“A children’s story that can only be
enjoyed by children is not a good
children’s story in the slightest.”
– C.S Lewis
Kevin’s a big book reader. He’s got heaps of them around the house, and he carries his trusty Nook with him wherever he goes. I find it propped against my pillow every morning because he goes to bed reading something or another on it every night. (How he falls asleep while staring (so closely) at a lit-up screen I will never know- ha!) He’s a non-fiction guy (with the exception of Andy Andrews)…
(Outliers, Beautiful Outlaw, Tunesmith, Mastering the Seven Decisions, Linchpin, Mere Christianity)
…and I’m a storybook/gift book kinda gal:
(Someday, The Gardener, The Giving Tree, How To Live On An Island, Cloudette, The Dot)
Most of his books feel a little bit like homework to me (ha!), but I am super inspired by his passion for personal growth and I love it when he shares the highlights of what he reads with me. It’s a fun ride-to-town ritual we have…talking about our books, I mean. They may be sold in different sections, but the heart of the matter is always very much the same. 🙂
And speaking of books…
The built-in bookcase/storage unit is coming together beautifully. Remember the room before?
And remember the (rough) drawing I put together for Brian the Carpenter to use as a guide?
Well, here’s what he whipped up while I was under the weather last week:
Isn’t that great? He’s such a talented guy! (That reminds me: Brian took a leap of faith and started his own carpentry business this year! If you’re looking to hire an exceptional guy in the Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka areas of Alabama, you can reach him at [email protected].)
Like I mentioned in a previous post, I would’ve used a dresser next to the bedroom door anyway, and that would’ve created some wasted space in front of the “bump out” wall, so taking the storage from floor to ceiling, and building a 20″ deep storage unit, and a 9.25″ deep bookcase seemed to be the way to go.
Today, he’s putting up a couple of walls full of planks…
…and I’m sealing the old shutters Lucy found for us to use on the storage unit to the left of the bookcase.
Turns out we were actually looking at the back side of the shutters in that photo above. Here’s what the front side looks like:
We realized that if they were hanging on the front of a house, they would’ve been open all the time. Since we’re using them in a way that will leave them closed most of the time, we’ll see the gray/wheat-colored side of them…which I’m pretty excited about because I love the way they pop against all the white-painted wood around them.
The entire front back side of both of the shutters is crackled just beautifully, and I was determined to find a sealer that would A) prevent the beautifully crackled paint from chipping off, and B) never turn yellow. Thankfully, I’ve got a friend named Jennifer who has lots of experience with old stuff covered in crackled paint. She texted me with the solution I was searching for, and assured me that whatever I slather it onto won’t ever chip, and will always stay white. Her secret: Peel Stop.
I had never heard of it, but I found it right away on Amazon. Jennifer said a little bit goes a long way, so I just ordered a quart. It was really easy to work with. I just applied it with a regular 2.5″ paint brush. The can says to use two coats, but I wanted to make sure the shutters were really good and sealed, so I applied three. I gave the shutters a nice sheen, and the paint seems to be permanently sealed into place. Thanks again, Jennifer!
Anywho- back to the built-in bookcase. Now that our kiddo’s room/future home office has almost 36 square feet of shelves in front of the bump out wall, I’m getting excited about the idea of filling them with some great books. Do you have any other good recommendations that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages? After all, a children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children…well, you know. 😉
*Amazon links are affiliate links.
I just got back from a trip to the library to check out kid’s books! There are the classic choices which are excellent–The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, Little House books, Beatrix Potter, and Winnie-the-Pooh (the original version, NOT the Walt Disney-ized ones), to name a few. My kids love Dick King-Smith’s books–they are humorous stories about animals (the movie Babe–about a pig–was based on his book by the same name) and they appeal to both boys and girls. The Redwall series by Brian Jacques are excellent (my son started reading them in fourth grade) and either of the above authors write books that are fun and engaging for parents to read. Reading with my children and watching them learn to love to read has been one of my greatest joys as a parent. I love that you are creating a bookshelf in the bedroom–consider creating a cozy, comfy seat to encourage even more reading–it truly is a gift that keeps giving!
