Children’s books are amazing. Not only are they full of education and humor but they can contain real pieces of art and they are an introduction to the world…both real and imaginary. As children, both my sister and I were total bookworms (Reading Rainbow anyone?!) and I remember reading anything I could get my hands on. I actually remember asking the school librarian why the summer reading lists weren’t longer. #nerd
Like most moms, I hope that passion for the pages gets passed down. My boys rarely sit still but when they do, it’s usually for books. It looks like they are developing their own appreciation for books (even though they can’t read yet!) and I can’t wait to see this hobby grow. Plus…I dig the cuddle factor.
This chapter of my Favorites is all about the preschooler and toddler books that make their little hearts happy. We have TONS of books. I probably should mention that most of the books we own are pre-loved or gifts and we try to let the boys help pick out the books at the thrift store so that they understand that there are lots of different books out there and they do get a say.
Sooo…let’s start this thing off with the King of children’s books….Seuss. This doctor really knows how to prescribe a daily dose of whimsy. We love these imaginative and poetic books. Will’s favorite is Great Day for Up but really you can’t go wrong with any of this collection.
Eric Carle is ridiculously famous for The Very Hungry Caterpillar but that was actually the last one to join our collection. We had a variety of the others first. Weston likes The Very Busy Spider because of the texture on each page and The Very Quiet Cricket because it actually makes noise on the last page. (note to moms…noisy books are just as annoying as noisy toys….especially when it makes your house sound like it’s cricket infested)
Sandra Boynton books were some of Will’s favorites. He loves Blue Hat, Green Hat…to the point where he was cry-laughing the first time we read it. Each book has a bit of humor in it and the sing songy writing makes them very easy reads.
One of the best ways to get age appropriate books is to bookmark Dr Seuss’ Bright and Early Books. I scored a bunch of these at a yard sale for ten cents a piece and they are worth their weight in copper.
Out of those, Will’s past favorites were Bears On Wheels and Inside Outside Upside Down. He also is on a dog kick lately…and he loves the silliness of Go Dog Go and The Digging-est Dog.
Look & Find books tend to be a little more pricey than your average book but they are great at keeping the little ones occupied. We’ve averaged a new one each year and I love the fact that it’s a great alternative to tv when I want a few quiet minutes.
I’ve confessed my kid’s love of cars…but really it extends to anything with an engine or that makes a loud noise. Trucks and trains should not get jealous…they are the pick of the litter too. Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site is amazing. Buy it now 🙂
Speaking of trains…these Thomas books were part of a set Will got for Christmas last year and he is really into them this year. They are super short but each one has quick lessons (being careful, friendship, etc.) that are perfect for preschoolers. It comes with an electronic reader that can read the book to your little one but Will wore out the batteries so fast that we nixed it for good ole fashioned reading.
Weston LOVES Pooh books. I think it’s funny because Weston is like a human Pooh…he is a huge lover and his tummy generally rules his decision making. These are great board books for toddlers but have more than one word a page so practicing reading fast if your little one is impatient.
It’s important to us to teach our kids about Jesus and God and how we believe everyone is unique and special and deserve love and these books do just that. Will has just begun to really understand that God loves him and how important the Bible is. He still is learning but these are some books that we think are appropriate for his little brain.
Speaking of love…that’s what these books are all about. These four are some of my favorites when it comes to describing how much MOMMY loves her little ones. And yes…I cry whenever I read them outloud. I’m a hormonal snuggling mess that better be wearing sleeves or the kid’s jammies will take one for the team.
Now for the randoms.
Weston’s current favorite randoms are these specific books. These are on repeat every single night and I have to admit, I do get tired of them…but he loves them and is obsessed with the Bright Baby books especially.
These are Will’s randoms.
The Very Stripey Flap book should probably be on Weston’s short list too. I have no idea why but they both love that one. And Will likes the Pinocchio story in the Disney Bedtime Favorites book. He calls him “Pokey Nose” which is actually the most accurate punny description ever. And I have zero idea why the Classic Paper Planes INSTRUCTION MANUAL is a favorite but it is. We read the two sentence description of the plane and let him look at the instructions on how to fold it. Yup. The kid likes instruction manuals.
So that is currently what we are reading with our little guys….how about you? Anything that we need to check out the next time we hit up the library? Anyone else out there reading instruction manuals before bedtime? No? Because you might want to try it…they are perfect for boring the kids to sleep…just as long as you don’t fall asleep first….not that that ever happens here….nope….never 🙂
Read The Kissing Hand. You would LOVE it!
I would recommend Richard Scarry books! His were always my favorite, they’re so so entertaining and charming. I think adults would enjoy them as much as the kids. He also had a cartoon show, ‘Richard Scarry’s Busy Busy World’ that is amazing as well. You could probably find it on amazon. I think they still play it on PBS as well though!
I ADORE reading! SO great that your boys seem to already love it too! Have you read Cloudy with a chance of meatballs? That was and still is my FAVORITE children’s book! Its WAY better than the movie! Check it out! Its so full of imagination, you will love it!
Reminds me of that time of life with my children who are now too big for mum to read to them, but they are avid readers themselves, so it pays off.
We had this selection of books, even though we are in the UK. My SIL in US sent over the Seuss books for us as they are not as popular here! I recommend Julia Donaldson series of books. Great stories, wonderful illustrations and good rhymes with fun attached. She’s a popular author here in the UK. There are also books called The Tiger Who came to Tea by Judith Kerr which is from the 60’s but timeless and We’re going on a bear hunt by Micheal Rosen who is a wonderful British author and advocate of children reading books and is very critical of the UK government and their classroom proposals.
