By Jennie
I love to read; I have for as long as I can remember. I still recall, for some reason, a lazy Saturday I spent sitting in a rocking chair in our living room, eating cottage cheese and reading Edward Eager’s Half-Magic, though it occurred more than 30 (!) years ago at this point. I also vividly remember my first reading of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.
Somehow, though, it’s the books from earliest childhood – the ones my mother read to me, as I was too young to read myself, that still have an incredible resonance decades later. I have long claimed The Monster at the End of this Book, a Little Golden book starring Grover of Sesame Street, as my favorite childhood book. I’m always surprised when I bring it up how many other people remember it fondly; somehow I think of it as “my” book and don’t expect other people to be attached to it the way I am, or even remember it, necessarily.
Several of my other favorites were books that my mother herself had read as a child: an Easter book called The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Dubose Heyward, The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, and A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor. The reasons these books were and are so meaningful to me are varied and at times nebulous. I just know that I loved them when I read them and that I will love them forever.
When my niece was born, I discovered a whole new set of children’s books to love. I hadn’t, for some reason, read too much Dr. Seuss during my own childhood, but I read plenty of those books to her, favorites being The Cat in the Hat (I had about half of it memorized at one point), Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the slightly more obscure Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now? One of the great pleasures of Dr. Seuss as a reader is that they are easy books to read; the rhythm of the prose makes the words trip off one’s tongue. I discovered that there are sometimes slightly different criteria for what makes a children’s book fun when one is the reader rather than the person being read to. The ability to read it without fumbling over words is definitely one important factor.
Some others I discovered with my niece: Where the Wild Things Are and Outside Over There, both by Maurice Sendak (the former is Sendak’s most famous book, of course, but I actually prefer the latter – a dreamy, beautifully illustrated fairly tale about a girl who has to rescue her younger sibling after the baby is stolen away and a changeling left in its place), Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban (all the Frances books are terrific but I have a soft spot in my heart for this one; especially when Frances sings to herself in a small, sad voice, “What I am/is tired of jam” – awww), Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise, Gabby the Shrew by Alfa-Betty Olsen (fun, because Gabby SHOUTED almost all his lines) and Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon.
I could probably go on (and on), but I won’t. I want to ask you all what your favorite early childhood books were and are, either those you remember being read to you, or those that you read to your child. Why do you think it is that these books have such resonance for us as readers?
Most of the books I read as a little girl came from the library. At home we had a set of children’s stories sold by a door-to-door salesman. My older brother filled out a postcard in the back of Highlights Magazine from the dentist’s waiting room. He dropped it in the mail, and a salesman showed up a few weeks later. My parents “had” to buy the series because the poor guy came all the way out to our home to sell them. It was a great treat! None of them were famous books, but I know 8 children who read them over and over.
I love children’s books. I have so many now, I keep them oragnized in crates. There is a sale of 3 for 2 Seuss books for sale online today, and yes, I bought more. I have a niece who is a first grade teacher and needs to build up her library, and I can always justify expanding my own. I love the Seuss easy readers: The Cat in the Hat, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Fox in Socks, Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish, Two Fish. I could go on and on. I love P.D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? and Go, Dog, Go! (especially the great big dog party in the tree at the end…what fun absirdities these authors invented!) The Little Bear books are fabulous for beginning readers.
I love Jan Brett. Her illustrations are gorgeous. She reminds me of Beatrix Potter (who was a favorite of my oldest daughter.) Jan Brett illustrates around the edges of the page giving clues to what will happen next in the story. Children linger over the pages.
I am partial to Richard Scary books because they intrigued and amused my son as a preschooler. The spines are worn on our Cars and Trucks and Things that Go. I like to find books that draw the boys in, too. There is a book I bought on impulse called I Stink! that the boys I work with want to read over and over again. My favorite Maurice Sendak is Chicken Soup with Rice, another favorite for the boys.
I always give Pat the Bunny as a baby shower gift. Babies love the peek-a-boo page and feeling “Daddy’s scratchy face.”
Jennie, you mentioned a few I don’t own. I could always get another Tasha Tudor. Yes, I think I may need one.
