Bookish Gifts For Young Readers

While you can have too many toys or stuffed animals, you can never have enough books! And unlike clothes, picture books are harder to outgrow.

1. Little Miss Austen: Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Adams This counting book is so cute that I want one! Jennifer Adams has also written Little Master Shakespeare, Little Miss Bronte and the upcoming Little Master Carroll. From Goodreads: "With the perennial popularity of classic writers like Jane Austen and William Shakespeare, Baby Lit™ is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple counting text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s Alison Oliver, Little Miss Austen and Little Master Shakespeare are a must for every savvy parent’s nursery library."

2. The Elephants and Piggie Books by Mo Willems
I read at my library with kids ages six to nine, and they all love Elephant and Piggie. Gerald and Piggie couldn't be more different but they're best friends all the same! I love Happy Pig Day the most. It's Pig day and Piggie couldn't be more excited, but Gerald is feeling left out. Luckily, he discovers that Pig Day is for everyone! These books are simple but fun and sweet as well. Mo Willems is also the writer of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, which I'd also recommend.

3. Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
Rollo is a wild troll who hates doing his tedious chore work. When Rollo decides to run away, he spends time with families of owls, bears, moose and otters. However, nothing can compare to his own family, so Rollo decides to return home for Christmas and learns that nothing is better than family. This book is beautifully illustrated, with a great deal of attention put into the small details. Jan Brett is also the author of The Mitten, Gingerbread Baby, The Wild Christmas Reindeer and (my favourite) Trouble with Trolls.

4. The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss
Seuss scholar Charles Cohen found a buried treasure when he uncovered several lost stories by Dr. Seuss. While some of these stories influenced his later works, they all are unique and witty in a away you can only find in Dr. Seuss' books. These seven stories were written for magazines, so they are all very short. They use the zany rhymes that Seuss is known for. While you may have thought you had read all of Dr. Seuss's books, there is one more that you won't want to miss!

5. The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman
When Princess Leora's father leaves for a tournament in a neighbouring kingdom, he tells her to send balloons into the air if anything goes wrong. When the evil Archduke takes over the kingdom, he locks Leora in a tower and pops all the balloons in the kingdom. When she escapes, she meets a wizard that tells her a spell that will fill the kingdom with balloons if she can find just one. They only problem is, there doesn't seem to be a single balloon left in the entire kingdom! Will Leora be able to find the last balloon so that she can make a balloon tree and save the kingdom?

6. A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas by Helaine Becker
This one is likely only for Canuck kids, I'm afraid. This is the Twelve Days of Christmas with a Canadian twist. From Mounties to the Toronto Maples Leaves, this book captures everything Canadian. With cute illustrations, this is a very funny book and great for the holidays. Alas, I'm not sure if non-Canadians will find this worthwhile.