Books for Ages 3 - 4
38
Title: The Quangle Wangle's Hat
Author: Edward Lear
Publication year: 1876
Published in: UK
Summery: Lear's nonsense verse lends itself beautifully to a visual treatment. The Quangle Wangle, a seemingly friendly large mammal, doesn't reveal his face because of his enormous hat. He's lonely up in his tree, but one day, as bright morning fades into afternoon, he is joined by a procession of fanciful creatures, from a "Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg" to "the Dong with a luminous nose."
My Thoughts: Lear writing style is often described as "absurd, witty and irreverent," in short he is completely bonkers and kids love him for it.
39
Title: Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose
Author: Kate Greenaway
Publication year: 1881
Published in: UK
Summery: Contains 42 traditional nursery rhymes. Including the well known ones like "Jack and Jill" and the less known ones like "Pippin Hill"
40
Title: Marigold Garden
Author: Kate Greenaway
Publication year: 1885
Published in: UK
Summery: Another collection of nursery rhymes, this book has 51 rhymes that were not all popular as Mother Goose but people bought the book anyway for the beautiful illustrations.
41
Title: Die Lustige Tante (The Jolly Aunt)
Author: Lothar Meggendorfer
Publication year: 1891
Published in: Germany
My Thoughts: Meggendorfer is thought to have created the first pop-up book. This might be it or it might not be but it is very funny anyway.
42
Title: Peter in Blueberry Land
Author: Elsa Beskow
Publication year: 1901
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Peter is a little boy hunting for blueberries for his mother and is offered help by the King of Blueberry Land. Peter meets all the berry children and finds blueberries the size of apples!
My Thoughts: The first Swedish book to be a major hit in other countries and opened the doors for future swedish authors to connect to larger audiences.
43.
Title: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1902
Published in: UK
Summery: When Mrs. Rabbit begs her four furry children to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter Rabbit naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. But when he is spotted by the farmer himself, the chase is on!
My Thoughts: A century after it was first published, Beatrix Potter's beloved tale of a certain naughty bunny with a taste for radishes continues to enchant readers.
44
Title: The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1906
Published in: UK
Summery: Jeremy Fisher is a frog who lives in a "slippy-sloppy" house at the edge of a pond. One rainy day he collects worms for fishing, and sets off across the pond on his lily-pad boat. He encounters all sorts of setbacks that prevent him from fishing, and escapes a large trout who tries to swallow him. He swims for shore, decides he will not go fishing again, and hops home.
45
Title: The Story of the Root-Children
Author: Sibylle Von Olfers
Publication year: 1906
Published in: Germany
Summery: The root children are the elf-like flowers and weeds that tell the stories of how the way they live changes from season to season.
46
Title: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1908
Published in: UK
Summery: Jemima is a domestic duck whose eggs are routinely confiscated by the farmer's wife because she believes Jemima a poor sitter. Jemima searches for a place away from the farm where she can hatch her eggs without human interference, and naively confides her woes to a suave fox who invites her to nest in a shed at his home. Jemima accepts his invitation, little realizing her danger: the fox plans to kill and roast her. Kep, a collie on the farm, discovers Jemima's whereabouts and rescues her just in time.
My Thoughts: Basically a very cute re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood.
47
Title: Children of the Forest
Author: Elsa Beskow
Publication year: 1910
Published in: Sweden
Summery: The children of the forest live deep in the roots of an old pine tree. They collect wild mushrooms and blueberries and shelter under toadstools when it rains. They play with the squirrels and frogs, and when autumn comes, they collect and prepare food to see them through the long winter, until the warm spring breeze starts to blow.
48
Title: Clever Bill
Author: William Nicholson
Publication year: 1926
Published in: UK
Summery: Clever Bill is a toy soldier who discovers he has been accidentally left behind when his owner Mary goes to visit her aunt, and he sets out to find her.
49
Title: Winnie-the-Pooh
Author: A. A. Milne
Publication year: 1926
Published in: UK
Summery: The original Pooh, who can not love this? All your old friends, Piglet and Tigger and Rabbit, the original illustrations and the very first stories of this silly old bear.
My Thoughts: Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh. Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff. He's Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh. Willy nilly silly old bear.
50
Title: The Story of Babar
Author: Jean de Brunhoff
Publication year: 1931
Published in: France
Summery: The classic first story about literature’s most beloved pachyderm. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. He becomes educated and cultured and, upon his return to the great forest, is crowned King of the Elephants. Delightfully amusing illustrations make this short collection of classic Babar tales a book to treasure for children young and old.
51
Title: The Story About Ping
Author: Marjorie Flack
Publication year: 1933
Published in: USA
Summery: The tale of a little duck alone on the Yangtze River, this is a sweet and funny book with wonderfully rich and colorful illustrations. On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of "pleasant things to eat." On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures--and a bit of trouble--around every bend.
My Thoughts: The exceptional illustrations bring the lush Yangtze to life, from Ping's family to the trained fishing birds he finds himself among to the faithfully rendered boats and fishermen.
52
Title: Blinky Bill
Author: Dorothy Wall
Publication year: 1933
Published in: Australia
Summery: Bill is a marsupial with innocent eyes and a talent for trouble.
My Thoughts: Set in the Australian bush and populated with native animals this book takes children right into the world that the author grew up in.
