Revisiting An Old Friend

Thinking of babies and books reminds me of a cherished book of my own. As a young mom I found a book written by a serious Protestant Christian, Gladys Hunt, called Honey For A Child's Heart. It not only gave solid suggestions for books to read to your children at various ages, it also outlined a philosophy of reading aloud that underscored what I did with my children from the very earliest years. I didn't do everything exactly as she said, we adapted, but in very real ways this book influenced how I read to my children, and what I read to my children. I can't give enough credit to her for the number of fine selections I would never have discovered if it hadn't been for her. For awhile this book was one of my favorite things to give to young mom's as a baby shower gift (I know, weird...).

So now I'm recommending it to you. If you're Catholic, you'll find places you disagree with her theologically, but if you can get by that and simply catch the enthusiasm she has for children and books and children and books together you'll be well served. A number of other people have written books about books, and I actually own several of them (Michael O'Brian's, Jim Trelease's, Elizabeh Wilson's, Laura Berkwith's, Madeleine L'Engle's) and yet none of them have come close to being the guide to literature that Gladys Hunt's was for me. Check it out. I believe it's still in print, but if it isn't it's worth looking for a used copy.