Being there to watch stories spark a remarkable imaginary universe for our daughter has been, by far, one of THE BEST and most amazing things that has come from the last year.
I am a story junkie, always have been, loved ‘em so much I made a career out of telling them.
So, discovering amazing books has been as much fun for me as it has been for my kindred spirit who will sit and listen to a story, or create one of her own, over doing just about anything else.
Here is our list of favourite books of 2008. The tiny person had a hand in picking all of them out. So, really, it’s her Best-Of list:
1. Our year was definitely highlighted by the old skool nature stories of Thornton Burgess and his Old Mother Westwind series. These stories brought the forest alive for both of us and we still talk about the characters on our wanders through the woods.
2. Spooky was totally in this year, and the tiny person is still running around being silly and telling tales about Eve Bunting’s The Bones of Fred McPhee. Eve Bunting is definitely our favourite author of the year.
3. Voted funniest book of the year in our house, Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel was by far the most fun read we had this year. Hilarious. Thanks Kaden for the recommendation.
4. The book with the biggest Awwwwww factor, and the sweetest animal that made you love him over and over, was Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand. I love that bull, and our daughter has a big soft spot for him.
5. Backyard nature took on a whole new meaning for us this year with Henry Cole’s lovely story about bringing nature back to the suburbs in On Meadowview Street. This story was a great way to get us out into the garden and creating beautiful, fun spaces to watch creatures, grow food and hang out.
6. Audrey Penn won both of our hearts this year, and got a new goodbye ritual started for us, with her sweet story The Kissing Hand. L-O-V-E.
7. I don’t think we could have made it to bed before 10 p.m. any night this past Summer if it wasn’t for Old Bear and his band of stuffed pals. Jane Hissey’s crew of cute, kind friends was a bedtime hit.
8. The tiny person and I agreed that Miss Rumphius was our woman of the year for 2008. Barbara Cooney’s character who traveled the world, experienced life to the fullest and then spent her quiet years creating beauty in the form of fields of flowers made us both love her best.
9. Another bedtime gem that made us dream of fairies and faraway worlds was the absolutely radiant The Rainbabies. Laura Krauss Melmed takes us on a lovely journey that is a sure cure for sleepless nights.
10. Our favourite book of the year was most definitely Astrid Lindgren’s Most Beloved Sister. Lindgren is magical and this story is off the charts in both wonderment and heart. If there is ever a writer and a story for your collection, Lindgren and Most Beloved Sister are #1.
