If you could only have 1 book to read to your child(baby) what would it be???

[GEM]

My hands down favorite for very little ones is Jamberry! I just love it. The rhymes are so sweet and simple, and the pictures are beautiful. At almost three, this is still Paul's very favorite book.

For older toddlers, etc. I love the "If You Give A _______ A________" books. They are so funny! Paul especially loves If You Give A Moose A Muffin and If You Give A Pig A Party. He also loves the Duck and Farmer Brown books - Giggle Giggle Quack, Clack Clack Moo, and Duck for President.

And, for the record, count me in with the group who finds I'll Love You Forever a bit odd and creepy. We have it, but I just can't bring myself to read it very often. Just a little too bizarre for me.

We have a Christmas book that is by the You Are My I Love You people. It's very similar and it's called You Are My Miracle. We saw it in the store this Christmas and we had to buy it for our little miracle guy. It's beautiful!

 

[Sthronds]

My personal favorites are by Audrey and Don Wood:

The Napping House
The Big Hungry Bear
Piggies

These were very popular with my pre-schoolers when I taught.

 

[Crankyshank]

I took a children's lit class last semester and loved it. I started buying books for when DH and I have kids. Goodnight Moon is definitely a soothing book. I liked "If you give a moose a muffin" book a lot but thought the series started to get kind of old. I love the Farmer brown books. Clack Clack Moo is definitely one of my favorites.

When I'll Love You Forever was discussed, the whole class pretty much agreed it was a nice book but wicked creepy.

 

[castlegazer]

My 4yo and my 1yo absorbed, memorized and loved Where is Baby's Belly Button when they were babies (my 1 yo still reads it every night)



Karen Katz's other books are just as good too.

I would add at least 3 different Eric Carle books to any library you are creating with Brown Bear being number 1.

My 1yo (and the 4yo did too) also loves the Sleepy Book by Diane Muldrow


The book I give everyone and the book that is the number one hit in our house from birth to about 3yo is Alison Jay's Picture This - this is agorgeous book and leads to lots of discussion, searching and finding out further layers of tis intricate but simple book that even Mom and Dad don't realize at first. It's one of my all time favorites.


Then as everyone has said already, the number 2 book in our house is Goodnight Moom.

(by the way, I could never just read one book to my children so I could never just put one book down for your list, sorry)

 

[CarolG]

Another one my boys (now 18 and 22) loved is How Many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow? It's something of a tongue twister, and they always thought it was funny listening to Mom trip over the words.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

The Cat in the Hat

and

Goodnight, Moon (we always looked for the mouse)

 

[keenercam]

One of my favorites is Runaway Bunny. The illustrations are exquisite.

 

[LVSWL]

Goodnight Moon, and also The Rainbow Fish when they are older is wonderful!

 

[theprincess]

Goodnight Moon

 

[elizke]

(ooops)

 

[elizke]

The sun has set, not long ago....

It's been a good couple years since I've read it and I think I still have it memorized.

Me too.

"......they rock.......and rock.........and rock.............to sleep" (zzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Sorry, could not help myself.

 

[Mama Twinkles]

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

 

[staci]

Ill second Time for Bed by Mem Fox. Great pictures and soothing story. We have paperback but I know they make it in a board book.

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

I am a nanny so I am familiar with the book Goodnight Moon. I loved it bacause by the time I finished reading it, she was asleep. Of course I only read it to her at nap time

 

[challada]

The original question was ONE book for an infant, correct?

If that's the case, "Pat the Bunny" is the only book needed for an infant. Simple visuals, stuff to touch and sturdy!

If it's one book for a MOM..."I Love You Forever" is a good choice, but I would say "What to Expect" series is a better bet for the "what do I do when he sticks a Cheerios up his nose?"

If it's a children's great literature discussion, then "Where the Wild Things Are" by Sendak is the best piece of children's literature hands-down. It is one of the most quoted, requested children's books when we do discussions of children's literature. Other big ones are "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "Goodnight Moon", "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom"....all of these should be in any child's home library.

A few years ago, I believe Random House did a large book that was a collection of the best children's books of the 20th century. If you are looking for one piece to incorporate MANY of the previous suggestions, I would buy this one (Tub People, Chicka Chicka, Goodnight Moon, Amelia Bedelia, Boyton's Hippos, Crew's Trains, and many many more).

Oh, and if you asked my kids what the best picture book is, they would say "Stinky Cheese Man" (which is also in the 20th century collection as well as on each of my kid's bookshelves including the 11 year old!)

 

[DisneyDotty]

Goodnight Moon.
No, Runaway Bunny.
No, Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Or maybe Pat the Bunny.
What about The Napping House.
Perhaps Puppy Peek-a-boo.
Hmmm--this is a tough one!

 

[mommytotwo]

There are alot of good suggestions here and ones that I have for my daughter.
One of my daughter's favorite is Baby Baluga.

 

[Mama Twinkles]

There's a book called The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury that contains a lot of the short classics. It's very good if you're willing to forgo the tactile attributes of a chunky board book. I'm not positive whether it includes all of the original illustrations, but it has plenty, and the editor clearly knew what she was doing in selecting stories. The stories themselves are unabridged. This is a volume that will get lots of use.

 

[disneymom3]

My vote is for Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I still love that story and my youngest is 4. We read it to DD everynight when she was a newborn because it was the only book she really seemed to get into. Read it to both of my boys a lot too.

In the great green room, there is a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of....the cow jumping over the moon.....

Ohhh, makes me miss having a baby.

 

[lindalinda]

The best, favorite, funniest kids book we read over over and over and I will save forever is "Can I have a Stegosaurus Mom Can I Please?" My son could never get enough of it. Its not a message book, its just fun.