Thanks for the info on that “Peel Stop,” as I’d never heard of it.
You must get “Goodnight Moon” and “Can’t you Sleep Little Bear,” and lots of others, my children had loads of books and loved them from day one.
Oh I love children’s books! For Christmas and Mother’s Day my boys always give me picture books. I love that it’s a gift we can share together. Here’s some favorites:
Grandpa Green
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Not a Box
The Elephant and Piggie series
Red Sings from Treetops
All The World
Snow
Amos McGee’s Sick Day
Me…Jane
And for Chapter read-alouds:
Nurse Matilda Series
Chronicles of Narnia
Thirteen Clocks (actually, any of James Thurber’s kids books)
Alice in Wonderland
I’m excited to see this room come together for your little one. What an exciting journey!
It’s looking great! We just LOVE books at our house, too – especially children’s books! Some favs through the years have been the Sandra Boynton board books (But Not the Hippopotamus is a fav!). My kids also loved this book by an Iowa author and illustrator
http://www.amazon.com/Zip-Zippity-Doo-Love-You-Beth-Tubbs/dp/0963299360
And some new favorites are Steam Train Dream Train and Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site, along with The Little Blue Truck books. So much good stuff out there! Enjoy!
Hi Layla, I was an early childhood major and we have eight kids, so I have an EXTENSIVE children’s library. I give classic children’s books at baby showers! So it warms my heart to see that you love books so much and want to read to your sweet child. Some of my favorite children’s authors and illustrators are Paul Galdone, Robert McCloskey, Bernard Waber, Ezra Jack Keats, and Margaret Wise Brown. For an extensive list and an all around great book about reading to your kids, get Gladys Hunt’s book Honey for a Child’s Heart. It is an old book first published in 1969, but in its third edition. The subtitle is “Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life”. I love her perspective and her book lists!
My grandchildren love the Mama Llama books. But they are particularly fond of Bunny my Honey.
I have that book, “Someday”. I tried reading it to my baby girl and was completely sobbing after the first page. My 3 year old son now calls it “the book that makes Mommy cry”.
We’re obsessed with children’s books in our house. “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots” is a favorite this month.
Hi Layla,
Pretty much an Ma Lacado children’s book will be perfect. They are always interest-holding for kids, and leave a lesson learned for kids as well as adults. As a retired teacher, mom, and grandma, max Lacado books are frequently a gift I give. Your room looks lovely already and I can just tell that it is going to be filled with love and laughter!
I meant MAX Lucado, not Ma, although there probably is a Ma somewhere, I’m just not sure she writes books, too! 🙂
They ARE lovely stories. You Are Special is my favorite:)
Love the bookshelves–especially the display area so that you can see the book covers and not just the spine! Educators love to display their picture books using rain gutters as shelves. When the gutters are hung at the children’s eye level, the books are easily accessible. I have a feeling your kiddo will love reading as much as Kevin!
Your bookshelves are looking beautiful! We love our library of children’s books. The first book we read to our child was Goodnight Moon—and it continues to be a favorite! A beautiful book for families blessed by adoption is Happy Adoption Day by John McCutcheon. Room for a Little One is a wonderful Christmas story for children. We’d also recommend books by Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Laura Numeroff, Jan Brett, and Gloria Houston. Have fun reading and choosing special books in anticipation of your child! This time can be so special as you pray and prepare!
Guess How Much I Love You
Harold and the Purple Crayon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
🙂 Just to name a few!
