By: Dr. Candace Byrd
Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your little one’s library! See which titles we are loving this spring.
We can’t get enough of this best selling series. The You’re My Little books have chunky, easy-to-turn pages that are perfect for little hands. The die-cuts are fun for tactile exploration and the illustrations couldn’t be any cuter. This book is full of all the sights of springtime — sweet bunnies, bustling bees, darling daffodils, leaping lambs, and little yellow chicks. Each page has a spring-themed affirmation to let your little one know how much you love them!
I’m not one to play favorites, but this You’re My Little book is right at the top of my list! It begins, “Come here, my little bookworm, Let’s snuggle up and read. Adventures bold, new worlds unfold — just us, that’s all we need.” It continues with adorable word play and school-related themes like a spelling bee, smart cookie, sharp crayon, and gold star. It is so much fun to read aloud curled up with your little bookworm.
We love this book for its interactive tracing elements! Each page has a familiar nursery rhyme with added cutouts for your little one to explore. They can trace the rain as it falls down on the spider and swirl their finger around as they recite, “Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around.” There are zig zags for the Six Little Ducks, a back-and-forth rainbow pattern for Two Little Bluebirds, and ovals for This Little Piggy.
This board book introduces your little baby baller to the legendary Michael Jordan! It covers his career highlights while also acknowledging that he faced setbacks like not making the team. I love this one for teaching kids about determination and pursuing their passions. Here’s an excerpt: “Cut from the high school team, but that couldn’t stop him. Losing just made Michael more determined to win.”
This might just be the hippest board book ever written. The Story of Rap introduces little ones to the origin of the genre as well as all the big names that shaped rap music. Parents will appreciate the nods to famous rappers and lyrics written into the rhyming text. It even comes with a Parental Advisory: May cause toddlers to develop excessive amounts of swagger. It’s no wonder The Story of Rap was the 2019 National Parent Product award winner!
This is another book that comes with a Parental Advisory: May cause toddlers to start putting on living room concerts! The Story of Pop is a vibrant introduction to pop music’s superstars like Elton John, Prince, and Madonna. It has your powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey; groups like Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, and *Nsync; and more recent pop stars like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift. Our favorite part about this book is the perfectly illustrated costumes! Be sure to follow this one up with a dance party!
Dr. Candace Byrd is a mother of two with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. She has a passion for sharing high quality picture books and promoting early literacy, play-based learning, and social emotional well-being. Instagram: @nestingwiththebyrds