Reading books with your children has an incredible amount of benefits - almost too many to list!
At its core, it's a powerful tool for language development. The flow of our voice introduces babies to the cadence and rhythm of language. This lays a foundation of communication skills, long before they have the ability to repeat it back to us.
Reading sparks imagination and creativity in all ages. The right novel pulls me into the pages until the world I'm living in no longer exists. I love believing that the same happens for my son as he cheerfully reads Little Blue Truck out loud with me and gasps a "oh no!" when Little Blue Truck gets stuck in the mud.
But for all the tangible benefits of reading, my personal favorite is the time for connection. Reading together guarantees that Jensen has my entire attention on him. Often we’ll read the same book over and over and over again in one sitting and he’ll point out new things on each reread or he’ll “read” some of the pages to me.
My hope is that these days linger in whispered memories of warmth and laughter. The specific stories will fade. The exact in and out of our days will blend together, but as Jensen grows older he'll remember the love in each flip of a page and the magic of a story that took us right into the pages .
I’ve read to Jensen every day since he was just a couple days old. Below are some of his current favorite Easter and Springtime book’s! Please note that this blog contains affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase something through our affiliate link.
- We can’t talk Springtime without mentioning Little Blue Truck's Springtime Little Blue Truck’s Springtime. We’ve read this book so many times that I have it completely memorized. If Jensen is struggling to settle for bed or a nap, I can recite the book from memory and he’ll cuddle in close and be asleep by the time I finish the second recitation.
2. Busy Bunny Learns Shapes is a short read with thick pages - perfect for little ones! The shapes on each page are dotted and perfect for tracing with finger tips. Jensen love the last page with the stars the best. Many times our reading of this book begins and ends by going to the last page and admiring the stars.
3. Technically Farmblock isn’t specific to springtime - it covers all of the seasons. It’s one of Jensen’s favorites (along with Buildablock and Cityblock!) though so it made the list! Honestly, I love the longer reads. Longer books are good for building that attention span, and the extra flaps keep the book exciting as well.
4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic for reason! Jensen loves the pages with all the food the caterpillar has eaten through and on the last page we ‘flutter’ the butterfly’s wings so it flies. This was one of the very first books we ever read to him and it’s still well loved today. This is actually our second copy, and you can see how beat up it’s gotten from it’s many, many read throughs.
5. Any book with a bunny is perfect for Spring or Easter and Bunny Roo, I Love You fits perfectly in that category. We love to howl on the wolf page and meow with the kitten! Each page has a new little animal the baby is compared to and the end ties it together with a perfect moment for a big hug.
6. Following on with the bunny theme is Love. A sweet short story of a mommy bunny and her baby and all the ways they feel love throughout their day. It’s a wonderful reminder to take the time and enjoy these small moments with our babies.
7. Don't Push the Button is a fun interactive book! Jensen got this last Easter but it wasn't until more recently that he really got into "pushing" the button and shaking the book. He's at an age where these interactive books are endlessly entertaining to him!
8. Honey Bear's Gifts of Nature is a book from Slumberkins! If you haven't heard of Slumberkins yet then you are seriously missing out. Listening to Jensen repeat his affirmations absolutely warms my heart. This book is one of our five night-night books. Honey bear books are all about teaching children gratitude! We do have a stuffed honey bear as well, but his Biggie slumberkin is his favorite.
9. I Love You Like No Otter is a short book with stunning animal illustrations. Each page has a fun animal pun to go along with the picture.
10. Last but not least is Guess How Much I Love You. Another classic that should be on every book shelf (did you know there's Tonie of this book as well?). Big Nut Brown Hare and Little Nut Brown Hare take turns showing each other how much they love each other. It's a wonderful book to get those last minute wiggles out before bedtime!