Richard Scarry has a HUGE presence in our house. The detailed & sometimes complicated illustrations keep my two boys occupied for large chunks of time. Cars & Trucks and Things That Go is probably the favorite (we’ve had to buy a 2nd copy!). Along with recently published versions, we have my husband’s collection from when he was a kiddo. They are hilarious. Actually, I find a lot of the stories have an element that tickles the adult reader’s funny bone. I especially like the character, Schloompa, who plays the tuba in one of the stories! Or the fireman named, Snozzle. “Snozzle runs ahead with the nozzle.” Mr. Fix It isn’t actually capable of fixing anything which my boys find funny with their belly laughs. Check out Richard Scarry!
This is a great list! We love Dr Suess and Sandra boyton! My son Everett just turned 4 in March and he LOVES all of the Berenstain Bears books! They are perfect for their age and always have a great moral to the story! I bet Will would love them too! 🙂 oh- and we have a shorter board book series too called how do dinosaurs … Clean their rooms, play with friends, etc. They’re funny and cute too!
Love the list! Mo Williems is our favorite children’s author. Pigeon series, Elephant and Piggie series, (perfect reading level for a kindergartner!) and Knuffle Bunny series (makes me cry!) are all so awesome!
I see a lot of our favorites listed above. Particularly the Sandra Boynton and Bright Baby books for my 1 year old. Not listed, that my 4 year old loves are Elephant and Piggie books. They are laugh out loud funny. She particularly likes when I read Piggie and daddy reads Elephant.
Great suggestions. I’d add Where the Wild Things Are. My son loves to roar with Max. Also the Skippyjon Jones books. They are a little long for my two year old, but I really just read them for my own enjoyment. The series is about a cat who thinks he’s a chihuahua and the adventures he takes in Mexico.
My kiddo’s absolute favorite is Pete the Cat. Especially Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes. I’ve read the book so many times that I can quote the whole thing verbatim, but it’s still hilarious to hear my son shout “oh no!” every time Pete steps in something.
I love this. Lots of great book suggestions. I’m a book nerd too and love reading with my 16-month old. I sometimes get a bit teary when he comes to get me with a book in hand, looking for a lap to sit in and read – I’m so happy he loves books.
You should check out Sandra Boyntons “hippos go berserk”. My 10 month old loves it!!!
Love this post! Great reading list for kids!
I love this topic. You should get some Karma Wilson books, she writes Bear Snores On, Bears New Friend, A Frog in the Bog (favorite). Jan Brett has amazing illustrations, she does classics like the Night Before Christmas. Also the I Stink, I’m Dirty and I’m Fast books by Kate McMullan are great. My kids love the If you give a….. books by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.
We are into chapter books now and that is a whole new ball game.
Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom is a must at our house. We read it non-stop. My 2 year olds already have it memorized. Our other two favorites is Little Blue Truck and Road Work. I love being able to read to my kids… and am so looking forward to the day that they sit still enough and are old enough to start reading Harry Potter… yet I am that kind of nerd!
Great post! Very helpful, even, as gift ideas for my niece!
Great selection! I’m a book nerd too, so building a book collection for my child is the most exciting thing. I LOVE On The Night You Were Born”!! I’m going to always buy this as a birth present for all the future babies in my life.
My 1 year old daughter’s current favorite is Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton. Not sure she likes me actually reading it, but it has a little opening on the cover and she likes poking her hand through it. She’s still young so she likes anything she can hold herself and play with.
This is my son’s (Will too) favorite Look and Find book:
http://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Priddy-Books-Little-People/dp/0312508182/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400245162&sr=1-1&keywords=treasure+hunt+for+boys
Amazing picures!!
You should check out “I Love You Stinky Face”. Being a Mom of boys, you will appreciate this. It’s one of mine and my son’s absolute favorites.
Ooh, I love these! I’ll have to check out Blue Hat Green Hat; that’s one we haven’t read yet. You should try “Barnyard Dance” (also by Sandra Boynton) and “Giraffes Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae. Those are two of our all-time faves (along with some princess-y ones your boys probably wouldn’t be interested in).
I LOVE Love You Forever. Easily my favorite children’s book. Cry every time I read it, and I am 15 years old. It is just so sweet. 🙂
Do you guys have The Lady With The Alligator Purse? I volunteer at my church nursery and I could probably read it is my sleep because those kids love it so much. Hah.
Sarah
http://www.sarahsdaybook.wordpress.com
My 2 year old is obsessed with The Little Blue Truck. We read it at least once per day (he also loves animals and trucks so that may be why).
We love Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site too! I love hearing what books other people love for their kids so I loved the list! We have a ton of books too. Have you ever heard of the book I Stink? It’s about a garbage truck eating trash and is totally obnoxious so kids of course love it. We got ours used and it was already not in the best shape but has really taken a beating. My 3 and 5 year old have loved it for years. Bet yours would too. 🙂
Better World Books is a great resource especially when they occasionally have sales and you can get them for between $2 and $3. Good if you’re looking for a specific book.
Oh my gosh someone gave us the “love you Forever” book for my baby shower. The first time I read it I didn’t make it to the end without crying! I felt ridiculous because my son was sitting in my lap without a clue of what was happening. That book is so sad!
my nephew is really big into “good night” book.. Good Night Moon and Good Night Gorilla are all stars. On my honey I picked up Good Night New Orleans, and my parents found a Good Night America which are awesome too 🙂
Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney. They’re catchy, easy to read and teach a lesson. Curious George is also a favorite in our house.