53
Title: The Story of Ferdinand
Author: Munro Leaf
Publication year: 1936
Published in: USA
Summery: Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree, is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid. Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility.
My Thoughts: Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings.
54.
Title: Orlando: A Camping Holiday
Author: Kathleen Hale
Publication year: 1938
Published in: UK
Summery: This is the first book about Orlando, the famous marmalade cat. He and Grace, his beautiful tabby wife, have three kittens - tortoiseshell Pansy, white Blanche and coal-black Tinkle. In this first story Orlando and his family go off on a camping trip where the kittens learn to swim, paint pictures of the scenery and enjoy sleeping (or not sleeping) under the stars.
55.
Title: Little Toot
Author: Hardie Gramatky
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: The story of a little tug boat who becomes a hero when none of the grown-ups could come to the rescue appeales to children the same way that the "The Little Engine That Could" does.
My Thoughts: They made this into a cartoon that you can watch on Youtube. It has the most annoying song that kids will love and adults would love to get out of their head.
56.
Title: Madeline
Author: Ludwig Bemelmans
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines — the smallest one was Madeline." Nothing frightens Madeline--not tigers, not mice, not even getting sick. To Madeline, a trip to the hospital is a grand adventure.
My Thoughts: This book will never get old, it has so much that children of all ages will love. So much so that it has several sequels, a TV cartoon and a live-action movie.
57.
Title: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers -- the very symbol of industrial America. But with progress come new machines, and soon the inseparable duo are out of work. Mike believes that Mary Anne can dig as much in a day as one hundred men can dig in a week, and the two have one last chance to prove it and save Mary Anne from the scrap heap.
58.
Title: Curious George
Author: H. A. Rey
Publication year: 1941
Published in: USA
Summery: The curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat to live in a new home, but--oh, what happened! Though trying to be good, George is still very curious and takes a swim in the ocean, escapes from jail, and goes for a flying ride on a bunch of balloons.
My Thoughts: This will never get old.
59.
Title: The Little House
Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publication year: 1942
Published in: USA
Summery: Virginia Lee Burton won the Caldecott Medal in 1943 for her memorable picture book The Little House, a poignant story of a cute country cottage that becomes engulfed by the city that grows up around it. The house has an expressive face of windows and doors, and even the feelings of a person, so she’s sad when she’s surrounded by the dirty, noisy city’s hustle and bustle. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending, as the house is taken back to the country where she belongs. A classic!
60.
Title: The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
Author: Hildegarde H. Swift
Publication year: 1942
Published in: USA
Summery: The book begins by introducing the lighthouse and its job of warning the boats on the busy Hudson River of the rocks nearby. The lighthouse is pleased with and proud of its important job, however when the bridge is built, it towers above the lighthouse, which now feels small and unimportant. But the lighthouse later learns that it is still important and needed to do it's job.
My Thoughts: The little red lighthouse of the book is actually a real place, officially Jeffrey's Hook Light on the Hudson River in New York.
61.
Title: The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My
Author: Tove Jansson
Publication year: 1952
Published in: Sweden
Summery: In a delightful, curious game of what comes next, Moomintroll travels through the woods to get home with milk for Moominmamma. A simple trip turns into a colorful adventure as Moomintroll meets Mymble, who has lost her sister, Little My. Along the way, they endure the hijinks of all the charming characters of the Moomin world, including the Fillijonks and Hattifatteners.
62.
Title: My Naughty Little Sister
Author: Dorothy Edwards
Publication year: 1952
Published in: UK
Summery: My naughty little sister is stubborn, greedy, and full of mischief. She tries to cut off the cat's tail; she bites Santa's hand; and she and Bad Harry eat all the pudding at Harry's party. How much trouble can one little sister cause?
63.
Title: Martine
Author: Gilbert Delahaye
Publication year: 1954
Published in: Belgium
Summery: Martine is the perfect child, she is well behaved, funny and adventurous. Her adventures take on the magical quality we remember from childhood where imagination made things 100 times more fun.
64.
Title: Eloise
Author: Kay Thompson
Publication year: 1955
Published in: USA
Summery: Eloise is a six-year-old girl who lives in the "room on the tippy-top floor" of thePlaza Hotel in New York with her Nanny, her dog Weenie, and her turtle Skipperdee.
My Thoughts: Eloise is a child who is constantly underfoot but everyone loves her so it's ok. The book is written in the way a 6 year old would talk, so there is no punctuation and she often repeats herself.
65.
Title: Harry the Dirty Dog
Author: Gene Zion
Publication year: 1956
Published in: USA
Summery: Harry is a white dog with black spots who loves everything . . . except baths. So one day before bath time, Harry runs away. He plays outside all day long, digging and sliding in everything from garden soil to pavement tar. By the time he returns home, Harry is so dirty he looks like a black dog with white spots. His family doesn't even recognize him!
66.
Title: The Cat in the Hat
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publication year: 1957
Published in: USA
Summery: Poor Dick and Sally. It's cold and wet and they're stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process!
My Thoughts: This is a book that belongs in the hearts of every single person on this planet. Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that "pallid primers [with] abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls" were leading to growing illiteracy among children, The Cat in the Hat changed the way our children learn how to read.
67.
Title: The Cow Who Fell in the Canal
Author: Phyllis Krasilovsky
Publication year: 1957
Published in: USA
Summery: Hendrika the Dutch cow is bored living on the farm. She longs to see the wondrous sites in the city, a place she has heard about from Pieter the horse. Quite by accident, her wish comes true one day when she falls into the canal and floats downstream on a raft.
