If you haven’t heard, Viola Davis, lead actress of How to Get Away with Murder, is writing a sequel to one of her favorite childhood books: Corduroy, a children’s book originally written by Don Freeman in 1968. The book is about a teddy bear trying to find his missing button on his (no surprise) corduroy overalls around a mall at night. Viola Davis’ sequel to the book will be titled Corduroy Takes A Bow and it will be released in September 2018 in honor of the original book’s 50th anniversary.
Although I wasn’t born until 1997, Corduroy was still one of my favorite books to read growing up and I couldn’t remember why until I reread it recently. Here are my top 5 favorite children’s books (in no particular order) and why:
-
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Lisa, the girl who buys Corduroy, is black! I forgot until now. I remember feeling represented and happy to see someone like me in a book. It’s no secret that there is a lack of racially diverse books and Corduroy is a surprisingly one of the books to fill the gap for its time. Also, it’s a very cute story about a teddy bear trying to find a button for his overalls, so he can be bought into a new family. I’m glad that Viola Davis’ book will move Lisa into more of a main character role.
-
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
I always had trouble sleeping, whether it was falling asleep or staying asleep. Goodnight Moon was soothing to me. Now it just seems like a bunny listing off inanimate objects to say goodnight to; however, when I couldn’t sleep as a child the listing became a trait I picked up to sooth myself. Sometimes just reading the book was enough.
-
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numerous
This book taught me if you give an inch they take a mile. When I first read this book, I thought the mouse has a lot of energy and he is ridiculous. Now I understand the importance of saying no and drawing the line. The mouse asks for entirely too much and it all started with one request being fulfilled. To go along with that moral, don’t overstep boundaries by asking for too much.
-
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
This book is deep and I connect to the Giving Tree. The Giving Tree gives up everything it owns to a boy who hardly appreciates any of it. I feel like the Giving Tree sometimes and seeing the tree end up just as a stump scares me to the point I try not to over exhaust myself to please others.
-
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Even as a kid, I never felt like I fit in with others. Where the Wild Things Are openned my eyes to the possibility there’s others that feel the same way I do. Everyone doesn’t fit in and it’s okay if I don’t.