Book Hunt

Not on our reading list, but this book by Pat Miller kind of represents our day today!

I love books.  I love trips to the bookstore.  I love that most date nights with my husband involve a trip to a bookstore.  And I love that my children love books too. 

I didn't realize, however, that I have a lame children's book collection.  We have a few classics and some large books with nice pictures, but I'm learning that my collection is pretty pitiful.  I came to this conclusion when I pulled up my homeschool curriculum's read-aloud book lists for pk-1st grade. 

Apparently, there is such a thing as classic children's books--beyond obvious ones like Dr. Seuss books, Curious George stories, and Clifford.   There are authors that are considered "good reading" for children such as Jan Brett, Margaret Wise Brown, Eric Carle, Tasha Tudor, Bill Peet, Tomie dePaola, Paul Galdone, Cynthia Rylant, ect.  I had heard of some of these authors before (Who hasn't heard of the The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Goodnight Moon?), but I didn't realize that these authors have written collections of books on all sorts of topics.  I also didn't realize that I have completely failed my children.  Were it not for the fact that my homeschool curriculum enrichment program includes these books as a part of each week's activities, it never would have crossed my mind to read most of these to my children.  Instead, my kids would just be reading their circus or train books over and over and over again!

So now, I'm on a book hunt.  My recommended book lists cost about $300 per list to order from the company who supplies my curriculum (so from them, it would cost me $900 to get all the books listed below).  Or I can bargain hunt for these myself.  And since I've never turned down the opportunity to bargain hunt, I've been doing just that.  First, I did an online search of books and discovered that Walmart has a fabulous collection of books online.  Then I went to Amazon and found that, in general, Walmart is cheaper (who knew?!). Next I went to Half-Price Books in an attempt to get an even cheaper deal.  This proved successful as most children's paperbacks at Half Price Books are under $3. That said, after spending a couple hundred dollars on books today, I'm only halfway through my Pre-k and kindergarten lists!  Still, my book hunt has been cheaper than the suggested retail of my curriculum vendor.

By the time my kids are through elementary school, I'm probably going to have one of the most admirable collection of children's books around.  It's just too bad that it took my homeschool curriculum to cue me in to the fact that I'm a failure as a mother.  I'm just hoping that I can make up for lost time on the reading front with my kids. 

Just to give you an insight as to what I've been up to, listed below is the combined list of preK-1st grade books that I've been hunting.  Before today, I might have owned 1 or 2 of these books. As of this afternoon, I've acquired about a 3rd of the list.  From what I gather, it's a great list to consider if you want to enrich the lives of children around you.

The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

The House That Jack Built illustrated by J.P. Miller

Mr. Pine's Purple House by Leonard Kessler

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

My Shadow by Robert Lewis Stevenson, illustrated by Glenna Lang

Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola

Barndance by Bill Martin Kr. & John Archambault

Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel

Noah's Ark by Barbara Shook Hazen & Diane Muldrow

The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston & Tomie dePaola

In November by Cynthia Rylant

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats

The Friendly Beasts by Tomie dePaola

Around the Year by Tasha Tudor

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Never Tease a Weasel by Jean Conder Soule

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown

Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

The Song of Francis by Tomie dePaola

One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian

Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman

Ten Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

The Empty Pot by Demi

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

A Child's Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa

Animals Animals by Eric Carle

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown

The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Gregory's Shadow by Don Freeman

Abe's Fish by Jen Bryrant

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson

Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt

All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander

A Tale for Easter by Tasha Tudor

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse

Wonders of Nature by Eloise Wilkins

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by C. M. Millen

A House Is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Miss Twiggley's Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Pane

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Johanna Westerman

The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet

The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very First Thanksgiving Day Rhonda Gowler Greene

Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown

Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman

Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield

The Star-Spangled Banner Illustrated by Peter Spier

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt

Patrick - Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola

Doctor DeSoto by William Steig

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky

Rabbit School by Albert Sixtus, translated by Roland Freischlad

The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen

Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton

Fly High, Fly Low by Don Freeman

Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor