Classic treasuries perfect for gifting: part I
Consider these lovely collections for the preschoolers and early elementary children in your life. Plus, why we're drawn to "Goldilocks" home design.
I love the idea of book treasuries, because once I find an author I love, I want to collect all of their work. Sometimes owning each individual book is important, but there is a time for treasuries, too. We like to take them on road trips so we can have multiple stories on vacation with us, and they also make lovely gifts!
Our family has several treasuries on our bookshelves, so I’m going to share some of them here and a few more in a future newsletter. My three-year-old daughter and five-year old son have enjoyed the three treasuries below equally, and I hope your little ones like them, too!
Does your family own many treasuries? If so, which are your favorites? Please drop them in the comments!
Recipe: one-pan lemon herb salmon (This recipe is so easy, yet it tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen. Make it on Fridays during Lent, or serve it at a festive springtime lunch. You can’t go wrong with this one)
Easy way to be a fun mom: Frame your children’s art! I have one picture frame for each child hanging on the wall between our kitchen and dining rooms (two spaces where we spend a lot of time), and my children have such pride creating art to fill those frames.
Fun read: “The immortal appeal of Goldilocks design—or why we want to live like we're in a children's storybook”
“Just as the furniture and characters in a children's story are imbued with narratives and history, Andrew and Kate believe that ‘houses in fairy tales are never just houses; they always contain secrets and dreams.’ Fairy tale-inspired design, with houses full of items rich in stories and inherited or collected from around the world, contain both history and an optimistic look to the future, making it a timeless and comforting aesthetic, regardless of the time we live in. After all, is there any simpler time in our lives than when we were children?”
(If you are reading this via email, it will likely get cut off. Click here to read it in full.)
“Mary Engelbreit’s Storybook Favorites: Nursery and Fairy Tales” by Mary Engelbreit
Being the ‘90s/’00s child that I am, I grew up loving Mary Engelbreit, and I adore her work even more now that I have my own children. This collection of classic fairy tales features stories that are short enough for little listeners without sacrificing any important details, and is, of course, impeccably illustrated. Some fairy tales included are:
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
“Little Red Riding Hood”
“Jack and the Beanstalk”
“The Emperor’s New Clothes”
“Cinderella”
“The Ugly Duckling”
“Aladdin”
“Rapunzel”
Recommended age: 4 - 8 years
“A Little House Picture Book Treasury: Six Stories of Life on the Prairie”
The Little House books are great family read-alouds, but this picture book treasury enables even the littlest listeners to better understand the Ingalls and Wilder families’ adventures.
The six included stories are:
“A Little Prairie House”
“Going to Town”
“County Fair”
“Sugar Snow”
“Winter Days in the Big Woods”
“Christmas in the Big Woods”
Recommended age: 3 - 6 years
“The Paddington Treasury” written by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
I recently bought the Paddington Tonie on a whim, and the stories, though still a little advanced for my five-year-old son, brought him to tears with giggle fits. I immediately grabbed this treasury from the library, and it has not disappointed. The stories are short, adorably illustrated and full of shenanigans. By virtue of Paddington being British, there are some cultural aspects that call for explanation (e.g. “elevenses” and a “busby”), but that has prompted some learning moments for all of us!
Included stories are:
“Paddington”
“Paddington at the Palace”
“Paddington at the Zoo”
“Paddington in the Garden”
“Paddington and the Marmalade Maze”
“Paddington the Artist”
Recommended age: 4 - 8 years
“If teaching is an art of imitation, then we ought to make ourselves worthy of imitation.” — Sarah Mackenzie
If you enjoyed this newsletter, you might like these, too:
When I was a little girl, my mom would check out the Mary Englebreit autobiography for me from the library. She’s still one of my favorite artists.
I’ve been wanting to check out Paddington for my five year old. It looks adorable. We love the Little House picture books!