**honeymoon
No Robert McCloskey? Get to the library at once, lol! Blueberries for Sal, Make Way for Ducklings, One Morning in Maine, and others. They are fabulous.
I have one of these posts in my queue! Great selection. I can’t recommend Dallas Clayton books enough. He is kind of a modern Dr. Seuss. You won’t regret adding “It’s Never Too Late” and “An Awesome Book!” to your collection. So, so good.
For truck lovers you should check out the Trucktown books by Jon Scieszka especially Smash!Crash! My son LOVED that book when he was Will’s age and will still break it out every once in awhile now that he’s 8. Also, check out The Day The Crayons Quit; both of my children enjoy that book!
I loved books too as a kid and my son loves them as well. I hope I can pass the love to my daughter too (9 months). I recently ordered a bunch from a neat Etsy store that sells older book in lots of 12. Here’s a link to the shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/cheaperbuythedozen
Everyone Poops is frequently requested in my house, and I theorize that it transformed my potty-resistant toddler to a toilet-using big boy overnight. He loves it!
SO MANY BOOKS!!!
As a childhood bookworm + current preschool teacher, I can’t get enough of children’s books. I love Pantone’s color board book.
http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=1309&ca=8
If you’re into Eric Carle, Mr. Seahorse is a great one. It has cool transparent pages that show how animals use camouflage, plus features several ocean species where the male takes care of the young. Does have lots of words though.
http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Seahorse-board-World-Philomel/dp/0399254900/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400248467&sr=8-1&keywords=mr+seahorse
I also love Mo Willems’ Knuffle Bunny. I read it to my class of two year olds and we talk about how it’s sometimes hard for children and adults to understand each other, but we keep trying and it will get easier!
http://www.amazon.com/Knuffle-Bunny-Cautionary-Mo-Willems/dp/0786818700/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400248699&sr=1-1&keywords=knuffle+bunny
Bright Baby books are huge here too, as are Sandra Boynton. My 4 yr old is loving the Mo Willems books – Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, etc. I just added Goodnight Construction Site to my 1 yr olds wish list – he is all about trucks! 🙂
You absolutely need to check out Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie books and Pigeon, although I’m sure you’re familiar with the Pigeon. Jan Thomas is wonderful too with her interactive books like “Can You Make a Scary Face” and the Rhyming Dust Bunnies. Melanie Watt is fast becoming my favorite with an ornery cat named Chester and the appropriately named Scaredy Squirrel. And introduce your boys to Doreen Cronin and her farm animals. The next time you are in the library, especially if it’s a little slow that day, just ask a librarian about their favorites, and they will talk your ear off–just I like did here!
Have you read Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson? It’s the first in a little series of books starring Bear and my kids love them all! I’ve had Bear Snores On memorized since my son was 1, he’s now 5 and it’s still one of his faves.
I love reading and I credit a lot of that to my parents who read with us every night at bedtime! My two all-time favorite little kid books are/were Goodnight Moon and Harold and the Purple Crayon. We also had a million Golden Books. 🙂
Robert Muncsh is my favorite children’s author! Most of his books are funnier than Love You Forever. His book Thomas’ Snowsuit is so ridiculous and funny. And for an older elementary book I always recommend Math Curse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. It’s random, silly, and has oh-so-many math related jokes.
Love your collection of kids books! As a kindergarten teacher, my only recommendation would be to throw in more non-fiction books, if possible. The more real world pictures, with facts and information, the better. I especially love picture dictionary type books for Will’s age.!
Keep reading!
“Mustache Baby” is *so* beautifully illustrated, and super fun for parents. The humor is punny, so you can appreciate it even on the eleventy-ith read, and the ending is perfect. If Weston doesn’t have that book, it’s a crime.
My SIL just gave us a few “Bear” books like “Bear Snores On” and “Bear Wants More,” and they’re pretty cute. Oh, and we had one “Duck and Goose” book called “Goose Needs a Hug” that is *ridiculously* cute, and we just got a few more from that series too.
And, if you’d like, I’m more than happy to recite all of “But Not the Hippopotamus” by Sandra Boynton. One of our faves, along with “Blue Hat, Green Hat.” (Oops!) 😉
Is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library available to sign up for in your area?
http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/
We’ve been getting some great books from that and it’s such a wonderful idea! We have gotten a few through there that O loves.
Also, we have read a story from a Pooh storytime collection book that my cousin gave us when he was born before bedtime each night this week. Daycare has a few Pooh toys and O has become a bit of a fan of his lately. I’ll have to check out the ones you showed above, they look right up his alley!
Great list! we love finding new books for our 1 year old, thanks for the tips!
Spencer loves the Little Blue Truck books, he constantly pulls them down off the shelf and flips through them, and has a huge grin on his face when we read them aloud, very cute!
I spy lots of our favorites in those piles! We also like Bears in the Night, Old Hat New Hat, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, Jessie Bear What Will you Wear, and Sheep in a Jeep…just to name a few!
The Monster at the End of This Book. My siblings and I loved it growing up, and since we only had one copy of it, my oldest sister ended up with the original. I got a copy for my sister the Christmas she was pregnant, and her little guy returned the favor by giving it to my baby for her first Christmas. Arya is only 9 months, but she has a huge smile on her face whenever we read it. I can’t explain why, as I’m sure she doesn’t understand the premise, but her smile makes me happy. Fair warning: I am not aware of a board book version, and enthusiastic boys might result in ripped pages. You may also want to practice your Grover voice, or you will end up sounding like a Russian man (at least my husband does, and there’s not a drop of Russian in his blood).
Also, Click,Clack,Moo. I like it because it makes me chuckle.
