Bedtime and Other Rituals: Reading Books Together, Part 2: Books to Read With Younger Children

Author’s note: many of my personal favorite picture books or picture book authors are represented in the photo. Some of them showed up again in the survey we conducted. What are YOUR family’s favorite picture books and picture book authors? Please comment below, and help our community meet some new book friends!

We parents know that we should be reading to our young children, especially at bedtime. For many of us, however, the question is: WHAT should we read to them? The answer could be “anything we can get our hands on!” We jest, but that statement is at least partially true. In the early years of our children’s life, we greatly benefit them with every book that we read to them. So we should take advantage of every opportunity to read to them! But rather than just reading anything we can get our hands on, we need to be sure to include books that help us steer our children towards the Faith.

The goal for this blog post is to provide our community with a list of books to read with younger children. Our hope is that some of these book suggestions will be new and wonderful discoveries for those among us with little ones. (Or older children as well: picture books are fun to read with any age, so we should not eliminate them from our family’s reading times when our children are old enough to enjoy chapter books!)
We will begin by highlighting two brand new Orthodox books that recently came to our attention. You may want to add these to your family’s bedtime reading.

For the very young:
Goodnight Jesus by Angela Isaacs, with illustrations by Nicholas Malara (available here: http://store.ancientfaith.com/goodnight-jesus/)

This brand new board book is the perfect book to finish off a baby or toddler’s day! The sweet illustrations delightfully match the gentle rhymes. The fact that the book teaches children to reverence the icon of Christ in everyone will make parents happy to read the book over and over. And there will always be kisses all around at the end of the reading!

For slightly older children:

Let There Be Light! By Alisa Rakich Brooks, illustrated by R. E. Bursik (available here: http://westserbdio.org/en/sebastian-press/christian-inspiration-for-youth/item/388-let-there-be-light)

This is the first book in what will be (God willing) a series of books that combine scientific study with our Orthodox faith in the context of a story. Mila and her mother are reading the scriptures together at bedtime (what a great time to read the scriptures!) when Mila asks a question about light, and so the story begins. The beautiful icons and other pictures in this book help the reader to follow Mila as she and her mother learn about creation, scientists, and how light works. Mila is just like any other curious child. She wants to know how and why things work, and she’s not afraid to dance a little when she figures it out! She models life as an Orthodox Christian throughout the book as she prays, makes the sign of the cross, and finally gives thanks to God for what she has learned. Young readers will be learning without even realizing it, and even the reader will be encouraged to love God and His creation more than they did before.

The respondents to our summer survey have given us a list of fabulous picture books that can be read to younger children. We will share them below, in alphabetical order by title. (Note: we have shared as much information about the titles as we could, based on what we were given.)

For younger children:

“Every Time I Do My Cross” by Presby. Angela Alatzakis allows readers to follow James throughout his day, as he has opportunities to make the sign of the cross and explains both how and why he does so: http://www.tocpstore.com/product/every-time-i-do-my-cross-pre-order

“Goodnight Ark” by Laura Sassi is a humorous book about what would happen if Noah shared his bed with the animals in the ark because of the storm. http://www.zondervan.com/goodnight-ark-1

“Goodnight Manger” by Laura Sassi is a story about Joseph and Mary trying to get the baby Jesus to sleep in the noisy stable. http://www.zondervan.com/goodnight-manger

“Josiah and Julia Go To Church” by Kelly Ramkin Lardin helps young readers to learn more about how to show respect to God at church: http://store.ancientfaith.com/josiah-and-julia-go-to-church/

“The Littlest Altar Boy” by Jenny Oehlman humorously tells the story of a boy on his first day as an altar server: http://store.ancientfaith.com/the-littlest-altar-boy/

“My Prayer Book” by Dionysios and Egle-Ekaterine Potamitis is illustrated with beautiful icons, and provides prayers that can be read together: http://orthodoxchildrensbooks.com/eng/index.php/Books-in-English/My-Prayer-Book-English/flypage-ask.tpl.html

“What Do You Hear Angel” by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson follows Annie on a walk through the woods with her guardian angel, listening to all the woodland sounds around her and learning that her angel hears them as praises to God! http://store.ancientfaith.com/what-do-you-hear-angel/ “What Do You See at Liturgy?” by Kristina Kallas-Tartara is a colorful board book that introduces little ones to what they will see during the Divine Liturgy.  https://www.etsy.com/listing/196402444/what-do-you-see-at-liturgy-orthodox

 

For older children:

“The Abbot and I” by Sarah Elizabeth Cowie teaches children about a monastery through the eyes of the monastery cat. https://www.amazon.com/Abbot-As-Told-Josie-Cat/dp/188821225X

“Angels”

“Bible Stories For Babies”

“Corduroy” by Don Freeman tells the story of a stuffed bear who loses the button of his overalls and is in danger of never being adopted out of the store where he lives. http://www.corduroybook.com/books.html

“Daniel and the Lion”

“From I-ville to You-ville” by Mersine Vingopoulo helps the reader to learn more from the teachings of St. Paisios by telling the story of a boy named Stubborn who leaves where he lives in I-ville to become a citizen of you-ville. http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/ccp7/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=3FITU

“A Gift for Matthew” by Nick Muzekari tells the story of the adventures of Matthew when he visits a monastery and learns how icons are written. http://store.ancientfaith.com/a-gift-for-matthew/

