Inscribing books as keepsakes

[growltigersontheloose]

Hi,

I'd like to start a tradition of giving my boy a lovely inscribed book for his birthday each year. Any ideas of which books to start with please (he is 1 in a month)? Ideally I'd like a nice story with excellent illustrations that he'll like for a few years.

I'm gutted I've already bought him Where the Wild Things Are, because I would have chosen that. I actually feel quite sad about it. But that is the type of thing I'm thinking of.

Why don't you just write a wee message on the inside whenever you get him a new book? Rather than doing it once a year?

I buy him a new book most weeks. I'm not sure I can come up with that many messages!

I want to get him a 'special' book each birthday, a keepsake. Other ideas are The Gift - Carol Ann Duffy or The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein.

What a beautiful idea. How about a gorgeous, illustrated collection of nursery rhymes for his first birthday? I'm sure when he's grown up, he will love and treasure those books with the messages from you.

Do you have a particular one in mind? It's a good idea, I need to have a good browse to find one, I don't remember one from when I was a kid. Thanks

We got DS The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Mog the Forgetful Cat & The Night Before Christmas on his 1st Christmas when he was 10m. It's always nice now, a few years on, to see our writing in them.

Winnie the Pooh?

Can't go wrong with Shirley Hughes! How about one of her Alfie stories

We got DP's nieces and nephews books for their first birthdays:
Brambly Hedge 4 seasons collection
Paddington Bear Treasury
Winnie the Pooh collection

You'll have to go to amazon or a second hand place (Abe books can give you a list) to find it, but the Cloth of Dreams was one of my favourite books when I was young. It's a collection of modern fairy tale type stories with the most stunning illustrations.

It sounds awful, but don't write in it until anyone else has given him a present (if they are going to). You don't want to end up with 5 inscribed copies of Winnie the Pooh, all non-returnable. He won't know if you write the message a week later.

Some great suggestions there, thank you :-)

And good advice about waiting until other presents are in! He is likely to get books from other members of the family, so it could easily happen!

OldRoan - is this it?
www.amazon.co.uk/The-Cloth-Of-Dreams-Children/dp/0316889016

Yes!

It's so wonderful.

I've just bought a copy for £2.80! Used but very good condition apparently. I'm not sure if this will be 'the' book until I've seen it, but I'm always up for reading new fairy tales :-)

Oh I hope you enjoy it. All I will say now is that the main picture for the story about fish is etched into my mind 20 years later...

Poems for Young Children
www.mileskelly.net/products-page/age-5-7/poems-for-young-children/

Just putting forward a suggestion for a nursery rhyme book called 'Lavender's Blue' compiled by Kathleen Lines. It's a hardback book with wonderful illustrations. Not very expensive ( I think I paid £7 on amazon) and I've given it as a gift to a few newborns, I think it's a lovely gift and perfect for a one year old