beauty of the picture book: monthly pics for march (moxie wife style)

Are we all tired of looking at my wood floors yet?

I have been taking most of my picture book photos on the floor of our sun room where we get the best light. I decided to change things up a bit this month, provide a cute fabric backdrop and link to Hallie with Five Favorites at Moxie Wife.

If you already have any of these titles or have access to a library, then now would be a good time to freshen up your picture book basket for Spring, which is a mere three weeks away, so says the calendar.

But who's counting?

1. Duck and Goose Series by Tad Hills

Duck and Goose are the best of friends. But then Thistle comes along and everything changes.

Duck and Goose is the first picture book in this series, followed by Duck, Duck, Goose and many more. If you are thinking far ahead to filling your kiddos' Easter baskets, then there's even Duck and Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny!.

The adorable characters of this series will keep you entertained and on your toes with their hilarious antics. And they just might become your friends, too.

2. The Life of a Saint Series by Ignatius Press and Magnificat

The saying "big things come in small packages" applies to these two great Saints.

Small in stature and intellectual ability, John Mary Vianney brought love and hope to the town of Ars and renewed the faith of the French people far and wide.

A simple fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette of Lourdes had visions of a Beautiful Lady and discovered a miraculous spring. From this encounter and the events that followed, Bernadette was inspired to live her life helping, comforting, and tending to the sick.

Other books in this series include Therese: The Little Flower of Lisieux and Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi.

3. Kevin Henkes picture books

Knowing that books are often the first exposure to art that children have, Kevin Henkes is motivated to make the very best books possible. His joy and passion for his work shines through in these picture books, Little White Rabbit, My Garden, and Birds -- his collaboration with illustrator Laura Dronzek.

With its broad brush strokes and a charming and clever story, Kitten's First Full Moon won the Caldecott Medal in 2005. A Good Day is another favorite around here.

4. The World of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

The World of Peter Rabbit is one of the first and best investments I made for our home library. With their charming characters, soft watercolors, and rich vocabulary, these little stories entice us every Spring to read them over and over again. Who wouldn't have fun saying words out loud like soporific, mackintosh, larder, and hunca munca?

A few of our favorites in this collection include The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-DuckThe Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. You can't go wrong with any story in the collection.

5. BabyLit Series by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver

The one word I would use to describe the BabyLit series is BRILLIANT. These precious board books are especially for the design savvy, art appreciating, classic literature loving mom (or dad) and their toddlers. If mom or dad is happily engaged in the book, then it's highly likely that your little ones will take an interest, too.

There are fifteen books in the series with others still in the design phase. Fun playsets for re-enacting the stories are available for Pride and Prejudice and Alice in Wonderland.

Hat tip to Christie for reminding me about these.

A Little Note:

I know it is somewhat early to be thinking about Easter, especially since Lent hasn't even started, but I wanted to mention that I have given these picture books (numbers one through four) to my kiddos in past years for the Sunday of all Sundays.

As we get closer to Easter, I would love to show you how I incorporated these picture books with their Easter baskets and hopefully, we can exchange some other (new to me) gift ideas.

Feel free to mentally file this post away for later, or better yet, you can do that pinning thingy on Pinterest so you can come back to it when you are ready to think about such occasions.

See you back here soon!