Kid's Book Recommendations: Home Edition

I just love all the books Nora and I have been discovering lately. Some through friend's recommendations, some from blogs and others just by sweet happenstance. I have a pretty long list of great books I want to pass along, so I thought I'd break them into categories. These are some wonderful titles that seem to center around the theme of Home.

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan. This is a gorgeous book and one I've put on our "to own" list. Little Eli describes life on his family's farm, from the sweet soil his father plows to the smell of leather in his grandfather's barn and the blueberry flats where he picnics with his mother. It is hard to read this and not daydream about buying a few acres, a barn and a menagerie of animals.

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman. This book was given to me at a shower before I had Nora and the well-read gift-giver stated that this was her very favorite book as a kid (thanks Kathy!). The illustrations in this book are amazing...always important to me. The pictures are of intricate detail and provide something new to find on each page and with each reading. Reading like poetry, homes are described from ant hills to corn husks, tickling Nora's imagination and helping her see the world just a little bit differently.

I Know a Place by Karen Ackerman. Unfortunately, this little book about the sounds, smells and routines of a little girl's home seems to be out-of-print. This was one that Nora pulled off the library shelf on her own and I'm so glad she did. From the sounds of her father's early morning footsteps as he readies himself for work to family dinners and snuggling under her quilt at night - it highlights the importance of the rhythms of home and the comfort children find in it's familiarities.

Do you have any favorite books about "home"?

Sweet deal on Jesus Storybook Bible

I wanted to let you all know about a sweet deal on an amazing children's Bible. In our opinion, this kids' Bible is the gold standard. Maybe you've heard of it?

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers His name retells stories from scripture, Genesis through Revelations, showing how each story is a part of one big story...that of Jesus. From the beginning, God the Father in His "never stopping, never giving up always and forever love" has planned to send His Son as the great Rescuer. The stories are written in such a way as to make big concepts understandable to little ones, however, the truths remain profound. Thang and I have been majorly blessed by our time reading to Nora, seeing how God's rescue mission for us has been in place even before time began. I can't tell you how many friends have admitted to being in tears as they've read these stories to their kids.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers His name is on sale at the Covenant Seminary online bookstore for $9.34 until the end of February! Good friends of mine from college own the bookstore in St. Louis and clued me into the deal.

If you want a taste, check out these videos:

He's Here

Light of the Whole World

God's Wonderful Surprise

We originally got this book for Nora for her first Easter after it had been recommended to us. We have so enjoyed it, we've given one to all of our nieces and nephews, and our copy has been so loved it is already in tatters.

If you're interested in receiving updates on other book deals from the Covenant Seminary Bookstore, you can "Like" their Facebook page.

Hold On To Your Kids - Book Review

I first heard about this book while listening to a La Leche League podcast. It was recommended as a good read on issues related to parent/child attachment and greatly intrigued me. To be honest, prior to reading this book, my knowledge of "attachment theory" was limited to practices such as babywearing, breastfeeding and cosleeping. Since becoming a parent I've quickly learned of the different parenting "schools", which can create quite a bit of debate in parenting circles. I was eager to learn more about the "attachment" approach and glean whatever truths I might find there.

The premise of this book is very simple, that today's kids are becoming more and more attached to their peers than their parents. They are looking to their peers as "compass points" to get their bearings in the world, to form their values and to find affirmation. The authors offer that a child's attachment to their parent is the one thing they should not grow up without. However, culture, technology, even parents themselves encourage this "peer-orientation". They posit that this peer-orientation undermines parental authority and has led to modern-day ills such as bullying, hyper-sexualization, eating disorders, etc. They do not just describe the problem, but offer tools to maintain and reestablish parent-attachment:

* Make the relationship the priority.

* Learn how your child attaches (what special way they feel loved).

* Create intimacy - cultivate an intimacy with your child that peers can't compete with.

* Create structures and impose boundaries that protect the relationship - i.e. FAMILY vacations, FAMILY celebrations, FAMILY meals, etc.

One of the most practical recommendations that I feel I can implement even now is to learn how to "collect" my child. The art of collecting, the authors write, is the reconnection that happens when the parent and child have been separated, no matter the length of time. For a mom of a toddler, it may simply be the time after a nap -instead of quickly scooping my daughter up and putting her in the car to run errands or in a highchair for lunch, to hold her for a few moments, snuggle her, tickle her - the important part is to make eye contact and illicit a smile. One of the authors writes that for him, collecting his teenage daughter after several months of feeling disconnected from her took a weekend away at a cabin, playing games, taking walks together, no cell phones, no internet.

As I've meditated on the thesis of this book, I found it's ideas applied so much to our own relationship with our Heavenly Parent. Until we truly understand the deep and gracious love of God, Our Father, and come into an intimate relationship with Him, we are merely looking to our peers, other human beings, as our compass points. It is when we know the Father and His love that we can feel true security and freedom and begin to love others with confidence. As a parent, my ultimate goal is to lead my child to be "Godward-oriented", to look to Him over myself or my husband, peers, culture or anything else on earth. However, I do believe that as parents we are also to be the utmost earthly-authority in our child's life and, especially for a young child, her orientation to us is a form of Godward-orientation (not that I am calling myself or my husband God, but that our authority is a God-ordained one).

While I don't ascribe to all of the authors theories or recommendations, I found this a very valuable resource in my journey as a mom. I would highly recommend this read to you parents out there!