Ten Things I Love About You

We recently added the book Ten Things I Love About You to our collection, and it just makes me smile. Daniel Kirk tells the story of two friends, Pig and Rabbit. Rabbit has decided that he’s going to make a list of ten things that he loves about Pig and is so eager to share his list with Pig that he goes to Pig’s house to show him the list before it’s even close to being finished. Pig, though he loves the idea of the list, is too busy to wait around while Rabbit finishes writing all ten things. He sends Rabbit home and tells him to finish the list and they’ll be able to play later. As the story continues, Rabbit keeps coming back with an incomplete list, and Pig, though appreciative of the list, keeps sending him away because he’s busy working on something. At the end, Rabbit discovers that the thing that was keeping Pig so busy was that he was making his own list of the ten things he loves about Rabbit! The two friends smile as they share a big hug, and both friends’ lists are shown on the last two pages of the book.

Even more than the heartwarming story of friendship, I loved the idea of making a “Ten Things I Love About You List.” What a great activity for you and your child to do at home! Your little one would undoubtedly feel special, hearing all of the things you love about her. And, if she’s old enough, you could try getting her to dictate her own list of the things she loves about you. I mean, we all need an ego boost every now and then, right? These lists could be posted on your refrigerator, recited each night as part of a bedtime routine, or used however else you decide. You could even repeat this activity each year or just add to it as your child gets older. What a special treasure that would be for both of you!