“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.
One of our favourites is Who Do You Love by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Camilla Ashforth. It’s so sweet. We also loved I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak. These would be Greg additions to your budding library.
Our kids have all loved the “Read Aloud Bible Stories” series of books, well written and the illustrations are great! http://www.amazon.com/Read-Aloud-Bible-Stories-Volumes/dp/0802471730
The “Llama, Llama” books by Anna Dewdney are lots of fun. And, you can’t go wrong with the classics like Beatrix Potter’s books, The Giving Tree, the Classic Winnie the Pooh series, the Paddington Bear books, etc. I can’t wait to see the room finished and your little sweet pea!
Our whole family loves James Herriot’s books. He has a children’s picture book with several stories in it about his life as a veterinarian in Yorkshire, England. But, we love all of his books and have read them all out loud. They include “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, “All Creatures Great and Small”, “All Things Wise and Wonderful”, “The Lord God Made them All”.
Have you filled your bucket today. By Carol Messing McCloud
Lets get a pup! said Kate. By Bob Graham
Hi Layla. The little angels room looks so amazing already.
Done with love like everything you and Kevin do. You are going to be such loving, kind, caring, patient, understanding and very importNt also FUN parents. I love how you are sharing your experience with everyone.
Lots of love to go around. My daughter Meg, found these 2 books and she has shared them with many friends. I love them and thought I would share them with you. They have such great messages and the Let’s get a pup is just so darn cute and up to date. Love and hugs, geri.
Looks great. 🙂
Layla, did Kevin do a christian radio advertisement? I was driving home from the grocery today and I heard the tail end of a sound clip. Someone was talking about how their relationship with God works both ways. It really sounded just like his voice! In the background a song was playing and then a female narrator said, “This is Behind the Music” or something like that. It was on KLUV radio station… OK, I sound like a crazy person. Forget this if I’m wrong. 😀
Berenstein bear books are great for kids. When I was little I would wake up at 3am pull out all of my Berenstein bear books, climb on my bed and read them until I fell back to sleep. I can still remember the way they all began “Down the road deep in bear country…”
Little House on the Prairie are good for when your little one gets a bit older.
Beautiful shelves Layla! Can’t wait to see them all filled up with goodies!
Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond are a must. My husband and I laugh hysterically as we read these to our little ones. I collect the old fabric covered ones that you can tell someone else loved.
Since it’s going into a child’s room, AND it’s peeling, please test that paint for lead!
Thanks to Peel Stop- it’s all sealed up and not peeling anymore! 😀
Let Me Hold You Longer
(really a children’s book for you. you will adore it!)
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/let-me-hold-you-longer-karen-kingsbury/1100815596?ean=9781414389875
Sharing books makes they twice as wonderful. In no particular order:
Anything by Sandra Boynton – the board books and the music collections
Animalia by Graeme Base
The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman
The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, by Neil Gaiman
Chu’s Day by Neil Gaiman
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Yes, Winne-the-Pooh – the poems as well as the stories
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Aesop’s Fables, by Brad Sneed
I’ll stop now. I hope you have lot’s of time to browse the children’s section at the library and/or bookstore – Enjoy!
LOVE the bookcases! Great design and what an amazing carpenter! Too bad we don’t leave near by.
Favorite adoption children’s books
A mother for Choco
Mother bridge of Love
The mulberry bird
We’re different we’re the same
So fun to think of those shelves filled!
P.S. you’ve likely thought of this but just in case you hadn’t make sure there’s no lead paint in those old shutters.
Thanks, Jessica. I will definitely check those out! (And, yes, we used a product called Peel Stop on the shutters to seal in the old chipping paint. Can’t wait to hang ’em up!) 😀
The Quilt Maker’s Gift, by Jeff Brumbeau. Beautiful book for young and old. Lovely illustrations. I give it to everyone I make a quilt for.
Thank you for sharing the tip for sealing chipped pieces! I want to share our favorite childhood book (my girls are older now but this was an all time favorite): The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood. Fun to tell and they never got tired of hearing it (:
What if everybody did that? by Javernick and Madden.
Thank you for the tip! Your new built-in looks fabulous!!
