Hey! Do you like children's books? You must know that I do!
"The Little Engine That Could" is a very popular children's book in America. If you are reading this from another country, do you know it? It has been popular since it was first published in 1930.
Since I am invited to a baby shower this month, I asked my husband to buy a copy of this book for me but as a boardbook as a baby present. (I had found the most adorable "onesies" with trains on them, so you know I had to have this book to go with the little outfits for a baby boy!)
I was delighted to see that the book now has new illustrations by Loren Long. I love them! Reading more about Loren Long, I was pleased to see more of his artwork. You may read more about him just here! If you have ever thought of writing a children's book, you should read the FAQ section on his website. There is some very helpful advice on there it seems to me. Once again, and I do apologize for repeating this so often, but I honestly don't care how talented you are, only how nice you are!
Otis, the tractor, is another one of the characters that Loren Long has created. (He is not just an illustrator but an author as well!)
Looks like Otis will be my next purchase!
Now, back to "The Little Engine That Could". Did you know that it was Dolly Parton's favorite book as a child? Through her Dollywood Foundation, she has given away over ONE MILLION copies of the book!
Personally, I don't remember seeing this book as a child. I think one of my teachers must have read it to me in school. I always liked the sound of "I think I can", I think I can, I think I can" and how much that phrase sounded just like a train!
(As kids, we were always told, "Remember, American ends in I CAN". I wonder if anyone says that to American kids anymore?)
Since I had three younger siblings, I spent a good part of my childhood reading to them and I read a lot of Dr. Seuss (American author) and Beatrix Potter (British author.) (When I had my own son, I was thrilled to read to him and I think he found it amusing that I knew so many books!) I know a lot of these books by heart! What children's books are your favorites?
Do you know any of them by heart? What, you can't memorize anything? Tosh, just say to yourself...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!
My mother told us the story of the Little Engine That Could from the time I was very small along with many other stories. The Farmer and The Viper is my favorite fable but there are so many good ones.
ReplyDeleteI also think that I knew the story before I ever saw the book!
DeleteI know that book very well and I also loved Aesop's fables. I was always a huge fan of the Dr. Seuss books. Still am. I used to read them to my girls when they were little, among so many other books. My own love of reading has made them avid readers!
ReplyDeleteI could have made this post a lot longer, I have a great love of children's books!
DeleteI am a sincere and serious lover of children's books and their illustrations, and illustrators, too. My mother often read me the story of the Little Engine that Could, but even more often Tootles, another train story. She thought I was a lot like Tootles, very easily distracted. leaving the tracks to go enjoy the flowers. Still am, but it adds a lot to the joy of life!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I remember Tootles too! Thanks for reminding me, that might be one I will have to put with my train theme!!
Deletereading you made me think about this wonderful book and look for it in a big city bookshop as in our small town we don't have this .
ReplyDeletelike you i too enjoy reading children story books as they keep my inner child happy
Thanks for your comment! If a book is a good one, it is always good, whether it is intended for children or not!
DeleteI think that books make wonderful gifts for children!
ReplyDeleteI agree! And I have always read to babies, back in the day when folks made fun of me!
DeleteI do remember the book and had it as a child or at least grew up hearing the story. I'm not sure which as many times, at least for me, the stories were told without a book back then. I love the fables too and they do teach a lot!
ReplyDeleteI know just what you mean, I remember stories being told to me, without anyone reading them from a book!
DeleteYes, I read all those books as a child and read them to my little sister as well. The classics never grow old!
ReplyDeleteI hope the new mother will like this book for her new little one AND the little train onesies!!
DeleteOh absolutely I know this book, one of my favorites! My background is as a teacher and I chose to teach the younger preschool ages and ran several centers before becoming a stay at home mom. Then I shared this book and many others with my girls... we all have a love of reading :-) The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, The Napping House by Audrey Wood (I actually did a reading of this one on my YouTube channel), Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, all the Golden Book series.... yes just a few of my favorites I have so many! Thank you for sharing this it made me smile today! :-) Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jill
There are a great many children's books that I love! Audrey Wood and her husband, Don Wood...I remember those authors from reading their books to my son!
DeleteMy very favorite is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, I even own a Max doll. I know it by heart. My next favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
ReplyDeleteI remember Where The Wild Things Are from my childhood. Our son loved Eric Carle, loved all his books!
DeleteI can imagine Dolly liking that book as a kid!
ReplyDeleteYes, that sounds like her doesn't it? She is a very positive kind of person!
