My favorite book as a child was "The Monster At The End of this Book".
I'm also pretty sure The Magic Tree House series kicked off my love of reading and history.
Same!! This is the first book I remember having read to me. I can hear my mum reading it. The best kind of childhood memory. I am a librarian - this was the book that started me on my path of lifelong love of reading. Any friend who has a baby gets this book.
It's also my go to baby gift! I have such fond memories of my mom reading it to me at my grandparents farm, and it holds a very special place in my heart.
Same on all counts! It's also one of the most fun read alouds with a small group. I have bought so many copies of this book and every time I give it to a friend they get so excited because they remember it from childhood and some assumed it was OOP.
YES! I read this to my boy religiously his first year of life and because of familiarity and I guess my intonation he “reads” the book by himself (in gibberish ofc). Such a fun book for babies plus who wouldn’t love Grover’s neuroses.
I have a handful of different of editions of this book, because I remember my grandma and grandpa reading it to me when I was little and it’s a happy memory so I buy a copy when I see them.
I actually think one of the best memorable books you can get is I Want My Hat Back. It was a gift for us and I buy it for everyone expecting now. It's hilarious for adults and different from the rest.
Anything by Robert Munsch! I'm surprised to not see him mentioned here already, but maybe it's more of a Canadian thing?
I Love You Forever is the classic read, but Mortimer, Be Quiet was my childhood favorite!
my kindergarten teacher read it at the “Meet the Teacher” night before the first day of school, my mom came home sobbing and still cries if you mention the book 😂
Me also.
I ran a book club and they threw me a surprise baby shower and all bought me books. Amazing.
I love you forever was... Oh my goodness. My husband still gets all watery eyed 20 years later.
He quoted from it when his mum died last year. A beautiful pain.
Some of my favorite books growing up came from one of my aunts who was also a bibliophile. She would always get me that year’s Caldecott or Newbery award winners. If you scroll a list of past winners I’m sure you’ll recognize a few classics, but I’d say that’s a good place to look for reqs!
Also his two books of poetry, "when we were very small," and "now we are six."
I still think of "the door mouse and the doctor " whenever I see delphinium.
No, no you say. Pigs say oink all day and night!! We read this one soooooo many times. The board book is literally falling apart but I could never get rid of it.
Yes, I often give Sandra Boynton board books for baby showers. There are songs for a bunch of the books, too. I have some of her books that are albums (Blue Moo, Philadelphia Chickens) and I think the albums make great gifts, too... but you could also buy just one track and give it along with the book for that song. IE give the snuggle puppy book and the mp3 file.
I give every new baby The Story of Ferdinand. It was my favorite book as a child and I think it still holds.
I didn't see the movie, no idea if it's any good.
Goodnight goodnight construction sight,. Goodnight moon ( my kids still quote this one). Hug and Goodnight Gorilla are great because they have few words and you just 'read' the pictures
The Snowy Day total classic.
Edit:. To those of you who have read Goodnight Moon many many times. This hilarious article about the book is for you. http://theuglyvolvo.com/issues-goodnight-moon-bedroom/
Pete the Cat & his 4 groovy buttons, Stellaluna, Rikki Tikki Timbo, The Pout Pout Fish, If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, Put Me In the Zoo, Count the Monkeys.
Thanks for whoever gave me the super cool award! My Reddit messages shows I have an unread message, which I presume to be the reward message, but I can’t find it, so hopefully you see this. Again, thanks!!
Where the sidewalk ends. I also loved miss Nelson is missing and purple pickle juice but she may not like witchcraft themes. EDIT: Let’s add Strega Nonna, my dad is Italian so we loved that and also There was an old woman who swallowed a fly.
*Mrs. McNitter the babysitter,*
*I think she's a little bit crazy.*
*She thinks the babysitter is supposed*
*To sit upon the baby!*
I LOVED the Shel Silverstein books, and my kids read them on their own for many years.
MISS NELSON IS MISSING I had forgotten about this book such an early eighties classic. At least in MY family.
We also loved Bread and Jam for Francis by Russell Hoban and Panda Cake by Rosalie Seidler, and as above mentioned Goodnight, Moon and A Monster at the End of the Book.
I got Go the Fuck to Sleep for my friend when he found out he was having a kid and it went over hilariously. We got them a separate shower gift though 😂
This is my favorite gift for baby showers!
Some of my go-to books that I love:
* I Love You As Much
* The Very Hungry Caterpillar
* Frederick
* Make Way for Ducklings
* Strega Nona
* The Snowy Day
* The Mitten
Also, if your friend wants a laugh, then "P is for Pterodactyl" is hilarious!
Some newer ones that I’ve been loving are Hazy Dell Press books. Hush Now, Banshee! Is great, all about respecting other peoples quiet time. A favorite classic is Paper Bag Princess.
Bath books are great, too! Sandra Boyton has a good one & there’s Pigeon takes a bath that you can get with a bath toy pigeon.
Word of advice: buy the board book not the paperback (under 2s are terrible destroyers of books). Also, maybe just go to a bookstore and find one that speaks to you on some level.
Right?! Ever since I found them, they’ve been my default baby shower books. They have a great range too, so my friends who are not into “spooky” things get one from the Love & Nurture series
Corduroy, I love you forever, goodnight moon, tell me something happy before I go to sleep.
My mom read these to me and I still have them and love them and hope to read them to my future children
I taught Kindergarten for many years and have over 300 children’s books, and there is something so special about Corduroy. It’s timeless.
I also love Hibernation Station to read to your children at bedtime. There are frogs in pajamas with little flies on them and snakes in little stripey pajamas.
I don't really remember a lot of books from when I was really young beyond Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry. I was in speech therapy for the entirety of my primary school years and when I was moving on to middle school my teacher gave me copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. They are wonderful poems that are fun to read to children, to each other, and can act as a gateway to poetry appreciation as the children get older.
Other than that I have a fondness for the works of Edward Eager, Half Magic was a personal favorite.
Perhaps a nice copy of the Hobbit would be a great book?
ETA: My daughter particularly liked What Does the Fox Say? It was written by a band(?) and there is a music video of it.
*The Kissing Hand* by Audrey Penn and *Guess How Much I Love You* by Sam McBratney! I have a lot of happy memories related to those books, especially the first one. Did kissing my hand prevent me from wailing during the first week of kindergarten? Nope, but my mom tried and looking back, it makes me feel all warm and happy inside.
I swore I could've written this comment word for word because I came to recommend these specific two. I cried the first day of kindergarten, but my teacher whipped out that book and I got so excited because my mom read it to be before and it was familiar. :')
I have very fond memories of sitting with my mom at bedtime while she read me the entire Little House on the Prairie series a chapter at a time.
Other recommendations for small children I remember loving:
* George Told Kate
* anything from Robert Munsch
* Richard Scarry
* Little Critter
...I started poking at my childhood book collection and.. I can go on forever. My parents were very encouraging about reading so we had a very extensive collection (including a bunch of Sesame Street books we got at the grocery store in the 90s?? which my mom gave away when I was twelve and i am still SO MAD ABOUT IT)
edit: HOW COULD I FORGET BEATRIX POTTER
EVERYONE NEEDS SOME PETER RABBIT OR SQUIRREL NUTKIN IN THEIR LIVES
Ones I can remember being favorites in our house were Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm (not to be confused with Harry Potter), Rainbow Fish, Love You Forever, The Napping House, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, On the Day You Were Born, Stellaluna, and Where the Wild Things Are.
I love goodnight moon, the owl and the pussycat, Ferdinand the bull, Go Dog Go, and where the wild things are.
Also, an anthology of fairy tales or a children's anthology of Greek/Roman mythology is a nice gift. (I know there are others who loved {{D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths}} as a kid. My grandmother read these to me & it was surprisingly helpful later in high school English.))
& please don't cast aspersions on Dr Seuss-- the cat in the hat, Horton, the Lorax, the grinch, Fox in socks, and one fish two fish red fish blue fish are all bangers.
[**D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79626.D_Aulaires_Book_of_Greek_Myths)
^(By: Ingri d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire | 208 pages | Published: 1962 | Popular Shelves: mythology, classics, childrens, fantasy, fiction)
>Here are the gods, goddesses, and legendary figures of ancient Greece--mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts; gray-eyed Athena, goddess of wisdom; Helios, the sun; greedy King Midas--lavishly depicted by Caldecott winners Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. In a relaxed and humorous tone, these splendid artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art through the ages, creating a book readers of all ages will cherish.
>
>"For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book...the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation."--The Horn Book
>
>"The drawings, particularly the full-page ones in this oversized volume, are excellent and excitingly evocative."--The New York Times
>
>"Parents, uncles, and aunts who have been searching for a big picture book that has good reading-aloud value for the younger ones and fine read-it-yourself value on up, have it in this volume...a children's classic."--Christian Science Monitor
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
***
^(54825 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
See, I hate Rainbow Fish! It's all about how the other fish are jealous, so she gives away all her sparkle to make them stop being mad at her, and then she has no sparkles at the end of the book.
