Children's Books

Here's a list of children's (toddler/preschool/kindergarten) books that my son enjoys. The books appear in alphabetical order by (first) author's name.

• Books by David A. Adler, in the Fourth Floor Twins and Cam Jansen series, including
  • The Fourth Floor Twins and the Silver Ghost Express
  • Cam Jansen and the Mystery at the Haunted House
  • Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Gold Coins
  • Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.
  • Cam Jansen and the School Play Mystery
• Captain Duck - Jez Alborough
• Amish Horses - Richard Ammon, illustrated by Pamela Patrick - a story about an Amish boy and his activities with horses - a bit wordy for a younger child
• Out to Lunch - Peggy Perry Anderson
• Aren't you Lucky! - Catherine Anholt
  A young girl's family life changes when her brother is born.
• Chimp and Zee - Catherine and Laurence Anholt
• Many books by Frank Asch, including
  • Happy Birthday, Moon
  • Just Like Daddy
  • Like a Windy Day (with Devin Asch)
  • Mooncake
  • Moongame
  • Skyfire
• The Night Worker - Kate Banks
  A boy goes with his father to a high-rise building construction site where his father works. The boy gets to run the shovel on a wheel loader, which is a big thrill.
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett - a fun suspenseful adventure story about a city whose food comes from the sky three times a day
• Pickles to Pittsburgh - Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett - a sequel to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• Just In Passing - Susan Bonners - a book without words, about yawns spreading from one person to another
• That's How it is When We Draw - Ruth Lercher Bornstein
• Many books by Marc Tolon Brown, including
  • Arthur Babysits
  • Arthur Writes a Story
  • Arthur's Birthday
  • Arthur's Family Vacation
  • Arthur's First Sleepover
  • Arthur's Pet Business
  • Arthur's Thanksgiving
  • Arthur's Tooth
  • The Cloud over Clarence
  • D.W. All Wet
  • D.W. Flips!
  • D.W. the Picky Eater
  • D.W. Rides Again!
  • D.W. Thinks Big
  • D.W., Go to Your Room!
  • D.W.'s Library Card
  • D.W.'s Lost Blankie
  • Good Night, D.W.
• Books by Paulette Bourgeous, Brenda Clark, illustrated by Brenda Clark, including
  • Franklin Goes to the Hospital - a turtle goes to the hospital to get a crack in his shell repaired
  • Franklin's Classic Treasury - a collection of four books
  • Franklin's Friendship Treasury - a collection of four books
  • Franklin's Holiday Treasury - a collection of four books
  • Franklin's Neighborhood
• Books by Jan Brett, all beautifully illustrated, including
  • Annie and the Wild Animals
  • Berlioz the Bear
  • The Owl and the Pussycat (illustrator)
  • Trouble with Trolls
• Many Clifford books by Norman Bridwell, including
  • Clifford's Birthday Party
  • Clifford Grows Up
  • Clifford the Firehouse Dog
• Georgie - Robert Bright - a friendly ghost who haunts a house struggles to adjust after the owner fix the house and render it unhauntable as before
• Country Bear's Good Neighbor - Larry Dane Brimner, illustrated by Ruth Tietjen Councell - a generous neighbor keeps responding to a bear's requests for various foods and spices
• Mrs. Christie's Farmhouse - Caroline Browne - a woman and girl move to a country farm and meet with a king
• Many books by Eric Carle, including
  • Stories for All Seasons
• Books by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Bruce Degen, including
  • Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear
  • Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
• Books by Denys Cazet, including
  • Minnie and Moo and the Thanksgiving Turkey
  • Minnie and Moo Go To Paris
  • Minnie and Moo Go To The Moon
  • Minnie and Moo Save the Earth
  • Minnie and Moo: the Night Before Christmas
  • Minnie and Moo: the Night of the Living Bed
• Please Say Please!: Penguin's Guide to Manners - Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Will Hillenbran - a fun book illustrating manners, where the what not to do is entertaining
• Old Bob's Brown Bear - Niki Daly
• Veggie Soup - Dorothy Donohue
• I Walk At Night - Lois Duncan, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
• The Birthday Moon - Lois Duncan, pictures by Susan Davis
• Growing Vegetable Soup - Lois Ehlert
• Eight Animals Bake a Cake - Susan Middleton Elya
• Eight Animals on the Town - Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Lee Chapman
• Bringing Down the Moon - Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Vanessa Cabban
• Olivia Saves the Circus - Ian Falconer
• Cats Sleep Anywhere - Eleanor Farjeon, illustrated by Ane Mortimer
• Books by Don Freeman, including
  • Corduroy
  • Corduroy's Easter Party
• A Bear for All Seasons - Diane Marcial Fuchs, illustrated by Kathryn Brown - Bear and Fox discuss what they like best about each season
• Molly's New Washing Machine - Laura Geringer, illustrated by Petra Mathers
• Mushroom in the Rain - Mirra Ginsburg, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
• Jethro Byrd Fairy Child - Bob Graham
• Where is that Cat? - Carol Greene, Loretta Krupinski
  A sweet book about an older woman who takes in a stray cat on a cold winter day and her efforts in finding a home for the cat. Part of the fun is finding the cat hiding in the beautiful illustrations.