Julie M.
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you for always.”
I always read this to my son, and he just text this to my a few months ago…he is 21 now!!! I don’t know the author, but this book makes me cry a happy cry.
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be!”
I love Eric Carle, the Very Hungry Caterpillar and also ‘My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Suess
My daughter is 2 and her current favorites are:
Ferdinand the Bull
Go, Dog, Go!
Elmer (by David McKee)
My favorite to read to her is Nancy Tillman’s “On the Night You Were Born”
So excited for you reading your adoption journey! We are also going through the process right now 🙂
Dr. Suess (any or all)! Have fun decorating and I can’t wait to see how the room turns out.
One
written by: Kathryn Otoshi
I so love books, and my kids have so many great ones. But the one that has always stuck with me, and that I buy for everyone, is Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball. It’s amazing. Enjoy!
Love your blog!
Sweet adoption book “God Found Us You” by Lisa Bergren.
SHEEP IN A JEEP
I have been looking for something to make painted wood “hard” and I think I will try Peel Stop. Every time I paint wood – kitchen cabinets, shelves – I do everything I am “supposed” to do – sand, prime, kilz etc. – but the paint still feels tacky or it is “soft” (I don’t know how else to describe it!). Things stick to to shelves or it scuffs easily with every day use – sometimes I can peel it off with my fingernail! Everyone says not to use varnish because it will yellow! I actually have been looking into milk paint like you suggest, too! If this Peel Stop works, I will probably use GALLONS!!!
About a book – I don’t know if someone has suggested Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – my kids loved it and we still quote it!!
Thanks for all your suggestions – I need all the help I can get!!!!!
Hands down kid’s favorite – “Leo the Lightning Bug” by Eric Drachman. It comes with a CD. I have given it as gifts and am in the process of purchasing two more for newborns due in the next few months.
One of mine and our 3 daughter’s favorite books is:
CLICK, CLACK, MOO
Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin and pictures by Betsy Lewin
Cute story and the illustrations are adorable!
I love the Ferdinand the Bull story. Classic. My son loves the Charlie The Ranch Dog series. I love “kids” books. The message is so simple and heart felt
I am such a fan of Zinsser, but I have never heard of Peel Stop! Would this product work on exterior surfaces??? We have this porch which I painted on the outside…tried SO MANY different products of exterior paint (even the stretchy kind – to be able to expand with weather). I am repainting this porch every spring!! It all just peels off and becomes a mess every year. There is a lot of sun exposure on this side which I believe to be the problem as it can get really hot there. Would love to know if Peel stop would work for this? thanks!
If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart – not sure on the author, but it’s a great book and my little guy LOVES it!!
Layla,
I’m not sure I’ve ever commented on the blog, but I’ve followed you and Kevin from the beginning. You’ve inspired so much of my home 🙂
I couldn’t resist sharing a book I love! It’s titled, “You Are Special” by Max Lucado. Read it with tissues. It’s powerful and wonderful for children and adults.
Love,
Christne
Love love love the built in! Beautiful . And thanks for the tip on how to seal chippy paint! HAd so much fun at The Chapel Market…got another gig coming soon????
As a teacher, I LOVE this book that was actually written for parents. It talks about the importance of reading aloud to children (at home!) and it also includes a treasury of fabulous books for kids at different ages. The books is this:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Read-Aloud-Handbook-Sixth-Edition/dp/0143037390
There is also a great website wtih great resources:
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/
you must, must, must get The Runaway Bunny. The illustrations are wonderful and the story a sweet testimony of a mother’s love. My two children, daughter now 28 and son now 26 are both adopted, so I am eagerly following your story. All best wishes to you and Kevin.
Oh, how timely!!!!! Really. More !!!!.
I have 3 antique doors I just put into the yard so they’d peel naturally. Well, they’re so peely I have no idea how to stop the peeling! They’re gorgeous, and I do have to glue the veneer back down — no biggie at all.
Did you lightly sand first to get the bigger chunks off? Or just go over the lifting stuff to “glue” it down?
