Top Ten: Classic Books for Babies and Toddlers

2007-07-31-toddler reading.jpg How can we choose just ten books? Well, it's not easy, and this list is by no means exhaustive. Everyone has their personal favorites, but no matter whether they're new books or classics, colorful or poetic, we love books.

So, here we go:

• Pat the Bunny , A classic since its debut in 1940; a great interactive book. $9.99
• Goodnight Moon, The perfect story to send them off to sleep. $11.55
• Baby Faces, We all know they love to look at other baby faces. $4.99
• Where the Wild Things Are, Rouse their imaginations with this classic. $15.00
• The Snowy Day, Relive their "first snow" every time you read it. $6.99

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Watch the caterpillar transform into a beautiful butterfly. $14.95
• Guess How Much I Love You, A beautiful story you'll read again and again. $18.99
• First 100 Words, Build their vocabulary with these fun, slobber-proof pages. $8.95
• Corduroy, Who doesn't love reading about toys coming alive- especially in a department store? $11.55
• The Little Engine that Could , It's a lesson that never gets old. $8.99

Pic via Tiny Footprints.org

Comments (13)

What about The Velveteen Rabbit? Peter Rabbit?

posted by Eddie Walker on July 31st 2007 at 8:47am
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we just brought home a ton of Dr.Seuss books my husband had from childhood...along with his favorite Berenstein Bears book "Inside, Outside, Upside Down"...his father STILL has this book memorized from all the times he had to read it to my husband. so darn cute. plan on asking the soon-to-be-grandfather to tape his voice reading it so we can play it for our child once it's born.

posted by bbt on July 31st 2007 at 8:53am
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I Love You Forever and the Giving Tree are still some of my favorite books. They still make me cry. There was this book with a tape I used to listen to in the first grade about rabbits. I remember their names - Thump and Plunk. That woman's voice was so soothing, I'd listen to it non-stop in the reading lab. Been looking for a copy ever since. Anyone ever heard of it??? Let me know!

posted by chusmabilly on July 31st 2007 at 9:04am
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Aidan's big favorites are [i]Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?[/i] and [i]Chicka Chicka Boom Boom[/i].

posted by tgray99 on July 31st 2007 at 9:15am
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Green Eggs and Ham

posted by 95864 on July 31st 2007 at 9:21am
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chusmabilly- are you talking about "Thump and Plunk" by Janice May Udry? I believe it's about mice though, and not rabbits? You can google it or find it on Amazon.

posted by julia on July 31st 2007 at 10:09am
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Although these may not be classics, I REALLY recommend these books back from my day (30 years or so ago).

(1) "Each Peach Pear Plum".

http://www.amazon.com/Peach-board-Viking-Kestrel-Picture/dp/067088278X

(2) Tikki Tikki Tembo - I can recite the story even to this day!

http://www.amazon.com/Tikki-Tembo-Arlene-Mosel/dp/0312367481/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-6472852-0613229?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185913847&sr=1-1

posted by ilovemymini on July 31st 2007 at 11:32am
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I second Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I am a former nanny and preschool teacher and read this book EVERYDAY I worked. I have it memorized.

posted by akbuilt on July 31st 2007 at 11:58am
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Definitely Green Eggs & Ham and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! And also Olivia by Ian Falconer and the Pigeon books by Mo Willems...

And classics like Runaway Bunny and I Am a Bunny...

And Dennis Lee -- Alligator Pie and Jelly Belly -- and Robert Munsch (there are too many, but probably the
Paper Bag Princess)...

posted by mschatelaine on July 31st 2007 at 12:33pm
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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Goodnight Gorilla, Go Dog Go by Dr. Seuss, and all the Margaret Wise Brown books-Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny.

She has a not as well known book, The Little Fur Family, that comes in a little faux fur cover and is my husband's family's favorite. Their name is Furr and they are mostly on the short side of tall, so all the littlest furrs think its their very own story-very sweet!

posted by pelicolina on July 31st 2007 at 3:14pm
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Bedtime For Francis. Mos def.

posted by ebrown on August 1st 2007 at 6:31am
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Ilovemymini-

I still get that tikki-tikki tembo refrain in my head at odd moments, even though I haven't read the book or heard the story in at least 25 years.

posted by Shawn on August 1st 2007 at 10:08am
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Ilovemymini & Shawn -

We had a dog named Tikki growing up....short for the whole thing, of course, but it's a little much to be yelling into the backyard!

Also, I'm from Boston, so Make Way for Ducklings is ALWAYS a go to for me!

posted by Sarah G on August 1st 2007 at 2:42pm
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