My lovely hair stylist is having a baby! Yay! Naturally, because I'm me, I had to get her some board books for her sweet pea. Many people like to give books at baby showers. It's a wonderful way to start (or build up) a child's first library! But if there's one thing I know, it's that SOMEONE will show up with a copy of GOODNIGHT MOON or WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE or BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? I can pretty much GUARANTEE they will get these books, if they don't h

Singing with children seems to be a no-brainer. It's fun, and if you sing a soft lullaby at bedtime, it lulls them to sleep. But singing together has even more great benefits! Singing songs helps children train their ear to hear the many parts that make up words, including rhymes, letter sounds, and syllables. From songs they learn new vocabulary (does anyone talk about their water spout in regular conversation?) and gain background knowledge. It helps with memory, motor coor

Last November, I wrote about why humor is important in children's books, and I promised a post about my favorite titles. Finally, FINALLY, here it is. This is by no means an exhaustive list, because I love SO MANY books that I'm sure I'll leave some out. Also, a caveat: Some of these only kids will find funny. Some of these will make you both laugh. But since kids ARE the target audience here, I'm less worried about you. Sorry, not sorry. I will try to update this periodicall

*Originally published at In the Writer's Web. Updated 2026.* Most of us have heard of the Caldecott and Newbery medals – children’s book awards that have been around for, well, a VERY long time. But have you heard of the CLEL Bells? No? Take a seat, I’ve got a story to tell. I’ve been a librarian, as of this summer, for 27 years. And in those 27 years, my job has changed quite a bit – in good ways and bad. But one incredibly satisfying way in which it’s changed is in the