My family (wife Gwen and daughters Madison and Ava, 7 and 5) does a lot of reading, and writing, and we've worked together to compile our "perfect" list of favorite before-bed books, dating back to when the girls were toddlers, all the way to the present day.
In addition to the books below, we're also big fans of these authors and series:
Dr. Seuss
Curious George
Eric Carle
Richard Scarry
Amelia Bedelia
The Magic School Bus
Katie Kazoo Switcheroo (Madison's current favorite series, cute and well-written, and an easy read with short and parent-friendly chapters.)
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by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
Before the girls could speak in complete sentences, they could respond to the line "And a quiet old lady who was whispering..." with a lingering "hush..."
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by Jeff Moss, illustrated by Dagmar Fehlau
The question with this one was always whether to sing it or read it. We usually sang.
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by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Henri Sorensen
Endearing little story Ava particularly loved.
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by Nancy Tafuri
Another of Ava's favorites.
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by Nancy Tafuri
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by Lisa McCourt, illustrated by Cyd Moore
Madison loved this book. Nice father-daughter relationship.
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by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Funny and endearing little book; both girls enjoyed it.
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by Leo Lionni
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by Leo Lionni
Eric Mueller from Los Angeles, CA says: This book is not only about getting along with others but also about being yourself — two lessons that usually don't go together in the same book!
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Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
Eric Mueller from Los Angeles, CA says: Who doesn't remember the name of the main character? Everyone, repeat after me... "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo" :-)
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written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Really great book we've read as much as any other, and it reinforces our Italian heritage, which we're always happy to drive home. Ava calls it the "spaghetti book."
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by David McKee
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by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Bruce Ingman
Eric Mueller from Los Angeles, CA says: This book is about one thing, and one thing only: pink, pink, pink, pink, pink. (There might be a lesson in there, too, someplace.)
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by Mo Willems
Peter from Flashlight Worthy says: This is a fun book that explores the challenges of communication with a pre-verbal child. Little Trixie gets upset when she loses her beloved stuffed Knuffle Bunny and becomes frustrated when she can't explain what happened to Dad.
The psychology of the story is spot-on and simple: this is exactly what happens to children before they can talk, and the book is for parents as it is for the kids.
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by Mo Willems
Maluhia says: K-nuffle or 'nuffle, however you say it, it's the dads who are the true heroes in this sequel.
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by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
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by Audrey Penn
Anne M. Slanina, Ph.D. says: Most young children will experience separation anxiety at some point and this is the perfect book for providing both adults and young children with a coping strategy. While this book deals specifically with the main character being afraid to leave his mother in order to start school, it can also be used for the more traumatic situation of an impending death of a loved one. I would highly recommend this book for parents and grandparents with a terminal illness. While it is not comfortable to think about leaving a child permanently, if you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, this book provides a gentle message of lasting love that can lessen the burden of your final goodbye.
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by Audrey Penn
Miss Hannah says: Having learned to be away from mom in The Kissing Hand, the little raccoon must now learn to share mom with a little brother. A great book for preparing any child for the big brother (or sister) experience. Beautifully illustrated.
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by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
There's an interesting story behind this one. Ms. DiPucchio found my blog when she noticed this post. She sent us a copy of her book (a signed copy, at that) and Madison loved it, and asked me to add that book to this list. I asked her why she liked the story and she said, "I don't know, I've always wanted a girl to be president." Then she told me that she heard Hillary Clinton is now supporting Barack Obama, so this is a timely addition, I think.
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by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jane Dyer
Gwen reads this to Ava, and it's full of little real-world situations that define words like proud, modest, patient, cooperate, and respect. Really well done, with nice illustrations.
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