One of our favorate books!

This book will always have a special place in my heart. Five, maybe six, years ago my Mom moved from the midwest across the country to New Jersey to help my Sister take care of my niece and nephew. To help her get her bearings, Mom and I would go exploring. One of those explorations took us to Mass MoCA in the Berkshires. Mass MoCA is the largest modern art museum in the country. It's housed in an old textile mill and is pretty astounding. What does all that have to do with a kid's book?

Well, like a lot of museums when you leave you exit through the gift shop. And of course, we had to stop and peruse all the unique offerings. This book jumped out at me immediately. The bold colors and quirky characters… who could resist. I brought Shh, We Have a Plan home to my niece and it quickly became one of her favorite books. Partly because of the bold, simple illustrations. Partly because of the fun engaging story. But I think a lot because of the funny voices I used for each of these quirky little fellows. She would giggle and my heart would sing. It was a beautiful bonding experience for the two of us.

I loved this book so much that I bought a copy for my partner’s son. He loved it too, but when his Mom read it, it was an entirely different book. Of course it was, she used completely different voices, completely different inflections, and intentions. That’s one of the beauties of this book, it is a bit of a blank canvas allowing the reader to really make it their own. One day I heard my Mom reading it to my niece and nephew and Boom! It was a completely different book. This experience really highlighted just how personal the experience of reading to a child can be and how strong a bonding activity. It was then that the spark of an idea that would eventually become the Book Buddy was born. 

If you have a special child in your life and you want a special experience to share, pick up a copy of Shh, We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton. You won’t be sorry.