Books and Tradition

When you have 37 grandchildren, trying to find Christmas gifts for each of them can be a daunting task, but my mom started a tradition back when she only had a few grandkids, that simplifies that task a bit -- she gives picture books.  She buys books throughout the year, matches books to specific children, and includes a personal note in the front of each book.  My children, from my youngest to my oldest, love getting Grandma Books.  They read them over and over and even have a special shelf to keep them on.  Years ago when my family was moving from California to Virginia, the movers required that we list items of  "extraordinary value."  My oldest son, who was twelve at the time, begged me to include his Grandma Books on the list so the movers would be extremely careful with them.  My kids love watching their special shelves fill with books, and I love that they never outgrow picture books.

Here are three of our favorite Grandma Books:

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood is the story of a king, who despite the efforts of his court, refuses to get out of the bathtub.  Repetition and humor in the text illustrated with Don Wood's detailed oil painting make this a terrific read-aloud book.

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming uses repetition and onomatopoeia to tell the story of some hungry bunnies and Mr. McGreely who is trying to protect his garden.  Illustrations by Brian Karas give life to the busy bunnies.

Bob Shea uses bold black lines and vibrant color in Dinosaur vs. Bedtime to illustrate the Dinosaur who conquers the world around him, but finally succumbs to sleep.

When I become a Grandma, I think I'll adopt this tradition if only to have an excuse to visit the bookstore more often.