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Reader Friday has a friend who is a mother to be, and she wants to start collecting a library of children’s literature to read aloud to her Little One. Which books would you put on a “must read” list for children?
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I (okay, we, my Bride and I), managed to raise four pretty decent boys reading (sometimes more than once):
• Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
If I Ran the Circus
The Places You’ll Go
etc.
• Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (with a bit of verbal editing)
• A. A. Milne (& the Disney adaptations)
Winnie the Pooh
House at Pooh Corner
• Margret Wise Brown
Good Night Moon
…for starters…
So many great ones! I love the Hairy Maclary books by Lynley Dodd. Also The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and the classic Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey was one of my favorites when I was small and still loved it when I read it to my children.
Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch by Nancy Willard. It has fascinating illustrations that adults can enjoy, too.
When I was a child, my parents bought My Book House, a series of books of poetry and prose which goes from toddler material up to excerpts of material from English, European, and American literature. The illustrations are wonderful. The series contributed to a love of reading that persisted
My grandmother read to me from My Book House. I loved it. I’ve never forgotten the Gingerbread Man! (Mama Dot would make me actual gingerbread men to eat, so that helped.)
For little ones:
Where the Wild Things Are by Eric Carle, also, ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?’
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Maurice Sendak
Almost anything by Julia Donaldson. My kids still love The Gruffalo. I prefer the Snail and the Whale.
I always get new babies ‘Instructions’ or ‘Blueberry Girl’ because I figure everyone needs a gateway book to Neil Gaiman’s work.
Love Blueberries for Sal! My daughter just mentioned how much she loved Stellaluna by Janell Cannon, the story of an orphan bat who was raised by birds. We read it every night for months and months. We both also loved My Name is Georgia by Jeanette Winter about Georgia O’Keeffe (great message about following your dreams). And Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney about making the world a better place. What a special time. Best wishes to your friend.
Not for really young children but I would always recommend Margeurite Henry’s book series (Misty of Chincoteague, etc.), then there’s The Black Stallion and other horse books. And you can’t go wrong with The Hardy Boys. Lassie books….
For really young kids, I like someone’s mention of Dr. Seuss.
The Little Engine that Could. Oh my, there were a ton of books like this I read back in the day but can’t remember them now.
A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. Loved it. Wore out several copies.
All Dr. Seuss books.
Charlotte’s Web
Runaway Smile by Nicholas Rossis
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
There are some great recommendations here, but I would add “You Are My Miracle” by Maryann Cusimano Love and Satomi Ichikawa. Another favorite with my kids is “The Napping House” by Audrey Wood and Don Wood.
Stellaluna – nice to see someone else enjoyed the book.
One of my favorite books – The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
For when she’s a bit older:
Charlotte’s Web is a must
The Laura Ingalls Wilder series…esp if it’s a girl.
Charlotte’s Web.
Aesop’s Fables.
For a recent baby shower, the new mom included The Tales of Beatrix Potter in her Amazon registry. That made me happy b/c those were some of my favorites when I was little–they’ve certainly stood the test of time!
I read the collection of Beatrix Potter to my daughter when she was tiny—among her favorites!
My boys loved the Richard Scarry books and the Reys’ Curious George books.
Half a Moon and One Whole Star by Crescent Dragonwagon, illustrated by Jerry Pinckney.
Dimity Duck by Jane Yolen for little ones, and The Two Sillies by Mary Ann Hoberman for a little bit older.
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I loved this when I read it in about third grade and read it to my daughter when she was even younger. Also, The Tawny, Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” is another great one!
Ithat book really catches a child’s imagination, Sylvia—great suggestion!
Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is a classic, and don’t forget the Little Golden Books. I loved the “The Pokey Li’l Puppy.”
Suzy Klein’s Horrible Harry and Mary Maroni.
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (no words)
Peepo! by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg (may find it under another title, something like Peek-a-Boo!)
Winnie-the-Pooh, and The House at Pooh Corner, by A A Milne
Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Helen Berger
And may I also suggest a subscription Baby Bug?
https://shop.cricketmedia.com/magazines-0-6-years.html
I loved Charlotte’s Web as a child. I have gotten my granddaughter several board books. She loves books and carries them around with her everywhere. Yes, she is related to me for sure! 🙂 Amazon has a great selection of children’s books. I would add anything from Dr. Seuss too.
In addition to all of the wonderful suggestions above, “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney (Author), Anita Jeram (Illustrator).
My 20 year old son got his mom a decorative sign commemorating the famous last line of the book he loved so much in his young childhood. We’ve still got the original my wife bought when Ben was a suckling infant.
I read all the Dr. Seuss books to my children along with all the nursery rhymes and just read “Are You My Mother” to a group of pre-school autistic children. Many Golden Books also.