At my baby shower, guests brought books instead of cards, ensuring Landon had a well-stocked bookshelf upon his arrival. We have everything from board books good for the now up through young reader books he’ll hopefully one day read to me.

A few favorites stand out:

Giraffes Can’t Dance

Some of this is because it’s from my Nana and that alone makes it special. Beyond the giver, however, is the book itself and its illustrations, which are wonderful. The story revolves around a gangly giraffe named Gerald who, as the title suggests, can’t dance. After the other jungle animals tease him for his clumsiness, a helpful cricket helps Gerald find his own tune and then his own moves. Just because he doesn’t fit into the jungle mold doesn’t mean he’s worthless.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

I’ve been writing about construction for 11 years so a children’s book that teaches them what heavy machinery does and is fun to read is right up my alley. In my first job, I even got to visit Caterpillar’s headquarters in Peoria, Ill., and dig in the dirt with one of the company’s excavators. If memory serves, I was the only editor there who got a full scoop. I also hope once Landon understands what “goodnight” means he’ll associate this book in particular with sleep and bedtime, which is a nightly struggle right now.

Ferdinand

Ah, what a classic. Nana used to have a copy of Ferdinand at her house, which I really loved. Landon’s copy of Ferdinand is ultra special as the first couple pages contain notes from my friends who live miles away. They collaborated on a virtual shower to celebrate Landon and personalized notes to Landon he can treasure for years to come were part of it. And besides, who doesn’t need the occasional reminder to stop and smell the flowers?

Hippos Go Berserk

My goodness, this book is hilarious. My brother and sister-in-law loved it for their boys and now I understand why. It’s a quick, entertaining, rhyming read and it can also help them learn numbers. Most of Sandra Boynton’s books are winners. We also have “Are You A Cow?” and the Little Pookie series.

Love You Forever

Several people told me I wouldn’t be able to read this book without crying … and they were right. At first I thought it was the post-partum hormones wreaking havoc, but now that Landon is almost four months and I still tear up when I read it, I know it’s the book itself. A mother watches her son grow and eventually their roles reverse. “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, As long as I’m living, My baby you’ll be.”

Our shelf is filled with dozens more books, all of which we love and many of which we haven’t even read yet! We have Christmas books, the Peter Rabbit series, pop-up books, board books, books from Brian’s and my childhoods and so many other books that have so much meaning. We can’t wait to continue to share the love of reading with Landon.