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Favourite Children's books

jimbob

Uncritical "thinker"
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jimbob
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What are your favourite childrens's books, both those that you enjoyed as a child, and those that you enjoy(ed) reading to children?

I'll start with one that has just (Oh Joy) been reprinted in the US...

J P Martin's "Uncle"

A brilliantly insane book (illustrated by Quentin Blake, which is always a good sign).

And the author manages to subvert what he was saying:

"For instance, he used, when he was young, to find it difficult to tell the truth always, but he wasn't a very clever liar, because he couldn't help blowing softly through his trunk when he was telling a lie, and people got to know of this. Also he once borrowed a bicycle without permission when he was at University, and being rather heavy, broke it. People have long memories for such deeds in a great person"

Buy it, and then the rest might get published...
 
The Possum That Didn't (Frank Tashlin, 1950) was made into an animated short film as well. His other books for 'children' are also rewarding. Had to hunt many years to track this one down, both the film and the book...

Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak, 1963)

And a little book shaped like winter mittens about little animals using the mitten as a house in the winter season, of czech origin originally I think. I don't know the english title if it has one, and not sure about the swedish either at the moment but I think it was something like "the mitten". :)
 
I see "Where The Wild Things Are" has already been mentioned, good

Here's one my Aunty used to read to her kids: Possum Magic

I used to like the Magical Faraway Tree series when I was a kid
 
Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson.

Yes, it's 50 years old, but the book helped get my imagination up and running.

So, you can either thank (or blame) that for how I turned out...
:D
 
As a child I recall enjoying the books of Eric.. Eric Carl? The painted illustrations were great to look at.
 
Beauty and The Beast (I can't remember which version)

Green Eggs and Ham

Spooky story anthologies
 
The Forgotten Door
Any of the Beverly Clearly books
The tripod series (John Christopher)
The Chronicles of Narnia
Trixie Belden books
The Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Phantom Tollbooth

I lived to read in those days
Susan
 
Well, um, let me think....

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
The Secret Garden
Anne of Green Gables (Not sure if that counts as children's)
Invincible Louisa
Prehistoric America

To be honest, I haven't thought about that last one for a long time, but I dearly loved it and read it over and over when I was seven and eight. I especially liked the part about the La Brea tar pits!
 
The entire Dr. SuessWP (Theodore Suess Geisel) series of books, even the ones written by Theo LeSeig, P.D. Eastman, and Stan and Jan Berenstein.

Though it might be little intense for very young children, Shel Silverstein's childrens books are also tops on my list.

Although not really considered "quality" children's books, one might also think about some of the classic (silver and bronze age) comic book compilations. Marvel comics has done this with their "Essential" series and DC has their "Archive Editions". My nephews are big on Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman and they love it when they can come over and reading my comics.
 
Of course "The Whether Man" is an obvious fan of Norman Juster's "The Phantom Tollbooth", and a fine book that is too.
 
Tales About Timothy, David and the Phoenix, several myth/legend books - including Grimm,etc. that told the stories correctly (though at the time I did not know their were not correct ones). Dr. Seusses', (heavy in 1st &2nd grade),Alice and Through, David Copperfield (read to us in fifth grade!).
Later: Wild Things, Paddington Bear (!!), Anne of GG, Drummer Hoff, Rabbit's Wedding, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (ALA/IF fan!!so read - and enjoyed - the books).
 
MelBrooksfan said:
As a child I recall enjoying the books of Eric.. Eric Carl? The painted illustrations were great to look at.
Click to expand...

Eric Carle. He did some amazing work - The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic.

I love anything by Roald Dahl for children.
 
When I was a child/teen I loved and re-read many times:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass
The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I am David
My Side of the Mountain
Little Women
The Winnie the Pooh books
The Dr Seuss books
The Outsiders
The Twelfth Day of July series by Joan Lingard
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


As an adult, some children's books I have read and enjoyed are:

The Harry Potter series
Numerous Horrible Histories books
Numerous Horrible Geography books
Numerous books by Jackie French
The Artemis Fowl series
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
 
My wife is now reading Uncle to the kids

"Don Guzman is really a very good oil watcher, despite his habit of smoking whilst on the oil lake"...
 
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley and the rest of the series.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein still brings me to tears every time I read it.

Pat the Bunny by [SIZE=-1]Dorothy Kunhardt just for the fond memories it brings back.

Ferdinand the Bull by Munro Leaf
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The Tintin and Snowy series of books.

The Phantom Tollbooth.

The two Alice in Wonderland books.


Steve S.
 
How Fletcher Was Hatched

It's about a large brown dog who feels concern that his mistress has turned her affections from him to the new yellow chicks that have arrived. He hatches a plan of his own to regain her attention...

Cpl Ferro
 
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