How many of you enjoy reading to their children before going to bed? Unfortunately it’s not always easy for us parents, because in the evening we are looking forward to going to bed ourselves, after a long day at work or with the family. I learnt to carve out a space for my children and I, likely on the double bed everyone reading fairy tales. It’s not easy to satisfy everyone, so we decided to read alternatively a book for the youngest son one day and the other day one for the oldest.

It’s fantastic to dream together and hearing the comments the make, along with their voices reading the tales. It became a moment we cannot miss anymore. To make them interested in reading, I created two little bookshelves near their beds so that everyone has got one. And there’s also the public library too: they think it’s a fantastic world, and they became very good at sitting there speaking quietly. We enjoy choosing together the books to borrow and after a month it’s always them who remember me to give the books back!

Here the reading suggestions that my sons and I chose for you:

The bear’s wintry home

The bear is behaving strangely: he collects moss, little branches and logs to build a wintry home. Other animals are laughing at him, but as soon as winter comes he’s all huddled up in the warmth while they are shaking outside. The bear invites them to his home, but they want to throw a party instead of sleeping! Will the poor bear be able to hole up?

Recommended age: from 3 years onwards.

I didn’t do the homework because…

The excuses for not having done the homework are a classic in a student life, and this book shows some absurd examples, such as “giant lizards invaded our garden” or “the dog was ingested by another dog and I spent the whole afternoon at the vet’s” or “the heating broke and I had to use pencils to light up the fire”, in a funny crescendo led with surreal cheerfulness. Davide Calì signs a text full of humour and made in every page by striking gigs like a tweet; Benjamin Chaud illustrates it with vintage style full-page sketches full of colour and decorative details.

Recommended age: from 6 years.

I’m sure you’ll like them too! See you at the next post,

DD

P.S. Have a look at the nice bookshelf in the gallery, which is the one of my sons: a DIY bookshelf with an original shape. It’s designed by Alexi McCarthy and it’s perfect for a children’s room.

Apart from the bookshelf, I think it’s wonderful also the polypropylene Mucca Zzzoolight lamp designed by the Italian architect Ramin Razani. A design object magical both night and daytime. Zzzolights lamps won’t warm up and are low energy consumption certificated.