat nearly every time we arrived at this page where the 3 baby owls closed their eyes wishing that their mother would return quickly.

"And she came. Soft and silent, she swooped through the trees to Sarah and Percy and Bill."

I can guarantee this little book will steal your heart and provide the perfect book to snuggle in your own nest with your mama-needing little ones.

Happy Autumn!

Autumn was the first Gerda Muller book that made it's way into our collection when Finn was about 1 1/2 years old. At the time, he was content to sit with it for about 10 seconds before wandering off to find a car...but that was the case for most books at that age. As the season progressed and he moved toward his second birthday, I found myself referring to this wordless picture book when we engaged in a particularly autumnal task, and as a result, he began sitting with it on his own for longer periods of time.

Now Autumn is an eagerly anticipated join to move to the seasonal book basket we keep in our living room, and the rest of Gerda Muller's seasonal books have joined us as well. Her illustrations are simply darling and so handily capture the magic of each season from a young child's perspective.

I think Finn may have even learned a trick or two about enjoying each season's nature from these books. I remember him asking me last year if we could throw some leaves. :)

first art books

I discovered one of these at a high end children's shop and one at a thrift shop when Finn was very small and they quickly became two of his favorite board books. With such vibrant color and varied art, they captured his attention and even occasionally now he'll flip through one and want to talk about the images he sees.

Part of the Mini Masters board book series, A Magical Day with Matisse features such lovely, vibrant color overflowing even beyond the magical paintings of Matisse.

Loosely describing the scene, lyrical text accompanies the paintings, although sometimes we would just talk about the items in the room, for example, instead of reading it like a book.

Elizabeth has held immense love for Van Gogh since she was about 3 so it was natural that she would want to share In The Garden With Van Gogh with her brother.

Even now as Finn is moving beyond the board book phase, we enjoy counting the irises and grouping them by color. Endless possibilities!

a hidden beauty

It seems appropriate to share this book this week since it was acquired this same week last year and has become a favorite in our summer book basket. What's Hiding in There? is the latest in a line of beautifully illustrated, magical books from Daniela Drescher. With just a bit of simple text and lift-the-flap fun, Finn was entranced from the minute I bought this book last year.

In the land of elves and fairies, you can find hidden wildlife, sweet fruits and other fairy folk around every corner, or behind every flap.

The animals are beautifully rendered and the landscapes full of light. And the flowers look like you could smell them right through the page.

As the night falls, you'll find yourself flipping back to the beginning to explore the forest anew.