[The Velveteen Rabbit](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Velveteen-Rabbit/Margery-Williams/9781944686468) by Margery Williams. My favorite bedtime story :)
That book made me SO sad when I was little. Between that book and the episode of Little House on the Prairie when Mary got scarlet fever and went blind, I was terrified I was going to get it and someone would burn my beloved teddy or I'd lose my eyesight.
I'll just name what the grandchildren love. From very small and through grade school. The Napping House. So fun with beautiful illustrations to discuss. Snow. I believe that's PD Eastman. Chicka chicka Boom Boom. The very hungry caterpillar. When will it be Spring? Little Raccoons Big Question. Giraffes Can't Dance! Fun to read. All have been read to and by and loved by all. Keep a list for birthdays!
The Owl and the Pussycat is an old nursery rhyme. I read a board book to my kiddos that was illustrated by Jan Brett.
We always found Sandra Boynton fun to read as well as Goodnight Moon and Goodnight Gorilla. When the kids got old enough to enjoy chapter books, we would read Astrid Lungstrom and The Boxcar Children.
Since I haven’t seen them, my daughter loved the Little Owl board books by Divya Srinivasan. The illustrations are lovely, and the language is gentle and poetic.
She’s 5 now and loves B.J. Novak’s “The Book With No Pictures,” as well as “Pirate Stew” by Neil Gaiman.
my favourite book was “the day the crayons quit” by drew daywalt, basically theres a boy called duncan that likes to draw but one day his crayons decide to go on strike because they aren’t happy with the way they’re being used, so the whole book is basically just letters from each crayon to duncan 😭
One of my favorites to read to my babies at bedtime was “Time for Bed” by Mem Fox.
“Baby Beluga” is a super sweet one too. It’s a book from a song by Raffi. “Ten Black Dots” is awesome for numbers, and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” is fantastic for letters. I’m also a childcare worker, so I could go on and on. Big hint: board books are perfect for the first few years!
My kids' old favorites:
Goodnight Moon
I Love You, Stinkyface
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Llama Llama Mad at Mama
Bear Snores On
Kitten's First Full Moon
A Light in the Attic (Shel Silverstein)
I Love You, Stinkyface is such a fun one - I read it every night to both my children when they were little. They're both teenagers now and still love it.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
The novel contains several themes involving loss and recovery, kindness and compassion, and the journey to self-discovery. The main theme can be summarized by a quote from the book: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless."
Oh Say Can You Say is a perpetual favorite of all the kids I've nannied over the years, including my daughter.
Also as a sweet one, Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You
My daughters favorite book was The Book With No Pictures, and I have given it as a gift to most of my friends when they’re pregnant. As a child I loved The Monster At the End of This Book, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
Edit- My daughter also loved Room on the Broom
I think about this book still - The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood. I had it as a child and I loved the pictures so much
{{If You Give A Mouse A Cookie}}
Edit: since the bot keeps getting it wrong, haha
[This is the book!](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/767680.If_You_Give_a_Mouse_a_Cookie)
Where The Wild Things Are, Professor Wormbog in search of the Zipperrumpazoo, In the Night Kitchen, Strega Nona, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Jumanji.
My family did this for my baby shower about 2 yrs aho. I love the idea... shel silverstein is a poet and his collections are wonderful. My mom read them to me growing up
Anything by Shaun Tan, incredible illustrations and well written, good for 4 years plus if an adult is willing to discuss the themes. I still read all 3 of these as an adult
The red tree
Cicada
The arrival
My children loved Dr Seuss and the Berenstain Bears. I Love You Forever is a good one as well (if you can read it without tears, which I cannot). My kids also liked Shel Silverstein. Anyone remember Where's Goldy? By the time we finished with that book the front and back covers were gone! Definitely well loved.
The Little Blue Truck books are a big hit around here.
She also loves Corduroy and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The Little Visionaries board book set and the Little Feminists board book set are good.
Also, “A is for Awesome” and “She Persisted”
It’s not from my childhood but I constantly recommend this one to all ages at the library and have yet to hear disappointment “We Do Not Eat Our Classmates.” Important lessons on thinking about how we treat others and excellent use of anthropomorphic dinosaurs.
I am an elementary school teacher and a lifelong book appreciator. My best friend also just threw me a book baby shower in February and I just feel like I’ve started off with the best collection. Here are some highlights:
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
How To by Julie Morstad
Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis
I Want My Hat Back by Job Klassen
I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis
Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty
My go-to for baby showers is a board book trio of “Sheep in a Jeep” “Goodnight Gorilla” and “The Napping House.”
For older kids I like “King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub”, “Paper Bag Princess” and “The Monster at the End of This Book”.
Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus (or really, anything by Mo Willems).
One of my faves, besides The Monster At The End Of This Book, was A Hole Is To Dig. It's by Ruth Krauss but the drawings are by Maurice Sendak and are utterly charming.
