Reading is one of the most important things a child can do. For whatever reason, here are a list of our favorite children's books and why we still love them to this day.
1. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Not only do we love this book but we love the sixteen others that came after it. This classic teaches us that there are consequences that come from our actions and sometimes they are wanted and other times they are not. Thanks, Laura Numeroff!
2. A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. A novel inspired by a hole-punch, Eric Carle designs, writes, and illustrates, this book to describe the lifespan of a caterpillar and how it then becomes a beautiful butterfly. It has been translated into over 40 languages so children and adult all over the world can share in this beautiful story.
3. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This acclaimed classic is a great bedtime story that has a rhyming text as the bunny says goodnight to everything. This highly acclaimed book has also been translated into eleven languages!
4. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This touching story between a female apple tree and a small boy as he ages could represent society's abuse of nature and our lack of respect for it. On the other hand, it could represent a mother's love and how it is unconditional. The plot follows a small boy who receives many gifts from the tree; limbs to climb, apples to sell, wood to build a home, a trunk for a boat, and then finally a place to rest as he has grown old.
5. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. This swiss-original children's novel tells the moral of the value of being an individual. Later after the book became super popular, it was then developed into a T.V. show titled the same.
6. Corduroy by Don Freeman. This heartwarming story tells the tale of a department store bear who only longs to be bought by a loving child and played with. Corduroy goes throughout the store and has his own adventures at night but come to find out he lost his button! He then has to go on a mission to find it! No one could ever get tired of this toy-comes-to-life story.
7. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss. This inspiring book tells children that the world is open to them and that all you have to do is go--because you have brains in your head, feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose!
8. The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. Translated from french to english, this children's book makes comments on society and human nature and is considered quite philosophical.
9. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. What started as a song was then transformed into a children's novel where a new mother holds her newborn baby and says: I'll love you forever, I'll like you always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be. Again, this classic novel is great for kids as it's pair with a lullaby and shows a mother's love for her child.
10. Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne. I'm not sure what's better: the fact that A.A. Milne wrote these books after his song Christopher Robin Milne or that he wrote them in between having served in both World Wars.
