125+ Must Have Children's Books

This past week we were lucky for a variety of reasons. To start off, I am lucky my coworker warned me to leave work at 11 a.m. last Tuesday after his wife sent him a picture of snow accumulating near their house. The second reason I am lucky is because I was able to pick both girls up from their schools and get home safely before Metro Atlanta became a giant parking lot. Did you see it on the news? Well, two inches of snow in Atlanta provided me with 3 1/2 snow days to spend with my girls. I am lucky to have spent this extra, unexpected time with them.

After spending hours playing outside in the snow, my oldest started lugging books into our living room. She informed me that she was going to be playing library and I should get a bag for Little Miss J to borrow some books. I will admit that my immediate thought was dismay at all the books I was going to have to carry back up to their rooms. However, once I sat back and watched their play unfold, I noticed one very important thing. I noticed that the books they brought to their library were the ones that they wanted there. They also were the books that were worn from so much use. This inspired me to share with you the books that they would never be able to live without. I cross-posted this to a page on my blog for easy access. The scientist in me categorized the books based on what type of learning the book inspires. Let me know what you think. So without further ado, here are 125+ of the favorite books from our home library.

Our Favorite Books from our Little Home Library

Over the years, we have grown our little home library from just a couple books (most of which were from my own childhood) to a very large library of children's books. Many of these books are read once or twice, and then they find a sheltered place on the shelf to keep the other books company. However, other books are read over and over until the pages are worn and the characters live within our souls making us richer for having read them. All the books in a child's library need not be classic literature, but a diverse collection to inspire little renaissance kids. I thought I would create a place to store all of our favorites that we have read again and again. This is not a list created by a literary expert. Instead, it is a list created by a real mom who knows what books her girls are constantly taking off the bookshelf, carrying in their book bag, or leaving lying next to their bed. These are the books that my daughters bring to me, asking me to read them “AGAIN!” Some of these books I do not particularly like, but all of these books my children love. 

What is the right book for a child? The right book is the one that the child wants to read.

Many of these books I have committed to memory. All of these books live in our hearts. All the books shared are ones we loved enough to purchase.

The goal is that this list will grow as our library grows. (The holiday section is sparse because most of these get packed away when the holiday passes, except a few.) Keep checking back to see what we have added. And please share your own suggestions in the comment section below. 

A quick note about taste: I should mention that I have two girls. My youngest is almost two, and the other is seven. My youngest is obsessed with dogs, so there will be quite a few books with dogs in them. 

Best Books for Babies

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Are You My Mother? (cloth book)	P.D. Eastman	P.D. Eastman	We have this beautiful cloth version of it.
Oh, David!: A Pocket Library	David Shannon	David Shannon	These three Diaper David Books are perfect first reads and read nightly in our house.
Tails	Matthew Van Fleet	Matthew Van Fleet	Babies will love to feel the fuzzy fur of the tails.
That's Not My Dinosaur (Usborne Touchy Feely)	Fiona Watt	Rachel Wells	Any of the many Usborne “That’s not my…” books are great. I just happen to have a kid obsessed with dinosaurs.
Hop on Pop (I Can Read It All By Myself)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	We have the unabridged version and a small, board book version. Both have been read countless times.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Children love to follow the caterpillar through the holes in the book, waiting for the transformation into a butterfly.
Snuggle Puppy (Boynton on Board)	Sandra Boynton	Sandra Boynton	I usually sing the words to this book.

My First Grader’s Favorite Books 

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Bad Kitty Boxed Set #1	Nick Bruel	Nick Bruel	My daughter cannot get enough of these books. Perfect combination of pictures and words for the early reader.
The Adventures of Captain Underpants	Dav Pilkey	Dav Pilkey	What seven year old doesn’t love potty humor?
Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder	Kate DiCamillo	Chris Van Dusen	We love to the give these characters interesting voices when we read.
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by O'Hara. Mo ( 2013 ) Paperback	Mo O’Hara	Marek Jagucki	My mom thought this was the most disturbing book ever. It only made my oldest want to read it more. I despise the book, but it keeps her reading.
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me	Roald Dahl	Quentin Blake	“No book ever ends/ When it’s full of your fiends/ The Giraffe and the Pell and me.”
Gabby and Gator	James Burks	James Burks	A graphic novel at its best. My oldest carries this one around, reading it over and over.