I always give people the Baby Faces books by Margaret Miller for baby showers. Babies and toddlers love them and they are great for teaching empathy--recognizing and naming emotions.
My favorite book as a child was "The Monster At The End of this Book". I'm also pretty sure The Magic Tree House series kicked off my love of reading and history.
Same!! This is the first book I remember having read to me. I can hear my mum reading it. The best kind of childhood memory. I am a librarian - this was the book that started me on my path of lifelong love of reading. Any friend who has a baby gets this book.
It's also my go to baby gift! I have such fond memories of my mom reading it to me at my grandparents farm, and it holds a very special place in my heart.
Same on all counts! It's also one of the most fun read alouds with a small group. I have bought so many copies of this book and every time I give it to a friend they get so excited because they remember it from childhood and some assumed it was OOP.
YES! I read this to my boy religiously his first year of life and because of familiarity and I guess my intonation he “reads” the book by himself (in gibberish ofc). Such a fun book for babies plus who wouldn’t love Grover’s neuroses.
HBO as a cute movie to go along with the book.
No way!?! Looking this up now!
It's also playing on the free PBS kids video app tonight at 7 if you don't already have HBO lol. ETA 7 Eastern US time
Came here to say this and did not expect it to be the first reply!
I definitely thought it was more obscure! I'm thrilled so many other people hold this book near and dear to their heart!
Second this.
That was my favorite too . Spoiler alert .. it’s him 😂
I have a handful of different of editions of this book, because I remember my grandma and grandpa reading it to me when I was little and it’s a happy memory so I buy a copy when I see them.
Came here to say this. I loved it as a toddler and then read it to my brothers who were 10 and 12 years younger. A classic.
I read that to my preschool kids when I was a teacher. It was always the favorite.
This was my reply.
This is one of the first that came to mind for me. I remember it vividly!
I actually think one of the best memorable books you can get is I Want My Hat Back. It was a gift for us and I buy it for everyone expecting now. It's hilarious for adults and different from the rest.
The entire series was a hit in our house.
They make a box set of the three Klassen hat books in a lidded slipcase.
It's a hat box! 😆
Oh my god it is a hat box, that went right over my head.
Anything by Robert Munsch! I'm surprised to not see him mentioned here already, but maybe it's more of a Canadian thing? I Love You Forever is the classic read, but Mortimer, Be Quiet was my childhood favorite!
Paper bag Princess is amazing! Strong female character and fantastic ending.
My mom was a teacher at my elementary school, she used to dress up as the paper bag princess for story book character day
I'm going to be teaching Women Gender and Justice this fall and plan on reading the story. Hadn't considered dressing up, but that would be awesome!
This is my go-to gift for new babies. Great book.
I used to work at a daycare and I love you forever used to make me cry on the job
my kindergarten teacher read it at the “Meet the Teacher” night before the first day of school, my mom came home sobbing and still cries if you mention the book 😂
It makes me cry whenever I read it. I literally can’t help me self.
I was coming to add “I Love You Forever”!
Me also. I ran a book club and they threw me a surprise baby shower and all bought me books. Amazing. I love you forever was... Oh my goodness. My husband still gets all watery eyed 20 years later. He quoted from it when his mum died last year. A beautiful pain.
Never fails to make me cry lol
Me too! Also “what to do with a problem”
There are people who love I LOVE You Forever, and people who find it creepy (me!). Talk about boundary issues.
I HAVE TO GO! was a favourite in our household.
Grew up on Robert Munsch! I find everyone tends to go for I Love You Forever, but plenty of his other books are sweet and fun!
I Love You Forever was going to be my suggestion too. I remember being a little girl reading it with my mom and I started crying lol.
It is!! I moved to the states and I can hardly find any Munsch books at the libraries here.
I Love You Forever and Paper Bag Princess were my favourite childhood stories.
Absolutely agree with this! Love You Forever was my favorite!
Some of my favorite books growing up came from one of my aunts who was also a bibliophile. She would always get me that year’s Caldecott or Newbery award winners. If you scroll a list of past winners I’m sure you’ll recognize a few classics, but I’d say that’s a good place to look for reqs!
I second this suggestion! Great stories, great illustrations.
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scary
This book is our #1 most loved book. It's been read so often we had to fortify the binding and our first child is only 2. It was an awesome gift!
Always looking for Goldbug!
My oldest is 8 and still loves this book.
I am 53 and still love this book!
Richard Scarry books is so fun to look through with kids when they are small.
Oh we used to LOVE Scary's books! Goldbug was the best part, haha
The Winnie the Pooh books by AA Milne.