Hi Layla! I just love your blog–it’s so inspiring! Anyway, you probably already know if this book, but “The Velveteen Rabbit” is my favorite children’s book. It has such a lovely message for both kids and adults! xo
Hi Layla! I’ve been reading your blog for years, loving your style and being compelled to Jesus by the beauty, desire, and hope that shine through you. I was excited today to see that Kevin’s been reading Beautiful Outlaw! I work for Ransomed Heart (the ministry started by John Eldredge) and we would love to send you and Kevin some other books by John and his wife, Stasi, as our gift to you. (In fact, I wanted to do that long ago!) If you’re interested, shoot me an email. These resources have been so helpful and life-changing to me and so many others on our journeys to restoration and intimacy with God. Let me know!
I bought a book called Cow in the Rain on a whim several years ago. Each time my niece stays with me I have to read it to her. I love the illustrations and the story is also pretty cute. I just looked it up and realized that there is a whole series of them. They are written by Todd Aaron Smith.
http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Adventures-Todd-Aaron-Smith/dp/0801045037
So, so many. “This is the Turkey” Abby Levine Makes me cry…everytime…Grandpas always knows what to say.
“The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey” makes me cry….The Innocent kindness of children touches a very sad mans heart.
That will do for now….If I book makes me cry I love it. (:
We are book addicts around here and homeschooling for nearly 20 years just added to our addiction:) I will stay clear of the “typical” or more traditional recommendations (which are wonderful!) and throw out some that may not be mentioned in other posts.
We had many happy hours reading Patricia Polacco – Chicken Sunday and Babushka Baba Yaga are the top two favorites. It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny, The Tooth Book, and Sesame Street’s There’s a Monster at the End of This Book each produced many giggles.
Our oldest daughter, now 23, said to be sure and mention the Magic Tree House series, Stinky Cheese Man, and the Amelia Bedelia books. Not leaving well enough alone she added Darth Vader and Son, Ian Falconer’s Olivia series, Skippyjon Jones, I Want My Hat Back, and Somebody Stole My Hat. She concluded her personal recommendation that all children should be well stocked with Calvin and Hobbs from a young age.
Ah….we love books. Most of these are small child recommendations. If you want older/chapter book recommendations give a shout out! We are happy to oblige.
Happy reading,
Trudi
Dear Layla,
You bring great JOY to my life! It’s been such fun watching the transformation of Sweet P’s new room…Brian is a wonder! I too loved sharing the gift of reading and books with our two daughters when they were little. Here is a ‘very’ small list of a few special books and authors in our collection, some Canadian cause that’s where we’re from 🙂
Love you Forever, by Robert Munsch. Except for this book, he has a quirky sense of humour that will grow with your child. The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg. The Christmas Miracle of Johnathan Toomey, by Susan Wojciechowski. Anything by Jan Brett and Deborah Turney Zagwyn.
A cozy chair and the library will become blessed places in your lives
Oh! And The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop. How could I forget that one!
This stuff is perfect! My SIL has a pressed back chair with chippy paint in the loft of their garage. She said I could have it, and since this will work for exteriors, it will work perfectly. I want to use the chair in my flower garden…it’s not safe to sit on, so it will just be for decoration.
Love the bookcase! It’s going to look great when you’re finished!
Layla,
You’ll love books by Karma Wilson. Promise.
Blessings,
w
I have a question for you today in regards to the planked walls that Brian is putting up in the room. It looks like he is leaving the current base/trim in place and installing the planked walls around it. Is that correct? If so, what material is he using on the walls and how is he installing it (i.e. glue/nail, leaving a space between the boards or not, etc.? Thank you for your help!
I am a book lover too… lots of great books out there for kiddos. Some of my favorite memories with our kids are snuggling up and reading books together. Some of our favorite read aloud chapter books are The Boxcar Children series (the older ones), Little House on the Prairie series, The Secret Garden, and the Narnia series. Picture books… love too many to even try to list!
“Dinosaur Roar” is one that my two year old and 4 year old LOVE. It’s all in how you read it. 😉 (Yeah, I like to ham it up with them so I’d say that adults love it too.) Also, http://www.iseeme.com is a place for creating personalized children’s books. We did one each for the kids at Christmas and they are adorable. Beautiful illustrations and cute stories.
