I’ve had a little reader in my house for about ten years. When my oldest son was a toddler, he was always bringing me books to read with him. He developed a love for books before he could even talk, let alone read. Now my youngest is in first grade, and I’m savoring every fleeting moment that we spend snuggled on the sofa, reading a book together. I thought it would be fun to compile a list of our favorite children’s books since it’s Christmas time, and any of these would make a great gift for the little reader in your life.
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Here are my top 20 selections (in no particular order):
1. Corduroy by Don Freeman
2. Franklin by Paulette Bourgeois
3. Hop on Pop by Dr. Suess
4. If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
5. Funniest Storybook Ever by Richard Scarry
6. Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
8. The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems
9. Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
10. Curious George by H.A. Rey
11. My Truck is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis & Daniel Kirk
12. The Rain Came Down by David Shannon
13. Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry G. Allard and James Marshall
14. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
15. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
16. The Trouble with Cauliflower by Jane Sutton
17. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
18. The Berenstain Bears by Stan & Jan Berenstain
19. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
20. The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt
The Tale of Three Trees makes an especially meaningful Christmas gift because the tale of the trees is beautifully woven into the story of Jesus’ life.
I also want to mention a wonderful book that my mom often read to me when I was a little girl. It’s called The Visit by Joan Esley. It’s no longer in print, but sometimes you can find a copy on Ebay. The Visit is exquisitely illustrated by Eloise Wilkin and tells the darling story of a little girl named Abigail going to visit her Great-aunt Lavinia’s house.
I hope this holiday season is filled with precious moments for you and your little readers! Merry Christmas!
We have every single one of these!!! Love them all. I love “Giraffes can’t dance” too 🙂
I haven’t read Giraffes Can’t Dance. I’ll look for it at the library!
I think there is only one we have not had with both of our girls and then our grandchildren as well. Thanks for sharing . Love children’s books.
Me, too! It’s so fun to revisit old favorites with the kids!