I have always been a bookworm. Books were an escape for me once upon a time. During that socially awkward stage where I wasn’t comfortable being alone in a crowd, a book was always a great companion. And it still is today – for different reasons.
I continue to love children’s books. Does that make me juvenile? I don’t know. But I love them. There’s no way I could list my favorite books of all time and get it narrowed down and not leave something out. And because of that, I’m always afraid to attempt such a list. But I’m going to try one today. So here are some of my all-time favorite picture books, in no particular order. (And I’m too lazy to link to them all on Amazon. Use “the google” by yourself here.)
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
If you ask my kids what my favorite book is, they would likely say this. Because I read this aloud at bedtime a lot. I love the rhyme in it. The words just sing when you read them out loud. And the pictures are great too.
Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book
It’s hard to pick a favorite Seuss book. The Butter Battle Book and The Lorax would make the cut too, but this one is just such a great bedtime book. I love the sleeping creatures in it. And it really does make me (and the kids) tired when we read it.
Harriet, You’ll Drive me Wild by Mem Fox
I could have listed anything by Mem Fox here. Possum Magic is another favorite and Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes doesn’t get nearly enough press in the adoptive community as it should. She does magical things with words. All her books are guaranteed great read-alouds.
My Pig, Amarillo by Satomi Ichikawa
This book is set in Guatemala, if you aren’t familiar with it. And I like how it deals with death. It’s just very well-written.
Encounter by Jane Yolen
I remember the day I discovered this book in the library when I was in college. I sat down and read it and my jaw dropped halfway through when I realized what it was about. This is the story of Columbus “discovering” America from the point of view of a Native American child. Need I say more? He’s never mentioned by name in the story, however. When I was teaching, I would always read this aloud on Columbus Day while the other classrooms were coloring sheets about the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. I’d read it and then just let my 3rd graders sit in silence for a while. Ponder that, little ones. Now go home and tell your parents what you really think of that man. Blech.
The Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen
She’s my favorite children’s author, in case you were wondering. (And we share the same birthday! Along with Mo Willems. Clearly I’m destined for great things and have yet to be discovered.) Anyway, she deserves two spots on my list. This book is an amazing ballad that she wrote about two real female pirates. My 4 year old has many parts of it memorized. And the vocabulary is above his head. But he loves the rhythm of the piece. It’s really a gorgeous book. It’s illustrated by David Shannon, just like Encounter. And they are wonderful pictures.
Anything by Shel Silverstein
He was my favorite poet as a child. And his books still crack me up today. The Giving Tree gets a lot of press and it’s a good book. But he’s written many others. Including a picture book for grown-ups that is hilarious: Uncle Shelby’s ABZ book. Go get it and then hide it from your kids. Or if you’re a bad mom like me, show it to your kids since they will laugh too.
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
I hate books that are all “There are many ways to form a family.” Okay, maybe hate is a strong word. But what I’m trying to say is that I think those books miss the boat. Kids just want a story – not a lesson. But if you’re extra crafty and can sneak in something in the story…Bonus. This is one of those. A true story about a penguin in NY who had two dads. It’s a great read. But what I really like is that it normalizes the 2 dad thing without making a big deal about it. Exactly what we should be doing with our kids.
The Day the Babies Crawled Away by Peggy Rathmann
This might be the one that is on my list largely because of the illustrations. But the story has a nice gentle swish to it too. I had to read it a few times before I appreciated it though. So don’t give up on it if you have it and think it’s weird.
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
I love the character she painted in this one. Grace is one awesome little person.
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski
My husband leaves the room when I read this book. I think I get too excited and carried away with the voices I use, but the kids crack up each time. It’s a newer one. And I think I like the way I read it more than I like the book itself. The sequels she has done aren’t nearly as good. Sigh.
Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha
If you’re looking for an author/illustrator pair for toddler boys…this is the jackpot. We read so many of their books once upon a time. And even though we’ve moved on, this book earns a spot on my list because it was the first one my 5 year old memorized. Simple text, great illustrations, a neat little story. Just an all around good book.
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood
This has to be my favorite all time author/illustrator combo. I love the Napping House too, but thought I already had too many bedtime stories on this list. Don Wood knows how to use light in his paintings to tell a story. And that’s really neat. The words are just perfect for the pictures. We all love their books.
I also love books about Anansi the Spider. We have at least 10. I can’t begin to pick a favorite, so I’ll just mention that I like them all. As do my kids.
Now…just for fun…here are some of my least favorite picture books of all time:
Are you my Mother by P.D. Eastman
First of all, this is not a Seuss book. It usually has the Cat in the Hat Easy Reader logo in the corner of the cover which throws people off. But it’s not. This book, like Goodnight Moon, seems to show up in every home library. We have three copies of it here as I type. I hate it. Because in case you’ve never thought about it before, the overall point of the book is “You can’t be my mom because you don’t look exactly like me.” Obviously not a book I like reading aloud to my kids.
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza
Along those lines, this book is toted as a favorite among many adoptive families because it sends exactly the opposite message. Little bird gets lost in the woods, has no Mommy, and a Mama Bear takes him in. Bird at first thinks she can never be his mama since she doesn’t look like him. Then he meets her other kids, who are an assortment of other animals. I don’t like the book. It starts out dull and lacking. And then gets worse. At the end of the book, her other kids are named Ally (alligator), Piggy (pig), etc. And that really irks me. Although maybe that makes adoptive parents who name their Chinese daughters Jade and their Guatemalan daughters Maya feel better. It makes me feel Yuck.
Appalachia by Cynthia Rylant
I’ve talked around this book in another post on this blog. But I really, really don’t like it. Ms. Rylant is from Appalachia like me. She has written some really great books (including The Relatives are Coming – love that one), but this is not one of them. If I was a school child in New Jersey, I would pick up this book from the library shelf and think all people in Appalachia were stupid hicks with refrigerators on their porches. So New Jersey librarians, pay attention. Take that book off the shelf.
Any book that makes noise (except an Eric Carle one)
We don’t own books with noise with our house. The kids got plenty of those push the sound type things when they were younger. And I got rid of them. Because I think it’s wrong, WRONG, that books should talk. And I refuse to be a part of it.
Any book based on a TV show or a movie or a book that is based on a movie that was originally based on a book
I hate these. This is not real literature. The only exception to this I have found are these little abridged picture books my kids got from Chick-fil-A once that were condensed versions of C.S. Lewis’s tales. I think this was before the movie, though. Which is probably why they were tolerable.
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I have quite a collection of picture books. And I’m very thankful for them. I have this fun idea that as a project next year when we’re homeschooling, I’ll have the older two categorize them, sort them, and count them. But that would take days. And I have a feeling that’s more appealing to me than them. So maybe I’ll just do it. Likely not.
Anyway, I am extremely thankful that I love books the way I do. I don’t think you can bomb in school if you love to read. I’ve just never seen that happen.
Loving books makes it easier to figure life out. So I’m glad that I do.