Oh my gosh, my favorite part of having kids was reading with them! I loved to do voices with some of the stories. Some favorites;
All About Alfie, by Shirley Hughes, comforting, loving, real, very British
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, by the famous Vet, we always loved our animal stories…I read the adult books by Herriot with my kids when they got older, too. So great!
Beatrix Potter, with an English Accent and different voices for different characters.
All the Eloise books by Kay Thompson with the wonderful illustrations by Hilary Knight
Amelia Bedelia series
Mr. Putter and Tabby Series, so sweet
All About Alice, by Penny Dale
A. A. Milne and Shepard, the Winnie the Pooh books
Astrid Lingren, the Swedish author is good, we had “Lotta’s Bike”
Dr. Seuss, Nurse Matilda, Madeline, Babar, Caps for Sale, Miss Rumphius, Raggedy Ann…..oh my goodness, you are in for so much fun!
Peel Stop works great. We’ve been using it for a few years. Our house was horribly painted (when it was new!) and all the paint peels and chips off our walls easily. We can put painter’s tape on our walls and rip the paint easily off. So as I’ve slowly been repainting the house I have to do the extra step of putting Peel Stop on the walls before I paint them. Painter’s tape no longer pulls chippy paint off our walls when we use Peel Stop! We asked about it at all the local big box home improvement stores and none of them carried it. Luckily, our local True Value stocks it!
It’s not great for older kids, but we LOVE Press Here by Herve Tullet for the toddler years:
http://www.amazon.com/Press-Here-Herve-Tullet/dp/0811879542/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389638867&sr=8-1&keywords=dot+book
The built-ins are looking phenomenal already!
LOVE children’s books! Don’t miss E.J, Keats Snowy Day; also Humphrey’s First Christmas – a dear, dear story about a baby camel going to see the Baby Jesus. Also the Skippy Jon Jones books; the Cowboy and Bear books by J.W. Anglund.
And each December 1 give your baby (or get an aunt or grandmother to start/continue the tradition) a Christmas book or two. Add to the collection each year and soon you will have the most wonderful collection (kept in a special Christmas box and only brought out each year on December 1) of Christmas books of all sorts. On Christmas Eve read the Christmas story from the Bible. The “goal” is to have (at least) 23 Christmas books + a child’s Bible and a copy of Twas the Night before Christmas. My Grands just love to get out that box and at ages 11 and 9 and as good readers, they still delight in hearing these books read or reading them themselves. So excited for all of you!
All of Phoebe Stone’s children’s books – “When the Wind Bears Go Dancing”, “What Night Do the Angels Wander”, “In God’s Name” are beautiful. My daughter loved them. Her illustrations are breathtaking and she has great diversity. My daughter was adopted from China and she loved finding the Asian angels in her stories! She is a Vermont writer – you can find the books on Amazon.
I Love the Nancy Tillman books! The artistry is captivating. My daughter loved looking at them as early as a few months old. The stories are beautifully sentimental, and we both enjoy them for quiet time!
Pretty sue we have it at Lowes Home Improvement. Call first or check the web site to be sure.
Thanks! I have an old door that is sooooo chippy & crackly that I cannot wait to turn into a table top with a piece of glass on top. That product will be perfect to seal it with. Book recommendation…. The Jesus Story Book Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones!!! 🙂
My FAVORITE book of all time was given to us by a neighbor when we had our daughter. It’s called “On the night you were born” by Nancy Tillman. “Heaven blew every trumpet and played every horn on the wonderful, marvelous night you were born.” A must-have book for you to enjoy with your little one. It brings tears to my eyes almost every time I read it!