My Toddler’s Favorite Books

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Biscuit Storybook Collection	Alyssa Satin Capucilli	Pat Schories	We have Biscuit books for all occasions.
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb (Bright & Early Board Books)	Al Perkins	Eric Gurney	I read this at least 5 times a night to Miss J.
Move Over, Rover!	Karen Beaumont	Jane Dyer	Great rhyming to keep the wiggliest kid listening.
Good Boy, Fergus!	David Shannon	David Shannon	From the author that created the lovable character David, here is a book about David’s dog.
Mirabelle and the Bouncy Red Ball (Happy Dog Adventure)	Michael Muller	Michael Muller	We met Mirabelle and Mr. Muller at the Decatur Book Festival, and Little Miss has been hooked ever since.
BOO! Puppy	Sarah Phillips		Love that early on my little on started shouting, “Boo!” as we read this book.
Rawr!	Todd H. Doodler	Todd H. Doodler	Little Miss will listen to this one five times a night.
Baa Baa Black Sheep	Nursery Rhyme		We have a little board book with this nursery rhyme, and she will have me sing this song 10 times before bed.

Books That Teach Letters

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Z Is for Moose (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))	Kelly Bingham	Paul O. Zelinsky	Giggles and Laughter
Eric Carle's ABC (The World of Eric Carle)	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Flaps with animals
Dr. Seuss's ABC (Beginner Books, I Can Read It All By Myself)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	Committed to Memory
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Classic Board Books)	Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault	Lois Ehlert	I also have this one committed to memory.

Books That Teach Numbers

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
One Spotted Giraffe	Petr Horacek	Petr Horacek	Counting Pop-up book
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile: Lyle Walks the Dogs	Bernard Waber	Paulis Waber	Our old friend Lyle comes back to be a dog walker!
Hippos Go Berserk	Sandra Boynton	Sandra Boynton	Silly hippos all show up for a party and go berserk
Doggies (Boynton on Board)	Sandra Boynton	Sandra Boynton	Great for toddlers
The Berenstain Bears Bears on Wheels (Step into Reading)	Stan and Jan Berenstain	Stan and Jan Berenstain	A book from my childhood to share with my girls
10 Little Rubber Ducks	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Based on a true story, Eric Carle takes a tale of ducks being lost at sea and turns it into a lovable children’s book.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (A Five Little Monkeys Story)	Retold by Eileen Christelow	Eileen Christelow	What kid doesn’t like this story?

Books That Teach Colors

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
The Mixed-Up Chameleon	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Great for colors, animals, and being yourself
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Memorized by all
Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors	Hena Khan	Mehrdokht Amini	Beautifully illustrates another culture
Good Night, Sweet Butterflies: A Color Dreamland	Dawn Bentley	Heather Cahoon	From the creator of Ten Little Ladybugs, both girls have loved running their fingers over the glittery butterflies and count them as they disappear in the die cut book.

Books that Teach Opposites

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Big Dog...Little Dog (Beginner Books(R))	P.D. Eastman	Peter Anthony Eastman	A classic from my childhood.
Old Hat New Hat (Bright & Early Board Books(TM))	Stan and Jan Berenstain	Stan and Jan Berenstain	I cannot tell you how many times I have read this board book.
Opposites	Sandra Boynton	Sandra Boynton	Great illustrations of opposites with classic Boynton characters.

Books for Going to Bed

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Llama Llama Red Pajama	Anna Dewdney	Anna Dewdney	I am mama Llama.
Good Night, Gorilla	Peggy Rathmann	Peggy Rathmann	Sparse with words, but rich in fun, you will love this book for a quiet moment.
Dr Seuss's Sleep Book	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	Just try to read this book without yawning. I am yawning just thinking about reading it.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?	Jane Yolen	Mark Teague	Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: “I want to hear one book more!”?
The Going-To-Bed Book	Sandra Boynton	Sandra Boynton	A great read for little toddlers.
Bear Snores On (Classic Board Books)	Karma Wilson	Jane Chapman	A great bedtime read during the cold, winter months.

Animal Books

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Animal Sounds (A Golden Sturdy Book)	A Golden Sturdy Book	Aurelius Battaglia	Given to me by my grandmother, cherished always
The Very Busy Spider	Eric Carle	Eric Carle	Kids are captivated by Eric Carle’s paintings of animals.
Is Your Mama a Llama?	Deborah Guarino	Steven Kellogg	This is such a sweet story. The book is taped together because it has been read so many times.
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Board Book	Bill Martin Jr.	Eric Carle	Love the lesson on endangered animals in this book.
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?	Bill Martin Jr.	Eric Carle	Kids love making the animal noises along with this book.
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? Board Book (World of Eric Carle)	Bill Martin Jr.	Eric Carle	Another book like Brown Bear, but this one focuses on animals from North America.

