Topic one: Feeling strong with your love
Our first Lucy's Book Club topic focuses on healthy attachment between child and parent. Healthy emotional development in early childhood stems from a secure base: a child's sense of a nurturing, supportive, and solid relationship with parents builds positive feelings about one's self. The books our panel has chosen for this topic focus on the nature of the relationship and love between children and parents.
For ages 0 to 3
Counting Kisses by Karen Katz
This sweet bedtime story initiates a playful interaction between a young child and parent or caregiver that creates a soothing environment in which a child will surely feel loved and cared for as they drift off to sleep. With each page, the reader is encouraged to follow with the words and kiss their child in ten different ways until he or she is fast asleep. - Christa Love
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
McBratney's endearing story exudes tenderness as a young rabbit searches for ways to tell his dad how much he loves him. The pleasant, gentle story is told with comical, yet charming illustrations. - Bridget Daniel
When Mama Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli
A soothing story told in rhyme of comforting activities between mother and child as they prepare for bedtime. Text and illustrations, appropriate for young children, are simple and clear. - Bridget Daniel
The Cuddle Book by Guido Genechten
This easy to read book is an excellent choice for mommies to read with their children. It's full of beautiful artwork and great descriptions of all kinds of cuddles: slow ones, careful ones, and the best one of all, mommy's! It also uses simple text that an early reader can practice their developing reading skills with, which makes it a good selection for young children to slightly older ones! - Christa Love
For ages 0 to 3 and 3 to 6
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Unconditional love and care between mother and child is illustrated through dialogue between a bunny and his mother rabbit in the classic story book, The Runaway Bunny. The bunny who wants to run away from his home is assured by his devoted mother that she will always be there for him, no matter where he runs, what he is or where he goes. - Jennifer Murphy
Families by Ann Morris
There are all kinds of families. This book uses photographs from around the world to show and describe the many varieties of families. In this book, children learn about what is the same and consistent about families: they love, care for, and help one another, while also learning about the diversity among families throughout the world. - Jenn Reid
You Are Special, Little One by Nancy Tafuri
To feel special is a shared desire of all young ones. Tafuri focuses on this desire with text and illustrations that offer reassurance and comfort to young children. A variety of baby animals ask the question "How am I special?" and receive loving answers from their mothers and fathers. This is a great choice to share while cuddling. - Bridget Daniel
For ages 3 to 6
I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joose
In this book, a mother's two sons look to her for love and approval. As her sons repeatedly turn to her seeking her compliments, she responds with comments of admiration for the different qualities in their character and skill. Children in families with siblings often wonder, whom do you love the most? The author beautifully illustrates how a mother's love for more than one child can be special and unique for each one. - Jenn Reid
The Way Mothers Are by Miriam Schlein
This book tactfully illustrates a child's timeless desire to understand the nature of parental love. A kitten asks his mother how she loves and cares for him, even when he misbehaves and acts out. The mother cat explains that she loves him because he is her child, and she is his mother, conveying that a parent's love for his or her child is unconditional. - Jennifer Murphy
Good Job, Little Bear by Martin Waddell
Good Job, Little Bear is a classic. The story is of a bear exploring independence with the loving support of his father. As children grow and develop, a parent's guidance moves from taking care of the child entirely to being a cheerleader and standby helper, when needed. Mr. Waddell has captured this phase of development beautifully and his book is an artful reminder of what is required of parents during this particularly challenging phase of development. - Melanie Burke
Parents' selection:
The Emotional Life of the Toddler by Alicia F. Lieberman
Many parenting books take a behavioral approach to "solving" issues that children exhibit and offer strategies for "fixing" said behaviors. As a parent myself, as well as an early childhood professional, I have found few parent books that help me when thinking about my children. What I like about this parenting book is that it reminds parents that there are legitimate reasons behind the way children act; or at least there are certain emotions expressed in young children that are raw, intense, and just not that pretty! As parents, it is helpful to think through emotional challenges of normal child development so that we are better equipped to manage our responses in guiding and teaching them how to express themselves appropriately. Lieberman also includes helpful topics such as temperament, childcare, divorce, and anxieties in young children. Definitely a must-read for parents of young children. - Melanie Burke
Supplemental booklist
Below are additional books that support healthy attachment between parent and child:
Baker, Liza: I Love You Because You're You
Boyd, Lizi: I Love Daddy
Joose, Barbaba: Mama, Do You Love Me?
Hines, Anna Grossnickle: Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti
Katz, Karen: Daddy Hugs
Lewis, Rose A.: I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
McMullen, Kate: If You Were My Bunny
Modesitt, Jeanne: Mama, If You Had a Wish
Morris, Ann: Loving
Numeroff, Laura: What Daddies Do Best
Numeroff, Laura: What Mommies Do Best
Porter-Gaylord, Laurel: I Love My Mommy Because...