68.
Title: A Bear Called Paddington
Author: Michael Bond
Publication year: 1958
Published in: UK
Summery: The Browns first meet Paddington on a railway platform in London. He is sitting on a battered suitcase, wearing an odd-looking hat and a sign around his neck that reads, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” And that is just what they do, unaware that home will never be the same once Paddington becomes a member of the family.
69.
Title: Little Blue and Little Yellow
Author: Leo Lionni
Publication year: 1959
Published in: USA
Summery: Little blue and little yellow share wonderful adventures. One day, they can't find one another. When they finally meet, they are overjoyed. They hug until they become green. But where did little blue and little yellow go? Are they lost?
My Thoughts: A cute way to teach kids about color.
70.
Title: Green Eggs and Ham
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publication year: 1960
Published in: USA
Summery: Sam-I-Am mounts a determined campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat a plate of green eggs and ham.
My Thoughts: Yet another classic that is not only charming and funny but helped parents convince their kids to try new foods.
71.
Title: Go, Dog. Go!
Author: P. D. Eastman
Publication year: 1961
Published in: USA
Summery: Green dogs, yellow dogs, big dogs, little dogs. Dogs who prefer cars, dogs who favor skis. Watch these dogs go fabulous places and do amazing things.
My Thoughts: Life lessons? Romance? Literary instruction? Go, Dog. Go! offers all this and more, wrapped up in one simply worded, warmly hued package. Using single-syllable words in rhythmic repetition, and introducing colors and prepositions, this Seuss-styled classic has been an early favorite of children since 1961.
72.
Title: Berenstein Bears: The Big Honey Hunt
Author: Stan and Jan Berenstain
Publication year: 1962
Published in: USA
Summery: According to Papa Bear, a bear must use his “smarts” to search for honey. When he brings Brother Bear along on a hunt for honey, it takes more than a few missteps to outsmart the Bears.
My Thoughts: This series was among my personal favorites as a kid. Because they not only have the traditional picture books for younger kids but also short chapter books for older kids that deal with older kid issues.
73.
Title: Ivor the Engine
Author: Oliver Postgate
Publication year: 1962
Published in: UK
Summery: Ivor the Engine has everything an engine could want but he still isn't happy. It's up to his driver and the stationmaster to figure out why, turns out Ivor has a secret dream. He wants to be a singer!
My Thoughts: These books are based on a very popular cartoon series of the same name that aired in 1959.
74.
Title: Clifford the Big Red Dog
Author: Norman Bridwell
Publication year: 1963
Published in: USA
Summery: Meet Clifford and Emily Elizabeth in the original Clifford book! Clifford is big. Clifford is red. But most of all, Clifford knows how to BE A GOOD FRIEND.
My Thoughts: For anybody who loves dog and would really love to have one that's 25 feet tall.
75.
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publication year: 1963
Published in: USA
Summery: One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.
My Thoughts: Check out the Honorable Mentions page for more by Sendak.
76.
Title: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Author: Bernard Waber
Publication year: 1965
Published in: USA
Summery: Lyle the crocodile lives happily with the Primm family until one day his world is turned upside down. His neighbor Mr. Grumps has Lyle committed to the zoo because Lyle frightens his cat and because well he is a crocodile.When zoo life doesn't measure up to life with the Primms Lyle and his former stage partner make a break for it.Will Lyle ever see his adoptive family again?
77.
Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Author: Bill Martin, Jr.
Publication year: 1967
Published in: USA
Summery: Exuberantly coloured artwork and favourite animals make this rhythmic story the perfect introduction to looking and learning about colours. Each spread leads seamlessly into the next and young children will delight in Eric's colourful collage animals and simple repetitive language.
My Thoughts: Check out the sequels, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
78.
Title: What Does the Mouse Think on Thursday?
Author: Josef Guggenmos
Publication year: 1967
Published in: Germany
Summery: What does the mouse think about on Thursday? Well...Thursday is just like every day, and what does the mouse think about every day? Food! Everyday, the mouse thinks about delicious and huge food. And if he can eat and drink all the food he wants, he will no longer be a pitiful little mouse. He will grow strong and big. At first, as strong as a buffalo. Then he will grow into a super hero, and will save a beautiful mouse damsel in distress. Life will be good, and he will be so happy.
79.
Title: What Do People Do All Day?
Author: Richard Scarry
Publication year: 1968
Published in: USA
Summery: Shows and tells what busy people do every day to build houses, sail ships, fly planes, keep house, and grow food.
80.
Title: Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman
Publication year: 1968
Published in: USA
Summery: Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation. When all the shoppers have gone home for the night, Corduroy climbs down from the shelf to look for his missing button. It's a brave new world! He accidentally gets on an elevator that he thinks must be a mountain and sees the furniture section that he thinks must be a palace.My Thoughts: Very cute story that makes you want to know what kind of trouble your toys were getting into when you weren't looking.
81.
Title: Wonderful Tree
Author: Ulf Lofgren
Publication year: 1969
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Walking home, ordinary Edward sees a seed, plants it, watches it grow like Jack's beanstalk, ascends in a wicker basket, arrives the next day at a little house in the trunk, variously disports himself through an all-blue day, an all-yellow day, and an all-red day, ditto autumn, winter and spring, until he tries to fly and falls. . . to wake up on the ground where a seed has just settled.
