Books That Make Learning Fun
Hello, darling, and welcome back to the blog. I thought it was about time for me to do a blog post on the collection of books that I’ve got for Keyana. I thought they would be great to put within the homeschool section.
I have collected most of our books, though not all of them. A few are missing because I’ve recently given some to friends, which saves them from buying books for their kids, so we just swap. I said they can use some of the books and, once they’re finished, they can just drop them back at the house. So, some of them are missing because they’re being read by other little kids. Others are missing because whenever we go somewhere, like to her grandparents, I’ll pack a book or two in the suitcase, and some of them are still in there. But as I said, this is most of them. This is the collection that was actually in Keyana’s room on her shelf.
When I first started, the books Keyana had were mostly mainstream, random ones she was given, Christmas books, and random stories that didn’t have much meaning. Some of them, I felt, even went against Christian values. A lot of them were gifts, which was fine, but one day I decided to sort through her books.
Starting with the Library
At first, I tried taking Keyana to our local library. I got a library card and started borrowing books, but to be honest, I didn’t find that many that I was really looking for. When she was really young, some were great for sensory play, but as she got older, I wanted books that were more specific, like training books. I struggled to find ones that fit. I didn’t find many cultural ones, affirmations, or any Christian ones at all. One thing I noticed in two different libraries was that I didn’t see a single Christian book, which I get, it’s a public space for all religions. But still, I couldn’t find what I wanted.
So I gave up the library card and started building a collection of my own. One thing I’ve found with little kids is that they love reading the same books over and over again, so you don’t need thousands. A small, intentional collection is enough, and you can rotate them. Plus, I’ve been swapping books with one or two friends (though they’re only just starting their collections, so they don’t have much to swap back yet). Over time, I’m sure it’ll balance out.
Keyana’s Book Categories
In building this collection, I realised I’ve gathered four main types of books:
1. Training Books
These are books that teach Keyana specific skills. For example, I’ve got one on potty training, one about feet (what feet are for, putting on shoes, kicking a ball, etc.), one about hands, and one about the mouth. These are all part of a collection of flap books (which she loves because they’re interactive). They’re by an author named Abbie Wedgeworth, and they’re some of our favourites because not only are they fun, but they also include Christian and godly elements.
✨ Character-Building Books:
- What Are Feet For? (Training Young Hearts) – Abbey Wedgeworth
Buy on Amazon UK - What Are Mouths For? (Training Young Hearts) – Abbey Wedgeworth & Emma Randall
Buy on Amazon UK - What Are Hands For? (Training Young Hearts) – Abbey Wedgeworth & Emma Randall
Buy on Amazon UK - How Can I Pray? (Little Me, Big God) – Steph Williams
Buy on Eden - Wherever You Go, I Want You To Know (Board Book for Toddlers) – Melissa B. Kruger
Buy on Eden - The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big – Steph Williams
Buy on Eden
🚽 Potty Training & Early Life Skills
- Potty Training Book For Brown Girls: Rhyming Story + Free Gifts – Natia Gogiashvili
Buy on Amazon UK - Peek-a-Poo! I Can Potty and So Can You! (Potty Training Board Book) – Mara Conlon
Buy on Amazon UK
2. Mainstream Books
This is my smallest collection now, but it’s where Keyana’s library originally started. These are the random nursery rhymes and stories that people bought her, like Row, Row, Row Your Boat or The One Lonely Star. I’ve kept just a couple because I think it’s important not to completely cut her off from things her peers are familiar with, as long as they don’t go against our values. I feel it’s fine for her to still have a little connection to the mainstream world of nursery rhymes, but I wanted at least 90% of her collection to be Christian or training books.
3. Bible Books
This is one of the biggest bundles. Keyana has three different children’s Bibles, plus books that focus on specific parts of the Bible, like prayer. Some are short prayers, some are about learning how to pray. I love how much there is to learn from these, and many are really bright, bold, and beautifully illustrated. One of my favourite collections is by Timothy Warnes (author) and Jennifer Davison (illustrator). Their books are so colourful and engaging, I’ll definitely share some pictures of the pages so you can see what I mean.
The thing is, if Keyana isn’t reading a lot or doesn’t really want to listen to much, just because the pages are so bright and bold, she can still enjoy them. When you open the book, she can literally just flip through the pages. Even if you’re not reading the words, you can tell the story, especially if you already know the Bible story. For example, in Noah and The Very Big Boat, if you know the story by heart, you can go through the pages and re-enact it yourself. You can say, “Oh look, the pigs are going on the boat now, onik oink!” Or, “The ducks went on the boat, quack, quack, quack!” You can point to the animals, act out what’s happening, and make it fun. That’s something I love to do with her.
Faith-Based Books
- God’s Very Colourful Creation (Very Best Bible Stories) – Tim Thornborough
Buy on Amazon UK - Noah and the Very Big Boat (Very Best Bible Stories) – Tim Thornborough & Jennifer Davison
Buy on Amazon UK - God’s Very Good Idea (Tales that Tell the Truth for Toddlers) – Trillia Newbell
Buy on Amazon UK - Jonah and the Very Big Fish (Very Best Bible Stories) – Tim Thornborough & Jennifer Davison
Buy on Amazon UK - A Very Happy Easter (Very Best Bible Stories) – Tim Thornborough & Jennifer Davison
Buy on Amazon UK - The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Children’s Stories – The Beginner’s Bible
Buy on Amazon UK - Near: Psalm 139 (Jesus Storybook Bible) – Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago
Buy on Eden - Known: Psalm 139 (Jesus Storybook Bible) – Sally Lloyd-Jones & Jago
Buy on Eden - Loved: The Lord’s Prayer (Jesus Storybook Bible) – Sally Lloyd-Jones
Buy on Eden
4. Confidence and Culture Books
This was important to me because I wanted Keyana’s books to help with both her confidence and her cultural identity. One thing I noticed in our local library was that while there were lots of books, most of them didn’t include people of colour. I think it’s so important for her to see herself represented in the stories she reads. Of course, we do have books with lots of different races in them, and that’s great too, but I especially wanted her to see characters that looked like her, so she knows she belongs.