Dr. Seuss Must Haves

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Green Eggs and Ham	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	My favorite book as a child. I remember my dad reading this one to me.
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You : Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises (Bright and Early Board Books)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	It truly is a book of wonderful noises!
Horton Hears A Who!	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	“We are here! We are here! We are here!”
Fox in Socks (Beginner Books)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	“Take it slowly. This book is dangerous!”
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	“Oh, the Thinks you can think up if only you try!”
The Lorax (Classic Seuss)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
The Cat in the Hat (Beginner Books(R))	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	So basic they should give every parent this book in the hospital.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (I Can Read It All by Myself)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	“For there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

Classic Books Every Library Must Have

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Where the Wild Things Are	Maurice Sendak	Maurice Sendak	And Max said, “I’ll eat you up.”
Harry the Dirty Dog	Gene Zion	Margaret Bloy Graham	Where is Harry?
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give...)	Laura Numeroff	Felicia Bond	There are so many great “If You Give a…” books to choose from now.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel	Virginia Lee Burton	Virginia Lee Burton	The ultimate up-cycle story.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs	Judi Barrett	Ron Barrett	Please keep reading this book to kids so they don’t end up with a distorted view of the book from the movie.
Put Me in the Zoo (I can read it all by myself' Beginner Books)	Robert Lopshire	Robert Lopshire	I have distinct memories of this book being read to me as a child. I hope my girls grow up with the same memories.
Go, Dog. Go! (I Can Read It All By Myself Beginner Books)	P.D. Eastman	P.D. Eastman	Colors, opposites, a little bit of everything is taught in this classic book.

Books about Life, Love, and Everything in Between

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Grandpa Green	Lane Smith	Lane Smith	It was as if it was written about my grandfather.
The Giving Tree with CD	Shel Silverstein	Shel Silverstein	This book teaches a valuable lesson, but it isn’t the one you think.
Guess How Much I Love You	Sam McBratney	Anita Jeram	I love you to the moon and back.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day	Judith Viorst	Ray Cruz	“It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.”
You Can Do It, Sam	Amy Hest	Anita Jeram	Sam’s mom encourages him to be brave and deliver the warm, baked goodness to their neighbors.

Poetry Books

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
A Light in the Attic Special Edition	Shel Silverstein	Shel Silverstein	My grandparents gave me this book when I was a kid.
A Child's Garden of Verses	Robert Louis Stevenson	Eulalie (In my edition)	My copy is from the 70’s and is well loved.
My Dog May Be a Genius	Jack Prelutsky	James Stevenson	Silly and fun
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings	Shel Silverstein	Shel Silverstein	Another classic from my childhood.
A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers	Nancy Willard	Alice and Marin Provensen	I remember purchasing this book from the Scholastic Book Fair when I was a child. I still wish I could visit William Blake’s Inn.

Books That Teach History 

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.	Doreen Rappaport	Bryan Collier	The illustrations in this book are absolutely captivating.
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters	Barack Obama	Loren Long	This book introduces so many great figures in history in a beautiful way.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Books 

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?	Steve Jenkins & Robin Page	Steve Jenkins & Robin Page	A delightful picture book that talks about the different body parts of animals.
underGROUND	Denise Fleming	Denise Fleming	Teaching the youngest of readers about all that lives in the dirt. A big hit with our toddler.
Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909	Michelle Markel	Melissa Sweet	This book exemplifies the American spirit.

Books That Foster Kindness

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
The BFG	Roald Dahl	Quentin Blake	“Two rights don’t equal a left.”
One	Kathryn Otoshi	Kathryn Otoshi	Simplicity at its best.
Miss Rumphius	Barbara Cooney	Barbara Cooney	A strong female character teaching about kindness.
god bless the gargoyles	Dav Pilkey	Dav Pilkey	To say that I love this book would be an understatement.
Boy and Bot	Ame Dykeman	Dan Yaccarino	A beautiful story of friendship and kindness between an unlikely pair.
A Bad Case of Stripes (Scholastic Bookshelf)	David Shannon	David Shannon	Such a great story to read with any child (or adult for that matter) that worries about what other people think.