From my own early childhood, I guess Dr. Seuss books won the prize. Put Me in the Zoo and Go, Dog, Go were so firmly ingrained in my brain from my own childhood that I might have been able to recite them to my son without the books. They definitely were must-haves in his collection, though. Good Night Moon was read to him a million or so times. That is a great one for the youngest of children, because they love to say it with you. Mercer Mayer’s books, especially Just Go To Bed and Just A Mess gave us such a fun way to teach little life lessons, and I think my son thought he was a Little Critter for a while!
I love P.D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother?
This reminds me (for some reason) of another favorite – again from my niece’s childhood, rather than mine – Is Your Mama a Llama? Really cute book.
Dr. Seuss is and was indeed awesome. On the other hand, I have an unreasoning hatred of the Berenstain Bears. Ugh.
Childrens books I love: Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, Where the Wild Things Are, Chicken Soup With Rice, Chica Chica Boom Boom, Brown Bear Brown Bear, The Mitten, Green Eggs and Ham, The Polar Express, Jumanji, The Wheels on the Bus, and any book by Eric Carle., but especially The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Papa, Please get the Moon for Me.
Oh and Ann, Jan brett has a wonderful website with lots of free stuff. janbrett.com
Jennie, I still have The Monster at the End of This Book! My niece only just discovered the joys of The Monster at the End of This Book. My grandfather died in May and we cleaned out his stuff and found that book–a favorite of mine when I went to visit. I brought it home and read it to her at least six or seven times in a row. She loves it, and she is not a book girl.
I was a big reader, and still harbor great love for Harold and the Purple Crayon. Also, Marie Louise’s Heyday, Mike Mulligan, The Little House, The Digging-est Dog, and The Giant Jam Sandwich. My parents wanted to toss our books a few years ago and I’m glad they didn’t, trying to locate some of them now would be hard and the next generation is now enjoying them.
I can’t believe how old The Monster At The End Of This Book is. When I was young, maybe 6-7 I had to have eye surgery. I was in hospital for a few days w/the bandages over my eyes and my mom read that book to me over and over. It had to have been brand new then. I am still reading it to my last little one now. Other than being in the hospital, I don’t remember being read to at home. Both of my parents worked, but my mom took care of the house and cooking alone. I don’t think she had the time or maybe I was just too young to remember. I was one of those who started devouring books early and in first grade the teacher let me and another boy just read these books she’d give us. I always loved Aesop’s fables and the fairy tales. At home, we had an older collection of compilation books for children. Several of them were fairy tales. and I read them over and over. I loved Snow White and Rose Red.
For my own children, I remember reading The Grinch That Stole Christmas over and over. Dr. Seuss is hard for me to read aloud at the end of the day. I get all tongue tied. I liked to read them a book called Square Eyes, where a little boy eyes go square from too much tv.
My last little one loves a Sesame Str book, Don’t Forget The Oatmeal. Other favorites are The Story of Ping, and The True Story of The Three Little Pigs (the older ones liked that one too when they were little). She added a new fav this week, The Real Story of Stone Soup, by Chang Compestine. I like it too. Three brothers trick their boss that they are making magic soup when they are cooking egg drop soup in a hole in the ground. It has the recipe at the end and she wanted to cook it. We happend to get Chineese this week and I got her some to try, but she didn’tlike it.
Jennie–your hatred of the Berenstain Bears made me laugh!!
I remember asking my mother to read The Velveteen Rabbit repeatedly.
I love Dr. Seuss, too. I have read One Foot, Two Foot, Red Foot, Blue Foot–many many times.
Hop on Pop, and Go,Dog,Go were favorites of my boys, too.
The , If You Give A Mouse A Cookie,series is great.
My youngest son’s favorite is Giggle, Giggle, Moo.
My youngest son and I just finished the first Boxcar Children book. I remember reading that when I was young, and I still love it.
I had an obsession with horses growing up and I remember reading Black Beauty about 100 times. Nancy Drew Mystery Series was another group of books I read several times when I was young. Also The Hardy Boys series.
I do not remember any books from early childhood and quite frankly I am not sure if there were any. My mother was widowed with four children five and under and I doubt very much that she had time to read to any of us. However, once we started school and learned to read we read daily. On cold winter days and limited television available, reading was something we all looked forward to.
The Real Story of Stone Soup – Lily, that looks really cute.
