Advisory and Auxiliary Favorite Books
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Warning: may include some sentimental favorites! Please do not rush out and try to find all these books; this is a look at some of our personal favorites, not a list of AO "must haves." Some of these reflect differences in individual family situations that are unique to their family, such as adoption, region, or differences in parenting styles, or even our own individual personalities. We advise reading book reviews such as those on amazon.com to see whether any of these books might be right for your family. Note that Advisory members have grown children (and many of their favorites may therefore be out of print); Auxiliary members currently have children in the baby/toddler stage. Some of their favorites may reflect more modern classics. You can read more about Advisory and Auxiliary members on the Advisory and Auxiliary biography pages.
Auxiliary Favorites
Brandy Vencel
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett (really most Jan Brett books, especially for toddlers not quite ready for real fairy tales--especially Gingerbread Baby
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Old Mother West Wind by Thornton Burgess--I ADORE the one illustrated by Michael Hague
Island Boy by Barbara Cooney
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Obadiah books by Brinton Turkle--a MUST for little boys!
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
The Old Woman and Her Pig by Rosanne Lizinger
Maple Hill Farm books by the Provensens
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Kindergarteners:
Comus by Margaret Hodges
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Yoni Wondernose by Marguerite deAngeli
Thee, Hannah by Marguerite deAngeli
Basket Moon by Mary Lyn Ray
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
A is for Annabelle by Tasha Tudor
1 is One by Tasha Tudor
The Dragon and the Garden by N. D. Wilson
In the Time of Noah by N. D. Wilson
A Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem
Naomi Goegan
My babies always loved "My First . . ." board books, the ones with real pictures of real things
Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm by Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown (such a great sales training book!)
Market Street by Arnold Lobel (an alphabet book)
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Babar by Jean De Brunhoff
The Miller, His Son, and Their Donkey (We have the one illustrated by Roger Duvoisin) ($amzn)
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins (division math)
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel (tearwater tea)
The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Flossie & the Fox by Patricia McKissack (love her sass!)
The Clown of God by Tomie dePaola (catholic, wonderful)
The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner (a silly pop-up book)
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood and Audrey Wood (read this one countless times)
Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen (why do we have to tiptoe out of the cave!?)
The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman and Fred Marcellino
St. George and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
Many Moons by James Thurbur
Alfie and Dogger books by Shirley Hughes (love the illustrations!)
George and Martha series by James Marshall
When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Brambly Hedge books by Jill Barklem
Phyllis Hunsucker
We have some Russian favorites. These two by our very favorite author, Kornei Chukovksy, have English translations: Doctor Ouch ($amzn) and Mishmash ($amzn)
Horton Hatches an Egg
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Going to Sleep on the Farm by Juan Wijngaard and Wendy Cheyette Lewison
My Animal Book by DK Publishing (A Dorling Kindersley photo board book; the ultimate baby favorite in our family.)
Who is Coming to our House? by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff
Hiawatha (illustrated by Susan Jeffers)
Astrid Lindgren
Lani Siciliano
Storytelling Ideas:
Storytelling with Children by Nancy Mellon
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn S. Bailey and Clara M. Lewis - great for learning many traditional tales too for retelling
For toddlers:
Jamberry by Bruce Degen
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Going to Sleep on the Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen
The Carrot Seed by Crockett Johnson
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Bruce Degen
Time for Bed by mem Fox
For preschoolers:
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gail Thomas
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
books by Mem Fox, especially Koala Lou, Possum Magic and Tough Boris
Kindergarteners:
Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost Illustrated by Susan Jeffers
Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
Storm in the Night by Pat Cummings
Owl Moon by John Schoenherr
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
Jan Brett Christmas Treasury by Jan Brett (A collection of stories with all the art. We particularly love "The Trouble With Trolls" story.)
Longer novels for read alouds appropriate for younger children:
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Lankester Brisley
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth
Babe, The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond
Kathy Livingston
Older Year 0/K:
Johnny Texas by Carol Hoff
The Great Bullocky Race by Michael Page (Australia!)
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Children's Bible Basics series by Carolyn Nystrom
General Year 0:
Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall
Tana Hoban's picture books
Francis books by Russell Hoban
Alfie books by Shirley Hughes
Are You a . . . books by Judy Allen
Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck
The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel
Pete's a Pizza by William Steig
Jesse Bear books by Nancy White Carlstrom
Yankee Doodle by Steven Kellogg
Amy Tuttle
brambly hedge books, by jill barklem were the first i thought of
ferdinand by munro leaf (LOVE this story)
going to sleep on the farm (this was a bedtime favorite with most of my kids)
the little house, virginia lee burton (this is a second or maybe even third generation favorite)
complete tales of winnie the pooh (giant and illustrated)
they were strong and good, robert lawson
the shepherd boy, kim lewis (wordless)
the snowman, raymond briggs (wordless)
the ark, arthur geisert (LOVE the illustrations)
our house on the hill, philippe dupasquier (almost wordless)
a tale of two houses, melody carlson, ill. steve bjorkman
jesse bear, what will you wear, nancy white carlstrom
peter rabbit giant treasury (with original illustrations)
pretty much everything by arnold lobel
our very first read-alouds without pictures were all the patricia st. john stories we could get our hands on.
