For as long as I can remember, I have always loved books. And going to  the bookstore and toy section of a mall gave me the same giddy feeling. Finding that photo above plus my going-down-memory-lane conversation with Caro the other day led me to googling the books I had as a kid that I wish I could read again. There are SOOOO MANY books I can include in this list but I just forced myself to trim them down to 5.

5) Walt Disney’s It’s A Small World

Back in the 90s, children’s books with cassette tapes as audio support were  very common. This particular title got me excited about Disneyland a few years before actually seeing it for the first time. It paid special attention to the classic ride, It’s a Small World. 🙂 The story was about an orphan who didn’t know where he was from but made a discovery during a trip to Disneyland. I super loved the vintage look and feel of the illustrations done a la Mary Blair style.

4) Sweet Valley Twins: Jessica’s Cookie Disaster

Aside from this book being about the cookie disaster, it talked a lot about baking in which I was super interested at that age. To give you an idea, Jessica, one of the Wakefield twins, accidentally forgot what she put into her cookie batter that made it taste amazing enough for her to be invited to a TV show. This was a light read but definitely exciting. It was interesting how Jessica remembered the recipe (oops, spoiler right there!). It was also here that I first learned the word, serendipity.

3) The Care Bears’ Party Cookbook

Anyone a fan of the Care Bears too? Oh, I (also Caro!) was one of the biggest fans of this group of cute and huggable-looking bears. And when the two of my loves – baking (or simply, food!!!) and the Care Bears – were combined, I knew I.had.to.get.the.book (Thanks to my dearest parents for indulging me). 🙂 This book which had easy-to-follow recipes and the cutessst illustrations inspired me to form clubs with playmates and classmates who shared the same passion for baking and cooking. These were (insert blushing cheeks haha) The Little Bakers’ Club and The Crunchy ‘n’ Munchy Club. 🙂  Still hoping to find my copy one of these days.

Just to give you a better idea of how big a fan I was, here’s a photo of my 4th birthday cake toppers:

 

2) Si Monica Dalosdalos (Monica, The Clumsy)

That by the way is my loose translation of the title. Dalosdalos in English means more like reckless and the image it creates in my head is someone in a rush. 🙂 This book simply reminds children to be careful and to think before they act. It teaches one about the consequences of being clumsy. Hehe, I badly needed this book being the clumsy kid that I was. 😛

 

 

1) The Carrot Seed 

I have to admit, I didn’t get to read this until I was in college. Yes, one of my best friends, Cheerine, told me about the book. I read it in the bookstore and ended up giving it to her as a gift. I still carry with me the lesson from this book to this very day. It had a very simple storyline but one that will make a mark in a child but more so in an adult reader. It talks about how you should stay focused on your goal no matter what others say. 🙂

When I read a quote by C.S. Lewis, I instantly thought of The Carrot Seed. Lewis said, ” A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” 

— Kate 🙂