You know those kids’ books that kind of make you want to gouge your eyes out but that your kids are obsessed with?
For me that’s the Disney “5 Minute Girl Power Stories”. My daughters LOVE that book. But reading those stories is so, so painful. The plots (or lack thereof), writing, heavy-handed lessons and morals, everything. I read it because my kids love it, but do I enjoy it? No. Instead I go into my “mind palace” where the words are coming out of my mouth but I’m thinking about my to-do list or what Bravo show I’m going to watch tonight. Same goes for those seemingly off-brand Peppa Pig and Bluey books. You know what I’m talking about.
But there IS a better way.
Enter: my friend Aaron. We’ve been close for about a decade at this point (!) and have been in adult book clubs together that whole time (more on fitting in time to read when you’re a busy parent in this post). He somehow always has a pulse on the latest hot authors, what’s going on in the zeitgeist, what book everyone will be talking about.
The same is true for kids’ books. And when my oldest daughter was a baby, he started sending us one childrens’ book every month (in the mail! so sweet!) as part of his “Baby Book Club”.
And let me tell you…those books were INCREDIBLE.
I loved them. My daughter loved them. And most of them I would never think to pick up. He didn’t send the classic favorites that everyone already knows and loves (which are great), but brand-new or little-known books, often centering around themes of equality and celebrating differences. (Btw, if that’s not your cup of tea, this post might not be for you).
Now, Aaron has a 5-year old son who goes to the same school as my kids, and he is still our Book Fairy. He buys the best books for birthdays, invites me to book readings at local bookshops (we saw Andrew Sean Greer speak, which after reading Less basically made my year), and organizes family trips to Drag Queen Storytime (we live in San Francisco, after all).
I sat down with Aaron in my first switchup version of Whatever HE’S Doing. He got into:
How to find the coolest kids’ books
Ways to make reading NOT feel like homework
Advice to help kids get more excited about reading
His top 10 kids’ books and why
And more xo
Let’s do it.
First, a few questions for Aaron.
You always find the coolest, most unexpected books for kids. Where do you discover them, and how do you decide which ones are worth bringing home?
Whenever I’m at a bookstore, I take pictures of the new books that look interesting. Then I put them on hold at the library so we can read them first. If we love them, I’ll go back and buy them from the bookstore. Because so many books are duds!
Bookstores also curate really differently. I’ve found that if you like a bookstore’s selection of adult books, you’ll probably like their children’s books, too.
What makes a children’s book really good? Especially one that parents will enjoy reading just as much as their kids?
First, there has to be an actual plot. The characters have to go somewhere, something has to happen. It can’t just be, “We’re at a pumpkin patch! Which pumpkin should we pick?” NO. Why are we here?!
Sound is also so important. Fun words, rhythm, repetition. Plip plop! Drip drip drip! Kids love that stuff.
A few other things I look for:
Kids in the story. I want my kid to see himself in the characters. I particularly love books set in cities because we live in a city. Apartment buildings, trains, buses, museums. Those things resonate with our kids.
Not too many words on one page. This is HUGE. I’d much rather have more pages, fewer words, and more variety in the illustrations.
Handmade illustrations. We’re starting to see more computer-generated artwork, and I think kids can tell. Plus, we want to support artists!
One thing we’ve started doing is looking up illustrators, not just authors. We loved the illustrations in one book so much that we looked up the illustrator and found more books they’d worked on. It’s a great way to discover new books.
Up ahead: Aaron shares how he gets his kid excited about reading, plus his 10 favorite under-the-radar children’s books you’ll want to add to your shelf.
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