Favorite Books

After dinner Wip wanted to play library. It was adorable. He was the librarian and we had to line up to check out the books that we wanted. There was one rule, books only, no movies or toys were allowed to be checked out.

I do not want time to pass me by, but all I could think of was a seven year old little boy that cannot put his Harry Potter book down even after I have called him to come to dinner no less than three times. The other day I asked him if he could only have twenty toys what they would be {I am in serious packing mode} and without hesitation he said "my books!". It makes my heart happy that he is a boy that loves his books.

Favorite Books {in no particular order}:

It really all started with this gift from Patrick's first grade teacher, Mrs. Thomason. It really is the BEST word book ever.

This was put on the repeat list for several weeks and I knew it was a good book when I had read it every night for many nights in a row and never got tired of it.

When Wip was two he would walk outside and say "its a beautiful daaaaaaaaay". It was because of this book and it is still a staple. Definition of a classic if you ask me.

This week was W week at Wip's school. On share day I asked him what he was going to bring and he said "my toy wolf, my Wild Things book, and myself!". Perfect share day items in my opinion!

This was given as a Valentine gift from a friend and I am just going to go ahead and say it...it is my favorite. It makes me laugh out loud. It would not upset me if this was the bed time story each night.

New in the rotation, but it took one time of reading this book to Wip before he knew every joke. He loves telling jokes. There might not be any better way to start a day than with a five year old telling you a knock, knock joke. 

This book is weird. It is sad, violent, incestuous, and long. For some reason it has stayed on top of the favorites list for many years.

A friend gave me this book after I had Duncan. The first twenty times I read it, I sobbed {hormones}. Now I look at it as a tool with raising two children. It has some great ways of explaining how you can love two little people with all of your heart. 

Short. Sweet. Includes animals. Enough said.

This is one of those books that you create a personality for each of the characters. I always seem to bat my eyes and use a high pitched voice when I get to the part about the shy gazelle. 

The PERFECT book to read over and over and over (especially when you are trying to set up the "book before bed routine").  It took me reading it maybe 100 times before catching the "my two dads" scene on one of the pages. I am gong to mark this one as a CLASSIC in the Mulloy house.

Ol' chick fil a...while I might not agree with their opinions on social issues, the "toys" they provide to the children are actually used. We have most of the Franklin books thanks to the "eat more chicken franchise". Franklin stories are great lessons and bedtime stories.

This book made me want to raise a child in New York City {for maybe 2.5 seconds}. The pictures are so fun and the idea behind your child saying their first words is pretty darn cute.

A parent from KCD gave me this book and it is one that I will continue to read to my boys for years to come. The message is simple...enjoy each other, not things.

This is our second version of this book and as you can see it has become just as loved as the first one. In two words if you do not have this book on your book shelf....BUY IT!. We have had more fun with this book from creating a new story, to learning about patterns and colors.  It might be Wip's all time favorite.

We had {still have} a Moby Dick obsession. Not sure where it came from, but this book is not short and Wip knows if you skip a page because he has memorized the entire book. My favorite is when he says "Queequeg".

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK EVER. That is all. This is a great story, but even more than a great story the illustrations are gorgeous. I could look at this book a thousand times and never get sick of it.

This is one of those books that did not stay in the rotation long, but it is adorable and sweet and one that I will keep for my possible future grandchildren {did I really just type that?}

Santa brought this book to Wip because of his love for possums. It is adorable and even better it is about a ZOO! Instant hit.

BEST. BOOK. EVER. We have read this a million times and I can't wait to read it a million more. Bottom line...it is a keeper.

This was a book catered with Duncan's name/picture and it is not only hilarious, but everytime it is read the boys get so into reading along with me. As you can probably guess they say "more bears" a lot throughout the book. 

I think that this was Patrick's book as a little boy and it has been passed on and loved by Wip. I love his giggle when we get to the pink underpants part. 

We really only read one section of this book. Wip refers to it as the "baby in the barn" part. 

Wip picked this one out the other night and read {from memorization} the entire book. It is a sweet message and one I am glad he had put in the memory bank.

I cannot tell you how many times I have scoured the house looking for this book because I could not figure out where the sound was coming from {when you press the nose it plays the Thomas the Train song}. A former student of Patrick's named Thomas got Wip this book when he was born and I will never forget the smile on his face when he gave it to us. That memory alone makes all of the annoying times I have had to hear the song in the book worth it.

A book about Wip and animals. I really do not need to type anymore. This is an instant classic.

Precious. Precious. Precious. We have LOVED reading this story over and over and over. 

This is one of those "tell your own version" books and I have to admit that sometimes Noah's trip was forty days and other nights it might have been about three days. 

Just to give you an idea of how loved this book has been in our house. Wip is sleeping with it even as I type this. Ol' Dylan knew how to make a little boy very happy when he wrote that song.

One of Mimi's friends got this book for Wip and I remember when he had just turned one and we were in Colorado Springs in a dumpy hotel {Patrick was at a conference} and he asked me to read this book to him no less than ten times. He would act out all of the emotions and to this day he will gently "pat" the nice bunny when we get to that page.

This has fallen off of the rotation but it went strong for so long and there was even a birthday party theme after the book so I had to put it on the list:)

This is another book that you just fall in love with after the first time you read it. Catchy, cute, and fun. Continues to be in the rotation {and I hope it stays that way}

If you cannot tell by now, I am a little obsessed with Richard Scarry. This book has SAVED us so many times. From sitting in church to going on a road trip, this is one of those life savers that you can never leave home without.

This book is about a boy named Duncan. Enough said. 

Just like Richard Scarry, this book goes everywhere with us. I feel like it has been Wip's resource for learning about continents, habitats, and of course animals. His godfather sent this to him years ago and I do not think he had any idea what kind of an impact it would have on a curious, animal loving, little boy.