What books do your children love?

[ciaobella]

We need to expand our library. What books do your recommend for a 3 year old?

My DS loves to read the same book every night for about a month or so and then he starts to lose interest. We are currently reading Where the Wild Things Are. Would love to hear what your favorites are ... also, at what age can you start reading chapter books (like Charlotte's Web) each night (a chapter a night)?

Thanks!

[mudder17]

She loves the Dr. Seuss books and the ones that came in the Dr. Seuss book club. She also likes things like the Jaberwocky, the Christmas Tree, Where the Wild Things Are and similar things that we got from Bookcloseouts. Oh, and any of the Richard Scarry books, such as Cars and Trucks and Things that Go.

As for chapter books, I would say it probably depends on the child. Kaya is just started to watch videos of longer movies, but since she's limited to 45 minutes a day, she watches part of it one day and part of it the next day. She's slowly starting to get the hang of it and I could probably start her on something like that with books, but with so many books she already enjoys, we haven't gotten to that point yet. My instinct tells me that Kaya's not quite ready for chapter books, but other kids her age might (again, depends on the kid).


Eileen

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif

http://www.tickercentral.com/view/6wrn/5.png

http://www.tickercentral.com/view/6wrn/2.png

[SnuggleBuggles]

We just started chapter books with ds and he will be 5 soon. I'm sure it depends on the kid!

Favorites here:
"My Monster Mama Loves me So" by Laura Leuck and Mark Buehner
"I Stink" "I'm Mighty" and "I'm Dirty" by Kate McMullan and Jim McMullan ("I Stink" is a bit gross but it is about garbage trucks so it is appropriate grossness)
" How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" (and any of the dino books- I don't like the food one b/c I don't want ds to get any bad ideas!) by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
I love the "Little Quack" books by Lauren Thompson
The "If you Give a __ a ___" books are lots of fun
"The Umbrella" and "The Mitten" are good fun for a kid who likes detailed pictures
"Don't Let the Pigeon..." by Mo Willems are fun books
"Knuffle Bunny" by Mo Willems is one that I love
"Corduroy" books by Don Freeman

Beth

[egoldber]

I started chapter books with Sarah when she was about 4 1/2. Before that she really didn't have the attention span to listen to a whole chapter and to be able to get get into the continuity of the story over many nights. And there are soooo many good picture books, I wouldn't rush into chapter books yet. :)

Check out The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Tons of great suggestions. Every library carries a copy.

Another good resource is the website for the Reading Rainbow show.

I try to take Sarah to the library once a week and let her pick out a stack of books. I think I started this when she was 3 or maybe closer to 4. Its one of her favorite weekly activities.

Some of our favs include....

anything by:

Eric Carle (don't forget to venture out beyond The Very Hungry Caterpillar :) )
Leo Lionni
Lois Ehlert
Kevin Henkes
Bill Martin, Jr.
John Archambault
Bruce Degen
Ezra Jack Keats
David Shannon (preview because some don't like their kids exposed to these ideas, LOL!!)
Mo Willems
Robert McCloskey (although some are a bit long for a 3 year old)
Lucy Cousins (Maisy)
William Steig

Other books that come to mind that have been huge hits:

The Little Mouse, the red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear
It Looked Like Spilt Milk
Mouse Paint
Corduroy
Click Clack Moo
Sheep in a Jeep
Skippyjon Jones
all the Froggy books
The Monster at the End of this Book
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Bear Snores On
Owl Babies
Stellaluna

oh goodness....so many... :)

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ooh, I forgot about the "Bear" books. I just love "Bear Snores On" and all of them. :) Don't know if ds shares my love of them though. I love to read them though.

Beth

[mykidsmom]

Curious George and Clifford books (great b/c only $3.50 each!)

Also love: Won't You Be My Kissaroo

[brittone2]

We just started w/ chapter books recently. DS is a few months over 3. I'm not sure how much he really "gets" but he listens attentively and enjoys them, so I guess that's all that matters for now. So far we've read:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Henry Huggins (a Beverly Cleary book). He really liked parts of this one and would request I re-read those sections.
We just started James and the Giant Peach
Mr. Poppers Penguins didn't really grab him. I thought that would be a great one for him but he didn't seem all that interested.

In the Lounge there was a recent post about chapter books for 4 year olds and there were a bunch of suggestions. I do find myself modifying the text a little here and there when I read to minimize the scary parts (which I"m not opposed to for older kids but DS is very sensitive and is younger than the intended audience for some of these books).

