Moving, books and separation anxiety

This year has been an eventful one so far. In February, my husband and I welcomed a little girl into our family. And in July, we put an offer on what will eventually become our dream home. Since closing on the house in mid-August, we’ve been running nonstop, trying to get the house to a livable state (the previous owners smoked in it for 30 years) so we can list our other house and move.

What does all this have to do with books? Well, a lot. First, it’s made it harder for me to find time to write reviews. Second, it means packing up all of the books in my house (more than 1,000 at last count). Third, it means cherry-picking a select few for my daughter to keep out until we can get her settled in.

Truth be told, I’m having a bit of separation anxiety from my books, most of which will remain boxed until next year when we move on to the renovation of our new basement, and I get a dedicated office once again.

What does that mean for Cracking the Cover? Well, to-be-reviewed books get priority status. They won’t be boxed away — except for the part where we actually move. I’m still reading and new reviews are on the way. Once we get settled in, I hope to return to a normal schedule. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.

As a side note, you might be wondering what books I’ve kept out for our little one. It’s a surprising mishmash that are recommended for varying ages, but our almost-7-month-old loves books. They’re even what motivated her to crawl! Here’s what we’ve been rotating through:

• “Where Does Love Come From?” by Accord and Milena Kirkova, Accord a division of Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC, $5.99 (Aug. 15, 2012) We love the bright colors and simple text. It also features heavier paper, which is a bonus with a little one.
• “Clifford Visits the Zoo,” by Norman Bridwell, Scholastic, Hardcover, $12.99 (Aug. 26, 2014) Baby Girl loves the cover, which features a puffy version of Clifford. Mix dogs and red, one of our favorite colors, together and you can’t miss.
• “Sweet Child of Mine,” by Caroline Jayne Church, Scholastic, $8.99 (Aug 26, 2014) and “I Love You Through and Through: Board Book and Plush,” by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak and Caroline Jayne Church, Scholastic, $14.99 (Aug 26, 2014) Sweet illustrations and simple text lend to these books’ likeability. As an added bonus, the accompanying plush bear is machine washable. My daughter loves to hold the bear while we read the book.
• “Farmyard Beat,” by Lindsey Craig and Marc Brown, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $15.99 (June 14, 2011) We have the hardcover version of this, although it looks like there’s a board book version, too. We’ve loved this book since 3 months of age. The rhyming and animal sounds are hard to beat, and the bright, simple animals are a visual treat.
• “Goodnight Moon,” by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, HarperFestival $8.99 (Board book — Jan. 23, 2007) It’s a classic for a reason. Great for pre-bedtime or naptime rituals.
• “My Little Carry Book: Farm (My Little Carry Books),” by DK Publishing, $4.99 (Jan. 16, 2012) and “My Little Carry Book: Puppies and Kittens (My Little Carry Books),” by DK Publishing, $4.99 (Jan. 16, 2012) These came in a book fair four-pack. Photographs and simple text make things recognizable and interesting. These are the books Baby Girl first crawled to.
• “Room on the Broom,” by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler, Dial, $16.99 (Aug. 27, 2001) We have the board book version of this, although it looks like it might be out of print (hardcover and soft are still available). I thought this book might involve too much text for my baby’s attention span, but when read quickly with voice inflections, she loves it.
• “Follow Me,” by Tricia Tusa, Harcourt Children’s Books, $16.99 (Apr 18, 2011) Beautiful illustrations and lyrical text make this a favorite.