Everyone remembers their favorite books from childhood. Sometimes they remind you of spending carefree summer days reading
outside. Or, maybe you read them together with mom or dad. No matter what, some of those classics stick with us forever. Why not share them with a child you know?
Read books with your kids.
Image: Shutterstock
Our top ten list of the best books for kids include the following.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. This colorful tale about a caterpillar who eats through all kinds of food is an excellent book for learning counting skills (and teaching about the dangers of overeating!) It also teaches about the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly.
- Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt. This book is for babies and very young kids. It’s filled with actions rather than lots of words. It encourages children to touch the bunny’s soft (fake) fur and to look in a mirror (provided in the book).
- Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd. This book is filled with all the things that go on in a house at night and how to “say goodnight” to them. It’s a great bedtime story.
- The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd. This sweet story is about a little bunny who wants to run away. He asks his mother what she would do if he turned into a boat and sailed away. The mom says she would turn into the wind and blow him home. All of the illustrations are show the mom and baby bunny as clouds.
- Stuart Little, by E.B. White. This is the story of a mouse born to human parents and how the family adapts to having such a small son.
- Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney. It’s the story of Alice Rumphius who grows up, sees the world and plants lupines to make the world more beautiful. There are lovely illustrations in this book.
- The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. Hint: Do not read this book if you are prone to tears. It’s the sad, but sweet story about a tree who gives everything she has to a little boy as he grows up and gets old. It’s really about a mother’s love.
- Teaser and the Firecat, by (appropriately) Cat Stevens. It’s the story of a little boy and his cat who find that the moon has fallen out of the sky. They go on an adventure to put it back.
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. No introduction needed.
- Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak. This book’s illustrations are phenomenal. It brings out the wildness in everyone.
Pick up some of the best books for kids. Image: Shutterstock