“The Golden Children’s Bible”  is an illustrated children’s Bible geared for ages 3 to 7: http://www.christianbook.com/the-golden-childrens-bible/9780307165206/pd/65205

“Good King Wenceslas”

“Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Browning helps a child end their day in a peaceful way by saying goodnight to everything. https://www.harpercollins.com/9780694003617/goodnight-moon-board-book-60th-anniversary-edition

“Holy Hierarch Luke of Crimea, the Unmercenary Physician” by Cătălin Grigore tells the story of this recent saint, his challenges, and his great love for and devotion to God. http://www.stnectariospress.com/holy-hierarch-luke-of-crimea-the-unmercenary-physician/

“How do dinosaurs say goodnight?” by Jane Yolen is a rollicking rhyme illustrating how it would (or would not) work for dinosaurs to be in a people-type house, getting ready for bed. http://janeyolen.com/works/how-do-dinosaurs-say-goodnight/

“If Jesus Lived Inside My Heart” by Jill Lord helps children think of how Jesus would act if He were in their shoes, in their life. https://www.amazon.com/If-Jesus-Lived-Inside-Heart/dp/0824919378

“The Legend of the Cross” by Dr. Chrissi Hart tells the legend of the wood that the holy cross of Christ was made of, and how it came to be. https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Cross-Chrissi-Hart/dp/162395570X

“Let the Little Children Come to Me” is a compilation of stories of 50 children martyrs throughout the history of the Church. http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/ccp7/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=3LETTEH01

“The Monk Who Grew Prayer” by Claire Brandenburg helps children learn about cultivating their prayer life, just as the monk did in this story. http://www.svspress.com/monk-who-grew-prayer-the/

“North Star” by Dorrie Papademetriou tells the story of St. Herman of Alaska.  http://www.svspress.com/north-star-st-herman-of-alaska-hardcover/

“The Orthodox Children’s Bible Reader” published by the American Bible Society is an Orthodox illustrated Bible storybook. https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Childrens-Illustrated-American-Society/dp/1585168270

“Psalms for Young Children” by Marie-Helene Delval offers paraphrased Psalms to help children with their feelings as expressed in the Psalms. https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-Young-Children-Marie-Helene-Delval/dp/0802853226

“The Ravens of Farne” by Donna Farley tells the story of St. Cuthbert. http://store.ancientfaith.com/the-ravens-of-farne-a-tale-of-saint-cuthbert/

“The Saint and his Bees” by Dessi Jackson tells the story of St. Modomnoc and his bees in Ireland. https://www.amazon.com/Saint-his-Bees-Dessi-Jackson/dp/1623954878

“Saint Gerosimos and the Lion” by Georgia Kalogerakis tells the story of the saint who befriended a lion by removing the thorn in its paw, and its faithfulness to him after that happened. http://www.stnectariospress.com/st-gerasimos-and-the-lion/

“Saint Seraphim’s Beatitudes” by Fr. Daniel Marshall tells the story of St. Seraphim of Sarov. http://stinnocentpress.com/products/st-seraphims-beatitudes2.html

“Song of the Talanton” by Claire Brandenburg helps children learn what a talanton is and how it is used to draw people to worship at a monastery. http://store.ancientfaith.com/song-of-the-talanton/

“Sweet Song” by Jane G. Meyer tells the story of St. Romanos the Melodist.  http://store.ancientfaith.com/sweet-song-a-story-of-saint-romanos-the-melodist/

“The Story of Holy Hierarch John Maximovitch the New Wonderworker” by Catalin Grigore tells the story of St. John Maximovitch. http://www.stnectariospress.com/the-story-of-the-holy-hierarch-nectarios-the-wonderworker/

“Thank You God”

“And Then Nicholas Sang” by Elizabeth Johnson tells the story of the trisagion hymn.  http://store.ancientfaith.com/and-then-nicholas-sang/

“Under the Grapevine” by Dr. Chrissi Hart tells the true story of a miracle by St. Kendeas of Cyprus. Out of print, but some copies may be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Grapevine-Miracle-Kendeas-Cyprus/dp/1888212845

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle offers children the opportunity to follow a little caterpillar as he eats his way through a variety of foods, each increasing in number by one. (find a list of his books here: http://www.eric-carle.com/ECbooks.html#anchor707516)

 

The following authors and/or publishers of picture books were also recommended by those surveyed:

Dr Seuss wrote many silly rhymes loved by children of all ages such as http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/list-of-dr-seuss-books.html 

Marina Paliaki wrote these icon board books (http://store.ancientfaith.com/birth-of-christ-in-icons-board-book/, http://store.ancientfaith.com/the-life-of-christ-in-icons-board-book/, and http://store.ancientfaith.com/the-mother-of-god-in-icons-board-book/)

The Paterikon series published by Potamitis Press are beautifully illustrated books that each tell the story of a saint, or a story from Scriptures: http://orthodoxchildrensbooks.com/eng/index.php/Paterikon-for-Kids-Set-1-20/English-Paterikon-for-Kids-1-20-Set/flypage-ask.tpl.html (this links to only the first set: there are currently 5 sets)

Spiritual Fragrance Publishing Co. offers a variety of books about Christ and the saints: http://spiritualfragranceinc.com/home/

Stan and Jan Berenstain’s Berenstain Bears books offer stories of bears who live much like people, the struggles they encounter, and the moral way in which their parents help them to grow up to be good citizens. http://www.berenstainbears.com/

Jane G. Meyer has written more books than those listed above. Find them here: http://www.janegmeyer.com/