Favorite Children's Books: Guest Post by Kelsey

Personal All-Time Favorites:

Dogger, by Shirley Hughes

This was my very favorite book when I was growing up, possibly because I had my own stuffed dog, named Fraidy, who I took everywhere, just like Dave in the story.  

Guess How Much I Love You, by 
Sam McBratney and 
Anita Jeram

An instant, endearing classic.

Felix Feels Better, by Rosemary Wells This book made me laugh in the library, the illustrations are so droll and true to life, and the dialogue is hilarious.  I have been known to quote this book at random occasions.

Flora's Blanket, Flora's Surprise,               
by Debi Gliori

Debi Gliori's illustrations are so precious.  Flora is the baby of a large family of bunnies, and as such experiences the frustrations and benefits that come with that.

Thank You Bear, Don't Worry Bear,

by Greg Foley

These books are very simple, but adorably illustrated, and little children (adults too) can easily relate to Bear, who is a very sincere and sweet little bear.  Gems of children's literature for sure.

Bear...Feels Scared, Feels Sick, Wants More and Snores On, by Karma Wilson  These books are hilarious and about topics that small children know all about--being hungry, sick, scared, and missing out on something fun because they're sleeping.

Favorites of the 5 and 3-year-old boys that I nanny:

Not A Box, and Not A Stick, by Antoinette Portis (Not a Box is the hands-down favorite...a Goodwill find!  Great books about imagination and pretending games.)

Whistle For Willie, by Ezra Jack Keats (this is especially effective, I have found, if you actually whistle loudly at the appropriate times.)

The Great Alphabet Fight, by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steve Jensen

The Very Kind Rich Lady And Her One Hundred Dogs, by Chinlun Lee (you must, of course, always read ALL one hundred names of the very kind rich lady's one hundred dogs.)

How Do Dinosaurs...Say Goodnight, Get Well Soon, Eat Their Food, by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague  (if your children are easily suggestible, I recommend caution with these:)


The Pencil, by Allan Ahlberg
Policeman Small, The Little Farm, Cowboy Small, (any of the series) by Lois Lenski


Books Better Enjoyed by Adults than the Children they were Intended for:
Any books by Bill Peet, especially The Gnats of Knotty Pine, and Eli 
(My mom and I find them extremely funny, but it seems like Mr. Peet always had an agenda in his stories, like, Save the Forest Creatures Kill the Hunters, so I usually don't read them to the kids.


The Day is Waiting, by Don Freeman is beautifully illustrated.
Sunshine, by Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline stories, and found in Madeline in America and other Holiday Tales. 
This story is Hilarious, but would totally go over most children's heads.  Read it aloud to someone--my friend (who is also 21) and I enjoyed it immensely.


All the World, by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon 
I just got this book out of the library, and the pictures are just incredible.  The text however seems to be quite humanistic, so if I were to read it to the kids I might tweak it or talk afterward with them about how all the world only exists because of God, etc.


Wait! No Paint! by Bruce Whatley
I did read this to the boys and they did like it, but some of the funniest parts went over their heads.  This one made me laugh out loud in the library.

Well, there you go...a few of the best kids books I've found in my lifelong fascination with them.  I keep finding new treasures in the Library (click to read "Going to the Library") and Goodwill all the time--they're there, but sometimes you have to dig through the politically correct, silly, or badly illustrated books to find them.
Now, I know none of these books really talk about the Lord, but honestly I've had a hard time finding really excellent books that do.  If you know of any, please let me know!  I do like some of Max Lucado's children's books, but the analogies are a bit hard to grasp for the small children I read to.
Haha, ok...now that I'm thinking about it, I can think of a couple Christian stories I like...maybe they will have to have their own post. :)