What are your best books for toddler book collection?

[ourbabygirl]

For Christmas gifts I'd like to amp up DD's book shelf with better quality books- hardcovers with good stories and nice illustrations that are more timeless. :)

FWIW, DD is 2, and really likes books with animals and big, beautiful pictures and rhymes. But in general I'd just like some good quality books- like your top 10. I'm thinking along the lines of Erik Carle (Brown bear, brown bear) and any other classics.

What would you recommend?

Thanks for your help!

[BabyBearsMom]

Do you have Mo Williams? We love the Pigeon books and Knuffle the Bunny. They are excellent, fun for adults and kids. We also like Sandra Boynton and I love the Olivia books (the illustrations are so funny).

[ett]

Here's a list of the top 100 picture books.
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2009/05/16/top-100-picture-books-poll-results-1-101/

We have read most (and own a good number) of the books on the list.

Here's some from the list that I think would be good for toddlers/2 yo.
Where the Wild Things Are
Goodnight Moon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Snowy Day
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Knuffle Bunny
Goodnight Gorilla
Caps for Sale
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Corduroy
Harry the Dirty Dog
The Napping House
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Kitten's First Full Moon
Not a Box
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
Where is the Green Sheep?

I've listed way more than 10 books, but most of the books on that list are very good. Some of the books are out of print so you'll need to check them out of the library.

[indigo99]

We're still getting board books because DS is so rough with his books. I'm amazed that I can find used books in such great shape because all of his end up wrecked.

I'm going to share some of my favorite books from childhood with him once he gets older. Blueberries for Sal, Poky Little Puppy, and Necklace for Laurie are three that I loved. That last one is a bit longer and probably better for a bit older, but I think it's beautiful.

[Seitvonzu]

my dd has liked the "madeline" books for a while now (she'll be 2 at christmas) she also really likes curious george-- we have the classic collection & a story collection (and tons of extra stories in paper back).

we like kevin henkes (kitten's first full moon, owen (dh&i LOVE this one), julius baby of the world, old bear, etc) , mo willems (more elephant & piggy fans here!!!) , eric carle (my child was the very hungry caterpillar for halloween... and is OBSESSED with that character), charlotte zolotow (mr. rabbit & the lovely present, and some other's that are more esoteric... "when i was a little girl/wheni was a little boy," the quarrelling book), lois lenski, lois ehlert.... those are the ones that immediately springing to mind-- lu is big into the author of things so those stick out more than book titles...now that winter is coming i LOVE the look and feel of the jan brett christmas stories-- our first intro to them was "the mitten" (in boardbook form), another good one is gingerbread baby :)

while we're on wintertime -- we LOVE snowy day. lucy actually likes any story about "peter" by ezra jack keats.

lu is also just starting to get into more fairytales-- cinderella, rumplestiltskin,etc. she's liked repetive fairytales for a while now(3 billy goats gruff, three pigs, goldilocks & the three bears...) but she's just getting into fairytales that have more elaborate stories. we have a collection illustrated by scott gustafson that is GORGEOUS (my MIL gave us that and his mother goose which is also delightful--classic w/ a twist, lovelovelove) we also pretty much universally love anything we've bought from barefoot books (the story collection is really good, nice poetry collections).

[Philoscript]

My daughter is 19 months and these are her favorites:

Anything by Sandra Boynton, especially Pookie
The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown (it's a Golden Book edition)
Goodnight Moon
Here comes the Night by Anne Rockwell (not owned)
Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell (not owned)
Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night by Anne Rockwell (not owned)
Four Seasons by Anne Rockwell (not owned)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
We're Going on a Bear Hunt

There are a few others, but the names escape me right now. My daughter is starting to prefer longer books.
Hope this helps.

[ourbabygirl]

This is a great list to start with- thanks, Everyone!
If anyone else has any to add, please do! :thumbsup:

[MamaSnoo]

ITA with the other suggestions from PPs.

We also like:

Giraffes Can't Dance
Anything Seuss, but esp Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How Do Dinosaurs Eat their Food?
The Runaway Bunny
Llama Llama Misses Mama (but DD is terrified of Red Pajama FWIW)
Mama's Day

This year we got a nice 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I have not introduced yet.

ETA: Silly Sally (how could I forget it!.....walking backwards, upside down)

[peanut520]

i just just got baby bear baby bear to go with dd's favorite this month, brown bear brown bear.
additions the all the other great suggestions:
guess how much i love you
wet pet, dry pet, your pet, my pet ... a book of petable pets
richard scary books

[brittone2]

Dr. Seuss
Bear Snores On (etc....there are several in this series)
Ella the Elephant books
Olivia books
Madeline anthology
Frances books
we love Elsa Beskow's illustrations. Might be some to grow into (Woody Hazel and LIttle Pip, Peter in Blueberry Land, etc.)
Jan Brett's books


and a bunch of the others PPs have mentioned already :)


Always nice to have a good nursery rhyme anthology at that age IMO.

[salsah]

we have and love many of the ones that have already been suggested. here are a few more that i didn't see mentioned:

Quick as a Cricket
Sheep in a Jeep
If . . .
Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type
The Mixed Up Chameleon
Hand Hand Fingers Thumb
Joseph had a Little Over Coat
Blueberries for Sal
Who Took the Farmer's Hat
Dear Zoo
What the Sun Sees/What the Moon Sees
Stone Soup
Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day
There's a Monster in my Closet
There's an Alligator under my Bed
There's a Nightmare in the Attic
The Very Busy Spider

[indigo99]

Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day


My mom was a librarian, and this was a favorite for the kindergarten classes.

[zephyr]

We absolutely love Richard Scarry books at our house. Also I just bought this book as a Christmas present, and the illustrations are just so captivating and magical: Oh, What a Busy Day, by Gyo Fujikawa.

[lovebebes]

Anything by Charlotte Zolotow-her stories are so beautifully written, just amazing!

A toddler would especially like these books by her:

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Charlotte-Zolotow/dp/006443415X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290118836&sr=8-1


http://www.amazon.com/Like-Be-Little-Charlotte-Zolotow/dp/0064432483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290118869&sr=1-1


http://www.amazon.com/Seashore-Book-Charlotte-Zolotow/dp/0064433641/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c


http://www.amazon.com/Big-Sister-Little-Charlotte-Zolotow/dp/0064432173/ref=pd_sim_b_4