M loves her books! She has many of them, in Estonian, English and Dutch. She has some favourites that she likes to look at herself or to have read to her.
She mainly likes interactive books, where she can move things or hear something, or books with nice illustrations. From read-aloud books, she likes books which illustrations and short text, preferably rhyming.
I am reading a book about reading aloud to children myself at the moment and it confirms many things I already believe in: read to them and they will read themselves later, they will have a bigger vocabulary and will do better in general!
"100 esimest sõna" - 100 First Words
This is her absolute favourite which she picks every time from her shelf. She has had it since she was 2 weeks old. I think she likes it because of its soft chewy cover but she does always go through the book. Her favourite page is the one where babies are doing different things: sitting, walking, eating etc.
"Metsakodud" - Homes in the Forest
She likes to try to move the elements that can move and reveal new details. She can't yet do it on her own.
Usborne's Jungle Sound Book
This is one of the library books we have at home at the moment. I've been contemplating purchasing some of these sound books and I wanted to try them out. She loves it! Nevertheless, I am not sure that I want them at home because it is quite loud (it is a sound book after all) and a bit pricy. She likes the sound of the monkey the most and starts bouncing up and down when she hears it. I prefer the snake the most. I wouldn't say the sounds are very accurate. She can't push the buttons on her own yet.
I like all the Usborne books I have seen and will definitely buy more of them myself (I have some of the Busy-series).
Beestje, waar ben je? - Where are you, little animal?
This is another book from the library. This is perfect for her age and ability at the moment - I ask the question in Estonian and she will move the flap to reveal the animal. The last page is her favourite, as there is a mirror underneath the flap!
The read-aloud books
I was reading her "Sipsik" before, an Estonian classic, but she can't concentrate so long and needs to have something different at the moment. I have chosen books with a few sentences on the page and nice photos or illustrations.
"Muumioru aastaajad" - Seasons with the Moomins
This is a nice little story about the life of the Moomins. I love the Moomins myself, they are after all Finnish! When I am at home with her, I read it to her at least once a day.
"Eesti linnud" - The Birds of Estonia
This is a book that introduces different birds living in Estonia. Each page has one bird and a little story about it, plus some questions or facts written next to the illustrations. The length of the stories is just long enough for her.
"Eesti metsloomad" - The Forest Animals of Estonia
This is a book from the same series as the previous one. I like the illustrations and the fact that I learn new things myself when I it them to her!