• Books by Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage, including
  • Teddy Bears at the Seaside
  • Teddy Bears Cure a Cold
  • Teddy Bears Go Shopping
  • Teddy Bears Take the Train
• Books by Elissa Haden Guest, illustrated by Christine Davenier. These books have engaging stories that have suspense around what kids will feel in various life situations, but not any situations that would be distressing to young children. These books include
  • Iris and Walter and Baby Rose -
  • Iris and Walter and Cousin Howie -
  • Iris and Walter and the Field Trip -
  • Iris and Walter and the Substitute Teacher - explores the delight then the upset of Iris whose grandfather is substituting for her regular teacher
  • Iris and Walter Lost and Found -
  • Iris and Walter The School Play -
  • Iris and Walter The Sleepover - explores Iris' feelings about her first sleepover
  • Iris and Walter. True Friends -
• The Big Snow - Berta and Elmer Hader
• All the Colors of the Earth - Sheila Hamanaka
• Mary's Tiger - Rex Harley, Sue Porter
• All the Way to Morning - Marc Harshman, illustrated by Felipe Davalos
• Jake Baked the Cake - Barbara G. Hennessy
• Baby Duck and the Bad Eyeglasses - Amy Hest, illustrated by Jill Barton
• Does a Cow Say Boo? - Judy Hindley, Brita Granstrom
• The Seven Silly Eaters - Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marla Frazee
• Giving - Shirley Hughes
• Harold and the Purple Crayon - Crockett Johnson
• Books by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, including
  • On a Starry Night, illustrated by David McPhail
  • When Spring Comes, illustrated by Stacey Schuett
  • The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar, illustrated by Ted Rand
• The Birthday Thing - SuAnn and Kevin Kiser, pictures by Yossi Abolafia
• Sun Bread - Elisa Kleven
• The Royal Mice: the Sword and the Horn - Loretta Krupinski
• The Owl and the Pussycat - Edward Lear/Lorinda Bryan Cauley
• Taking Charge - Sonia Levitin, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith
• What's the Matter, Habibi? - Betsy Lewin
• Alvin the Pirate - Ulf Lofgren
• Many books by Arnold Lobel, including
  • A Holiday for Mister Muster
  • A Zoo for Mister Muster
  • Frog and Toad All Year
  • Frog and Toad Are Friends
  • Frog and Toad Together
  • Whiskers and Rhymes
• Books by Thomas Locker, including
  • Cloud Dance
  • Mountain Dance
  • Sailing with the Wind
  • Water Dance
  • Where the River Begins - beautiful paintings illustrate this story of two boys on their first camping adventure with their grandfather to find the source of the river that flows by their house
• When Autumn Comes - Robert Maass - this is a photographic picture story of autumn in midwest/east
• Good Think You're Not An Octopus! - Julie Markes, pictures by Maggie Smith
• Home Sweet Home - Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
• The Baby Beebee Bird - Diane Redfield Massie, pictures by Steven Kellogg
• Too Big - Claire Masurel, illustrated by Hanako Wakiyama
• Littlebat's Halloween Story - Diane Mayr, illustrated by Gideon Kendall
• Make Way for Ducklings - Robert McCloskey
• Papa's Song - Kate McMullan, pictures by Jim McMullan
• Angela's Airplane - Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
• My Puffer Train - Mary Murphy - this is a good one for imitating animal sounds while reading the story
• The Castle Builder - Dennis Nolan
• Books by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond, including
  • If You Give a Moose a Muffin
  • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
  • If You Give a Pig a Pancake
  • If You Give a Pig a Party
  • If You Take a Mouse To School
• Poof! - John O'Brien
• Fireflies for Nathan - Shulamith Levey Oppenheim, pictures by John Ward
• Books by Mary Pope Osborne, in the Magic Tree House series, including
  • Dinosaurs Before Dark
  • The Knight at Dawn
  • Pirates Past Noon
  • Polar Bears Past Bedtime
  • Tigers at Twilight
  • Vacation Under the Volcano
• Many books by Helen Oxenbury, including
  • It's My Birthday
  • the Tom and Pippo book series
• The Story of the Tooth Fairy - Tom Paxton, illustrated by Robert Sauber
• My Favorite Time of Year - Susan Pearson, illustrated by John Wallner
• When Cats Dream - Dav Pilkey
• Books by James Preller, in the Jigsaw Jones series, including
  • The Case of the Detective in Disguise
• Salty Sails North - Gloria Rand, illustrated by Ted Rand - this is better for a little older child, since it has some mild adventure involving physical risks (wolves, bears, icebergs)
• Mud - Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
• Garth Pig Steals the Show - Mary Rayner
• Many books by Margret and H. A. Rey, including
  • Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys
  • Curious George
  • Curious George Flies a Kite
  • Curious George Gets a Job
  • Curious George Goes to the Hospital
• Pete and Polo's Farmyard Adventure - Adrian Reynolds
• The Dot - Peter Reynolds
• Mouse Mess - Linnea Riley - the adventures of a mouse making a mess while finding things to eat in a kitchen
• A Mouse Told his Mother - Bethany Roberts - a book about independence/dependence and maternal support
• Many books by Harlow and Anne Rockwell, including
  • Apples and Pumpkins
  • Root-a-toot-toot
• The Story of Wali Dad - retold and illustrated by Kristina Rodanas
• Green Corn Tamales - Gina Macaluso Rodriguez, illustrated by Gary Shepard
• Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice - Sylvia Rosa-Casanova, Robert Roth
• Hello Ocean - Pam Munoz Ryan, Mark Astrella. I also like this book because it shows the things I like about southern California beaches.
