Welcome to Our World

Readership around the globe, welcome!

Where are you from? What are you and the children in lives reading! Thanks for reading the blog and sticking around! Feel free to email us at theliteraryfamily@gmail.com for book suggestions or activities that you and the special little ones in your life share around books! We would love to hear form you! Spread the word about the blog!

photo by Daniel Galan

Argentina

Belgium

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cyprus

Denmark

Egypt

England

Estonia

Germany

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Iran

Israel

Kyrgyzstan

Lithuania

Malaysia

Mexico

Nepal

New Zealand

Poland

Portugal

Qa'tar

Russia

Singapore

Saudia Arabia

South Korea

South Africa

Spain

Switzerland

Sweden

Taiwan

Thailand

The Netherlands

Turkey

UAE: Dubai

UAE: Abu Dhabi

United States

Viet Nam

Read the World with Babies

When Brand New Baby S was born, I couldn't resist getting him, To Be a Kid! I love books for babies that have babies and kids from all of the globe. Celebrating the diversity and beauty in our world- yet celebrating the common links we have as children and people in the world.

Another favorite gift I like to get for people is Mem Fox's book, Whoever You Are. That is another wonderful celebration of childhood and understanding one another.

At my nephew's daycare, each birthday one of his fellow classmates have, my sister and I get a book for the daycare to celebrate their day! I bought, One World, One Day for them. A beautiful book of photographs form National Geographic, documenting a day in the life of kids all over the world.

When I was growing up, I remember reading, People by Peter Spier.

Celebrate the world! Celebrate life! Enjoy the reads.

I Love Kadir Nelson

Kadir Nelson

Kadir Nelson is, hands down, my favorite children book illustrator. In fact, the illustrations alone persuade me to open a text and read the print inside! I love the way he captures the details of people, truly bringing out their distinct beauty. My nephew has Please Baby Please and Please Puppy Please! Two wonderful picture books by Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee for babies and toddlers. Please Baby Please was Auntie ME’s niece’s first book that she could ‘read’ on her own. The kids in those books are so captivating.

I bought, He's Got the Whole World In His Hands for my god son on his first communion! When I was younger it was one of my favorite songs to sing! That little boy in the book I swear is the spitting image of my god son. We all had so much fun singing and reading and admiring the pictures in that book together!

AB and I over the years enjoyed: Thunder Rose, Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, Dancing in the Wings and Brothers of the Knight! All wonderful picture books with great authors like Jerdine Nolen and Debbie Allen. Yes, Debbie Allen from the original movie and tv show, Fame.

He also illustrates for biographies such as, Mama Miti (another biography about Wangari Maathai), Testing the Ice (The story of Jackie Robinson), and Coretta Scott (Ntozake Shange's poem of civil rights leader).

His work is vast and filled with variety. His images help to tell the story and enjoy the content that we are learning. If you don’t own or haven’t read and fallen in love with one of his picture books- go immediately to your local bookstore, library or search online! His art is absolutely to die for and inspires us to enjoy the details of life!

Treasured and Loved Books: Great Gifts for Kids to Give Each Other

When my nephew was born I drove up to Canada with two big

bags of books.

On the road trip north, I stopped off at my god son's and AB's house.
We started to look through their bookshelves and baskets.

My god son, 6 at the time said,

"I have a lot of baby books!

Maybe I should give some of these to the new baby?"

What a great idea!

AB went through her shelves as well,

to see what books she didn't want
any longer and which ones she just loved to reread a million

times.

AB gave some of her books to her brother,

she made a bag for her cousin,
and a bag for school. She thought she could

give some of her books to
her past teachers.

She decided which ones would be good for which grades!

My god son did the same.

He made bags for the new baby (my nephew)
and ones that he wanted to give his teacher from last year.

P and A were thrilled! Spring cleaning and gift giving!

How thoughtful! We packed up the bags in the garage and

loaded the car.

Before I headed out- the three of us headed to the bookstore

to begin to fill our shelves again with new books!

Everyone felt refreshed and loved by books!

What a great idea, for kids to feel the sense of giving to others.
Giving things that once brought them joy!

My friend Sara and her family, each summer,

go to South Africa to work with teachers and

kids on building literacy.

Sara and her friend, this past weekend, had a party.

They asked all of their friends to bring books
that they wanted to donate to the school

where Sara and her family work.
For all of us unable to attend the party,

Sara sent us a link to an organization to buy books

from South African authors.

With every book that you purchase,

they donate that same book to the school.

What a great idea. Build your international library at home,
while helping schools in South Africa to build their libraries.

Just another way to help give the gift of books and

reach your arms out to include others into your own

Literary Family.

Happy early spring cleaning, gift giving and most of all

READING.