Our Favourite Children’s Books

Right, so I was just reading Emma's review of 'Who is Mrs Green?' and I decided that we should all share what our favourite books to read to our kidlets are. (As we all know sometimes they don't have the best tastes... pumpkin patch catalogues being a firm favourite, but not much literary advancement to be found.)

My favourite at the moment is "Giraffes Can't Dance" by Giles Andreae. It's got a cheesy, feel good ending (which doesn't necessarily float my boat) but I love the illustrations and the story rhymes. Is it just me, or are rhyming books that much easier to read???

Another one I'll never get sick of is "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I've got the same copy I've had since I was a kid (which is looking a bit worse for wear) but I love it!

So yeah, books for pressies, books for your own children... list your recommendations here!

Where the Wild Things Are!!!! I recently read an article where several of NZ's top authors listed their fave childrens books, and the only one they all picked without fail was Where the Wild Things Are! Love it!

Also The Very Hungry Caterpillar, There's a Hippopotamus on My roof Eating Cake, all of the Dr Seuss books, and some great books by Cindy Szekeres called "Goodnight Sammy", "Suppertime for Frieda Fuzzypaws" and "Nothing-to-do Puppy". They were my faves as a kid and are out of print now, butI got some second hand copies of them off Amazon for Maya.

And for older kids I love Roald Dahl.

Must confess tho that Maya has more than 300 books I guess that comes from having a writer for a mother. I have too many books myself too, but will buy a new bookcase to house them all rather than sell any!

Yep, the Cat in the Hat is fast losing its appeal... Maya knows it word for word.

She's also into these little sets of disney books shes got, there's 5 in a set and they are quite small, and each one tells the story of a Disney movie - there's a Winnie the Pooh set, and the other sets have Toy Story, Dumbo, Bambi, The Jungle Book etc. They drive me mad coz she makes me read all 5!

my daughter's current favourite is one called "tanka tanka skunk" its all about rhythm and is SO fun to read. she giggles out loud on certain pages and hands it to me to read again straight away. (she's 21 months) other fav's include hairy maclary (any of the series) and guess how much i love you. i worked in a children's bookshop before i had her and had a huge collection before she was born even, i just love em!!

Paris probably has about the same number of books as Maya Emma - i had so many from my nanny days - and i can never pass by a kids book on special without at least contemplating buying it (although now have learnt to actually have a read thru first to make sure its really worth it!) Some of her fav books are the ones by Eric Carle - ie hungry caterpillar, bad tempered lady bird, noisy cricket - but her most fav at the mo is the very lonely firefly which i picked up at xmas for $5, we read it with the bedside lamp on in her bedroom at night, then on the last page i turn off the lamp, cos there are all these little twinkley lights on the ends of the fireflies. very cute!

There's another one i absolutely love called "If kisses were colours" it is so gorgeous, it almost makes me cry each time i read it.   It has things like "If kisses were pebbles your beach would be lined, with millions of pebbles in all shapes and kinds" "If kisses were blankets you'd always be warm, wrapped up from the cold during winters worst storm" etc etc..

the little mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear, is that the one sarah beth? its so cool!!!we have it in board book and ella loves it too!

I use to work at London Bookshops and then whitcoulls when I was a student and most of the time I was in the childrens area reading kids books...they decided I should look after that area....he he ha ha....I love all of them....I loved Very Hungry Caterpillar!!! ......Oh what a child I am....

Edited by Roksana

Roksana - what store did you work @ for whitcoulls?? My sis worked at corner for about 4 years a few years ago... but is well known around whitcoulls nationwide for some reason... (and I dont know why!!)

ooh i remember the strawberry one i loved that too!

and tomorrow when the war began, we had to read that in 5th form but it started an obsession and i have read a fair few of the series now.

Lena - I worked for Papatoetoe, Airport and St.Lukes branch....but this was a while back...what is your sisters name? maybe I know her!