Hi Katie – Love your blog, love your adorable family! I have a small issue with the way your page is presenting on all my devices – the black line you have on the top that used to run underneath your links is now running directly through them (Home, Projects, Photography, etc). Not sure if this is my issue or something on the blog. Just wanted to let you know.
Enjoy your weekend!
I was obsessed with Go Dog Go as a kid and it was the first book I learned how to read. I remember my teacher asking me to come read it in front of the class and was one of my proudest moments. The other book you’d probably love that I don’t think I saw was “Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You” by Nancy Tillman. My husband actually proposed with this book and it really is super sweet 🙂
You Are Special makes me cry every single time. Our daughter’s birthday present was two bookshelves at her height… I also love that she loves books!
Books are very important to us as well. My 1 year old’s room is decorated in an Eric Carle theme and she LOVES all his books, especially The Very Hungry Caterpillar. There are so many good books out there for kids – and you’re right about the art/illustrations. some of them take my breath away!
Love those pics of your little guys diving into their books! Reading was definitely one of my favorite past times growing up. Totally here in nerdom with you Katie, as I’m pretty sure my middle school self asked the librarian the same question about the summer reading list 😉
I read “I love you forever” to my 8month old the other day and had was weeping at the end. I don’t think I can read it again!
I really love “Each Peach Pear Thumb” – fun and a good “finder” book.
Katie,
My kids have loved those books, too. One series that I would love to add is the Piggie and Gerald books by Mo Willems. My 7 year old LOVE LOVE LOVES them! They are just too cute!
Karma Wilson’s books are wonderful. I think the bear books (“Bears New Friend” “Bear Feels Sick”, etc) are her most popular, but my personal favorite is “The Frog in the Bog.” It’s one of those books that my kids like and I’m okay reading it over and over and over, too!
We also like Pete the Cat books (which are just a little crazy) and Little Critter books, which talk about daily issues (like “I Was So Mad” and “Just Go To Bed”).
And our current favorite: “Dragons Love Tacos.” I wouldn’t read this for the first time before bed because BOTH of my kids got STUCK on the fire-breathing dragon page. They would not let me turn the page and finish the story (my two-year-old had a total meltdown over it… not what you want before bed).
Happy reading!!
Check out any or all Mo Willems books. I think Will will get a kick out of the elephant and pig series. The knuffle bunny trio is also sweet and has awesome photography and sketches.
I loved reading as a kid and I still love reading as an adult. My mom saved most of my children’s books and I can’t wait until I have kids so I can read them to them. Go Dog Go was one of my favorites and obviously Green Eggs and Ham since my name is Sam. I also loved Tacky the Penguin. It’s about a group of penguins and they are all graceful and perfect except for Tacky. He ends up saving them from a group of poachers. It’s a cute story about being different.
You haaave to add Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to the list! It’s rhyme-y and colorful, and you’ll basically end up singing the words. I mean, I still love it as an adult. (Is that okay to admit?)
We have that same bible for our little ones and we love it.
If you’re looking for another great bible book, we found an awesome devotion for toddlers. My almost 3 year old looks forward to reading the short story each night.
“The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers” by Crystal Bowman
We love it!
“Press Here” by Herve Tullet – so much fun!
Love this book list!! We have similar tastes in our home 🙂 I had the Beginners Bible as a child myself and can’t wait for my son to be old enough for it (for now I just read Psalms to him for the rhythm factor–hes only 7 months). And thrift stores or library sales are the best for book ‘collecting’! I found a new copy of the Velveteen Rabbit for $1! We really love Goodnight Construction Site as well, especially since my husband works with those machines daily! I would look at adding “The Day the Crayons Quit”. Its by FAR my favorite!! A little pricey, I waited for a Christmas giftcard 🙂
the boys love hearing The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. and they love the elephant and piggie books and can actually read those on their own!
Go, Dog, Go was such a favorite of mine as a kid, that I now own the Kindle edition, and I am 50 years old. My other favorite, at 9 or 10, was called Andrew Henry’s Meadow. It was out of print for ages, but now it’s back! Of course I bought a copy.
Thanks for this post!! We are having a baby girl sometime in the next three weeks, and I am hoping to instill a love of reading. It will be a while until we need some preschooler books, but we have lots of little books good for toddlers in her room.
I work in an elementary school library, and I have to say that my kindergarteners are my favorite in terms of seeing what they check out. Dr. Seuss reigns supreme (no surprise there), but Kevin Henke books are amazing (Lilly’s Plastic Purple Purse, Owen, Kitten’s First Full Moon, A Weekend with Wendell), Mo Willems writes amazing books (Knuffle Bunny series, Pigeon series, Elephant and Piggie series, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, and That is NOT a Good Idea) and I have grown to love Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants, which your boys will totally read when they’re older, Dogzilla, the Dragon books). Pete the Cat books are SO GREAT and my hands-down favorite book for little girls is Olivia and the Fairy Princesses. Kids books today are fantastic.
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae was always a favorite with my preschoolers. I read that one to my class of two year olds, and my group of fours loved it as well. If you haven’t read it, please check it out. Lots of different animals, very sing songy and rhyme-y, and it’s about being unique and comfortable in your own skin. Love love love.
Great post. As a teacher, I know how important it is to engulf your children with books as early as possible. Also, were you aware you were chosen as one of Domino Magazine’s (online) top design blogs to watch? Congrats! What an honor!
I’m a Kindergarten teacher- class favorites include:
Pete The Cat (especially WITH the songs available as a CD with the book or on the website)
The Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems (or anything by Mo Willems really). This might still be a little above Will’s level- but typically my spring Kindergarteners are ROLLING laughing at them. Keep it on your list!