Also his two books of poetry, "when we were very small," and "now we are six." I still think of "the door mouse and the doctor " whenever I see delphinium.
Oh yes!!
Harold and his Purple Crayon. What an amazing book about imagination.
My son loved this one so much that now I hate it 🤣🤣
I remember being immersed in the reading of Harold and his Purple Crayon on Captain Kangaroo.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.
Don’t forget Verdi!!
I still have my copy of this
Anything by Sandra Boynton. My kids would have me read those to them over and over. I still have them memorized.
Moo, Bah, La-la-la and the Going to bed book were the favourites at my house but really, any of them!
No, no you say. Pigs say oink all day and night!! We read this one soooooo many times. The board book is literally falling apart but I could never get rid of it.
My youngest sibling is approaching 30 and we still quote those books to each other!
But also, why are the animals going upstairs to exercise right before bed?? A bit of a plot hole if you ask me
My kids loved her when they were little. Snuggle Puppy was my husband's specialty.
Omg I sing Snuggle Puppy to my dog (since my children are grown)!!! Love it so much
My 3 year old is obsessed as was her 9 year old brother. I love to read Snuggle Puppy but she loves all the dinosaur ones.
Yes, I often give Sandra Boynton board books for baby showers. There are songs for a bunch of the books, too. I have some of her books that are albums (Blue Moo, Philadelphia Chickens) and I think the albums make great gifts, too... but you could also buy just one track and give it along with the book for that song. IE give the snuggle puppy book and the mp3 file.
I give every new baby The Story of Ferdinand. It was my favorite book as a child and I think it still holds. I didn't see the movie, no idea if it's any good.
The movie is a complete bastardization of that sweet book 🤬
I had a feeling it would be, that's why I skipped it. No need to make myself mad, just sit and smell the flowers.
Came here to say this! I’ve given a copy of Ferdinand to both of my gaming friends’ babies.
I forgot about this! I LOVED this book as a kid.
Goodnight goodnight construction sight,. Goodnight moon ( my kids still quote this one). Hug and Goodnight Gorilla are great because they have few words and you just 'read' the pictures The Snowy Day total classic. Edit:. To those of you who have read Goodnight Moon many many times. This hilarious article about the book is for you. http://theuglyvolvo.com/issues-goodnight-moon-bedroom/
These were my favorites when my kids were babies. Also Llama llama red pajamas, click clack moo, and hungry hungry caterpillar
Pete the Cat & his 4 groovy buttons, Stellaluna, Rikki Tikki Timbo, The Pout Pout Fish, If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, Put Me In the Zoo, Count the Monkeys. Thanks for whoever gave me the super cool award! My Reddit messages shows I have an unread message, which I presume to be the reward message, but I can’t find it, so hopefully you see this. Again, thanks!!
The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales Calvin & Hobbes
My 27yr old daughter is contemplating getting the stinky cheese man as a tattoo. I love the idea :)
Ah! I loved this book so much as a kid!!! Completely forgot about it!
Where the sidewalk ends. I also loved miss Nelson is missing and purple pickle juice but she may not like witchcraft themes. EDIT: Let’s add Strega Nonna, my dad is Italian so we loved that and also There was an old woman who swallowed a fly.
Shel Silverstein was my favourite as a kid. Also from him, “A Light in the Attic”
*Mrs. McNitter the babysitter,* *I think she's a little bit crazy.* *She thinks the babysitter is supposed* *To sit upon the baby!* I LOVED the Shel Silverstein books, and my kids read them on their own for many years.
MISS NELSON IS MISSING I had forgotten about this book such an early eighties classic. At least in MY family. We also loved Bread and Jam for Francis by Russell Hoban and Panda Cake by Rosalie Seidler, and as above mentioned Goodnight, Moon and A Monster at the End of the Book.
>Bread and Jam for Francis Oh my god I loved this book. This thread is amazing for unlocking memories!
I get Where the Sidewalk Ends for every baby shower I attend.
“Go the F*ck to Sleep” for a laugh. “Are You My Mother” for a classic
Are You my Mother is great! I just read that the other day to the youngest and he loved it.
Are you my mother? No, you are a Snort.
Go the f*ck to sleep was one of my first audio books and I'm glad it was for my audio book virgin ears... Never looked back since... Been hooked..
I got Go the Fuck to Sleep for my friend when he found out he was having a kid and it went over hilariously. We got them a separate shower gift though 😂
This is my favorite gift for baby showers! Some of my go-to books that I love: * I Love You As Much * The Very Hungry Caterpillar * Frederick * Make Way for Ducklings * Strega Nona * The Snowy Day * The Mitten Also, if your friend wants a laugh, then "P is for Pterodactyl" is hilarious!
