I need some help. I have been buying Dr. Seuss books for my friends' daughter. It is a fun tradition, but as much as I can help it I would like to buy different series each time. So, since many people that read my blog have children, I was hoping for some suggestions. The little girl has a brother and another one of my close friends is expecting her first baby, but I also need suggestions for future babies, too. I am aiming for prolific authors, but if you want to suggest individual books, that would be helpful, too. My friend that is expecting reads my blog, so she might appreciate some ideas.
Thanks!
Anything by Mo Williems is a good buy: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knufflebunny. Those are both series too.
ReplyDeleteMy girl is 8 now so I'm drawing a blank!
I don't have young children anymore but when my daughter was little she (and Mary and I) really enjoyed the Mouse pictures books by Kevin Henkes. It looks like he has several of them about different characters. Our favorites were the books about Lilly.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the child I would also recommend Lane Smith's illustrated books. He has written and illustrated several of his own books plus illustrated several picture books written by others. His written/illustrated books are generally a slight bit wacky and irreverent and make for hilarious reading for parents.
Chris is right: Mo Willems is a great author. There's his Knuffle Bunny series plus his Elephant and Piggie books which my kids loved.
ReplyDeleteThere's fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman and Hansel and Gretel by Cynthia Rylant. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Cynthia Viorst. Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst is another good read. You can't go wrong reading anything by husband and wife team Sarah Stewart and David Small.
Hope that helps.
I think Blogger just ate my nice long comment. (Bother!) So I'll just share author names this time...Leslie Patricelli and Karen Katz are prolific authors when it comes to board books. And I do tend to love their work.
ReplyDeleteFor the wee little set, I love anything by Sandra Boynton. Good rhymes and fun books to read for adults, too (Barnyard Dance; Moo, Baa, La La La; any of the Pookie books, for example). She also sets some of her books as lyrics on a couple of really fabulous kids' CDs, which again are as fun for adults as they are for kids. (Blue Moo is my favourite so far.)
ReplyDeleteSlightly older, I very much enjoy reading the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney out loud; the first one published is Llama Llama Red Pajama. Toddlers I read this to at the library adore it.
Oh, and Nicola Smee! She's also great for toddlers. Simple stories and pictures, but fun.
Not a series, but a classic book that I love to give to parents of smaller children is Donald Crews' Freight Train. My 17-year-old cousin, now a Stephen King devotee, saw my grandmother's copy on the dining room table one night and remarked "That's the BEST BOOK EVER!"
An interesting series of books, and a little harder to find, are the Mercer Meyer "A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog" books. These are not for reading aloud, as they have no words -- but older (ie. 3-5) children love them because they can make up their own dialogue and stories.
Also, I'll get behind the Mo Willems recommendations. Love his stuff.
For little little you can get the Little Miss series, I just found a whole bunch of them on sale :D
ReplyDeleteWonderful you by Kate Gleeson, One Bear in the Picture by Caroline Bucknall, Plunk's Dreams by Helen V. Griffith, The Traveler's Gift by Mark Kimball Moulton (although this one is a Christmas book, so It's not for everyone) Best of luck to you :D
ReplyDeleteI read a little strangly to my son. When he was 1 to 3 it Dr. Seuss, from 4 to 6 it was Magic Tree House books,from 7 on it was The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, Narnia, Grimms, ect.
ReplyDeleteJust remembered Kate DiCamillo. I have loved her novels for older children but have not read any of her picture books for children or her chapter books for young readers. If they are anything like her novels they must be wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat about going back to some of the old favorites, like Little House or The Boxcar Children? My nieces loved both.
ReplyDeleteAs for future babies, the one book I think every baby should have is "Goodnight, Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown.
cjh
Beatrix Potter all the way. As well as the Legend of the Candy Cane (but only if ur religious) and Crow Boy
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions! I look forward to researching them. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure of the ages of the children (the daughter, I guess) but kids always love the Scaredy Squirrel books by Melanie Watt. There are quite a few now, and they're very popular. Of course, I love them as an adult, so that's always a good sign! Here's the link on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Scaredy-Squirrel-Melanie-Watt/dp/1553379594
ReplyDeleteI also whole-heartedly recommend Mo Willems, Kate DiCamillo, and even the Henry and Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant. In fact, most anything by her is spectacular. She writes the most beautiful picture books, while Henry and Mudge are fun they're more 'can you learn to read this on your own'. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Henry+and+Mudge#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Henry+and+mudge&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3AHenry+and+mudge
Goodness, those don't look like they came out very well, do they?! Perhaps your own search on amazon would fare better. :)
ReplyDelete**Bellezza: I am sure it will be fine. I will look up everything suggested and then have to make a decision. There might be a bit too much to choose from now... lol
ReplyDeleteMy niece's favourite series are Fancy Nancy and MacDuff (more unisex). :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Eva!
ReplyDelete