For non chapter books:
We recently picked out the Elsa Beskow books Peter in Blueberry Land and Children of the Forest from the library. DS didn't go for these when he was younger but really likes them now. Beautiful, beautiful illustrations
He loves the Bear series. Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More
Eric Carle-I just found the Rooster's Off to See the World book and he really likes that. Age appropriate with the counting, etc.
He still likes Jamberry a lot
The photographic books Stranger in the Woods and Lost in the Woods (I don't enjoy the text all that much but DS loves these books). Really cool photos of deer and wildlife.
Move Over Rover (story similar to the Mitten).
Recently he got into "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly"
The "If you give a ____ a ______" series
2 favs we picked up from book closeouts:
Apple Farmer Annie (I like that this is also a woman farmer, no mention of a DH LOL. Lots of other books we have about farming don't show the wife until it is dinner time and the farmer needs to eat ;) )
Mrs. McNosh Hangs up Her Wash


I know there are lots more but those are a few that come to mind quickly.

[applesauce]

Caps for Sale is also wonderful. My 2.5 year olds love it. They are also loving A Bear and His Boy and the Madeline books.

[Tracey]

Some of our favorites that haven't been mentioned:

Aesop's Fables - I love these because we discuss the moral of the story and I can really see the wheels turning in her mind.

Zen Shorts

Me and My Amazing Body

How I Became a Pirate

Olivia

She also loves her Big Backyard magazine!

[Lucia]

Looks like you've gotten a lot of good suggestions. I also just wanted to suggest Chinaberry book catalogue as another good source for books that might appeal to you and your child. It is a beautiful catalogue with really thoughtful reviews. My four year has also recently been enjoying audio books.

And two new books we recently discovered at the library:
Flotsam by David Wiesner
Faucet Fish by Fay Robinson

Happy Reading!

[rlu]

Second the library suggestion. We go once a week, I pick out a few for DS and he usually picks out a Bob the builder book (his current fav). I use the library catalog online to preselect books (using keywords such as garbage, owl, dinosaur, manners, etc) and either reserve them or just try to find once there. Generally DS prefers 1 out of 4 books I pick for him. If he really loves a book, I put it on the "to buy" list.

Owl Moon (Yolen) is on the "to buy" list. As is Owl Babies listed above. Gruffalo (Donaldson) and Kitten's First Full Moon (Henkes) as well.

Trashy Town is one of DS's favs from his birthday.

[new_mommy25]

Here are my DS's current favorites:

Richard Scarrys best story book ever (LOVES this!)
Choo Choo
Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel
Caps for Sale
The Biggest Bear
Anything Dr. Suess especially The Sneetches and the 1000 Hats of Barthalamew Cubbins
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Make Way for Ducklings
Olivia (he's memorized this and 'reads' it to me :) )
The Story of Ferdinand
The House That Jack Built (Simms Taback version)
Make Way for Ducklings
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Where the Sidewalk ends (another consistent favorite and mine too)

[Alys the Cat]

You have a lot of great titles already, but here are a few more we like:

The "Bunnies" series by Christine Loomis: Astro Bunnies, Cowboy Bunnies and Scuba Bunnies. They are all beautifully illustrated by the same artist, but in very different styles.

Not reading chapter books yet, but DS really enjoys short-story compilations like Little Bear, and Frog and Toad.

We're also reading a few Jack Prelutsky poetry books -- What a Day It Was at School! and Scranimals (love the text on that one, not as crazy about the illustrations).

The Read-Aloud Handbook has been a great resource for us, too.

Have fun shopping! :)

[annasmom]

Just wanted to add one that is new to us - the My First Little House series of books. They are based on the Little House stories, and are wonderful. My dc absolutely LOVE them!

[kijip]

The Lorax, Have you seen Chester?, any Curious George, that book with all the original Thomas stories and illustrations. Anything with Harold (the boy with the purple crayon- we have them all). Where the Wild Things Are, those books with Amelia Bedelia. If you give a mouse a cookie, If you give a moose a muffin etc. Toby loves pretty much every book we own but these are the ones we have read often in the last few weeks.

****Rocking out while parenting my smart little munchkin Toby. Just trying to do good in the world, a little at a time. Words to live by: it is *never* the wrong time to do the right thing :)

[kep]

Our current (and long-standing) faves are:

"Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin
"Giggle, Giggle, Qwack" also by Doreen Cronin

Luke literally has both books memorized word for word in their entirety. They are such funny books. Luke's favorite word lately has been ultimatum. He brings out a sheet of paper held tightly in his teeth, and says "it's the ultimatum, Mommy!". It's really funny. :)

Kelli

Proud Mommy to Lukey (2003). Weaned after 3 years of happy nursing!
And Mommy to our newest baby, Joseph, born 3 days after Christmas.

[bluestar2]

My DC are the same way. They always want to read the same book for a period of time then move on to new favorites. Here are some of my 3 yo DC's current favorites:

I Spy books (Walter Wick)
Dr Suess (Cat in the Hat, ABC, Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham)
Sheep in a Jeep
Here Comes Mother Goose (Iona Opie)
Frog in a Bog (from the author of the Bear Snores On and Bear Wants More, which they like alot too)
Story of the Root Children
Runaway Bunny
Grouchy Ladybug, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Very Busy Spider, Honeybee and the Robber (Eric Carle)
Richard Scarry First Word Book, Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Jamberry