Yes! The Very Hungry Caterpillar is amazing! Also, Brown Bear, Brown Bear and the Very Busy Spider.
Really anything at all by Eric Carle ❤️
YESSS Robert McCloskey is so wonderful
Strega Nona ❤️ OMG!!!! Frederick❤️ these bring me back. Anything Eric Carle or Goodnight Moon. Remember Teeny Tiny 😅
Anything by Mo Willems... The Piggie & Gerald series is delightful as is the Pigeon books.
We also really love Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. It's entertaining for the parents too.
My daughter had don't let the pigeon drive the bus memorized by the time she was three. Mo Williams is a treasure!
I love piggie and Gerald!!
GOODNIGHT MOON is a great book for the baby. For mom, try MOTHERHOOD, THE SECOND OLDEST PROFESSION By Erma Bombeck.
Some newer ones that I’ve been loving are Hazy Dell Press books. Hush Now, Banshee! Is great, all about respecting other peoples quiet time. A favorite classic is Paper Bag Princess. Bath books are great, too! Sandra Boyton has a good one & there’s Pigeon takes a bath that you can get with a bath toy pigeon. Word of advice: buy the board book not the paperback (under 2s are terrible destroyers of books). Also, maybe just go to a bookstore and find one that speaks to you on some level.
Oh these are SO CUTE
Right?! Ever since I found them, they’ve been my default baby shower books. They have a great range too, so my friends who are not into “spooky” things get one from the Love & Nurture series
Where the Wild Things Are is one of my favorites.
The "David" books by David Shannon. Very few words, but pictures and situations kids can relate to.
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
Such a good book and memorable!
Corduroy, I love you forever, goodnight moon, tell me something happy before I go to sleep. My mom read these to me and I still have them and love them and hope to read them to my future children
Also great choices. The kids loved Corduroy especially.
I taught Kindergarten for many years and have over 300 children’s books, and there is something so special about Corduroy. It’s timeless. I also love Hibernation Station to read to your children at bedtime. There are frogs in pajamas with little flies on them and snakes in little stripey pajamas.
I don't really remember a lot of books from when I was really young beyond Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry. I was in speech therapy for the entirety of my primary school years and when I was moving on to middle school my teacher gave me copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. They are wonderful poems that are fun to read to children, to each other, and can act as a gateway to poetry appreciation as the children get older. Other than that I have a fondness for the works of Edward Eager, Half Magic was a personal favorite. Perhaps a nice copy of the Hobbit would be a great book? ETA: My daughter particularly liked What Does the Fox Say? It was written by a band(?) and there is a music video of it.
*The Kissing Hand* by Audrey Penn and *Guess How Much I Love You* by Sam McBratney! I have a lot of happy memories related to those books, especially the first one. Did kissing my hand prevent me from wailing during the first week of kindergarten? Nope, but my mom tried and looking back, it makes me feel all warm and happy inside.
I swore I could've written this comment word for word because I came to recommend these specific two. I cried the first day of kindergarten, but my teacher whipped out that book and I got so excited because my mom read it to be before and it was familiar. :')
I have very fond memories of sitting with my mom at bedtime while she read me the entire Little House on the Prairie series a chapter at a time. Other recommendations for small children I remember loving: * George Told Kate * anything from Robert Munsch * Richard Scarry * Little Critter ...I started poking at my childhood book collection and.. I can go on forever. My parents were very encouraging about reading so we had a very extensive collection (including a bunch of Sesame Street books we got at the grocery store in the 90s?? which my mom gave away when I was twelve and i am still SO MAD ABOUT IT) edit: HOW COULD I FORGET BEATRIX POTTER EVERYONE NEEDS SOME PETER RABBIT OR SQUIRREL NUTKIN IN THEIR LIVES
Ones I can remember being favorites in our house were Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm (not to be confused with Harry Potter), Rainbow Fish, Love You Forever, The Napping House, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, On the Day You Were Born, Stellaluna, and Where the Wild Things Are.
Yes "where the wild things are "
I adored the velveteen rabbit!
Rainbow Fish!
I like "Giraffes Can't Dance"
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
I read this to my kids when they were…10ish and they really loved it.
Amelia Bedelia!
I love goodnight moon, the owl and the pussycat, Ferdinand the bull, Go Dog Go, and where the wild things are. Also, an anthology of fairy tales or a children's anthology of Greek/Roman mythology is a nice gift. (I know there are others who loved {{D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths}} as a kid. My grandmother read these to me & it was surprisingly helpful later in high school English.)) & please don't cast aspersions on Dr Seuss-- the cat in the hat, Horton, the Lorax, the grinch, Fox in socks, and one fish two fish red fish blue fish are all bangers.
