Our Top 20 Favorite Books

Some of the happiest moments in my life have been spent in our rocking chair reading books to my babies. I recently did an Instagram post where the dialogue was all about favorite children's books. The amount of comments and responses were incredible~there were lots of classics mentioned but also some titles I had never heard of. It made me excited that there is so much wonderful kids literature (old and new) available at our fingertips.


In honor of Rio's 4th birthday I have created a list of his (and my) top 20 favorite books. It was so hard to pick just 20...there are so many amazing children's books out there! These are just a few of our favorites, it was really hard to narrow it down to just 20. Books are definitely my favorite thing to give as gifts to kids too, so I have attached links to purchase any of these. It's so simple, just click on any title and it will take you directly to the Amazon link. Happy Reading!

1. Countablock- This book basically taught Rio how to count to 100 and is great for teaching number recognition. Dinoblock is another one of our favorites.

2. An Awesome Book- Author Dallas Clayton has such an wonderful imagination and outlook, Rio loves this book and Clayton is one of our favorite authors! He also wrote An Awesome Book of Love and An Awesome Book of Thanks.

3. The Color Monster- A great book about feelings and shows kids that it's ok to feel all the feels. The Color Monster: A Story of Emotions and In My Heart are other good ones on the topic.

4. The Earth Book- Such an informative book about the amazingness of our planet.

5. Under Water Under Earth- Rio's newest fave! Similar to The Earth Book in the fact that it isn't one that you read in one sitting. We read a few pages at a time...there is so much content in one book, so much learning. And it's on sale right now...only 20 dollars regularly 35!

6. Where The Sidewalk Ends- I thought this was going to be a little to mature for Rio but he loves the silly poems and drawings by the great Shel Silverstein. Another must have is The Giving Tree by Silverstein.

7. Have You Filled A Bucket Today- Lately we have been reading this one pretty much every day (because toddlers!) I love the idea and message about how to treat everyone, including yourself, with kindness.

8. Paul Meets Bernadette- The world from the perspective of pet fish! Such a cute story.

9.  The Digger and The Flower- Another adorable fiction book with a super sweet message. Dante especially loves this one.

10. I Am Yoga- Our favorite yoga book. Check out I Am Peace and I Am Human too!

11.  Teal- Another sweet work of fiction with a great moral.

12. Across The Pond- Teaches kids about the power of imagination. Great illustrations!

13. What Do You Do With An Idea- More great life lessons in this one. What Do You Do With A Problem and What Do You Do With A Chance are must reads too!

14. Maps- This is one of those books that we will use for a long time. There is so much content and information about the geography and history of our world, a must have for every little's library.

15. Rhymoceros- Hearing and learning rhyming sounds is so good for baby/toddler brain development. This book teaches rhymes in a simple way. Hippopposites is a must have too!

16. Press Here- This one is fun and interactive and teaches direction following skills. Mix It Up is similar and also super fun and interactive. There is also a Press Here game if your babes love the book as much as we do.

17. I Love You Stinky Face- Rio just loves the stinky face series! He always says "But mama, but mama!" because of this book. We also own Merry Christmas Stinky Face and Happy Halloween Stinky Face which are both super cute.

18. The Kissing Hand- A great book for helping kids overcome new transitions like starting in a new school or day care. Such a sweet one!

19. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site- My boys have loved this book from Day 1 and they are both still obsessed.  If your kids love this one you should probably go ahead and add  Mighty Mighty Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train to the list too. And don't forget about Construction Site on Christmas Night  just in time for the holidays!

20. A Sick Day For Amos McGee- Teaches kids a little bit about empathy and that friends come in all shapes and sizes! The boys just love this one and it brings up some great conversations!

21. Gaston- Left the best for the bonus book. We absolutely love this book and the message. Everyone needs Gaston in your collection!!

Back to School-Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Posting a week late, but this happened-Rio had his first day of preschool! 

We are still doing homeschool preschool together, but now he will 
be going to a nature-based preschool a couple days a week as well. 
So far he loves it! My only concern about starting school? Germs! 

Let’s face it, kids are going to get sick.  

But there are things we can do to try to prevent the sickies. 
One of my favorite supplements that I give my kids and take myself 
is Elderberry Syrup. 

Since starting school, I have been giving Rio his elderberry syrup
everyday to boost his immune system. 

My friend Krista taught me a while back that I could make my own 
elderberry syrup. 

It is such a better value than buying at the store, it tastes better, and 
my kids actually beg for it! 

Here is the recipe, as well as link to purchase my favorite organic
elderberries. 
Happy Back to School and Stay Healthy!!

Homemade Elderberry Syrup (adapted from Growing4HisGlory.com)

Ingredients: 

1 cup black elderberries (click here for the ones I love)

4 cups of purified water

3 T fresh (or dried) ginger root (I used fresh)

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp cloves or clove powder

1 cup raw honey

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, add: water, elderberries, ginger root, 

 cinnamon and cloves together. (Honey is for later)

2. Bring to a boil. Turn down, cover and let simmer for about 45 mins.

3. Strain into a bowl.

4. Let cool to lukewarm. Add honey and stir well. 

5. Store elderberry syrup in the refrigerator in a small brown glass dropper bottle

 I use a 2 ounce bottle (1 teaspoon is about 4 drops).

 6. Store the rest in dark glass container and refill the smaller bottle, 

using a funnel, when needed. (an old wine bottle can work for this!)

*Elderberry Syrup can be taken daily as a preventative. 

Daily dose: kids-1 teaspoon, adults-1 Tbsp. 

If anyone in my family starts coming down with anything,

we take the recommended dose every 2-3 hours until we feel better.