One book I got early on, even before she was born, was Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. I bought it when I was pregnant because I loved it so much. She’s still too young for it, so I don’t read it to her yet, but I’m keeping it for when she’s older. Honestly, if you have older kids, I highly recommend it, it’s amazing.
In this collection, I also included books about hair, because Keyana has always had a lot of it, big, long hair that reaches halfway down her back, and she’s only two (nearly three!). It’s something that makes her stand out, and I wanted her to feel comfortable with that. When I was younger, I remember wishing my hair were different or that I could just fit in. Even among other people of colour, everyone’s hair is different, textures, lengths, and so on. So I wanted her to feel proud of her own hair and also learn how to care for it, because her type of hair takes more maintenance than some others.
Reading those books helps with our hair-care routine. For example, when I’m detangling or twisting her hair, she sits more calmly because she understands that it’s not torture, it’s bonding time with Mummy. She also helps me choose clips, bows, and hairbands from her little colourful box, which makes her feel involved in the process. A friend once asked me how do I get her to sit still long enough to do her hair, and I explained it’s because I make it fun for her. She feels like it’s her process too, not just something I’m forcing on her.
Another cultural book I got is one about Jamaica, because that’s where we’re from. I wanted her to see her heritage reflected in her books too. And then there are affirmation books, which are also really important for building confidence. Some of them show girls that look just like her, alongside children from other cultures, which I love. I’ll definitely share a picture of that one because it’s such a beautiful book.
👑 Empowerment & Representation Books
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- I Am Enough – Grace Byers
Buy on Amazon UK - Jehvon Goes to Jamaica – Natasha N Brown
Buy on Amazon UK - Emi’s Curly Coily, Cotton Candy Hair (Hey Emi & Friends) – Crystal Swain-Bates
Buy on Amazon UK - Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History – Vashti Harrison
Buy on Amazon UK - I’m a Pretty Princess – Crystal Swain-Bates
Buy on Amazon UK
- I Am Enough – Grace Byers
My Final Thoughts
So that’s Keyana’s collection of books. As I’ve said before, kids don’t need tons of books; they rotate through the same ones anyway. Last year, I bought quite a lot to build her collection because I’d removed so many mainstream books. But now I’m not buying them as rapidly, maybe I’ll add one or two this year.
I’m also sharing this list because when I first started, I found it hard to know where to look for Christian-centric books. It felt like trial and error. Sometimes I’d find a good one, check the back to see if it was part of a series, and then buy more from that collection. I also found a few on a Christian website where I buy my own study Bible; they had a small kids’ section where I picked up about four books. Over time, with gifts and recommendations from others, the collection slowly grew.
It did take time to build, but I’m proud of it. And if there are any other books you’d recommend, ones you think more people should know about, please share them in the comments. I’d love to hear, because the more we share resources, the better off all our kids will be.
Hopefully, this list gives you ideas. I know it would’ve saved me a lot of trial and error when I first started. Anyway, that’s Keyana’s little library for now!
With that being said, I’m gonna love you and leave now. I’ve genuinely enjoyed writing this one. It came to me during the week: I wanted to write a blog post about her collection of books. After one of the posts I did recently, I was asked questions about her books, and I thought, “Why not just do a blog post on it?”
Honestly, it’s quite funny because I was supposed to write this blog post earlier in the week, from Tuesday, and it’s now Sunday, early hours of the morning, and I’m only writing it now. Today’s been a busy day, a proper family chaos kind of busy, and I was trying not to do too much work because, well, it’s Saturday! It was late, and I decided the house needed a bit of cleaning. My daughter was upstairs, in her bed, probably dreaming up big plans or imagining her next adventure, so I thought, “Perfect. I’ll just do a bit of cleaning.” I cleaned downstairs, tidied the house, and got some chores done.
Then I realised I haven’t done any business tasks all week. I’ve been travelling quite a lot, so I haven’t been able to do as much as I normally would. Even homeschooling didn’t happen as much as usual, more like “occasional educational chaos.” And you know what? That’s fine. Sometimes, we put too much pressure on ourselves, trying to do everything, be perfect, and operate at full capacity 24/7. I used to do that all the time, but I don’t anymore. If I need to drop a few balls in certain areas to conserve my energy for what’s most important in a week, then that’s what I do.
I think that’s important, especially for you, reading this, especially if you’re homeschooling, or you have kids, or a house to look after. All of these elements can add extra stress, especially if there’s no proper routine in place. I’ve written quite a few blog posts on routines that help, and as time goes on, I’ll share more. Go through that section if you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed, or if you just want to know how to survive a week without losing your sanity completely.
Here are blog posts that I have written that will help with your routines:
– [Simple Strategies to Keep Your Home Organised and Your Mind at Peace]
– [Creating a Home of Peace]
– [6 Biblical Habits That Will Improve Your Life]
– [10 Habits That Improved Motherhood]
– [How to Make Your Home a Slice of Heaven]
Sending blessings to you!
Scherise. X
