Summer Sun Risin’, written by W. Nikola-Lisa and illustrated by Don Tate, is a book that I love a little more every time we read it. And since lately we have been reading it every day, several times a day (ah, toddlerhood), I think that says something.
Nikola-Lisa’s book is written in simple, bouncing rhyme. It follows a boy through a typical summer day on his family’s farm – beginning with the rooster’s crow at dawn and ending with the entire world asleep after dusk. Obviously, it also follows the sun – from rising (“tastin’ the sweet, sweet air”) to setting (“yawnin’, ready to nap”).
There are three aspects of this book that I find most appealing. First of all, Tate’s illustrations feature an African-American family. Second, the rhyme is irresistibly endearing. And third, one of the last illustrations features a bedtime story with the boy and - BE STILL MY HEART – the father is the parent pictured reading to the kid.
Summer Sun Risin’ is one of the best children’s books in our library. If you see it at a bookshop or in your library, I highly suggest you pick it up. It is a charming read and I cannot imagine anyone finding it disappointing. The colors are warm, the illustrations are classic, the tone is cheerful, the poetry is fun. It is wonderful.
What to do: You can enter this giveaway by leaving a comment below or sending me an e-mail answering this: what book did you, as a child, read over and over again? All you need is an e-mail address. The giveaway ends Sunday evening at 9 P.M. Pacific Time. You can leave one entry every day.
To purchase this book: You can buy Summer Sun Risin’ through Amazon.com (that link uses my affiliate code) or locate a local retailer through Indie Bound.org.
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The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter. now out of print, but i thankfully still have it so i can pass it on once the little guy is out of the rip-apart-alll-books phase.
on a side note - just look at how long charlotte’s hair is getting!! it is so beautiful!
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Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. Love silly poems.
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I read The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes over and over as a child! I still love it!
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the fairy tales. a scarily illustrated little red riding hood in particular.
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From the time I was around 7 yrs until my dad told me I was old enough to read it on my own, i insisted my dad read my Tom Sawyer before bed every night. My mom just wuld not do because I loved the way my dad made each character sound just right. They weren’t merely words but actual people on thrilling adventures. I loved it.
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Amelia Bedelia
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My sister and I read “It’s Saturday” every day of the week. “The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes” was also a favorite.
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I remember my dad reading Uncle Wiggly stories to us every night before bed. My sisters and I loved those stories.
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“The Goat Parade” was totally my favorite.
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“The Fourteen Bears in Summer & Winter”
I can still name all the bears without cheating :-) -
I didn’t get into reading much until about middle school, but for some reason as a little tike I remember reading ‘Ira Sleeps Over” ALL the time by myself.
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Shel Silverstein and a book called Dear Milli pop into my head. Oh and when I was really little Diunner Time the pop up book
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It was a book that I for the life of me cannot remember the title of. It was the first book I ever read on my own and I was telling my husband the other day that I can still see the cover of it perfectly in my head and I’ve looked for it for years, because I’d love to find it for my son. He just turned 3 and for his birthday, his dad picked him out “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein - which was really special because it was my husband’s all time favorite when he was a kid. It was so cool to be able to tell our son that Daddy used to read that same book to all of his brothers and sisters when he was little. :-)
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My favorite was “Hamilton”, which was about a really fat pig. I’m sure it’s out of print now. I can’t even find it on Amazon go link you to it!
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When I was little, I could never get enough of the book Come Follow Me to the Secret World of Elves and Fairies and Gnomes and Trolls. Alas, I did not actually own this book, but my closest friend did! There was a period where every time I visited her, I asked to read this book as soon as I walked in the door. Not too surprisingly, she started hiding it before my arrival, as she really didn’t want to sit around reading a book the whole time I was visiting!
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The Ordinary Princess is what I remember reading over and over again. Still have the ol’ beat book too.
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no doubt my favorite book to actually READ was The Cat in the Hat. Loved it. read it over and over and over again!
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Madeline!
I have the text entirely memorized and have had since forever ... So I must have read it more than a few times! -
I have to admit Madeline is a good one & not because it is also my daughter’s name. We do have an aweful lot of Madeline stuff al lover our house.
I loved Litle House on the Prarie- the book not the show
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When I was little I had a scratch-&-sniff book called The Sweet Smell of Christmas. Boy, how I loved that book! Frankly, the concept is a bit disgusting to me now (I mean, scratch and sniff the scent of Christmas trees, gingerbread cookies, candycanes .... Yuck!). But who can fully explain the likes and loves of a small child!
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I loved Nancy Drew as well. when I was 11, my dad bought me the 1st 10 of the series and I read them over and over until I had practically memorized them.
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I LOVED THE BOBBSEYS TWINS SERIES.
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I loved the little house on the prairie books.
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There is a series of early reader books about a character named Pippa Mouse that I absolutely loved as a child! I read them over and over again. I just checked on the author’s name - Betty Boegehold.
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The Cat in the Hat was the best
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I had a great love of all things related to fairies, so naturally, I loved reading the book “Faeries” by Brian Froud over and over again. I also liked the companion book “Gnomes” by Will Huygen quite a bit.
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My parents tell me Horton Hears a Who was my 1st favorite book and the 1st book I insisted they read to me over and over again
By on February 22, 2011
I had a book called Daycare Teddy Bear that I loved! It wasn’t a very popular book but it was my favorite. I still have it.
I’m a preschool teacher and would love to add this book to our library!