for very the young:
DK picture/word books
peek-a-boo! by janet & allan ahlberg
the bible in pictures for little eyes by kenneth taylor
in spanish (because these are all we could find when my kids were small):
buenas noches, luna por margaret wise brown
se venden gorras, por esphyr slobodkina
llaman a la puerta por pat hutchins
Rebecca Capehart
Saint George and the Dragon, by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
all of the Pigeon books by Mo Willems
The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are, by Dr. Seuss
Block City, by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
Advisory Favorites
Wendi's favorites
Toddlers:
Catch Me and Kiss Me and Say It Again by Clyde and Wendy Watson (nursery rhymes; OOP)
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown ($amzn)
Each Peach Pear Plum Janet and Allan Ahlberg (and others of theirs) ($amzn) ($amzn)
Amie and Anika by Terry Stafford (a La Leche League book; OOP)
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel ($amzn)
Pelle's New Suit (and so many others by Elsa Beskow)
Sandra Boynton's Board Books
Mo Willem's Pigeon Books
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Preschool and Up:
Picture books by Lucy Micklethwait
Brown Angels by Walter Dean Myers--poetry, we skip two poems, I believe. ($amzn)
I'm Listening, God, Psalm 19 for Children by Elspeth Campbell Murphy, and others of her Psalms for children (OOP)
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack ($amzn)
The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams ($amzn)
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young ($amzn)
Books by Tomie dePaola
Outside Over There; In the Night Kitchen (slight nudity) ($amzn) and others by Maurice Sendak (Not for everyone!)
Jump series by Van Dyke Parks, Malcolm Jones (adaptations of Brer Rabbit)
Year at Maple Hill Farm ($amzn) and others by Alice and Martin Provensen
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant ($amzn)
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant ($amzn)
Babar books (the originals by Jean (and his son Laurent) De Brunhoff, not the TV spin-offs)
What Do You Do, Dear ($amzn), and What Do You Say, Dear ($amzn) by Sesyle Joslin--comical books about manners.
Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel ($amzn)
The Man Who Loved Books by Jean Fritz (OOP)
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper and the Haumans
The Story of Little Babaji
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
THE REAL MOTHER GOOSE
Storytelling and Other Poems, Childcraft (Volume 2) or Any older volume 2 of Childcraft that was published pre-1960
The Church Mice and others in this series by Graham Oakley. These are delightful, but for slightly older children.
Chapter books:
Ivy Cottage and sequels by E. J. Taylor (OOP)
The Princess and the Admiral by Charlotte Pomerantz ($amzn)
The Story of Holly and Ivy ($amzn) and others by Rumer Godden
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes ($amzn)
The Plain Princess by Phyllis McGinley (OOP)
Anne White's favorites
(Updated Feb. 2023) Although I read many books as a young child (the Parents Magazine Press books were favourites), most of them were long gone by the time we started our own family. I began searching out books through lists such as Honey for a Child's Heart and Babies Need Books (by Dorothy Butler). My techie husband managed to dial in (pre-Internet) to our local library's catalogue, and I requested picture books, old, new, and obscure, that were sent to our neighbourhood bookmobile. Many of the books my children loved are mentioned on other AO pages such as Year 0 , but here are a few of the outliers.
Toddlers:
Alfie series by Shirley Hughes (very sweet and family friendly)
Little Fur Family, by Margaret Wise Brown ($amzn)
This Little Chick, by John Lawrence ($amzn)
Preschool and Up:
Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain by Edward Ardizzone ($amzn)
Diana and her Rhinoceros by Edward Ardizzone
The Jumblies and Other Nonsense Verses by Edward Lear (esp one illustrated by Leslie Brooke) ($amzn)
Doctor Desoto by William Steig (the best dentist story ever) ($amzn) (K)
The Sugar Mouse Cake by Gene Zion (OOP)
Miss Suzy, by Miriam Young
($amzn) (K)
Umbrella by Taro Yashima (about a little Japanese girl in New York City) ($amzn)
The Crane Maiden by Miyoko Matsutani (OOP)
Two by Two by Barbara Reid (plasticine illustrated Noah's Ark; OOP)
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback ($amzn)
Lynn Bruce's favorites
Toddlers:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle ($amzn)
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown ($amzn)
Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall Volumes 1-4
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell ($amzn) (K)
Preschool and up:
Least of All by Carol Purdy ($amzn)
The Real Pretend by Joan Donaldson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor ($amzn)
Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk ($amzn)
A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman ($amzn)
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman ($amzn)
You Are Special by Max Lucado ($amzn) (K)
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant ($amzn)
Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle ($amzn)
All the Places To Love by Patricia MacLachlan ($amzn)
Sophie and Rose by Kathryn Lasky ($amzn)
Jan Brett books, particularly The Mitten ($amzn) (K), The Hat ($amzn) (K), and The Gingerbread Baby ($amzn) (K)
Donna-Jean's favorites
Toddlers:
Good-Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown ($amzn)
On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott ($amzn)
Preschool and up:
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant ($amzn)
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant ($amzn)
Laurie and the Yellow Curtains (an early reader; OOP)