Our absolute favorites (through all 4 of my kids) are:
Goodnight Moon (they love to find the mouse on every page)
How does a dinosaur say goodnight by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague…there’s an entire series!
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry. We don’t actually read this, we just look at all the silly vehicles and find Goldbug hiding on every page.
Great post!
We just received Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site from a blog friend of mine. Our two year old boys were born 4 days apart (and in different countries!) so they’re all into trucks and cars, and like you said, anything with an engine! In return we sent “Charlie Goes Camping” –a suuuuper cute book about a big grizzly bear named Charlie (also my son’s name, so I that could have a bit to do with why we like this book so much) who is sweet, helpful, and very brave when he, his teacher, and his classmates go on a camping trip.
We also have a bunch of Boynton’s books which have been worn ragged from so much use. They’re awesome, especially the alphabet book.
I should really start looking for used books at thrift stores! We usually buy the discounted books at Marshall’s and TJMaxx, but they’re still a little pricey.
The Digging-est Dog! That was my favorite when I was little 🙂 I don’t even have kids and I bought it for just in case some day lol.
My boys loved Shel Silverstein – Where the Sidewalk Ends (especially the “Ladies First” poem) and Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae. It got to the point where I had that book memorized and could recite it while waiting in line with them.
My youngest son, now 9, also liked the An Elephant and Piggie series.
You NEED the “Watch Me Throw the Ball!” book! My boys crack up – I would do “dramatic readings” of this book while he was in the bathtub. Be prepared to laugh at yourself and at their reactions!
Love that Jamberry is in the top picks! That was (and is) one of my favorite books! My all-time favorite children’s book is Emma Bean. It’s an absolutely wonderful read. Thanks for making reading such a priority!
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen is a book my grandsons and I love. They are almost 4, almost 3 and 14 months. He is a Maine author and we are from Maine.
We’re also big fans of Sandra Boynton, but am I the only one that is confused about why the animals take a bath and get in their pjs before they exercise at night in the Going to Bed book?!?
You’re such an amazing mom, KB!! So well rounded! Thanks so much for sharing your life with us, especially so soon after baby #3! We just had baby #2 & if there’s gonna be a #3, it’s gonna need to be soon like yours because I’m just not doing well balancing “multiples”. If there’s gonna be a 3rd, then it might as well be figuring out how to do multiples with 3 kids rather than 2. LOL! 🙂
But…that being said…we’re a big reading family too. We have a 2 year old & a 3 month old. We love a lot of those same books you listed, but lately, we’ve been reading Alphatales books. It’s a collection of 26 books (1 for each letter) & you can buy them individually or as 1 big book. We have both. I like the 1 big book for trips because I’m able to bring 26 different stories while only remember to grab 1 actual book. (does that make sense??) Here’s a link to the Big book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Book-AlphaTales-Irresistible/dp/0439522242/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1400260836&sr=8-2&keywords=alphatales
We also love to read/sing through Nadine Bernard Westcott’s books. She writes & illustrates old nursery rhymes/kids songs & adds extra verses. We’ve read almost all of them & my daughter loves them. We enjoy reading/singing them. They give you the music notes at the end of the book if you don’t know the tune. They’s super fun to read. Here’s a link for those: http://www.amazon.com/Nadine-Bernard-Westcott/e/B001HD1BRK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1400261045&sr=1-2-ent
Anyway, thanks again for sharing!
Richard Scarry books are my favorites!
I love all your selections! And we already have quite a few of them. I’d recommend checking out more of the Robert Munsch books. They are a big favourite here. I Have To Go Pee and The Paperbag Princess are 2 we love. They have a condensed board book version or the full story in paperback. And for another form of entertainment, find Robert Munsch himself reading them on YouTube. He’s a great story teller. 🙂
Ooh, I love this kind of stuff! We have a lot of those same books and Blue Hat, Green Hat is a riot for the kids in our house too. We just got gifted Press Here which is a really fun interactive book I bet your boys would love, it totally made me smile. http://www.amazon.com/Press-Here-Herve-Tullet/dp/0811879542/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400260948&sr=1-2 And I just picked up King Jack and the Dragon http://www.amazon.com/King-Jack-Dragon-Peter-Bently/dp/0803736983/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400261060&sr=1-1&keywords=king+jack which is a really fun imaginative adventure story for kids that could also work as a good bedtime book. The illustrations are really great and I think it will become a classic, I LOVE it.
As I was scrolling through all of the recommendations, I started thinking, “Oh lord, she hasn’t discovered Robert Munsch!” Then I saw ‘Love you Forever’ and calmed down.
The boys probably aren’t old enough yet, but the rest of his extensive collection is awesome as the kids start reading themselves. My kids’ faves were:
The Paperbag Princess
The Sandcastle Contest
Mortimer
Up, Up, Down
Thomas’ Snowsuit
We Share Everything
I Have to Go
Give me Back my Dad
Kiss me, I’m Perfect
Aaron’s Hair
The Dark, and
The Boy in the Drawer
We owned many more including some of his anthologies, but these are the ones they selected out to keep… and they’re 10 & 11 now.
Great list! Just had to comment on the instruction manuals – my cousin has always loved those too! Only guy I know who actually reads all the manuals that most people throw away. But it serves him well in his very technical profession. I’m glad there are folks in the world who like instruction manuals, since I’m definitely not one of them!
My 21 month old LOVES the little people lift the flap books. We have a farm one and a Noah and the Ark one. They are educational too. My daughter has learned her shapes using them. Check it out.