82.
Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publication year: 1970
Published in: USA
Summery: The book depicts a young boy's dream journey through a enormous baker's kitchen where he assists in the creation of a cake to be ready by the morning. Sendak's unique style captures the spirit and feeling of a dream, as Mickey floats, flies, and dances from one panel to the next.
My Thoughts: When Mickey (who looks to be about three years old) enters the Night Kitchen, he loses his pajamas and is fully naked in some parts of the story so a lot of people have wanted to have this book banned saying to was unappripriate for young children. I don't know why, I remember when I was 3 I didn't really get what was the big deal about nakedness cause no one really does at that age.
83.
Title: Barbapapa
Author: Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
Publication year: 1970
Published in: France
Summery: Barbapapa is both the title character, and name of the "species" of said character, which is a generally papaya-shaped, pink shapeshifting blob-like creature who stumbles upon the human world and tries to fit in.
My Thoughts: The shapeshifting is usually accompanied by the saying "Clickety Click—Barba Trick", or in the 1970s British dub "All Change!" (Based on the expression used by the driver on British buses when the bus reaches the end of its route).
84.
Title: Mr. Tickle
Author: Roger Hargreaves
Publication year: 1971
Published in: UK
Summery: You'll laugh until it hurts when Mr. Tickle goes on a terrific tickling spree!
My Thoughts: The late Roger Hargreaves created the Mr. Men series for his son, Adam, who currently oversees the estate and creates illustrations for new Mr. Men books.
85.
Title: Visst kan Lotta cykla (Lotta’s Bike)
Author: Astrid Lindgren
Publication year: 1971
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Lotta is a very popular character in Swedish children's lit. She is often getting into trouble and just like a real child often learns about the consequences of her actions. In this book Lotta decides to "borrow" her neighbors bike only to find a little to late that it is much to big for her.
86.
Title: Little I Am I
Author: Mira Lobe
Publication year: 1972
Published in: Austria
Summery: This is the story of a small creatures journey to discover what it is. On its journey it often compares itself to other creatures it sees, before coming to the conclusion that "I am I!"
My Thoughts: Beautifully illustrated with charming rhymes.
87.
Title: The Church Mouse
Author: Graham Oakley
Publication year: 1972
Published in: UK
Summery: The first in a series of picture books devoted to the adventures of a group of mice who live in an English church, this story follows Arthur, the church mouse whose peaceful life in a small-town church is considerably enlivened when he invites the local mouse population to take up residence.
My Thoughts: They're classics - wonderful humour that's a clever comment on humanity through the guise of Sampson the church cat (who had listened to so many sermons about the meek being blessed and everybody really being brothers that he had grown quite frighteningly meek ...).
88.
Title: The Sea-thing Child Author: Russell Hoban
Publication year: 1972
Published in: UK
Summery: A "sea-thing child" washes ashore on a pebbly beach, "a little draggled heap of fright." He builds an impenetrable igloo of sea stones around himself but eventually emerges to develop a cantankerous friendship with a fiddler crab. Becoming restless, the sea-thing child converses with an eel and an albatross, both of which confidently head out to sea, but the ocean remains an enemy to the storm-battered creature. Finally, the wisdom he's absorbed, the goading of his crab companion, and a restless night conspire to awaken his latent destiny and he flies into the wind and over the waves to discover "Whatever there is!"
My Thoughts: Sea and sand-toned watercolors enhance the hatched illustrations; the sea-thing child, left to the imagination in the original version, is portrayed as an endearing little auklike bird here.
89.
Title: Father Christmas
Author: Raymond Briggs
Publication year: 1973
Published in: UK
Summery: Meet Father Christmas: a very human gift-giver with a tough job to do. You'll find out that he sometimes gets a little grumpy living at the icy North Pole and squeezing down chimneys, but he more than makes up for it in heart and humor. Raymond Briggs brings this endearing character to life in over 100 wonderfully illustrated vignettes that follow the adventures of Father Christmas on his big night of the year.
My Thoughts: Raymond Briggs, creator of The Snowman, tells a magical Christmas story that will appeal to everyone who wants to believe in Santa Claus.
90.
Title: My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes
Author: Eve Sutton
Publication year: 1973
Published in: UK
Summery: Cats from many different countries may like to do all kinds of strange and exotic things like fly aeroplanes, or sing and dance, or even play the violin - but my cat, an ordinary round-the-house cat, likes to hide in boxes ...Very young children will love joining in with this fun rhyming story that is also just right for beginner readers.
91.
Title: Who's Seen the Scissors?
Author: Fernando Krahn
Publication year: 1975
Published in: USA
Summery: The tailor's scissors suddenly take off on a rampage, snipping their way around town leaving a wake of mild destruction.
My Thoughts: A wordless book that will have you laughing out loud!
92.
Title: Morris's Disappearing Bag Author: Rosemary Wells
Publication year: 1975
Published in: USA
Summery: It's Christmas Day and Morris is missing. He was there to open his present-a teddy bear-and to watch his older sisters and brother open their gifts. His siblings went off to play with each other's new toys, but nobody wanted to play with Morris's bear. So Morris found something new to play with-a disappearing bag. He jumped right in and became invisible! Now he has something everybody wants to try. But they have to find him first.
