Happy International Children's Book Day everybody!
Despite all the serious news that’s been surrounding us lately, we thought we’d come in and talk to you guys about something that could be inspirational for your kids and readers, something positive and light.
And since it's International Children's Book Day, we thought we’d go over some of our favorite children's books of all time and discuss our favorite quotes from the team!
Nada’s Faves:
Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!”
NQD: What is it about this quote that stood out to you?
Nada: These last few lines build up the energy to keep going. Going towards the challenges of the day, regardless of who you are, what you’re facing, today is your day, and our mountains are waiting. It gives me so many goosebumps, especially the ending!
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines
In two straight lines they broke their bread
And brushed their teeth and went to bed.
They left the house at half past nine
In two straight lines in rain or shine-
The smallest one was Madeline.”
NQD: We’d love to hear the reasoning behind this quote!
Nada: I think my obsession with Paris, France started from Madeline. And the first few lines of the story gave out such a clear visual, it was like I was one of the “twelve little girls in two straight lines.” I used to watch the cartoon of this too. It was adorable!
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
“Narnia! It’s all in the wardrobe just like I told you!”
- Lucy Pevensie
NQD: Narnia was such a hit! Talk to us about the aforementioned quote.
Nada: I like this quote because Lucy was the only one who believed in the magic that was Narnia. She had a wide and vivid imagination filled with so much magic, that when she tried to tell her siblings, they wouldn’t believe her until they saw it for themselves. Her sass came alive in those words, “just like I told you!”
Naj’s Faves:
A Children's Treasury of Verse by Patricia Ludlow
“I know a funny little man, as quiet as a mouse, Who does the mischief that is done In everybody’s house! There’s no one ever sees his face, And yet we all agree that every plate we break was cracked by Mister Nobody”
NQD: Why did you choose this quote in particular, Naj?
Naj: It was just something I believed in myself. That there was a mister nobody in the house, hiding objects and breaking things.
The House With Six Legs And Other Stories
by Enid Blyton
“It isn't every day that you have to chase your own house all the way down the street!”
NQD: We love a good imaginative mind! What did you like about this snippet of the book?
Naj: I liked it because it’s pretty memorable for a kid!
The Ugly Old Scarecrow and Other Stories
by Enid Blyton
“The old scarecrow has a head made out of turnip, ragged trousers and sticks for arms! Peter and Jane are frightened of him. But is the scarecrow really as scary as he seems?”
NQD: Aww, poor scarecrow. What was it about this one that you liked?
Naj: This quote reminded me to never judge a person/object by the way they look.
Jenn’s Faves:
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco
“He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter.”
Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
“If I can hold God's attention, I can hold the world's.”
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka
“And everyone lived happily, though maybe not completely honestly, ever after. The End.”
When asked why she liked these quotes, Jenn said:
Oh, that's a tough one haha! I can honestly say all three of the quoted books I mentioned touched me in some way when I was a small child. And different books spoke to me on different levels; from the perfect fusion of words and paintings in Animalia, the soulful heart of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors, the clever wit of Stinky Cheese Man and the sheer beauty of Velveteen Rabbit and Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. There's a deep yearning in these books and this holds true to the very best picture books, in my opinion. Stories that speak to children's yearning for beautiful things, teaching or teasing things they'll grow to love as adults. Who can say exactly what it is about certain books and why they stay with us even decades after? It's all part of the power behind the stories we tell each other, and children's books are the simplest, and best of these. LOL sorry didn't mean to rave so much, but it's true. I have an obvious passion for the genre and it's the biggest reason behind why I love Qamber Kids so much!
And there you have it, folks! You’ve heard our team’s picks. What is one book that you have noticed, has changed someone’s life for the better? It could be anyone. It could be little you back then, your kid, a reader of yours, a friend’s child, whoever it is, we’d love to hear your story! What was the book? What about it made it resonate with that special someone?
Leave your comments below!
As always, until next time lovelies!