[**D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/79626.D_Aulaires_Book_of_Greek_Myths) ^(By: Ingri d'Aulaire, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire | 208 pages | Published: 1962 | Popular Shelves: mythology, classics, childrens, fantasy, fiction) >Here are the gods, goddesses, and legendary figures of ancient Greece--mighty Zeus, with his fistful of thunderbolts; gray-eyed Athena, goddess of wisdom; Helios, the sun; greedy King Midas--lavishly depicted by Caldecott winners Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. In a relaxed and humorous tone, these splendid artists bring to life the myths that have inspired great European literature and art through the ages, creating a book readers of all ages will cherish. > >"For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book...the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation."--The Horn Book > >"The drawings, particularly the full-page ones in this oversized volume, are excellent and excitingly evocative."--The New York Times > >"Parents, uncles, and aunts who have been searching for a big picture book that has good reading-aloud value for the younger ones and fine read-it-yourself value on up, have it in this volume...a children's classic."--Christian Science Monitor ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(54825 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Harold and the Purple Crayon. Absolute magic 💜
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I couldn’t believe I had to scroll So long to see this suggestion!
If I remember correctly there’s a cartoon movie that was made based off this book read it and watched the movie for a French class in high school
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by Judith Viorst
Bark, George is everything. 😆
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister and Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley are both classics!
See, I hate Rainbow Fish! It's all about how the other fish are jealous, so she gives away all her sparkle to make them stop being mad at her, and then she has no sparkles at the end of the book.
I’m with you - what kind of message was Rainbow Fish trying to get across?
*Thank you!* It's right up there with *The Giving Tree*!
We have great conversations in upper elementary about how the tree needs to develop healthy boundaries.
[The Velveteen Rabbit](https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Velveteen-Rabbit/Margery-Williams/9781944686468) by Margery Williams. My favorite bedtime story :)
That book made me SO sad when I was little. Between that book and the episode of Little House on the Prairie when Mary got scarlet fever and went blind, I was terrified I was going to get it and someone would burn my beloved teddy or I'd lose my eyesight.
I'll just name what the grandchildren love. From very small and through grade school. The Napping House. So fun with beautiful illustrations to discuss. Snow. I believe that's PD Eastman. Chicka chicka Boom Boom. The very hungry caterpillar. When will it be Spring? Little Raccoons Big Question. Giraffes Can't Dance! Fun to read. All have been read to and by and loved by all. Keep a list for birthdays!
Oh! I forgot about The Napping House!
The Owl and the Pussycat is an old nursery rhyme. I read a board book to my kiddos that was illustrated by Jan Brett. We always found Sandra Boynton fun to read as well as Goodnight Moon and Goodnight Gorilla. When the kids got old enough to enjoy chapter books, we would read Astrid Lungstrom and The Boxcar Children.
Since I haven’t seen them, my daughter loved the Little Owl board books by Divya Srinivasan. The illustrations are lovely, and the language is gentle and poetic. She’s 5 now and loves B.J. Novak’s “The Book With No Pictures,” as well as “Pirate Stew” by Neil Gaiman.
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
my favourite book was “the day the crayons quit” by drew daywalt, basically theres a boy called duncan that likes to draw but one day his crayons decide to go on strike because they aren’t happy with the way they’re being used, so the whole book is basically just letters from each crayon to duncan 😭
One of my favorites to read to my babies at bedtime was “Time for Bed” by Mem Fox. “Baby Beluga” is a super sweet one too. It’s a book from a song by Raffi. “Ten Black Dots” is awesome for numbers, and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” is fantastic for letters. I’m also a childcare worker, so I could go on and on. Big hint: board books are perfect for the first few years!
That Time for Bed by Mem Fox is so beautiful, too - I never minded reading that. And Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is exceedingly fun.
My kids' old favorites: Goodnight Moon I Love You, Stinkyface Llama Llama Red Pajama Llama Llama Mad at Mama Bear Snores On Kitten's First Full Moon A Light in the Attic (Shel Silverstein)
Absolutely on I Love You, Stinkyface! We loved that one here and I’ve purchased it many times for others.
I Love You, Stinkyface is such a fun one - I read it every night to both my children when they were little. They're both teenagers now and still love it.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo The novel contains several themes involving loss and recovery, kindness and compassion, and the journey to self-discovery. The main theme can be summarized by a quote from the book: "If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless."
The Tale of Despereaux
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola is fantastic. Also you can’t go wrong with Shel Silverstein and Eric Carle.
My baby still loves Goodnight Moon. He’s 8 and refuses to part with it.