93.
Title: Uppo the Bear
Author: Elina Karjalainen
Publication year: 1977
Published in: Finland
Summery: The main character in the books is Uppo-Nalle, a teddy bear. The bear was named Uppo-Nalle (Finnish for "sunken bear") because he was found underwater during a river cruise and picked up by a little named Reeta. This is just the start of this very cute story of the seafaring, poetry writing bear and his new friends.
94.
Title: Burglar Bill Author: Janet Ahlberg
Publication year: 1977
Published in: UK
Summery: Who's that creeping down the street? Who's that climbing up the wall? Who's that coming through the window? Who's that?...It's Burglar Bill.
My Thoughts: Bill eventually reforms his bad habits, but even when he is at his thieving worst he is portrayed sympathetically.
95.
Title: Dogger
Author: Shirley Hughes
Publication year: 1977
Published in: UK
Summery: When Dave loses his favourite toy, Dogger, he is desolate. But then Dogger turns up at the school summer fair, and everything seems all right - until someone else buys him before Dave can get the money!
96.
Title: Up in the Tree Author: Margaret Atwood
Publication year: 1978
Published in: Canada
Summery: Two children rejoice in their home up in a tree, free from parental guidance and earthbound concerns. But when beavers gnaw their ladder into matchsticks, the children aren’t sure they want to be quite so alone. Playful, whimsical, and wry, the story is vintage Atwood.
My Thoughts: Because it was considered too expensive and risky to publish a children’s book in Canada, Atwood not only wrote and illustrated the book, but hand-lettered the type.
97.
Title: The Snowman
Author: Raymond Briggs
Publication year: 1978
Published in: UK
Summery: A wordless story. The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night.
My Thoughts: Absolutely beautiful. Truly captures the magic of a snow day.
98.
Title: Freight train Author: Donald Crews
Publication year: 1978
Published in: USA
Summery: With a few words and the most marvellous illustrations, Freight Train will take your child on a magical journey. Each page features a different part of the freight train in a bright color. Then the whole train moves through the countryside, faster and faster until the colors start to blur from the speed.
My Thoughts: Several things make this simple book so effective. First, the bright colors are identified to help preschoolers learn them.
99.
Title: Is That a Monster, Alfie Atkins?
Author: Gunilla Bergstrom
Publication year: 1978
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Alfie's bad conscience over hitting a smaller boy creates a monster under his bed, which keeps him from sleeping at night.
My Thoughts: Great book for helping children learn the difference between right and wrong and admitting when you have done something wrong.
100.
Title: Ox-Cart Man Author: Donald Hall
Publication year: 1979
Published in: USA
Summery: The book takes place in what looks to be the mid 19th century. A man that is never named lives on a farm with his wife, daughter, and son. The book begins with the family packing his cart with the various goods they have to sell. There are mittens knit by his daughter, shawls spun and woven by his wife, and birch brooms carved by his son.
My Thoughts: This is a story not wonderful in that it teaches children about history and how life was, but also teaches them about buying and selling and working for what you have.
101.
Title: Mister Magnolia
Author: Quentin Blake
Publication year: 1980
Published in: UK
Summery: In this wittily rhyming picture book, Mr. Magnolia has a full and happy life except for one serious omission, he only has one boot. But one day, he receives a mysterious parcel, and at last Mr. Magnolia can splash in the puddles with everyone else.
102.
Title: Peace at Last
Author: Jill MurphyPublication year: 1980
Published in: UK
Summery: This is the tale of a drowsy Mr Bear as his attempts at sleep are disrupted by Mrs Bear's snoring, baby Bear's playing, clocks and cats, taps and owls.
My Thoughts: Things no matter how old, we can all relate to.
103.
Title: Mr. Archimedes' Bath
Author: Pamela Allen
Publication year: 1934
Published in: Australia
Summery: Mr Archimedes and his friends try to work out why the water always overflows when they all have a bath.
My Thoughts: "EUREKA!"
104.
Title: Leo and Popi Author: Marie-Agnès Gaudrat
Publication year: 1980
Published in: France
Summery: Leo is a little boy and his stuffed monkey is Popi who comes to life through Leo's imagination.
105.
Title: Postman Pat's Treasure Hunt
Author: John Cunliffe
Publication year: 1981
Published in: UK
Summery: Can Pat and Jess find Katy Pottage's missing doll for her - and make her birthday a really special date?
106.
Title: Ernest and Celestine Have Lost Simon
Author: Gabrielle Vincent
Publication year: 1981
Published in: Belgium
Summery: Ernest is a poor bear who has sheltered and fathered Celestine ever since he discovered the mischievous baby mouse in the garbage when he was cleaning the streets. Together they live poorly but happily.
107.
Title: Alfie Gets in First Author: Shirley Hughes
Publication year: 1981
Published in: UK
Summery: Arriving home after shopping with his mom and sister, Alfie rushes inside and slams the door. Bang! Alfie is stuck inside and his mom and Annie Rose are stuck outside without a key. Soon everyone in the street becomes involved in trying to rescue Alfie, but he is having to much fun!
My Thoughts: Like Home Alone only younger and without the bad guys.
108.
Title: One Woolly Wombat
Author: Rod Trinca
Publication year: 1982
Published in: Australia
Summery: A now-classic Australian counting book, featuring native animals and other features of the Australian landscape and lifestyle.