Thanks. 🙂
I have been following your story for about a year now and find myself drawn back again and again to your site. The way you share your stories and thoughts truly invites us in and makes me want to come back and get ‘updated’! I have to admit I am, not nearly as excited as you and your hubby, but VERY excited and anxious to see this room come to life!! I can almost see the toys you bring in being played with, some left on the floor that you walk over to come in…Here’s to wishing you and your good luck with this next adventure!
..Back to book ideas, my guys have loved Mercer Mayer, Curious George, ANYTHING superhero, and a NEVER fail, is good ol’ fashion Nursery Rhymes. Give them mother goose or other children poems and they stop and listen transfixed. I think the melody is soothing to both the reader and listener and they often sigh and ask, ‘Again, read that one again.’ Enjoy and happy hunting for filling the library – trust me it will GROW!!.
I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Blackboard Bear (set of small books) by Martha Alexander
I Love You Forever still makes me weep… sigh. My “boys” are now all grown up and while they laugh at my crying they love that we still celebrate their Adoption Days!
There are so many great children’s books out there, have fun:).
Come on, Rain by Karen Hesse
Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood
The Napping House also by the Woods
Feely Bugs by David Carter…my little ones LOVED this one…so many textures for them to explore!
You must get The Night Moon. It’s a wonderful story with the most beautiful artwork ever!
Try the Baby Lit series. We love them because it gets kids interested in classics like Jane Eyre and Moby Dick but in a picture book with awesome illustrations!
http://www.babylit.com/shop-books/
you will LOVE the book Belly Button Boy author Maloney!
Great for young kids – you”ll love the humor!
Anything by Patrick McDonnell (Art, The Gift of Nothing, Just Like Heaven…)
Thanks for the tip on the Peel Stop. I’ve always wondered why there wasn’t a product on the market that wouldn’t yellow over time – ooops, I guess there was:) Your little ones room is getting off to a fantastic start.
I have a 4 year old boy. Here are some of his favorite books (that I also enjoy reading).
Little Blue Truck
I Stink
Pete the Cat
Llama Llama books
The bookcase looks great.
Just so happens I know a great author who has written a children’s book. The Crooked Tree by Jeff Barganier. I think I may be able to hook you up. 🙂
Do you have Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in you area? If so, make sure you register once you bring your new little one home. She sends a free book every month from birth to age 5. That’s 60 awesome, age appropriate books! We just adopted our foster daughter on Dec. 23, and I registered her. Now she will get books from Ms. Dolly, like her big brother!
Many, many of the recommendations here are GREAT! I just wanted to suggest to seek out the oversized board books for the greatest classics. They’ll be more visible, especially when placed higher up, and they add wonderful pops of color. Also, make sure to get the board version for as many titles as possible. We originally ran through 3 copies of “Goodnight Gorilla” paperbacks before we caved. We ended up buying a 10×10 board book and it’s still displayed even though we do not really read from it anymore. I also found some board books for the titles geared towards older kids (“Harry the Dirty Dog”), and I was able to give those books to my children when they were babies so to expose them to all those words. My kids don’t feel intimidated by wordy books, and I think it’s because we were all matter-of-fact about the printed word.
We were HUGE library fans back in the day. I’d take at least 30 books out at a time so there was always something new to read.
I also was a big fan of finding books a thrift stores but I’ll never forget this one…
A neighbour was moving one time and had this huge bin filled with kids books they were planning to just throw out. I got my truck and filled up the back instead! I’m telling you, those books fit all ages, it was amazing and I’m guessing a life long collection. Those books lasted us for years and by the time it was time to relinquish them, I gave them away or gave to a thrift store to stock their shelves.
Your shelves are gorgeous and you’ll have the best time filling them!
You will also have a ton of opportunity to purchase books for a slammin’ good deal through the school system. I’ve found those books to be some of our very favorites.
Love the bookcases! We love books at our house. My daughter’s first birthday party was a book party. Between the four of us we have acquired quite a collection. We have a “library,” but one day we would like to put in some built-ins.
I’m a former children’s librarian & I love:
anything Mo Willems especially Elephant and Piggie books
Pete the Cat books
The Rhyming Dust Bunnies
Traction Man series
Love the bookshelf!