These are a few of the children’s picture books that made my childhood complete:
- Corduroy – Written by Don Freeman and published in 1968, Corduroy is the story of a teddy bear named Corduroy. One night, Corduroy climbs off of his shelf in the department store in search of a replacement for the button he is missing, but he is unsuccessful and is returned to his shelf disappointed. However, Corduroy finds happiness without a button when a little girl named Lisa purchases him the next day.
- Goodnight Moon – A young rabbit prepares for bed by saying good night to all of the objects that surround him. A story written in rhymes by Margaret Wise Brown and published in 1947, Goodnight Moon is perfect for bed time. One activity that children and parents can partake in is finding all of the items mentioned within the illustrations (by Clement Hurd).
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar – This beautifully illustrated story is Eric Carle‘s most popular children’s book. It follows the progress of a (very) hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through a variety and large amount of food. When he is full at last, he forms a cocoon and goes to sleep.
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie – A 1985 book, written by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond, which describes an exaggeration of what could happen if one gives in to a mouse asking for a cookie. What will the mouse ask for next? This is a cute story to teach children about action and consequence.
- The Mitten – A Ukrainian folk tale wonderfully retold and illustrated by Jan Brett. A little boy Nicki loses a white mitten that his grandmother had recently knit for him. One by one, woodland animals find the mitten and crawl in, each one larger than the last. Finally a mouse crawls in causing the bear to sneeze and all of the animals fly out! Nicki finally the mitten flying through the air and takes it home. Nicki’s grandmother is left wondering about what could have stretched the mitten out so much. The story is enhanced by the illustrated borders of the pages, which give clues to what might happen next; parents and children can try to make predictions and see who is right.
And yes, it’s true: the title of this article should actually read, “5 of the Hundreds of Picture Books Every Child Should Read.”