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – Wendy, I loved reading those to my daughter!
Nancy Drew Mystery Series – Pam, I think I read every last one of those too.
“I still have The Monster at the End of This Book! My niece only just discovered the joys of The Monster at the End of This Book.” – Erin Kate
Erin Kate, it is so fun to share our favorite books with the next generation, isn’t it?
Paula/Ann, you mentioned “Chicken Soup with Rice.” I’d add: Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapter and a Prologue.” This is another short, but wonderful Sendak tale.
You guys already mentioned so many that I loved as a child and continue to enjoy today. Was “Ramona the Pest” (the sequels) mentioned yet? That was another favorite of mine….
Erin Kate, it is so fun to share our favorite books with the next generation, isn’t it?
I agree, there’s something special about it being the same book. I like reading the books I saved to my youngest. Cloudy w/aChance of Meatballs is one of those. I have a few from my childhood too, my mother would sometimes buy me some when we were grocery shopping. They mean quite a lot to me.
Jennie, LOL, I saved all the Berenstein bears books and they are just sitting there. My daughter doesn’t care for them.
The , If You Give A Mouse A Cookie,series is great.
We just read that this week. I didn’t know it was a series. I will look for the rest. Sometimes, I feel so out of touch as old mom. I saw a spoof on it on the show “Robot Chicken” which is how I recognized it at the library. Mrs Wishy Washy was also a fav.
Anya, yes, I loved Ramona, Beezuz and Henry Huggins.
I am still a huge fan of Laura Ingalls, her daughter Rose and Roses’s adopted grandson, Roger Macbribe. Actually, I even got to go the last home of Laura and Alamanzo in Mansfield, MO. It was a gorgeous house and they have Pa’s fiddle on display. I recommend it if the opportunity arises or if you are close to there. I tried to have my daughter listen to an audio book of Little House in The Big Woods in the car about a year ago, but she was still too young and it was read too fast for her. Same thing w/Indian in The Cupboard.
One other thing I loved watching w/my daugther is the schoolastic videos they use to show the older ones in school. The lib has most of them. Cordurory and the Mouse and the Motorcycle are ones we enjoy.
Are You My Mother? was the first book I read all the way through without help, so it’s engrained in my memory.
Does anyone else remember another Suess book (he may have only been the illustrator…I’ll have to go dig it up) entitled The 10,000 Hats of Bartholemew Cubbins?
I think I’ve got the title right.
It’s about a boy who get it trouble because, when he takes off his hat to bow to the king, there’s another hat underneath, and another, and another…
I LOVE the Sandra Boyton books…little hardbacks full of funny rhymes and cartoon animals. (She also does greeting cards.) These were some of my son’s favorite as a toddler.
Also:
The Red Balloon
The Adventures of Tintin
Little House On The Praire (the whole series)
Mary Poppins
Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, The Bobsey Twins, The Alfred Hitchcock Mysteries (I had a phase where I kept asking my mom for a skeleton key)
The Secret Garden
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is another great one. I also loved Courderoy. Cella, I think I know The 10,000 Hats of Bartholemew Cubbins, but I may be confusing it with another book. Maybe Caps for Sale (I think that was the title) in which a salesman wanders the countryside selling caps that he has balanced, one atop another, on his head.
I would read to my 2 boys every night before bedtime. Their favorites were Go Dog Go, Are you my mother, and I bought them a Sesame Street book bundle for a mere $10. at Sams Club which went through many readings to them both. The Monster at the End of the Book was a favorite especially w/my trying to do Grover’s voice. I gave all my children’s books to my nieces’ children but my youngest son could not part with Grover so I still have “The Monster at the End of the Book”. I would also take my oldest son to the library every week. He got into Garfield books and the librarian would always hold the new ones when they came in for him.
She added a new fav this week, The Real Story of Stone Soup, by Chang Compestine. I like it too. Three brothers trick their boss that they are making magic soup when they are cooking egg drop soup in a hole in the ground. It has the recipe at the end and she wanted to cook it. We happend to get Chineese this week and I got her some to try, but she didn’tlike it.
I mentioned that upthread. By a happy coincidence, my daugther’s teacher read the more well-known story of Stone Soup and they are making it in her class. They all are going to bring in one item to add. I was so pleased.