My kids loved “Quick As A Cricket” when they were little. The pictures are fantastic and it is fun to read it using different voices depending on the animal. My oldest had it memorized at 3 yrs and recited it in a talent contest at church! 🙂
Layla- Been following your blog from it’s first days- love it! Never commented before. Here’s a book I think you’ll love. The illustrator is one of my faves! -Becky
http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Go-Home-Wonderful-Things/dp/1416908390/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389639686&sr=1-10&keywords=wendy+anderson+halperin
Oh, pretty! I need to make friends with a carpenter. 😉
My favorite children’s story is The Seven Silly Eaters — my kids all loved it, and I could look at the pictures forever (there is so much charming detail).
http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Silly-Eaters-Mary-Hoberman/dp/0152024409
The JESUS Storybook Bible is wonderful. Ours is held together with tape! Our family also enjoys the Seeds Family Worship cds.
Thanks for the tip! We have an old door I wasn’t too keep all crackly and use as a headboard.
My son and I love “The Gruffalo”, “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes”.
My favorite to “read” my kids was Goodnight Gorilla. Very few words–it was lots of fun to make up my own. 🙂
Good luck!
We LOVE all of Patricia Polacco’s books! Even my husband has cried reading all of the ones we own, lol! My favorites are “Pink and Say”, “Thank You, Mr. Falker”, and “The Christmas Tapestry”. The illustrations are just stunning, too!
A great book for all ages is WONKY DONKEY.
It’s got a cd with it so Kevin can play and sing along too.
It really is fabulous! I’ve bought it for all the kids I know…lot’s of fun
Beware though, you won’t be able to get the tune out of your head
The bookcases look fab!
Lesley
xx
I just bought my kiddos a wonderful book about being the best you can be for yourself and God. It is titled, “Why am I here?” by Matthew Kelly.
It’s fantastic!
Everything is looking great, Layla!
To BRIAN THE CARPENTER:
Congratulations and best wishes on your new business. If I were anywhere in Alabama, I would be knocking on your new business door. I love seeing what you’re doing on The Lettered Cottage. I’ve no doubt that new business door is going to be swinging. Good luck!
Signed,
Canadaland
Oooo I just used peel stop on the ceiling of my girls room. I was so happy to find it because the ceiling started flaking around the edges from a wallpaper steamer. So glad you found it too! It’s going to look great!
my all time favorite book: the little prince. well, it isn’t exactly a small child book, but whoooooooooooboy, is it a good one.
i would love to send you a copy if you have a po box or something you could email to me (hellohahanarf at gmail).
I just love the book Otis by Loren Long. It is more of a picture book with a super cute short story. It was my book of the holiday. I pick one book that I fall in love with and buy a bunch of them for all the young children in our life.
p.s. for younger kids i am a giant fan of “on the day you were born” by debra frasier. such a sweet book.
A few years ago my sister gave me a book entitled “Love You Forever” which stumped me because I wondered why in the world she was giving me a children’s book…turns out its a book that can be enjoyed by all….in fact, I can’t read it without crying my eyeballs out! It would be a perfect book for you, Kevin and your “little one” once he arrives.
Love, love, love the bookshelves! And the doors are perfect!
So many – my girls loved all the Eric Carle books and of course, Dr. Seuss are fun to read! As they got older they loved Magic Treehouse, Cam Janssen, They Mysterious Life of Edward Tulane, Trumpet of the Swans, Charlotte’s Web, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm and the Mysterious Benedict Society series.
xo~Jill
Love what you are doing with the room! We love books here too! Although my kiddos are pretty much grown up (daughter, second year of college and son, senior in high school), we still love children’s books. We have saved all our favorites and get them out from time to time and laugh and enjoy them all over again!!
My sons favs… Rattlebang: The Story of the Good Samaritan by Mark McCord, Little Critter series by Mercer Meyer, and Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw (brings me to tears every time).
My daughters favs… Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman, Alice in Bibleland series by Alice J. Davidson, and of course anything by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 🙂
These books, and many others, are all safely tucked away in hopes of someday… (at least 10 years)… LOL! I can get them out and share them again with a new generation. So excited about your sweet pea!! Praying for you and Kevin.
I love the built-ins and the shutters look amazing!
Layla,
I think you would love “God Found Us You” by Lisa Tawn Bergren and beautifully illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. So excited for you as you prepare for your new addition.