My almost 11 month old loves “The Little Blue Truck” and “The Little Blue Truck Leads the Way”. “Click Clack Moo: Cows” that Type is also cute. Will might also like “The Diary of a Worm”
PJ Funnybunny is my FAVORITE!!! I can’t wait until I have kids and I can read them.
have you read “One Morning in Maine” and “Blueberries for Sal”? two of my favorite Maine books.
I second Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site’s greatness. My almost four year old got it for Christmas and has it memorized. He “reads” it to me and recites lines from it while playing with his construction vehicles. Your vehicle obsessed boys may also enjoy the Lowes catalog. Going through and looking at all the mowers, tractors and equipment has been a favorite here for a few years. Lots To practice counting at the end too.
If you love Sandra Boynton try out the Belly Button book. My 18 month old LOVES it. I also second the Little Blue Truck books mentioned above. They’re coming out with a new one for Christmas this year, so it would be a great time to pick up the set!
This assortment of books looks very, very similar to the library we have for our two boys. I would add the “Bear…” books by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman) and The Little People life-a-flap books. The “Bear” books are great for nighttime and the life-a-flap books are clutch in those moments when we need to settle down and have some quiet time. Thanks the post! 🙂
My just turned 4 y.o. boy loves a lot of the books that you mention.
Two others that crack him up are “Dinosaur Kisses” by David Ezra Stein and “Good night, Gorilla” by Peggy Rathmann. He’s had the Goodnight Gorilla for years now and “reads” it to me at night.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a really sweet, beautifully illustrated picture book.
Great post!!! My kids have a lot of the same favorites. I have 4 year daughter and a almost 2 year old son. The Boynton books are loved by both kids. The newest one that the Easter Bunny brought is the Barnyard Dance. Both kids get a kick out of it. Though it gets them excited and hyper so I try to avoid it during bedtime reading, hehehe. Hilarious that you said that Will cry-laughed at the Blue Hat, Green Hat. My daughter did the same exact thing. Too funny!!
Both kids love “Pete the Cat” books. There are a series of them, “I love my white shoes ” and “my four groovy buttons” are their favorite. My son says, “again, again” every time we ready them.
http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Cat-Love-White-Shoes/dp/0061906220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400270387&sr=8-1&keywords=pete+the+cat
Similar to the “Disney Bedtime Favorites”, we have the Disney Princess version of it and we just borrowed the “Monsters Inc” version that is really cute.
Other random favorites are, “Press Here” and “Beautiful Oops”.
We have lots of non fiction that are kid friendly but they just aren’t favorites…YET! I can see Will definitely getting more into them as he gets older though!
xo kb
My one year old loves the Sandra Boyton books and anything Seuss.
A great religious book, one that has great value in sacrifice and overwhelming love is called
“Something from Nothing”. My mom brain won’t let me remember the author, but a great story that touches even the sceptics
“Dinotrucks.” I swear it was written with my Liam in mind. When Halloween rolls around, check out “Good Night Goon” and “Runaway Mummy.” Will is probably at the age where he’ll appreciate these parodies.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is THE FAVORITE in our house too. It has to be read first AND last at bed time.
It helps that I can remember my mom reading it to me when I was little. 🙂
As a K teacher I LOVE books!!!
We love:
•Francis Chan- Christian children’s book author- “the big red tractor” and “half way Herbert” are favs at school
•Adam Racoon books ( a little longer but good parable learning)
•Hermie and friends by Max Lucado. Good friendship lessons
•Sandra Boynton (ESP fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy and 15 animals)
•Mo Willems ( pigeon books are a must along with knuffle bunny!)
•Doreen Cronin (click, clack, moo and diary of a worm– soooo funny!!)
•I’m blanking on the author but the “if you give a mouse a cookie” books
•anything that rhymes! Let him try to guess the rhyming words!
Not to make you cry or anything but Robert Munsch (the author of “I’ll love you forever”) wrote that book because he & his wife had two babies stillborn. This was the song he sang to them in his head but couldn’t sing out loud for a long time. Makes me cry even more now!
The Boynton books are SO high up on my favorites list, especially, “But Not the Hippopotamus.” Also up there would be, “When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat.” I came across it when I was working at a library and it is still one of my favorites!
Check out the Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado. Great Christian book…almost makes me cry when I read it. My little one Oliver loves it. Plus the main character is Ollie so it makes it extra special.
I love this post! I have many children’s books that I received at my baby shower as gifts for my little one, but so many of them are so annoying to me that I never want to read them! I’ll have to check some of these out!
Just wanted to mention that Bright Baby makes a bilingual version of all of those same books with English and Spanish labels for all of the vocabulary! Fun to teach your kids some Spanish words!
Oh, and I forgot – my favorite book as a child was Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer!
my favorite book growing up and now my kiddos favorite too is “the little mouse, the red ripe strawberry, and the big hungry bear”. And the best kids bible (in my opinion) is the Jesus storybook bible, you’ve got to check it out!
“Guess how much i love you” by Sam Mc Bratney.
You will cry but it’s soooo worth it…
Agreeing with everyone who said Mo Willems–my boys LOVE the Elephant and Piggie books and the Pigeon books!
We’re also big fans of the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney.
two words: mo. willems.
You NEED to check out Julia Donaldson, she’s very famous over here in the UK. British author. We love her books, The Highway Rat, What The Ladybird Heard, The Gruffalo (and The Gruffalo’s Child). She also does little songs on youtube with her husband. —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NbyiDpY6Ww
The Gruffalo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeGdU5Yr7uw
The Highway Rat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GpRR9QtLGc
Seriously, if you love rhyming and genius! Let me know what you think.