My Thoughts: Good for kids who might one day be fans of the Crocodile Hunter.
109.
Title: Avocado Baby
Author: John Burningham
Publication year: 1982
Published in: UK
Summery: The Hargraves, a kind but scrawny family, want their new baby to grow up big and strong. But the tiny tyke will hardly eat a thing. One day, Mrs. Hargraves finds an avocado in the fruit bowl, and the infant gobbles it up. But then, the strangest things begin to happen as the baby develops superhuman strength.
My Thoughts: Just the book for picky eaters.
110.
Title: Gorilla
Author: Anthony Browne
Publication year: 1983
Published in: UK
Summery: Hannah loves gorillas but has never seen one. Her father's too busy to take her to the zoo - or for anything else come to that. For her birthday, Hannah asks her father for a gorilla - but is disappointed when she discovers that the gorilla she's got is just a toy one. But then something extraordinary happens...the toy turns into a real gorilla, who puts on her father's hat and coat and takes her off for a magical visit to the zoo...
111.
Title: Angelina Ballerina
Author: Katharine Holabird
Publication year: 1983
Published in: UK
Summery: Angelina Mouseling--a young white mouse--loves to dance, to the exclusion of all other activities. She won't clean her room, she won't help clear the table, she listens to neither her mother or her father because she is dancing, dancing, dancing at every waking moment.
112.
Title: Dusty Wants to Help
Author: Inger Sandberg
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Sweden
Summery: A little boy who just wants to help his family with everyday chores winds up making more of a mess then there was in the first place.
My Thoughts: Parents you have all been there.
113.
Title: We Are the Triplets
Author: Roser Capdevila
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Spain
Summery: Ever wish you could jump right into your favorite fairy tales, well here are three young sisters get to do just that! When ever these girls get bored or are naughty they are sent into a story that teaches them a lesson.
My Thoughts: Not just limited to fairy tales the girls also find themselves sent into classic literature as well.
114.
Title: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's DairyAuthor: Lynley Dodd
Publication year: 983
Published in: New Zealand
Summery: The star of this book is Hairy, the diminutive black dog and with his host of canine pals. They take the town until a giant tomcat sends them all homeward.
115.
Title: Possum Magic
Author: Mem Fox
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Australia
Summery: Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush invisible. But when Hush longs to visible again, the two possums must make their way across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more.
My Thoughts: I remember reading this book to pieces before I even had a basic understanding of where Australia was other then it looked like they had much cooler animals and food then we did.
116.
Title: Felix and Alexander
Author: Terry Denton
Publication year: 1985
Published in: Australia
Summery: Felix, the toy dog, is very worried when his friend Alexander doesn't return from a walk. In his efforts to find Alexander, Felix tears his side and some pink stuffing spills out. This stuffing eventually helps them both find their way home to bed.
117.
Title: Pancakes for Findus
Author: Sven Nordqvist
Publication year: 1985
Published in: Sweden
Summery: It is Findus the talking cat's birthday, so Farmer Pettson wants to bake a big stack of pancakes for the cat who has three birthdays a year.
118.
Title: Love You Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
Publication year: 1986
Published in: Canada
Summery: The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. Then when she is old and grey he sings the song to her, before going home to continue the tradition by singing to his very own newborn daughter.
My Thoughts: Captures the joy of being a mother and a child, of being little and of growing up.
119.
Title: This Is the Bear Author: Sarah Hayes
Publication year: 1986
Published in: UK
Summery: The boy, the bear and the dog are the best of friends. But one day the bear gets lost and has to be searched for high and low.
120.
Title: Old Bear
Author: Jane Hissey
Publication year: 1986
Published in: UK
Summery: Ever wonder what your toys do when you're not looking? Well Rabbit, Little Bear, and Duck decide to rescue their friend Old Bear from the attic. First it's a wobbly tower of blocks, then they climb on each other's shoulders, bounce on the bed, climb a potted plant, and, finally, fly a small wooden airplane up to the trap door in the ceiling.
121.
Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen
Publication year: 1987
Published in: USA
Summery: A girl and her father go owling on a moonlit winter night near the farm where they live. Bundled tight in wool clothes, they trudge through snow "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl"; here and there, hidden in ink-blue shadows, a fox, raccoon, fieldmouse and deer watch them pass. An air of expectancy builds as Pa imitates the Great Horned Owl's call once without answer, then again. From out of the darkness "an echo/ came threading its way/ through the trees." Schoenherr's watercolor washes depict a New England few readers see: the bold stare of a nocturnal owl, a bird's-eye view of a farmhouse.
My Thoughts: Love this author, she writes for all ages.
122.
Title: Winnie the Witch
Author: Valerie Thomas
Publication year: 1987
Published in: UK
Summery: Winnie the Witch lives in a black house. She has black chairs and black stairs, black floors and black doors. The trouble is that Winnie's cat, Wilbur, is also black. After sitting on him and tripping over him, Winnie decides to turn Wilbur into a green cat. But then he goes out into the long grass! Winnie is going to need a little magic to make sure she can always see Wilbur.
123.
Title: Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Author: Martin Waddell
Publication year: 1988
Published in: UK
Summery: In this tender account of a sleepless night in the bear cave, Big Bear sets out with all his patience and understanding to show Little Bear that the dark is nothing to be afraid of. When all the lanterns in the cave aren't enough to quell Little Bear's troubled emotions, Big Bear offers—in a final loving gesture—nothing less than the bright yellow moon and the twinkling stars!