Billy and Blaze by C. W. Anderson ($amzn) (K)
I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse ($amzn)
Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim (OOP)
The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed ($amzn)
Miss Fannie's Hat by Jan Karon ($amzn)
With You All the Way by Max Lucado ($amzn)
No More Singing by Norman Bomer ($amzn) (presents the tragedy of abortion for young children; OOP)
Leslie Noelani's favorites:
Toddlers:
The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown
The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown ($amzn)
Mommy Hugs ($amzn) also Daddy Kisses ($amzn) by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben
Alfie Gets in First, and Alfie's ABC by Shirley Hughes
Books her boys loved:
Angus series by Marjorie Flack ($amzn)
The Three Little Kittens illustrated by Paul Galdone ($amzn) (K)
The Poky Little Puppy by Gustaf Tenggren ($amzn) (K)
Jesse Bear What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom ($amzn)
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag ($amzn)
Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty ($amzn)
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Burton ($amzn) (K)
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina ($amzn) (K)
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward ($amzn)
Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson ($amzn) (K) and others in the series ($amzn)
Scuffy the Tugboat by Golden Books ($amzn) (K)
Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker (a repetitive counting/rhyming book) ($amzn)
Books her daughter loves:
Little Princess Ka'iulani in Her Garden by the Sea by Ellie Crowe ($amzn)
A Little Old Man by Natalie Norton (OOP)
Edie Changes Her Mind (and That's Right, Edie) by Johanna Johnston (OOP)
The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn)
My First Counting Book by Lilian Moore (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn) (K)
Baby Animals by Garth Williams (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn) (K)
The Jolly Barnyard by Annie North Bedford (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn) (K)
Four Puppies by Anne Heathers (OOP; a "Little Golden Book")
Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn)
The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown (a "Little Golden Book") ($amzn)
Books with pictures of bugs
James Herriot picture books ($amzn)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey ($amzn) (K)
My First Little House books
Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g ($amzn)
The Real Hole by Beverly Cleary ($amzn)
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper ($amzn) (K)
Corduroy by Don Freeman ($amzn) (K)
Winnie the Pooh series audio read by Jim Broadbent ($amzn)
The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone ($amzn) (K)
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell ($amzn) (K)
Miss Maple's Seeds by Eliza Wheeler ($amzn)
Chapter Books for preschoolers:
Little Pear ($amzn) (and Little Pear and His Friends ($amzn); Little Pear and the Rabbits) by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor ($amzn) (K)
Children of the Old House by Ruth Borchard (OOP)
Jeanne Webb and Melisa Hills served on the AO Auxiliary from 2012 to 2016:
Jeanne Webb
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown
Elsie Piddock Skips in her Sleep by Eleanor Farjeon ill Charlotte Voake
Jack and the Beanstalk by Edith Nesbit ill Matt Tavares
Peepo by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack
The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Noodle by Munro Leaf
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
Babar books by Jean De Brunhoff (but not the ones by Laurent so much)
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Mr McGee and the Biting Flee by Pamela Allen
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy and almost everything else from Lynley Dodd
The Potato People by Pamela Allen
Australian Picture Books
The Bunyip of Berkley's Creek by Jenny Wagner
Mulga Bill's Bicycle by A B Paterson and any other illustrated Banjo Paterson poems
Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia by Alison Lester
A Year on Our Farm by Penny Matthews
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
A Book for Kids by C J Dennis
My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch by Graeme Base
Window by Jeannie Baker
A Bush Christmas by C J Dennis ll Dee Huxley
Aranea by Jenny Wagner
Possum Magic by Mem Fox
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
French books
Petit Ours Brun est grognon by Danièle Bour
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
La chenille qui fait des trous by Eric Carle
La grenouille à grande bouche by Francine Vidal
Ernest et Célestine ont perdu Siméon by Gabrielle Vincent
Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant by Jean de Brunhoff
Bon appé blocked, Monsieur Lapin! by Claude Boujonli
Les Contraires de Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais
La petite poule rousse by Byron Barton
Siméon le Papillon by Antoon Krings
Melisa Hills
In no particular order or grouping:
Corduroy by Don Freeman
My First Little House Readers
Going on a Bear Hunt by by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen
Curious George H.A. Rey
One Kitten for Kim by Adelaide Holl
The Little Red Flower by Paul Tripp
Raccoons and Ripe Corn and others by Jim Arnosky
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Books by Jan Brett (love the artwork along with the stories)
Go Dogs Go by P.D. Eastman (my children insisted I list this one)
Harry the Dirty Dog series by Gene Zion
Betsy-Tacy books by Maude Lovelace
Billy & Blaze books by C.W. Anderson
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston
All Those Secrets of the World by Jane Yolen
Last update Aug 15, 2013
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