I second the elephant and piggie books, that is what I was going to suggest! They have been favorites in our house from age 3 and up.
“The Very Cranky Bear” by Nick Bland is the absolute favourite in this house! A very cute read and great message at the end.
And Oliver Jeffers’ series including, “How to Catch a Star” & “Lost and Found” are about a little boy who goes on different adventures. Super cute and funny.
Happy Reading!
My boys are 25, 21, and 20. They LoVed Bunnicula (it’s a series). You have a lot of books that I also read to my kids but favorites are Dr. Seuss , “Are you my Mother?” and “Go, Dog, Go” . I love when they are on the top of the tree at the party . We read a children’s bible story book to them and another favorite was “Ladybug, ladybug.” An older version, it was one of mine as a child. One of my kids learned to read with Winnie the Pooh when he was 4, but the other two did not. Bernstein Bears were also awesome. Supposedly, when your kids learn to read, it doesn’t matter if you read to them, they read to you, or you take turns. I totally recommend accelerated reading and playing board games. I have one child in med school another who plans on going to dental school. I didn’t read and play games so they’d be successful. It was cheap and fun and family oriented. Your kids are adorable by the way.
my girls are 13 & 10 and I still would cry if I read LOVE YOU FOREVER. ❤️❤️ that book.
I love! On the Night You Were Born. Ive been reading it for 7 years now and still can’t make it through without crying!
Both my kids loved all the Sandra Boynton books too. Love You Forever always kills me, I try not to read it too often. We love anything by Mo Willams. Also check out the Skippy John Jones books and Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? Happy reading!!
Lick! by Matthew Van Fleet is our daughter’s FAVORITE book. She still loves to eat/tear books, so this one has been glued back together by both of her grandmas (who felt responsible when she tore it apart on their watch LOL).
We love Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Ride Again:) author is Alice something….
We actually love that bit! It’s hilarious to us!
xo – kb
I KNOW! ISN”T IT CRAZY?!?!
xo – kb
I’ll have to check and see!
xo – kb
I love that book!
xo – kb
I highly recommend Trashy Town for truck-loving boys! And it is fun to read!
Awwwwww! Reading this brought back lots of happy memories! We loved all books Dr. Seuss, and Max Lucado can still put a lump in my throat. My girls are in their teens now, but I am hoarding all there books because I have this fear that there won’t be paper books when they have kids. They will be able to pass on their favorites to their children.
I bet your kids will love reading as much as you do. You are giving them a fantastic start!
*their books….. oops!
You must add Little Blue Truck, it’s our fave!
My kiddos are older, but I’m a lover of childrens books and always loved reading to my kids! Some favorite picture books are: knuffle bunny, rainbow fish, once upon a cool motorcycle dude (best name ever), the stray dog and ABC superhero (you have to read this one in your best superhero voice), how I became a pirate, don’t let the pigeon drive the bus and captain Flynn and the pirate dinosaurs! Enjoy!
Oh yeah, and anything by Kevin Henkes! Lilly’s Purple plastic purse and Chrysanthymum are my favs!
Oh my gosh this takes me back! My 3 kiddos are now teenagers but we loved Jamberry, Go Dog Go, and Bears on Wheels! We also loved What? Cried Granny and Grandpa’s Teeth as they got a little older. What a sweet post! Creating a lifelong life of reading is so important!!
My 11 month son loves a book called God BlessYou & Good Night. He asks for it every single night (it is not age specific for babies so older kids would probably love it). The illustrations are amazing!
I think someone else said this but I also have to say Pete the cat! My four year old has the books memorized and will now read them to his little sister. Which is obviously the best thing ever. You’ve got a great list here! I need to add more Sandra Boynton to our library.
Our all time favorite is Our Friends at Maple Hill Farm. Lots of great pictures and extremely humorous! My boys who are 14, 11, and 9, still pick it up and read it. I can hear them giggling every time too! Your boys will likely miss the humor at their ages, but they will think it is hysterical when they get older! It was out of print for awhile, but I believe you can find it in paperback through Amazon or at http://www.sonlight.com.
Oh, I almost forgot our other faves were the Judith Viorst books like Alexander and the Terrible, , Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Classic and hysterical!
I love your book list! I am a book worm too and since I teach Kindergarten I have always had an excuse to hit up the children’s section!
My two year old loves Pete the Cat! My students love this book so much I give it to them as a gift at Christmas. While I was wrapping them one night my little girl started looking and the pictures and wanted me to read it to her. It was love at first read! It is simple enough that on a recent momma and daughter roadtrip I was able to hold it up for her while driving and we could read and sing along. It worked out great for those moments when she was sick of being in the car. Look it up on youtube if you want to check it out!
Great book choices! Love anything Pooh bear related.
My mom surprised me with a book that I loved as a child when my 2nd child was born….I had thought it was out of print. Miss Suzy by Miriam Young.
A favorite read for my daughter & her sweet boys: I Love You, Stinkyface
http://www.amazon.com/Widget-Lyn-Rossiter-McFarland/dp/0374483868/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400394706&sr=1-1&keywords=widget
http://www.amazon.com/Widget-Puppy-Lyn-Rossiter-McFarland/dp/0374384290/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400394706&sr=1-5&keywords=widget
I was just wishing I had someone to tell about how fun these two books are! My daughter (2 years) picked them out at the library a few days ago. I really liked them. She loves that there are both dogs and cats so she can make the noises when I turn the pages. We have gotten some really weird ones lately and I gotta say, I really prefer the older books that teach a lesson. One we borrowed actually had a funeral in it! A little depressing for this age bracket.