124.
Title: Crocodile Beat
Author: Gail Jorgensen
Publication year: 1988
Published in: Australia
Summery: There's a party going on down by the river! All the animals are there--ducks and elephants, monkeys and birds, even bears and a snake. They're all dancing, singing, and stomping their feet, with King Lion himself leading the song!
125.
Title: Stina
Author: Lena Anderson
Publication year: 1988
Published in: Sweden
Summery: On a visit to her grandfather's house by the sea, Stina goes outside to see a storm but is frightened by it until Grandfather finds her and shows her the best way to watch a storm is together.
126.
Title: Fire-Engine Lil Author: Andrew McLean
Publication year: 1989
Published in: Australia
Summery: Old fire-engine Lil is still keen to fight fires, but these days she usually sits in the station while the smart modern engines do all the work. Then comes the emergency at Brown's Farm, and Lil is the only one who can help. Will she get there in time to save the farmhouse and all the people and animals?
127.
Title: One Snowy Night
Author: Nick Butterworth
Publication year: 1989
Published in: UK
Summery: It is a snowy winter night and it is very cold outside, Percy the Park Keeper’s hut is nice and warm but Percy discovers that if you invite one animal in you’ll have to invite them all in and his hut is only small – it’s certainly going to be a tight fit!
128.
Title: The Mousehole Cat
Author: Antonia Barber
Publication year: 1990
Published in: UK
Summery: Discover the wonderfully atmospheric and dramatic Cornish tale of Mowzer, the cat, and Tom, the old fisherman, who brave the wrath of the Great Storm-Cat to try and save their village.
129.
Title: Amazing Grace
Author: Mary Hoffman
Publication year: 1991
Published in: USA
Summery: Grace loves stories, and with a boundless imagination she acts them all out. One day, her teacher asks who would like to play the lead in the play Peter Pan. Grace eagerly raises her hand, but Raj tells her she isn't a boy, and Natalie tells her she can't because she is black. Nana sets Grace straight: she can do anything she sets her mind to! Grace's talent bursts forth, and she wins the audition hands down. Binch's radiant illustrations add to this inspiring story.
My Thoughts: A book that touches on the subjects of gender and color prejudice so delicately that very young children will quickly learn that you can do anything no matter what.
130.
Title: Window
Author: Jeannie Baker
Publication year: 1991
Published in: UK
Summery: In this wordless picture book a story is told and seen through the window of Sam's room. The reader can see the landscape being destroyed as Sam grows up--forest and animals are replaced by neighbors and houses, factories are built, graffiti is scribbled on walls and other problems indigenous to populous cities appear. At the end of the book Sam holds up his baby to a new window where the tree-filled landscape contains an ominous sign advertising a new subdivision.
My Thoughts: "By the year 2020," Baker says in a concluding note, "no wilderness will remain on our planet, outside that protected in national parks and reserves." Her distinctive collages are extraordinary in their complexity, but children will need an adult to explain how, "by understanding and changing the way we personally affect the environment, we can make a difference."
131.
Title: Slinky Malinki
Author: Lynley Dodd
Publication year: 1991
Published in: New Zealand
Summery: Slinky is a nice cat as long as the sun is shining. But once the sun goes down and the night darkens, he prowls the neighborhood as a literal cat burglar. Nothing is safe as the feline rapscallion makes off with whatever he wants. Then one night he goes too far and steals far more than usual.
132.
Title: T’choupi
Author: Thierry Courtin
Publication year: 1992
Published in: France
Summery: T'choupi is a young penguin and the star of this long running series of books that tell of his daily adventures. Including life at home, visiting Grandparents and learning to be a big brother.
133.
Title: Frog in winter
Author: Max Velthuijs
Publication year: 1992
Published in: UK
Summery: One morning, Frog wakes up knowing that something has gone wrong with the world. Everything is completely white, and it is very cold outside. Much too cold for Frog to take part in any of the fun that his friends are having with the ice and snow. Eventually the other animals band together to equip Frog with warm clothing and extra firewood.
134.
Title: Where's My Teddy?
Author: Jez Alborough
Publication year: 1992
Published in: UK
Summery: Yikes! Eddie's in for the surprise of his life when he discovers that his teddy bear has grown much too big to cuddle! But there's fun in store when Eddie meets up with a real bear who's got just the opposite problem—his lost teddy bear has shrunk to a size that's much too small for such an enormous bear to cuddle. Could it be a case of mistaken identity?
My Thoughts: A truly funny tale about mix-ups and misunderstandings.
135.
Title: Okilélé
Author: Claude Ponti
Publication year: 1993
Published in: France
Summery: Okilélé is a small creature considered by all to be very ugly, so he hides away from the world and invents fabulous machines like a device that lets him talk to the stars. As it turns out the creatures that live in the stars are the ones who offer a friendly hand out to Okilélé and teach him that he is worth a great deal.
My Thoughts: This is a story similar to The Ugly Duckling.
136.
Title: Sleep Well, Little Bear
Author: Quint Buchholz
Publication year: 1993
Published in: Germany
Summery: So like Goodnight Moon, this book features a young bear getting ready for sleep by looking around his room and noticing the little things that mean it is nighttime.
137.
