Saturday was National Children’s Book Day and since my son and I love to finish our day with a good book (or two), I thought I would share a few of our current kid-approved favorites. Of course the go-to books on my five-year old’s shelf have changed throughout the years, but this list today highlights a few that we keep going back to as well as some new fun choices (in no particular order).
First on the list is the How Do Dinosaurs. . . series by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. We have owned How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten since my son was a baby and it has always been one of our favorites, but we’ve added to our personal collection through the years and anything in this series always seems to be a winner for a little one who loves dinosaurs.
Speaking of dinosaurs, one of our newest favorites is When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach. I judged this book by its cover and purchased it through the Scholastic order form from my son’s preschool last year, and we’ve read it so many times the staples are starting to give way. I really like the mom in this story, because she makes the most of a crazy situation.
Another Scholastic favorite is Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier. My son chose this book as one of his rewards during the library’s summer reading program a couple of years ago, and the older he gets the more he likes it. It’s a tale of a cow who likes to scare the mailman until one day it gets all out of control.
Since cows seem to make for good reading, it’s no surprise that Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin is another long-time favorite for the whole family. These zany, take charge cows make for quite the tale in this Caldecott Medal winning book. It might just make you take a closer look at your pets.
The next book on the list is The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone. This Little Golden Book holds a special place in my heart, because it was one of my own childhood favorites. Although I knew how it ended, I enjoyed this story over and over again, and I’m sure it is still floating around Mom’s house somewhere. I bought this one for my son early last year, just knowing he would enjoy it; and of course, it was a winner for both the reader and receiver.
The Bear. . . series by Karma Wilson is next on our list, because who doesn’t like to read about a big loveable bear, all his antics and every sweet fuzzy or feathered friend appearing in these books. From Bear Feels Sick to Bear Stays Up for Christmas, I think we own about every one of these fun, feel good books.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss makes our list (although I’m not a big D.S. fan), but my son enjoys this one more than I. I will say this is one of my favorites of the Dr. Seuss books, because it actually has a point and sends the message of, “Try it. You might like it.”
Another silly book making the list is Underpants Thunderpants by Peter Bently. I picked up this book on a lark one day and we have enjoyed it ever since. You’ll have a fun time discovering what happens to dog’s underpants when a storm scatters them “Over the ocean, the jungle and town. . .”
The next book on the list is I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt. While the title originally turned me off, a quick read through made it a worthy choice for my little one. My son loves this book and the storyline makes it a winner for me too. There’s apparently a whole series of Stinky Face books, but this is the only one we have read.
Nightsong by Ari Berk is one of our newest favorites. I have to admit that while my son enjoys this book, it probably speaks a bit more clearly to me. It’s a story of a mother who let’s her little one find his way, and the illustrations are slightly haunting and sweet.
Rounding out our list of favorite children’s books is the Little Blue Truck series by Alice Schertle. We have three of the books, including the Christmas one complete with flashing lights, and we have been enjoying this series for several years now. Even as my son grows older, Little Blue Truck holds a special place in our bedtime reading routine. If you don’t have Little Blue Truck, you really need to get it!
All the cover graphics came from Goodreads. If you click on an image, it will take you to that site for more information.