Recommended Picture Books to Color Your Time with Your Child [Positive Parenting Campaign]

The time I spend turning the pages of picture books with my child before bed is one of my favorite moments. It is one of the habits in our home that I have kept up ever since my child was born.

When I open a picture book, I see my child's expressions change—laughing out loud, staring intently, or sometimes becoming very serious.
As a parent, it is a wonderful way to snuggle up close and instantly bond, and even stories for children add new discoveries and color to our daily lives. It is all good.

That said, we live in a small rental apartment, so it is difficult to buy an endless supply of picture books.

Our family goes to the library every other weekend to participate in storytime events and borrow a large stack of books. 10 books per person times two. Now that they no longer ride in a stroller, we borrow so many that it is tough to get home without my husband's help. They have grown so much.

My firstborn has started to recognize hiragana and sometimes reads by themselves. Their current favorite is Frozen.

Today, as an article for my self-organized 'Positive Parenting Campaign,' I will look back on the picture books that were big hits in our home and the ones I personally love.

My Favorite Picture Books

Bam and Kero Series - Target Age: 3 and up

The laid-back and cute interactions between Bam and Kero will make even adults chuckle.

There are small discoveries hidden in the illustrations drawn even in the corners of the pages, and every time we read them, we notice something new like, 'I didn't know this was here!' The worlds of the Bam and Kero books are connected, making them more fun the more you read them.

The rhythm of the text is also pleasant, and I think children around the age of 3 can really follow the stories. Personally, this is my favorite series to read with my children.

Mirror Picture Book Series - Target Age: Infants and up

These are picture books that only work because of the mirror. The left page is reflected on the right page, turning into a beautiful rainbow or the process of making delicious snacks.

Even when they don't have many words yet, I think they can enjoy the vivid colors and the sense of reflection. I love this mysterious feeling and have picked them up many times.

Once you get used to normal picture books, these unique ones are a great choice too.

Picture books that my children actually got hooked on

My second child (2 years old)

While all the books in the 0, 1, 2 Picture Book series appealed to my second child's tastes, this one was a particular favorite. Every time I read it, he would laugh out loud, and he requested that I read it to him over and over again every single day. I don't even know how many times I borrowed it from the library.

He even says, "Beep, beep, backing up!" whenever he walks backward himself. It's so cute.

He also loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which Maki-chan gave us as a gift. He has a water bottle, rain boots, and an umbrella all featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to the point where at daycare, the image of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is synonymous with my second child.

He loves it so much that he can even sing the song now. His mother is forced to sing it forever (lol).

My first child (4 years old)

A picture book that Ayameshi-san gave us as a gift. Shirokuma-chan's Pancakes has really stuck with my first child, who loves cooking and eating.

The "plop" of cracking an egg, the "swirl, swirl" of mixing, the "sizzle, sizzle" of cooking. Reading it makes you feel like you're making them together. It also makes you hungry. As soon as we finish reading it, she always suggests, "Let's make pancakes!" It's so cute.

She reads food-related books very thoroughly. Both have very little text, but the texture of the food in the illustrations is drawn so deliciously that my first child loves them.

Her favorite picture books with a story are the Wanpaku-dan series.

No matter which one I choose, she loves them so much that she reads them over and over again. We've read so many: "Run, First Star," "Robot Land," "Witch's Mansion," "Treasure Island," "Muddy Kingdom," "Dinosaur Adventure," "Dragon Palace," and "Undersea Adventure." The Wanpaku-dan series is amazing because every single one is a hit.

Sometimes I intend to read to my children, but before I know it, I'm the one being comforted, and I feel like this is a privilege unique to this very moment.

Moving forward, I want to continue to cherish and display both the "favorites chosen by my child" and the "favorites I want to read" on our bookshelf. I also want to keep up our trips to the library.

May tomorrow be another wonderful day.