Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!

14 Board Books Every Family Should Own
Reading List Rebecca Grabill Reading List Rebecca Grabill

14 Board Books Every Family Should Own

Our family loves books. And I mean LOVES books. So below I've compiled a short list of our personal favorites. The books we have read and re-read until the covers fell off, then bought new copies to read again. Some are classics, ones I grew up with. Others are new.

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Mama Earth's New Year
Reading List Rebecca Grabill Reading List Rebecca Grabill

Mama Earth's New Year

Mama Earth's New Year is a poetic exploration of the seasons.

Mama Earth rustles her autumn wings
to cool her hot, tired face.
She sighs, and the first September frost
crackles over bowing stalks of corn.

Illustrator to be determined. Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

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Violet and the Woof
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Violet and the Woof

Violet and her little brother
set out on a long, long journey,
a journey fraught with danger
and peril.

Is Violet’s make-believe story just in her imagination?

With excitement and more than a few surprises, Violet and the Woof will have readers wide-eyed, smiling, and asking for the story again and again.

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Halloween Good Night
Reading List Rebecca Grabill Reading List Rebecca Grabill

Halloween Good Night

Gliding through the moonlight
come the monsters big and small,
sliding up your stairway
and oozing down your hall.
They aren’t very scary,
in fact they’re rather sweet.
So snuggle into bed and let them whisper,
“Trick or treat!”

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