DeleteThat's a lovely little book and a perfect baby gift.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynn! Hope the new mother thinks so too! :-)
DeleteKay, I have read a lot of books to my children. I remember this book. I think it's to give hope to those that need it. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteAnd we could all use hope, couldn't we? Blessings on you, my friend! xx
DeleteThere are so many wonderful children's books, old and new, and i wish i could spend almost all of my time reading them!
ReplyDeleteAnd I wish I had little children around for me to read to them! :-)
DeleteI read to all my kids, too. I have always loved Aesop's Fables and I know most of the Dr. Seuss books by heart. I also loved some books that are now not allowed in the libraries any longer.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo Diana
Of course, you would be a great reader! I bet you acted out some of the voices in a very theatrical way, am I right? One thing, I always felt sorry for the little chicken who said, "The sky is falling". I remember thinking....well gee, after all he is only a little chicken, what does HE know? They shouldn't make fun of him! HA! I was a nutcase even as a kid!
DeleteHope you have a great weekend too! xx
I used to love children's books when I was a child and now I'm an adult I love giving children books!
ReplyDeleteBooks played a huge role in both my older brother's and my childhood. Come Christmas and birthdays we always received books as part of our presents...three or four each, each celebration, always.
I craved books but we didn't really have a lot of them. I think it made me want them all the more. You can bet my son had a lot of books!
DeleteI still love children's books and have many of my own still here on the shelf. Eric Carle's caterpillar was very popular when I was little, but I liked the older ones, too. "Hänschen im Blaubeerwald" ("Little Hans in Blueberry Woods") was one of my favourites. It was written and illustrated in the early 20th century and would be considered really old-fashioned today, but I don't care!
ReplyDeleteYou know my Mum reads at a kindergarden every week, she is very up-to-date with current children's books, and often tells me a story and how the little ones react to it when she reads to them.
I learned to read from my big sister, a year before I started school, and was the only kid in my kindergarden class who could already read. The other kids often asked me to read to them, but boy did the teacher get jealous!! SHE wanted to be the only one to read, and I was punished a few times for the "crime" of reading to the other kids.
Reading your comment reminded me of the story "Hans and Gretel". That story of the woman fattening them up so that she could eat them really scared me!
DeleteYes, I do remember that your mother reads to a kindergarten class! (And we spell "kindergarten" that way here!) She should do a post about it for you (and us!)
Let's see...my mother might have bragged on me only once. She said I went to my first day of school not knowing the alphabet but I came home reading! I only know my biggest goal in life was wanting to read and I guess I accomplished that at least! :-) I love books!
Shame on that teacher for not letting you read to the other kids, she should have been glad for the help!
I've never heard anyone say "American ends in 'I can'". I'm English though so maybe it is still said somewhere and I'm just not hearing it. I've heard of The Little Engine that Could, but I've never actually sat down and read it.
ReplyDeleteWhen a kid (like myself) would say, "I can't do that", that is when an adult would say, "American ends in 'I CAN'". I must have lacked confidence in many things, I heard that all the time! LOL.
DeleteBooks are great gifts for children. I gave my grandkids quite a few books, and they enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteI bet they were special to them because YOU gave them the books too!
DeleteA few weeks ago when one of my grand-daughters left to travel overseas I gave her a silver bracelet with the engraving, "She thought she could and so she did". She asked was it a grown up version of "I think I can". Obviously that story is embedded in many of our minds, regardless of age.
ReplyDeleteI always have to fight back a tear when my little grandson chooses a book for me to read to him. He always comes back with the same book that he knows I used to read to his mother. He tells me his mummy loved the three little puppies and so does he. I love this little family book tradition.
Dear Pauline,
DeleteWhat a beautiful present for your granddaughter! "She thought she could and so she did". As you say, the words, "I think I can" must be firmly entrenched into our minds without us even knowing it!
Thank you for telling me the family book tradition of the three little puppies! My son loved "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" because he knew it was one I had memorized from reading so much to my brother and sister!
Hi Kay, I loved Pippi Longstocking - all of those books! My son loved "If Dinosaurs were Cats and Dogs". Thanks for reviving some fond memories!
ReplyDeleteI loved Pippi Longstocking too! And that somehow reminded me of Caddie Woodlawn, it is a children's historical fiction book, she is an American girl very much like Pippi Longstocking actually!
DeleteI still have copies of some of the books I had as a child: The Adventures of Pip, Tom Puss and Mr Bumble, Farmyard Tales, The Wind in the Willows (my original book), Black Beauty, and Alice in Wonderland are those that come immediately to mind.
ReplyDelete