Bedtime stories

As I've written before here I've always hoped the Little Miss C would love books as much as I do. When I first started reading her a regular bedtime story it was much more for her benefit than mine. Recently though there has been an obvious shift in purpose.

I take LMC to the library most weeks for their Baby Rhyme Time session and started when she was just six weeks old. She very quickly started to respond to the singing and rhymes and if we now miss a session I find that we have to have our own little sing-song at home to make up for it. Whilst in the library I try to always pick up a few books to add a bit of variety to our bedtime reading. Local charity shops also provide a great selection of books. LMC has gone from lying passively in my arms whilst I read to her to taking a real interest in the pictures and even turning the pages sometimes. Whilst giving her her bedtime bottle she often reaches out to the shelf where we keep her books and tries to grab whichever one she wants to read that night.

In an attempt to have a little bit of variety in what we're reading I was delighted to find a copy of The Bedtime Book of 365 Stories during a recent charity shop trawl. With a short story for everyday of the year this seemed ideal to add a little extra uniqueness into our bedtime routine. Originally published in the 1950s it also has a quaint vintage air to it which I love.

As for our other regular reads, it seems that there four books make up what we rotate through most nights: Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Peepo! and I'm Not Cute! All four have some lovely pictures as well as words, and all four have their own unique style. Peepo is probably my favourite at the moment though, simply because I love the old fashioned detail of the pictures.

I'd love to hear what your little ones are currently reading and I'm always keen to hear any recommendations.