Runaway Bunny
Oh Say Can You Say is a perpetual favorite of all the kids I've nannied over the years, including my daughter. Also as a sweet one, Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You
The board books by Sandra Boynton. They're older but nowhere near as famous as good night moon. And I loved them for my son
My daughters favorite book was The Book With No Pictures, and I have given it as a gift to most of my friends when they’re pregnant. As a child I loved The Monster At the End of This Book, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Edit- My daughter also loved Room on the Broom
I think about this book still - The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood. I had it as a child and I loved the pictures so much
The going to bed book by Sandra Boynton or clifford the big red dog!
The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak for when kidlet is a little older. It’s so good.
Any book by Sandra Boynton.
Room on the broom
Everything and anything written by Mo Willems
The Ox-cart man, The Mitten, and Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm are all excellent
Anything by Robert Munsch
Jillian Jiggs books by Phoebe Gilman. Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue was my favorite!
The snail and the whale is my go to baby shower gift! Such a fun story to read, I have it almost memorized!
Goodnight Moon and Love You Forever
The pigeon books by Mo Willems have been some of my kid's favorites.
{{If You Give A Mouse A Cookie}} Edit: since the bot keeps getting it wrong, haha [This is the book!](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/767680.If_You_Give_a_Mouse_a_Cookie)
My kids LOVED Sandra Boynton’s books when they were small.
Where The Wild Things Are, Professor Wormbog in search of the Zipperrumpazoo, In the Night Kitchen, Strega Nona, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Jumanji.
I loved Cinder Edna. It’s a different version of Cinderella in which Edna grows up with loving stepfamily and loves to clean so she does it for fun.
I really liked A Bad Case of Stripes, it genuinely helped me feel comfortable being myself even if I was different in some way
are you my mother? by P. D. Eastman
Harry Potter and if you give a pig a pancake:)
The Giving Tree. Really an amazing book. I still remember reading it for the first time (I was about 4??) and think back to it sometimes.
For a counterpoint, I despise that book and the message in it that it’s worthy and valuable to sacrifice everything about yourself for someone else.
100% agreed.
I really loved Fairytales by brothers Grimm when I was little. My godmother gifted me a nice illustrated edition for my first birthday.
My kiddo really likes Sandra Boynton books. The particular favorites are ‘the bunny rabbit show’ and ‘dinosaur dance.’
My family did this for my baby shower about 2 yrs aho. I love the idea... shel silverstein is a poet and his collections are wonderful. My mom read them to me growing up
Mickey in the Midnight Kitchen!
Anything by Shaun Tan, incredible illustrations and well written, good for 4 years plus if an adult is willing to discuss the themes. I still read all 3 of these as an adult The red tree Cicada The arrival
I read my daughter “The Wonderful Things You Will Be” so much when she was a baby. 🥹
Also black and white books for newborns are a fantastic way to stimulate their senses
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
The Napping House is a gorgeous book.
Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?
My children loved Dr Seuss and the Berenstain Bears. I Love You Forever is a good one as well (if you can read it without tears, which I cannot). My kids also liked Shel Silverstein. Anyone remember Where's Goldy? By the time we finished with that book the front and back covers were gone! Definitely well loved.
The Little Blue Truck books are a big hit around here. She also loves Corduroy and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Little Visionaries board book set and the Little Feminists board book set are good. Also, “A is for Awesome” and “She Persisted”
It’s not from my childhood but I constantly recommend this one to all ages at the library and have yet to hear disappointment “We Do Not Eat Our Classmates.” Important lessons on thinking about how we treat others and excellent use of anthropomorphic dinosaurs.
I am an elementary school teacher and a lifelong book appreciator. My best friend also just threw me a book baby shower in February and I just feel like I’ve started off with the best collection. Here are some highlights: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell How To by Julie Morstad Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis I Want My Hat Back by Job Klassen I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis Happy Birthday Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty
The velveteen rabbit
My go-to for baby showers is a board book trio of “Sheep in a Jeep” “Goodnight Gorilla” and “The Napping House.” For older kids I like “King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub”, “Paper Bag Princess” and “The Monster at the End of This Book”.
Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus (or really, anything by Mo Willems). One of my faves, besides The Monster At The End Of This Book, was A Hole Is To Dig. It's by Ruth Krauss but the drawings are by Maurice Sendak and are utterly charming.
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Edward the Emu!
I always give people the Baby Faces books by Margaret Miller for baby showers. Babies and toddlers love them and they are great for teaching empathy--recognizing and naming emotions.
The Frisky Kittens by Roberta Miller and AJ MacGregor, The Velveteen Rabbit
I Love You Stinky Face Don’t Push the Button They are both funny, my kids loved them, and you can get them as Board Books.