• Wind Says Good Night - Katy Rydell, David Jorgensen
• Many books by Cynthia Rylant, including
  • Henry and Mudge - the first book of their adventures - illustrated by Sucie Stevenson - many books in this series
  • Night in the Country
  • The Great Gracie Chase
  • The High Rise Private Eyes series
  • This Year's Garden
• When the Moon is High - Alice Schertle
• Richard Scarry's books, including Richard Scarry's Cars And Trucks And Things That Go
• Wild Will - Ingrid and Dieter Schubert - a book about a retired pirate with a secret about which he is embarrassed and shares it with a little boy - some of the pirate's behavior in the beginning is somewhat antisocial, so may not be the best for younger ones that you would not like to see imitate that behavior
• The Great Round-the-world Balloon Race - Sue Scullard
• Many books by Susan Seligson and Howie Schneider, including
  • The Amazing Amos and the Greatest Couch on Earth
  • Amos: the Story of an Old Dog and his Couch
  • Amos Goes Camping
• Books by Maurice Sendak, including
  • In the Night Kitchen
  • Where the Wild Things Are
• Many books by Dr. Seuss, including
  • And To Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street
  • Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are
  • Happy Birthday To You
  • Horton Hatches the Egg
  • If I Ran the Circus
  • McElligot's Pool
  • Oh, The Places You'll Go
  • The Sneetches and other stories
  • There's A Wocket In My Pocket!
  • Yertle the Turtle : and other stories
• Books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Marc Simont, including
  • Nate the Great - a series of books about a kid detective
• Old MacDonald had a Woodshop - Lisa Shulman, illustrated by Ashley Wolf
• Ebb & Flo and the Baby Seal and other Ebb & Flo books - Jane Simmons
• Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina
• Chato's Kitchen - Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara
• The Old Man and His Door - Gary Soto, illustrated by Joe Cepeda
• Too Many Tamales - Gary Soto, illustrated by Ed Martinez
• Hattie Baked a Wedding Cake - Toby Speed, illustrated by Cathi Hepworth
• When I Feel Scared - Cornelia Spelman - a book about feelings for young children
• The Lighthouse Cat - Sue Stainton, illustrated by Anne Mortimer
• Books by George E. Stanley, in the Third Grade Detectives series, including
  • The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope
• Pete's a Pizza - William Steig
• And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon - Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, illustrated by Janet Stephens - a fun book about the dog, cat, cow looking for the dish and spoon because they have run away - some oppositional language you may not want to expose a younger child to
• Cook-a-doodle-doo! - Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, illustrated by Janet Stephens - Rooster bakes a strawberry shortcake with the help of Iguana, Pot-bellied Pig, and another animal character
• Books by Nancy Tafuri, including
  • Silly Little Goose
  • What the Sun Sees ; What the Moon Sees
  • Will You Be My Friend? a Bunny and Bird story
• The Turtle and the Moon - Charles Turner, illustrated by Melissa Bay Mathis
• The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
• Bunnies on the Go - Rick Walton, illustrated by Paige Miglio
• Firefighter Frank - Monica Wellington
• Many books by Rosemary Wells, including
  • the Max and Ruby book series
  • Night Sounds, Morning Colors
• The Teddy Bears' Picnic - illustrated by Bruce Whatley
• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything - Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd
• How Will The Easter Bunny Know? - Kay Winters, illustrated by Martha Weston
• Bear and Mrs. Duck - Elizabeth Winthrop, Patience Brewster - a story about a duck babysitting a bear, where the duck gradually builds a relationship with the bear
• When the Root Children Wake Up - Audrey Wood, illustrated by Net Bittinger
• Many books by Don and Audrey Wood, including
  • The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And The Big Hungry Bear
  • Moonflute
  • The Napping House
• Owl Moon - Jane Yolen
• Mouse's Birthday - Jane Yolen and Bruce Degen
• Trashy Town - Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, Dan Yaccarino - a good garbage truck book for those young garbage truck aficionados
• Harry the Dirty Dog - Gene Zion
• Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present - Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Maurice Sendak