What is your favorite children's book? Tell me why!

[Magpie]

Do you have a favorite children's book?

It doesn't have to be a classic or good literature - just a book that has become part of your family. What does it mean to you and your children?

In my case, it's a book I'm pretty sure no one has ever heard of: "The Sky Was Blue" by Charlotte Zolotow. My mother read it to me, and I've read it to my daughter, and when she learned to read, she read it to my mother - which made my mother cry.

It's a little story about a mother and daughter looking at a family photo album together and seeing how the cars and houses and the toys and clothes all change. All the way back to colonial times! It's fascinating for that reason alone, but...

"Someday you'll be showing your picture to your little girl, and you will be telling her that...
the sky will always be blue.
Grass will always be green.
Snow will always be white and cold.
The sun will always be warm and yellow
And then," said her mother,
"you'll hug her too."

The lesson being that while the world turns and generations pass, the important things in life - like the sky and the snow and a mother's love - never change. Sniffle!

 

[NMAmy]

That sounds like a wonderful book.

We have a couple that are special to dd and I. One is called Weird Parents by Audrey Wood. It's about a boy who has, well, weird parents. (And who doesn't?) But they were HIS parents and they did have their good points. DD loved it because I'd do weird voices for the weird parents.

We are also very fond of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. DD liked both of these so much she had me come into her class to read them when she was in second grade for a Community Reads day. Nothing like doing weird voices for a crowd!

 

[Jen_in_NH]

We LOVE the Wuggie Norple book (can't remember who wrote it right now). The pictures are cute, and the names are hysterical. Lunchbox Louie the dad, Bigfoot the Chipmunk the mom, Exploding Poptart, Papercup Mixmaster .... it's to funny. The only bad part is that it's out of print, so it cost a bit to find it on Ebay for my son. Worth every dime I paid for it!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I don't have kids, but I have several from my own childhood that I still read every once in a while.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsberg
Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy

Both of the above, I couldn't really tell you why, I just really liked the stories. Behind the Attic Wall is a bit creepy when you think about it, though - it's about dolls who live in an attic and come to life.

The Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol - fun to try to figure out the mysteries on your own before looking up the solution
The Bruno and Boots series by Gordon Korman (I think it's out of print now, though) - just plain funny
Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer - simply because The Cure made a song out of it, even using some lines directly from the book.

 

[Planogirl]

Dr Seuss stands out to me and there were several of his books that I thought were excellent so I can't pick just one. DS and I read them so many times!

As for me, I always loved Heidi and Albert Payson Terhune's books about dogs. Old books but just wonderful IMO.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

There are tons of childrens' books that I love, but my childhood favorite was Miss Suzy. It's a story about a squirrel who is run from her treetop home by a group of mean squirrels. She moves into a dollhouse in a dusty attic and cares for a band of toy soldiers, who eventually go reclaim her home for her.

 

[Pigeon]

Alice in Wonderland, hands down.

For younger kids, I adore books by Kevin Henkes, particularly Chrysathemum, and by Robert Munsch.

 

[Tazicket]

My favorite has always been Green Eggs and Ham. My Dad used to read it to me every night when I was little. In fact, he started skipping pages and making stuff up b/c he was so tired of it!

 

[JunieJay]

Ramona the Pest, for sentimental reasons. It was my favorite as a child. When I went off to college, my mom snuck a copy in my suitcase. I still have the same dog eared copy today, and both my children read and loved the book as well.

 

[Zandy595]

I just asked DS11 and he said he used to like Goodnight Moon the best.

I've been wanting to get a book for my nephew, but I can't remember the name. I borrowed it from the library when DS was little and he thouht it was so funny. It's a story about a bunch of animals, every time they say goodbye to each other they say "See you later, alligator", "See you soon, you big baboon", and a lot of other phrases like that. Does anyone know the name of this book?

Update: LOL I figured out the name is actually See You Later, Alligator by Laura Mcgee Kvasnosky

 

[DVCLiz]

Leo the Late Bloomer was always the one I loved the best, among the ones my girls really adored. Also, The Runaway Bunny and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

I loved the Beverly Cleary books, and Nancy Drew and especially Trixie Belden as a preteen.

Another favorite is Robin McKinley's The Hero and The Crown. Also Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series. And a book called Good Night, Mr. Tom - about a young boy in London during the blitz.

The Noel Streatfeild books, the Betsy Tacy books, Charlotte's Web, The Secret Garden, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn....

 

[NMAmy]

Reading these reminded me of something. When I was little, my favorite book was Go, Dog, Go. My sister is 10 years older than me and apparently had to read it to me so often that she is still a tad resentful 40 years later. Whenever any kid in our family asks her to read that one, she'll say very sarcastically, "Go find Aunt Amy. She LOVES that book."

 

[bluefairy13]

I think Harriet the Spy might be my all time favorite, but I was a huge Nancy Drew fan and loved A Wrinkle in Time.

DD loved Amelia Bedelia!

 

[GirTheGecko]

I loved the Little House books. They're so heartwarming and full of charm. They also link a few generations together. It was amazing to me to sit down with three generations and talk about these books. I'd certainly share them with my children (if I ever have any). The last time I read them, I was 20. I'd still sit down and read them today. Such lovely stories.

 

[clutter]

I have some favorites from my childhood, but my new favorites (which I believe will be carried to future generations) are "My big Dog" about a cat that has a large puppy moving in to its home, and "The Penderwicks". Both of them were so much fun reading with my daughter, and they're the type of memories that will last a lifetime.

 

[tiff211]

My favorite that I read to my girls is Where the wild things are. I LOVED that book as a little girl. I bought the DVD and fell in love with that too. We went to the Philly children's museum because they had a Maurice Sedak exhibit. The girls are amazed that I can "read" the whole book without turning a page. I have it memorized.

Also love "where the sidewalk ends" by Shel Silverstein

 

[burberryplaid]

I always loved Corduroy. I don't really know why.

I also loved The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (still do!) and the Ragedy Ann books.

 

[WilmaBud]

I've always loved "The Secret Garden." As a kid, I also loved "The Borrowers" series and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." When I had just learned to read, I read "Ann Likes Red" a gazillion times a day. I also loved all of the "Clifford" books.

 

[Aidensmom]

Just about anything by Dr Seuss, especially "Green Eggs and Ham." I also really enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie and Nancy Drew collections as a child.

 

[kaseyC]

Rasmus and the Vagabond by Astrid Lindgren

I remember my 3rd grade teacher reading us this bookin the 70s. My mom finally bought me a copy because I would'nt stop talking about. I read it over and over when I was a child. About 7 years I bought a used copy on Amazon so I could read it to my DDs.