I don't remember a time when I didn't have access to books, and I mean a lot of books. My mother was a reader and ensured that I had a book case filled with books. I have a lot of memories of reading and being read to as a child so, of course, I made it a point to ensure that my kids had overflowing bookshelves of books, too. Some of them were books I kept from when I was a kid and some were ones that were discovered by or for them. To this day, these books still hold a special place in my heart and will always make me smile. So, for all of you looking for some awesome picture books for the amazing kiddos in your life, here are some of my family's favorite reads; reads that we've read again and again. And, please, let me know if you want more lists like these.
Please note that these are in no particular order and these are just some books that my family fell in love. They won't be for everyone and that's okay, too.
The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room by Stan and Jan Berenstain. When I was a kid, I loved all things Berenstain Bears. I had the whole collection (well what was released at that point) and I even continued to get them after I was way too old for them. This was the first book that I met the Berenstain Bear family and, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty sure my mom got this book for me for a reason. But as an adult, I have to say, that I really appreciate the discussion of organization and letting go of broken and out grown. And the pictures are fun, too.
Little Quack's Opposites by Lauren Thompson...my daughter loved this book to epicly legendary proportions. My husband and I literally had the book memorized and I had only gotten it becuase I thought the ducks were cute and opposites are good to learn. No joking, the book is falling apart, pages pulling away from the spine from all of it the love it was given and it's sitting on my 14 year old's books shelf because she just can't bear to let her beloved book go. We still talk about her love for this book. And, I mean, their names are Little Quack and Puddle. Could it be any cuter?!
Hello Ninja by N.D was added to our family library when my youngest was itty bitty, mostly because my husband called my daughter Baby Ninja even before we knew her gender, so we got excited about all baby things ninja. Thankfully, it was a hit and not only did my husband love the book, but so did my daughter. Even I thought it was really cute. And it might be the reason one of my daughter's first words she was able to recognize the work Ninja. It was the perfect simple, fun bedtime stories for quite some time.
And Tango makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson is a new favorite in or house and I'm not the least bit sad about it. This is the true story of two penguins who fall in love and are gifted the ability to be fathers in a slighting unconventional way. This book was added to our family library for Christmas and as soon as I read it, I was ashamed for not experiencing this book sooner. It's cute, sweet and pulls at our heart strings everytime we read it. And we read it a lot. It's absolutely our go to book for storytime in our house.
Are you my Mother? by P.D Eastman was a favorite of mine when I was little. My mom said I made her read it again and again and again. While I don't remember that, I do remember the pictures vividly well. Just seeing the pictures brings on a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. As a parent, I enjoyed listening to my kiddos giggle as the little bird ran around asking anything and everything if if/they were his mother.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic. While I didn't find a connection with it when I was a kid, it was the first book that my youngest fell in love with. It was the first book that she asked for and requested on her own. To this day, she still loves the caterpillar and she loves to read it with us as he eats through all of his treats. Of course, she has also fallen in love with Sleep Tight Very Hungry Caterpillar, so I can't promise it's the Very Hungry Caterpillar book or the character.
Gamer Baby Role-Playing Games by Moloy Rossiter made me so happy when I learned it existed. As a woman in her 40s who is finally embracing and enjoying her nerdy side, I love that we're finding more and more ways to include and expose our kids to the things that we love and help to bring us happiness. I love that there is a world in which anything, even DnD can become a family thing and not just something on their shirt that they don't understand. I love that these kinds of things, the nerdy side in all of us is being celebrated and normalized.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina was a beloved book in our house by all three of my kids (even my son who was never a huge book person to my great dismay). This is another one that my daughter made us read again and again. While my son just liked monkeys, my daughter thought it was hilarious how the monkeys responded to the peddler. She made us read this book at least one time a day for I don't know how long. It's one of the books that I will forever keep a copy of because of all of the memories we made reading this bone.
Dinosaur Rap by John Foster is amazing! I adore Barefoot Books in all of its awesomeness! All their sing a longs are fun and amazing but Dinosaur rap is our favorite. It's a guided dance safe for a small space. It's my youngests favorite way to get her wiggles out and extra energy. It's a super fun and favorite brain brake from school. And it's dinosaurs so...what could be better than that? I mean, it's amazing! I'm convinced that every home of young kids should have it and every classroom needs it.
Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow was one of the books my youngest read in Kindergarten and it was one of her favorites. I've always been a fan of unique and not super common names and I love how this book celebrates the power and the beauty in names, especially names that are a little different others in the class. Again, this is one that I think pretty much every classroom should have on their bookshelves.
But that's just ten of our favorites (and we love so many books). Which have you read and loved? What did we leave out? Do you want to see more posts like this? Let us know in the comments.