As a mom of three, now 15, 14 and almost 12, I highly recommend Walter Wick’s I Spy books. We have had them for years and my kids still think they are great. They appeal to a wide range of ages. The same book can entertain a 2 year old as well as a 6 year old! Walter Wick is a local artist for us here in Connecticut. He is an amazing photographer. Our children’s hospital has his photographs on the wall in some of the departments. Last year my 11 year old was hospitalized for several days and it was Walter Wick’s work that helped my husband and I keep him distracted while waiting in radiology. The vintage toys and items he uses are so great. I can’t say enough good things about those books. I hope you will check them out! Happy Sunday!
My gosh, those are just about all the ones in our children’s library too. So many of the ones you pictured are also our favorites. But one that my three boys LOVE, and it’s a throw-back from when I was little, is called “Christina Katrina and The Box.” It can be tough to find (I had to order a copy at Barnes and Noble) but, in my opinion, is SO worth it. Christina Katrina and her friend, Fats Watson, transform an ordinary refrigerator box into SO many imaginative things… a race car, a secret clubhouse, a ballroom dance floor, etc. I remember being mesmerized as a little girl and now it’s one of the books my boys pick out over and over again. That and… There’s “A Nightmare in My Closet.” Also fantastically imaginative!
As a mom to three young boys as well I would definitely recommend “I Love you, stinky face.” it is a favorite for my boys and they just laugh the whole time. Our other favorites are: it’s time for bed, chicka chicka boom boom, where the wild things are, the giving tree, I love you through and through, freight trane, and my boys have always loved all the corduroy books. As far as Bibles for children, I have been amazed by the Jesus storybook Bible; it is incredible how each strory always points back to salvation and God’s amazing love for his children. I think it’s true that children become readers on the laps of their parents. 🙂
The whole family love books by Oliver Jeffers in our house. How to Catch a Star and The Way Back Home, That Moose Belongs to Me……I could probably list them all!
You need ‘Steam Train, Dream Train’ it’s by the same author as ‘Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site’ and it’s even better! Your little train lover will be totally into it 🙂
We love the Jesus storybook bible too! Everyone I know raves about it.
Love finding new books for my kids – children’s books are my weakness! My son’s current favorites are:
-Hop on Pop
-Harold and the Purple Crayon
-I Love You Daddy
-Down to the Sea with Mr. McGee
-Don’t Push the Button
-How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight
-the Snowman (lift the flap book)
I have several of the books you listed. I still have my original Dr. Suess books from when I was a child (they are now considered antiques!). My son is 10, but still likes to read the David books. There are 2 series, David Diaper books that are board books and then the David series, like “No, No David”. He loves these books still. Its funny because my mom hates these books, she doesn’t like the illustrations! Someone also mentioned the How I became a Pirate book which is also another one of our favorites. My son loves to read and then we read to each other every night before his bedtime.
I second this!! My little guy loves both:)
Mo Willems is a HUGE favorite in our house. Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunnt Too, and Knuffle Bunny Free are well-worn favorites, along with the Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus! and the Elephant and Piggie series. We even gave our guests copies of Should I Share My Ice Cream to our guests at our wedding as favors. Love me some Mo.
One of our favorite books (we use it for our bedtime story time) is the “Jesus Storybook Bible.” It has wonderful illustrations and in every bible story it tells, it talks about how all the events in the Bible are pointing to Jesus and how God was fulfilling his plan to Rescue us. I highly recommend it, in fact, we give one to each of our preschool students (I teach preschool in our church during the week) as a “graduation” gift. 🙂
I recently found your blog and love it. We have a lot of these books on your list but we are always looking for more! Thanks for the suggestions.
Our boys LOVE the Jesus Storybook Bible! It is awesome! We read a story together each night. Great illustrations!
We also like: all the Llama Llama books, Splat the Cat, The Magic Schoolbus books….
If you like to expose your children to different cultures and foods, Amy Wilson Sanger’s World Snacks series is fantastic! These books have everything: bright colors, food made from various craft materials, rhyming narrative, foreign language lessons, & glossaries.
http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Wilson-Sanger/e/B001JRUFQ2
Our 16 month old Lucas LOVES the Llama Llama books that we have! And his current favorites are:
-Noah’s Ark Pop-up Book by The Clever Factory / Greenbrier
-Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
-Doggies by Sandra Boynton
-First Look and Find: Cars
-Slide and Find – Trucks
You might have already answered but where did you get that rug?
My little one (1 year) loves Joyce Wan books. His favorite is “My Lucky Little Dragon,” but “We Belong Together” or “You Are My Cupcake” might be right up your food-loving alley. These are too young for Will, but are probably perfect for Weston’s age.
Yup reading some of those same. Plus they like to get Lego or super hero first readers from the library. Franklins are a big hit too. I personally love Each Peach Pear Plum (Ahlbergs) and The Spooky Old Tree (berenstain bears).
Ikea!
xo – kb
Have you discovered Mo Willems yet? Piggie and Gerald are always hilarious and teach awesome lessons about life and friendship and how to be in the world. Or the Pigeon books? Or Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She was Extinct. All Mo Willems all the time.
And there is a little known Minnesota author/illustrator named Chris Monroe and her Chico Bon Bon books would be a huge hit for your tool lovin family. The first is Monkey with a Tool Belt. So so so good.
I could go on and on but I’ll just do one more. Jimmy Zangwow’s Out of the World Moon Pie Adventure by Tony Diterlizzi s one of our all time favorite read aloud books. And the artwork is fantastic.
Happy reading!
Trashy Town is fantastic!