I enjoyed both of today’s picture books very much. They reminded me of some of the best things about being a parent.
The first book is “No Matter What” by Debi Gliori. Our characters are a couple of cute little foxes, a mother, named Large, and her son, named Small.
One day Small was in a pretty bad mood. He put a bucket of dirty wash water on his head and sat in the puddle. When Large came to find out what was wrong, he said, “I’m grim and grumpy. And I don’t think you love me at all.”
Large quickly explained that she loves Small, even when he’s grim and grumpy.
Small then asked a series of questions. What if he was a grumpy grizzly bear? What if he was a squishy bug? What if he was a crocodile? To each question, Large assures him that she will love him, no matter what. Love isn’t conditional. It never leaves. It may change, but it’s always there. Small goes to bed, comforted by his mother’s soft answers. (This book was published in 1999 by Bloomsbury, and was illustrated by the author.)
Our other story is called “Because Your Daddy Loves You,” written by Andrew Clements. We read:
When you wake up from a bad dream and you call out, “Daddy!” Your daddy could say, “Shhh! Just go back to sleep!” but he doesn’t. He comes to your room right away and sits beside you until you fall asleep again.
We go on to read about the other things Daddy does. He helps you find your shoes so you can leave for your trip to the beach. When he finds your shoe, he helps you put it back on, and he ties it for you. Your ball blows into the water while you’re playing on the sand, and he fetches it for you, and then plays catch with you. He gives you a piggy back ride when you’re too tired to walk any more, and he buys you an ice cream cone without complaining when you get all sticky. When you get home from your trip, you’ve fallen asleep in the car. He carries you inside and lays you down, and then he unloads the car by himself. He reads you your favorite story, even though he’s got it memorized by now and he’s tired of it. Why does he do all of these things? Because he loves you. (This book was published in 2005 by Clarion Books, and was illustrated by R.W. Alley.)
Being a parent can be frustrating and exhausting, but these books perfectly represent some of the joys of having children. Share them with a child you love.
Related Blogs:
Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep
“Humphrey” Books by Sally Hunter
Finding Books for Family Storytime