Your Favorite Children's Books

My first favorite book when I was around 5 yrs. old was Eloise, by Hillary Knight. It's the adventures of a little girl who lives at the Plaza Hotel with her Nanny.

As a NYC kid, I could relate to how much fun that sounded! Eloise has a wild imagination, is always stirring up all kinds of trouble and has cool pets: a little pug dog and a turtle named Skipperdee.

I liked:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Where the Wild Things Are

I like pretty much anything by Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, etc.).

For older kids, my favorites are The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg, and A Wind in the Door and its sequels by Madeleine L'Engle.

Roald Dahl also wrote some great kids books, such as The Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory series. Some of his books for adults are good too - great dark humor.

i LOVE tikki tikki tembo! and I thought my sister and i were the only crazy ones going around reciting it (last week).

other favorites:

country bunny and the golden shoes

the story of ping

I would go baby-book if you are looking for a shower gift. In addition to many mentioned here already, Harold and the Purple Crayon is probably my favorite. And Good Night Moon (it took several hundred readings before I got tired of it).

I'm still not tired of Goodnight Moon and I am reading it now to my granddaughter after having read it to my daughter. There are some lovely picture books that would be suitable to an infant so the showeree could use them sooner rather than later.

Strega Nona by Tommie de Paola about the Italian grandma/witch, her boarder, Big Anthony, and her magic pasta pot.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey, about two girls and their dad and their morning adventures near a rambling old house on the craggy Maine coast and Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, more of the same Maine fun, with a mama and baby black bear thrown in.

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf about a young Andalucian bull who would rather smell the flowers under a cork tree than "fight" the matadores in the arenas of Madrid.

Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg--way better than the movie--about a boy's Xmas Eve trip to the North Pole on a kids' magical passenger train.

Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney about Brers Rabbit, Bear, Fox, Buzzard and the rest of their critter brethren, specifically their unusual encounters in a mythical world bearing considerable resemblance to the Deep South.