At the end of a long day, there's a phrase that parents of small children can come to dread hearing: "Read me a story!"
Though bedtime reading can be fun, reading the same book over and over and over again can be excruciating for parents.
Margaret Willison, a librarian who specializes in young readers, tells NPR's Kelly McEvers she recommends three picture books in particular that appeal to children without boring the pants off their parents.
Of course, you don't have to eschew words altogether to make repetitive reading more fun.
Willison suggests replacing words in familiar books with a similar rhyming alternative — for example, "goodnight spoon" in place of "goodnight moon" — to catch your child off guard. She explains that engaging and sharing a joke with your child makes reading more enjoyable for everyone.
"Don't be afraid to sort of break into the story and interact with your child while you're doing it," she says.
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