UPDATED with reviews: If your Child Likes These Books . . . What Other Books?

[sste]

Ok, this if your child likes X approach was WILDLY effective. I am only a quarter of the way through my amazon box shipment (I ordered a wide cross-section of the suggestions). So, far all books I have read have been run-away hits. Everyone was right-on with monsters and fairytales and vehicles. So far:
1. Spooky Old Tree, Bernstain bears: not complex or long, quite simple but this is DS's absolute favorite. It is an absolutely lovely children's book with such sweet illustrations. It is scary and suspenseful but then at the end there is a mama bear hugging her cubs tight. And it rhymes. Only warning is that it may be too scary for children less macabre than my own.
2. Wacky Wednesday: This one was a fun challenge for DS -- he could only find about 1/3 of the wacky things on his own and then we had to give hints for the others. But, he really likes it. You all are right, it is irritating for the parents. But, watching DS crack up hysterically over each wacky thing was worth it.
3. The Monster at the End of this Book (Grover): Another smash hit - - along with spooky old tree DS has asked to read this one every day for a week. Cute, lovable, and silly and kind of empowering to the DC.
4. Swimmy: I have an issue with any book that starts with a school of fish being eaten (I have now changed it to the giant tuna teases the school of fish). But, DS really likes this one too and has added it into the line-up most nights.
5. Goldilocks and the three Bears (I think author was Mitchell?): this is an awesome, updated version without a grisly ending. I was surprised at how much DS loves this. He has requested we read it five times since we got it from the book box last night! I love this one too.
Anyway, sorry I haven't gotten to all of the books to review but I wanted to let you know that based on this sample I think this thread compiles a very incredible list of books for 3-4 year olds. Some are more simple stories but absolutely charming; some I can tell are going to be a bit of a reach for DS's level but he likes that (e.g., monster in the backpack and the one about the eggs). Thanks again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
DS is three and right now his favorite books are the Lorax and the Places You'll Go (but less so the foot book and Mr. Brown), the Lyle the Crocodile Books, the Arthur books, the Frances Badger books, and longer books involving trains, thomas, fire engines (e.g., Old Jeff from the little golden books), and monsters.

He still enjoys them from time to time but he seems to have moved away from his board books and even the Pigeon drives the Bus, Knuffle Bunny, If you give a mouse a cookie etc. that he was so into during his twos. It now has to be a more complex story. I think this is because he has worked out the longer the book the more time with the parents and often the later the bedtime.

Anyway, what books would you rec based on DS's present reading interests?

[fivi2]

For longer story books, we liked Virginia Lee Burton quite a bit. (Mike Mulligan, the Little House, and others).
We also like Bill Peet (Big Bad Bruce, The Caboose who Got Loose, and others. Some of his are a little scary for my girls, and you might want to preview).

I will think of others...

[sste]

Oh no, scary is good. DS is very hard to scare and loves scary stuff. We explained to him early on most of it is not real and just for fun and gave him all these options for if he meets a monster (tell it to be friendly, give him a hug) and DS has, uh, really run with that. We were with our friends the other day and DS was babbling about phantoms, creepers, ghosts, etc. while our friends' preschooler looked on in horror and DH remarked, "DS is training for future work in the occult."

ETA: He does like Mike Mulligan alot - - we have the board book and the audio tape set to classical music by the london philharmonic, which I really enjoy. I am going to check out Bill Peet though.

[elbenn]

There's a Monster in my Backpack is a cute book and is part of the 4 for 3 promotion on Amazon. Ladybug Girl is super cute.

[ciw]

I always like reading your posts because our sons seem to be at the same point in math and reading. DS is also three and very much into more complex stories at this point too. And yes, I think it's partly b/c he knows that longer story = more time until bedtime. He likes most of the stories in the Big Red, Big Green and Big Blue/Dr. Seuss books. He usually asks for The Lorax, Bartholomew Cubbins or Horton Hatches the Egg.
His favorite story for the past two weeks has been Wacky Wednesday. This drives DH and I nuts but DS loves finding all the "wacky" things in the pictures and counting them. He also likes a lot of the Richard Scary stuff -- I don't think he enjoys the stories so much but he loves studying the pictures.

Other hits: More complex tellings of fairy tales and the Mama Llama books (which aren't as complex but don't seem to have worn off yet).

[elbenn]

Laura Numeroff has a monster book: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Numeroff...3408396&sr=1-1

If he likes scary books: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wood-Old-...3408496&sr=1-1

[ashleybama24]

What about Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner? I think there are 5 in the series so far about this Siamese Cat who thinks he is is a Chihuahua. Super super funny.

Here are a few more we love: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Berenstain Bears, all of Leo Lionni, the llama llama series by Anna Dewdney, all of Mercer Mayer books, Clifford the Big Red Dog series, books by James Marshall (he retells fairy tales but sometimes puts a spin on them and also did the Miss Nelson series), books by Don and Audrey Wood (The Napping House; The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear) and of course anything by Mo Willems especially Piggie and Gerald.

Best to order books through Scholastic through a teacher as they are SO inexpensive. I do it online so my sister gets the credit and then I am not limited to the flier that she sent to her 1st graders that may not be age appropriate for my toddler.

[crl]

If he likes Authur, what about Franklin or the Berenstein Bears? If he likes rhyming, what about poetry? Not as long, but we used to let ds pick two poems for one book. . . .

Catherine

[crl]

Oh, also what about Winnie the Pooh? Or Beatrix Potter?

Catherine

[sste]

OK, adding monster books left and right to my amazon cart! I also remembered "the monster at the end of this book" with grover which I LOVED as a child and threw that in the cart.

For skippyjon, we have and DS really likes the original book . . . is there another one in the series that you particularly rec?

I think he is kind of "been there done that" with Audrey Wood. *I* miss Silly Sally though . . . thank goodness I have DD moving up into these books or I would be upset!

He does enjoy the berenstein bears (we have moving day I think) and I am going to buy a few more paperbacks. He likes winnie the pooh alot (we have a few of those) but I haven't tried beatrix potter yet.

He also likes aladdin so I am going to check out the fairy tale author rec'd upthread.

Thank you everyone!