Your Top 3 Children's Books

[dngrmys]

My sister is 6 months pregnant, so for Christmas I want to get her a few books for the baby. I am not really looking for books that are too basic, but ones with a good story/message.

So, what are your top 3 favorite children's books?

(Please do not include 'The Giving Tree' as I already have that one purchased.)

Thanks!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Good Night Moon was one of my son's favorites and its a classic...he also loved Velveteen Rabbit...I know this has a nice story...but I can't remember it now!!!

 

[Crankyshank]

No kids here but I just took 2 classes on children's lit so I've seen practically every children's book out there.
Are you looking for books that are more classic, and are you looking for something for a toddler age (more simple books)?

 

[NMAmy]

DD's favorites when she was little were Goodnight, Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Lorax.

She was also very fond of Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice. I think books are a wonderful gift for a new baby. I'm sure they'll appreciate them.

 

[mtemm]

Here are a couple that have nice messages. The How Do Dinosaur series is nice, very manner oriented.

My Book of Thanks

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food

A personal favorite, less message oriented but a very good story, is By the Big Red Barn

 

[luvmy2sams]

Guess How Much I Love You, Goodnight Moon, I'll Love You Forever

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I bought DD(5) a bunch of books for Christmas.

Caps for Sale
Blueberry's for Sal
Where the Wild things Are
The Snowman

For board books my kids both really liked Mama, Mama and any of the Baby Einstein ones.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Anything by Sandra Boyton, especially The Going to Bed Book, Snuggle Puppy and But Not the Hippopotamous (sp?)

 

[dngrmys]

Are you looking for books that are more classic, and are you looking for something for a toddler age (more simple books)?

I'm not real sure. I think I may be looking for books where the parents can get as much out of it as the kids can.

 

[summerrluvv]

Pat the Bunny is a good one.

 

[cabmom]

Love you forever, Robert Munch

I cry everytime I read it!

Marilynn

 

[Christine]

Besides all the ones mentioned, my DD really liked Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. It doesn't really have a message but has a nice rhythm to it that young kids (ages 9-18 months and even older) really like.

The other books with good messages are the Eric Carle books: I can't remember the titles but one was about a ladybug and there are some others--a firefly maybe?? These books have pop-ups and interesting pictures along with a nice, simple message.

 

[Crankyshank]

Any fairy tale by Paul O. Zelinsky - his illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and he's won the Caldicott Medal.

Jan Brett is a good author

My three favorites:
Click clack Moo - Cows that can type
The Rainbow Fish
Tacky the Penguin

 

[DaisyD]

My favorite is no longer in print but can be found on Ebay once in a while. It is called "Meet me in the Magic Kingdom", by Kathy Jakobsen. I found this in a store years ago when DD now 7 was going on her first trip to WDW at age 18 months. It is about a girl that is getting ready for her trip to WDW. DD loved this book so much that it because dogeared and just falling apart. I had to find another on Ebay for her! It isn't a baby book but perfect for Disney fans that want their kids to have something about their first WDW trip. We both loved, and still do, looking at the drawings of all the Disney attractions and stuff. A great book. I found it!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_g...s&field-keywords=meet+me+in+the+magic+kingdom

 

[TheGoofster]

The complete collection of Winnie the Pooh stories. Very relaxing, it helped put my son asleep many nights.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Some of our favorites..

Kiss Good Night
Bear Snores On
Guess How Much I Love You

 

[challada]

My favorites from childhood that I still read with my kids even though they are PAST picture books:

Where the Wild Things Are
Very Hungry Caterpillar
and any Seus (but she can sign up for the bookclub for Seus and get the whole collection that way)

Newer ones my family loves:
I'll Love You Forever ...the mom sings "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be" (my kids still want me to sing this to them)
Guess How Much I Love You...little nutbrown hare and big nutbrown hare argue over who loves the other the most (my kids also still quote this one..."I love you to the moon and back")
Click Clack Moo (funny one)...and the whole series
Olivia ("You really wear me out but I love you anyway" says her mother, Olivia says "I love you anyway too mom")
Chrysanthemum ...little girl learns to love her name even if it's not a regular plain one
A few years ago there was a Random House Treasury of Children's 20th Century Picture Books and it has a great collection of a number of classic books all in one book....it would make a PERFECT gift for a baby. I still have the one we got for my son when he was tiny and is now a preteen.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Among many of those already mentioned (the Sandra Boyton books, the 'How Do Dinosaurs...' books, Goodnight Moon), my boys as babies loved any book that had pictures of babies' faces. I have one that has babies with different emotional expressions; DS2 still loves to look at it, and DS6 now makes up stories about each baby, which are sometimes a bit comical.

Along the lines of the books of parents expressing their endless love for their children (Guess How Much I Love You, I'll Love You Forever), add Mama Do You Love Me? This is a book with beautiful illustrations and a sweet, gentle, funny story about a little Inuit girl testing limits, and her mother's reassuring love for her.

Our favorite Boyton books are Pajama Time, Barnyard Dance, and Moo, Baa, La La La!

 

[Feralpeg]

This one is not really baby appropriate, but "Walter, The Farting Dog" is my current favorite. Seriously, this is a great book for grade school kids. They love it! It is really cute.

 

[texasthree]

Marianne Richmond books are excellent for having a great meaning.
HORRAY FOR YOU-A celebration of "you-ness"-great message that everyone is different and you should celebrate that.
THE GIFT OF AN ANGEL-for expecting parents, soo cute!
THE GIFTS OF BEING GRAND-grandparents book.

They have adorable pictures as well. I dont know how easy they are to find in the store, I bought them a year or so ago at target.