I often tell myself that I might not be a perfect mom, but I will try my best to be a happy one. I might not be able to give my twins girls everything in the world, but I will open a small window so that the world can get in. And I opened that window through books.
When I read to my twins, I always feel something magical happens to them. I can almost visualize thousands of cells in their brain dancing, making patterns, and forming responses. So many connections in that tiny brain getting strengthened and many new being formed, in form of words, colors, shapes, and god knows what not! A story that not only unfolds in the pages to come but, largely in their life.
I think I can says that I am raising readers at home! Over two years, we have developed so many favorite books. We try to read every type of book. However, some books just hold a special place in your heart and you never get tired of reading them. And here is the list of those top ten books for us.
GOODNIGHT MOON
This is the most-read, most-adored, and most-hugged book in our family. I am not able to find the picture where you can actually see my twins sleeping with this book for weeks. Do I need to say anything more about this book? 🙂 A great book to help them observe their surroundings, wind down the day slowly, and fall into a dreamy sleep in your lap!
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR
I don’t know if this is true, but I did find this fun fact on GoodReads: “THE all-time classic story, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! ” We love this books for different reasons. My twin one loves it for the love of the cute caterpillar. My twin 2 loves this book for all the fruits the caterpillar eats, especially the strawberries! And we as parents love this book for its design and the smile it puts on all our faces when we read!
LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA
Llama, Llama red pajama waiting for his mama. Exactly the same way my twin 2 waits for me outside the bathroom every single evening, hollering and crying! 🙂 And she, like the llama in the book starts to fret when Mama is not coming soon. We used the book rhymes to console her and tell her it is fine for Mama to finish her work and then come. Basically, this book is an infectious rhyming read-aloud. As parents, we love it because it has a very reassuring message for children.
THE NAPPING HOUSE
This cumulative rhyme book is so cozy, cute and funny, simple, and adorable that kids would fall in love. My twins love the delightfully detailed comical illustrations bathed in moonlight blues until the sun comes up. As parents, we enjoy the book for its rhyme, language, and the funny associations twins draw during their nap time.
ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
If you are looking for something easy to read and yet delightful this is the must-have classic for toddlers. My twins get so curious when a baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious board book that with each animal, you will hear your kids respond to the little bird with a No and a Yes. For parents, this book is a perfect illustration of the bond between mother and child that you will fall in love each time you read it.
ARE YOU AWAKE?
When we first read this book, we just could not stop laughing. This book is so real. It is about the all-familiar bedtime negotiations between child and parent. Edward and his mother talk about everything from yellow dogs to corn on the cob. Most parents like us will find themselves in this situation more than once, either at bed time or middle of the night. Simple illustrations, words, and story will just make your heart go out for Edward and you cannot stop thinking – I wish I was as patient as Edward’s mom was!
TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR
Now, there are thousands of books on this famous rhyme. But the one I am referring to here is by Jerry Pinkey. This is an absolute favorite in our home. The illustrations are enchanting to say the least. For me, I never knew twinkle twinkle little star is more than those four lines we sang in our childhood! The illustrations are so vivid that it will launch a dreamlike quest in children’s eyes to reach for the stars with the cute little Chipmunk.
DAD CAN DO ANYTHING
I got this book as a father’s day gift for my husband on his first father day! Since then, this book has always been on our book rack and twins love it. This book sends a strong message that it is not easy being small but with your dad by your side, everything is possible! As parents we love this book for the adorable bond it reflects between dad and child. And for kids, we are able to engage them with this book at different levels. We even have done activities based on this book.
YOUR MOMMY WAS JUST LIKE YOU
We love telling twins stories about our childhood and our family. So, when we got hold of this book, we absolutely loved it and twins took a keen interest to know how their mom was when she was a kid. They will relate it to so much and may even make fun of you! So be prepared :).
THE GIVING TREE
For us, this is a book for keep. If I had to recommend a book to buy for kids, I would definitely buy this one. Beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein, this book offers a touching interpretation of the “gift of giving” and the capacity to love. There are times we have divided this books into mini stories and then there are times when we are stuck on one page. This book is our all time favorite as a family and we reference the learnings in our everyday life, especially when we manage twin fights! 🙂
As we move from one book to another, we try so many different things and ways to read and enjoy a book. For example, sometime we sing and read, sometimes, we will just open up a page and talk about what is happening, and sometime, we will just let our twins pick up a book and pretend to read to us. In short, the possibilities are endless. Books open up a world for children which we cannot even imagine!
All I can say is, books are the best thing, next to breastfeeding, that I did for my kids.
Until next time, stay safe and happy reading!
twinspiration.me 
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