Books for Learning about the Body

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
The Ear Book (Bright & Early Board Books(TM))	Al Perkins	Henry Payne	A simple board book to help a baby learn about their ears.
The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss's Wacky Book of Opposites	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	This book also teaches opposites.
The Nose Book	Al Perkins	Joe Mathieu	Noses of every shape and size!
No More Diapers for Ducky!	Bernette Ford	Sam Williams	This book motivated my oldest to potty train.

Holiday Books

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Classic Seuss)	Dr. Seuss	Dr. Seuss	You’re a mean one. Mister Grinch.
Little Children's Christmas Music Book	Fiona Watt	Elisa Squillace	Check out my daughter’s reaction to reading this book.
Biscuit Is Thankful	Alyssa Satin Capucilli	Pat Schories	My little one loves Biscuit. This book meant for Thanksgiving gets read all year round.

Books That Make Us Laugh

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Skippyjon Jones	Judy Schachner	Judy Schachner	Be ready to work on your best Spanish accent.
Everyone Poops (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)	Taro Gomi	Amanda Mayer Stinchecum	Just saying the title makes me giggle.
Click, Clack, Moo (Classic Board Books)	Doreen Cronin	Betsy Lewin	It is as if the cows formed a union.
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes	Eric Litwin	James Dean	Ask any kindergartner and they will tell you they LOVE Pete the Cat
Diary of a Worm	Doreen Cronin	Harry Bliss	There are several books in this series, and they are all great additions to a library.
Down by the Cool of the Pool	Tony Mitton	Guy Parker-Rees	Terrific, silly toddler fun.
Giraffes Can't Dance	Giles Andrede	Guy Parker-Rees	You will dance like no one is watching.
Pigsty (Scholastic Bookshelf: Humor)	Mark Teague	Mark Teague	A lesson on cleaning rooms.
Duck Soup	Jackie Urbanovic	Jackie Urbanovic	The way the author uses text and illustrations to convey the humor is spot on.
Splat the Cat	Rob Scotton	Rob Scotton	You will fall in love with Splat.
Fancy That!	Pamela Allen	Pamela Allen	Wish they sold this book in the States. A friend of mine brought it back from Australia. We love it.
Who Sank the Boat? (Paperstar)	Pamela Allen	Pamela Allen	Do you know who sank the boat?

Characters We Love 

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
Harry Potter Series	J.K. Rowling		We have only read book one, but we plan to read the rest when my oldest is ready.
Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter Books	Mercer Mayer	Mercer Mayer	Our favorite title is Just Me and My Mom.
Clifford	Norman Bridwell	Norman Bridwell	Who doesn’t Love Emily Elizabeth and Clifford?
Curious George	H.A. and Margret Rey	H.A. and Margret Rey	He was a good little monkey, and always very curious.
Piggie and Gerald	Mo Willems	Mo Willems	These books have us in stitches. They keep both my toddler and 7 year old engaged.
Beezus and Ramona	Beverly Cleary	Tracy Dockray	If you have girls, just buy the complete set.
The Berenstain Bears	Stan and Jan Berenstain	Stan and Jan Berenstain	A great go-to for when you have a specific lesson you want to teach your kids.
Judy Moody	Megan McDonald	Peter H. Reynolds	Is your child ever in a mood? Not a good moon. A bad mood?

Chapter Books

Title	Author	Illustrator	Comments
The One and Only Ivan	Katherine Applegate	Patricia Casteleo	This is Miss M's all-time favorite book.
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet)	Madeleine L'Engle		This is my all-time favorite book.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Full-Color Collector's Edition)	C. S. Lewis		If you could get in a child’s mind, I imagine this is the sort of adventure they would dream up.
The Twits	Roald Dahl	Quentin Blake	I cannot tell you how many lessons in life this book teaches while you think you are just reading whimsy.
Matilda	Roald Dahl	Quentin Blake	The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	Roald Dahl	Quentin Blake	I know you have seen the movie. Now go read the book.
Alice in Wonderland	Lewis Carroll		I cannot imagine a childhood without this story being a part of it.
Stuart Little	E.B. White		We loved reading the book and then watching the movie to compare.
The Trumpet of the Swan (full color)	E.B. White		This story is just beautifully written.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle	Betty MacDonald	Alexandra Boiger	You will be wondering why no once call child protective services. Some of her cures were just cruel.
The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo	Judy Blume		A short chapter book that can be read in one sitting, this is Blume’s first published book.