Reading and eventually with our children has always been a priority for me. Cuddling them in bed with a story is my favorite time of the day. Here are my top children’s books for building your own libraries or for the perfect gift for that little person.
Benefits of reading with children
Beyond the irreplaceable bonding time, there are many benefits to reading with your kids. Establishing the habit and love of reading is powerful. I attended a lecture with a middle school leadership teacher, and he said if he walks into a classroom and sees a kid reading by himself, he knows that kid is going to be fine. Reading with your children helps improve their language, comprehension, focus and creativity among other things.
Gift a book instead of a card
I really think greeting cards are a waste of money: honestly, $6-10 for something that will be thrown away almost immediately? No thank you. Why not give a book instead of a card: it’s half the cost anyway! Write something sentimental or inspirational on the front of the book for a gift that will keep on giving and be remembered for years. We did this recently at a baby shower where everyone brought their favorite children’s book and it was a great way to build a library for the little boy.
The top 18 children’s books
We have read many books over the years. Here are 18 of the best we’ve read!
- Dragons love Tacos (and the sequel) by Rubin Salmieri. This is one of our favorites! We love tacos in our house: I mean, who doesn’t?
- The Smart Cookie by John Oswald (and the whole series like The Cool Bean etc). Really smart and fun, I like the writing style.
- ET The Extra-Terrestrial by Mathison/Spielberg/Smith. As a child of the 80s, I just loved ET, so this book was a lot of fun to read to my boys.
- The sky is the limit by Swerling/Lazar. Such an inspiring and heartwarming children’s book.
- Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. I remember learning about this book from the movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock.
- Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers. Just beautiful.
- The book without pictures by BJ Novak. Who would have thought that a book without pictures could be fun? But it is, trust me.
- Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak. An oldie but a goodie. It helps that the main character’s name is Max (my youngest’s name).
- Aaron Slater Illustrator, Architect Iggy Peck (the whole series is great) by Andrea Beaty. I loved these books for showing the different paths people can take in life and how our differences are what make each of us unique and shine.
- Little People, BIG DREAMS (love Dolly Parton, The Rock, Muhammad Ali but the whole series is incredible and inspiring, perfect for provoking questions and discussion)
- Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros. This is a heartwarming book about a grandfather with Alzheimer’s and such a beautiful way to explain the memory loss your loved ones with the disease experience. My dad has Alzheimer’s: I cry every time I read this.
- The day the crayons give up by Oliver Jeffers (they have a few sequels). Very clever and witty we loved this book.
- Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (entire series). Very cute stories about a squirrel who is afraid of everything and how he overcomes those fears.
- Harry the dirty dog by Gene Zion. Adorable little old fashioned book about a little dog and his adventures for a day. Nothing deep here, just cute.
- Insignificant by Leslie Patricelli. Toilet humor will never get old in our house (boy mama here) and Potty (there are other books in the series) is a great book to get the kids when they are potty training. We still read it regularly – and thankfully my boys are now fully trained at 8 and 12, haha!
- Sir Simon Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson. Written by a local writer here in Kelowna, I just love this (the little ghost bum in the back makes Max laugh every time).
- The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt. Repeated over the years, my kids never tire of it. After all, who doesn’t love a rock, paper, scissors game?
- The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Such a classic and a really great lesson on the environment and consumerism.
Happy reading my friends! What are your favorite children’s books? Post them in the comments below!
