Our Favorite Children's Books

This is going to be a long post.  I love books.  I just started formulating a list of favorite children's books, authors and illustrators last night and I can't stop adding books.  I hope this list is useful to someone.  I remember being overwhelmed when I realized that my oldest and I could venture past the board books into real picture books.  I wasn't sure where to start, and I honestly wasn't thrilled with the selection of books I'd take home every week.  However, I kept searching, and now I have more than enough to go on each time I go to the library.  There are so many wonderful children's books out there!  Here are some of my favorites.  Please share your favorites in the comments!
These pictures all come from Amazon.

I guess I'll start with best books for babies.  These all keep the attention of my babies and toddlers quite well, mainly because they allow for animated readings.

PD Eastman also wrote "Are You My Mother" and other good stories

Eric Carle is an extremely prolific author/illustrator if you like his style

Author of "Good Night Moon" and "The Runaway Bunny." Both of my boys have adored this book around age 1.

 

This next section are my "stand alone" books.  I don't know the authors/illustrators well but I can certainly recommend these books.

This one is called "The Lion and the Mouse."  It's great for little kids because there are no words, so you just look at the picture to get the story.  Beautifully illustrated as you can see.

This provided hours of fun for my three-year-old on an airplane.   It's like an I Spy for younger kids.

Peter Brown is a young guy, and worth keeping tabs on.  He has a few books that are quite good, but this is his best. A family favorite.

Favorite Authors and Illustrators.  If you take a few of these names to the library with you, I think you won't be disappointed by what you find.

William Steig--A hilarious author who never fails to make Andrew and me laugh--though his offbeat humor may not be for everyone.  "Doctor De Soto" is a classic, but to find Steig in his element check out "The Amazing Bone."  If you like that one you'll probably like everything else he did.

 

 

If you're into this kind of humor, Peter Neumeyer and Edward Gorey came together for these two delightful and funny books.

Don and Audrey Wood are a fabulous duo.  They have written some really fun books ("The Very Hungry Bear" above is one of them).

One of Andrew and Baby Ben's very favorites.

Steven Kellog is Andrew's favorite illustrator.  You'll probably recognize some of his stuff.  Half the story is told in the pictures, which are always very entertaining--and much better than his writing.

 Jan Brett is another you'll recognize.  She has put out quite a few books too.

 

 Graeme Base--You can't lose with his beautiful, detailed drawings! You'll find something new every time you read, and his writing (often in poetic form) matches his illustrations!

Walter Wick did all those wonderful I Spy books.  Abe was really into them for a while.  These are more books that you can spend all day looking at the pictures.

 

Maurice Sendak--Best known for "Where the Wild Things Are," he has a lot more to offer.  His old fashioned and formal depictions of very sweet people and animals are very charming.

 

Robert McCloskey--Best known in the Marshall Family for Homer Price, he wrote lots of wonderful books about a Norman Rockwell era America.  The books are fun and witty and the pictures and characters are engaging.  He's a can't-miss author/illustrator.

 Mercer Mayer--Known best for the "Little Critter" books, he wrote and illustrated some really fun books that for some reason are not as well known.

Peter Spier--Another author/illustrator who never disappoints. 

This one has no words, and the pictures tell the story better than words could!

Dr. Seuss--I can't very well do a post about children's literature without mentioning Dr. Seuss, a man who revolutionized early reading literature.  Before him, children were basically limited to "Dick and Jane." 

Beatrix Potter--So I guess there was more to read than "Dick and Jane."  Children had Peter Rabbit.  The language is quite advanced because it is old fashioned, but it's so sweet.  And it's so nice to expose children to that kind of beautiful language.  

 Tomie De Paula--I'd recommend any of his books.   I love the simple but beautiful illustrations.

 

 

Virginia Lee Burton is the way to go, especially if you have a little boy who is into large machines on wheels.  There are a lot of really terrible kids books about trucks, cars and trains.

David Weisner--Illustrator of some very fantastic (in the traditional sense) children's books without words.  He doesn't miss as far as I've seen.

Characters to know--It is fun to go to the library wanting to read more about the same characters.  There are lots of books in each of these series.  You're probably familiar with all of these books already.

Check out other books by Arnold Lobel too.

 

Other James Marshall books are fun too, but George and Martha take the cake.

 Last but not least, I'm including "Charlotte's Web" and "Winnie the Pooh" because at one or two years old you can start reading chapter books as a family. We finished all of the A.A. Milne books last year and are one chapter away from finishing "Charlotte's Web."  We painted a poster this week to keep track of all of the books we've read as a family. When we finish a long book, we throw a party!

There's a reason these have endured the test of time. They are full of wit and fun, while delving beautifully into the mind and life of a child.

Charlotte provides a wonderful example to children of sacrifice and friendship.

Well,  that took me all day long, but it was really fun! What are your favorite books to read with your kids?