Title: Poems for the Very Young
Title: The Quangle Wangle's Hat
Author: Edward Lear
Publication year: 1876
Published in: UK
Summery: Lear's nonsense verse lends itself beautifully to a visual treatment. The Quangle Wangle, a seemingly friendly large mammal, doesn't reveal his face because of his enormous hat. He's lonely up in his tree, but one day, as bright morning fades into afternoon, he is joined by a procession of fanciful creatures, from a "Fimble Fowl, with a Corkscrew leg" to "the Dong with a luminous nose."
My Thoughts: Lear writing style is often described as "absurd, witty and irreverent," in short he is completely bonkers and kids love him for it.
39
Title: Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose
Author: Kate Greenaway
Publication year: 1881
Published in: UK
Summery: Contains 42 traditional nursery rhymes. Including the well known ones like "Jack and Jill" and the less known ones like "Pippin Hill"
40
Title: Marigold Garden
Author: Kate Greenaway
Publication year: 1885
Published in: UK
Summery: Another collection of nursery rhymes, this book has 51 rhymes that were not all popular as Mother Goose but people bought the book anyway for the beautiful illustrations.
41
Title: Die Lustige Tante (The Jolly Aunt)
Author: Lothar Meggendorfer
Publication year: 1891
Published in: Germany
My Thoughts: Meggendorfer is thought to have created the first pop-up book. This might be it or it might not be but it is very funny anyway.
42
Title: Peter in Blueberry Land
Author: Elsa Beskow
Publication year: 1901
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Peter is a little boy hunting for blueberries for his mother and is offered help by the King of Blueberry Land. Peter meets all the berry children and finds blueberries the size of apples!
My Thoughts: The first Swedish book to be a major hit in other countries and opened the doors for future swedish authors to connect to larger audiences.
43.
Title: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1902
Published in: UK
Summery: When Mrs. Rabbit begs her four furry children to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter Rabbit naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. But when he is spotted by the farmer himself, the chase is on!
My Thoughts: A century after it was first published, Beatrix Potter's beloved tale of a certain naughty bunny with a taste for radishes continues to enchant readers.
44
Title: The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1906
Published in: UK
Summery: Jeremy Fisher is a frog who lives in a "slippy-sloppy" house at the edge of a pond. One rainy day he collects worms for fishing, and sets off across the pond on his lily-pad boat. He encounters all sorts of setbacks that prevent him from fishing, and escapes a large trout who tries to swallow him. He swims for shore, decides he will not go fishing again, and hops home.
45
Title: The Story of the Root-Children
Author: Sibylle Von Olfers
Publication year: 1906
Published in: Germany
Summery: The root children are the elf-like flowers and weeds that tell the stories of how the way they live changes from season to season.
46
Title: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publication year: 1908
Published in: UK
Summery: Jemima is a domestic duck whose eggs are routinely confiscated by the farmer's wife because she believes Jemima a poor sitter. Jemima searches for a place away from the farm where she can hatch her eggs without human interference, and naively confides her woes to a suave fox who invites her to nest in a shed at his home. Jemima accepts his invitation, little realizing her danger: the fox plans to kill and roast her. Kep, a collie on the farm, discovers Jemima's whereabouts and rescues her just in time.
My Thoughts: Basically a very cute re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood.
47
Title: Children of the Forest
Author: Elsa Beskow
Publication year: 1910
Published in: Sweden
Summery: The children of the forest live deep in the roots of an old pine tree. They collect wild mushrooms and blueberries and shelter under toadstools when it rains. They play with the squirrels and frogs, and when autumn comes, they collect and prepare food to see them through the long winter, until the warm spring breeze starts to blow.
48
Title: Clever Bill
Author: William Nicholson
Publication year: 1926
Published in: UK
Summery: Clever Bill is a toy soldier who discovers he has been accidentally left behind when his owner Mary goes to visit her aunt, and he sets out to find her.
49
Title: Winnie-the-Pooh
Author: A. A. Milne
Publication year: 1926
Published in: UK
Summery: The original Pooh, who can not love this? All your old friends, Piglet and Tigger and Rabbit, the original illustrations and the very first stories of this silly old bear.
My Thoughts: Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh. Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff. He's Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh. Willy nilly silly old bear.
50
Title: The Story of Babar
Author: Jean de Brunhoff
Publication year: 1931
Published in: France
Summery: The classic first story about literature’s most beloved pachyderm. After his mother is killed by a hunter, Babar avoids capture by escaping to the city, where he is befriended by the kindly Old Lady. He becomes educated and cultured and, upon his return to the great forest, is crowned King of the Elephants. Delightfully amusing illustrations make this short collection of classic Babar tales a book to treasure for children young and old.
51
Title: The Story About Ping
Author: Marjorie Flack
Publication year: 1933
Published in: USA
Summery: The tale of a little duck alone on the Yangtze River, this is a sweet and funny book with wonderfully rich and colorful illustrations. On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of "pleasant things to eat." On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures--and a bit of trouble--around every bend.
My Thoughts: The exceptional illustrations bring the lush Yangtze to life, from Ping's family to the trained fishing birds he finds himself among to the faithfully rendered boats and fishermen.
52
Title: Blinky Bill
Author: Dorothy Wall
Publication year: 1933
Published in: Australia
Summery: Bill is a marsupial with innocent eyes and a talent for trouble.
My Thoughts: Set in the Australian bush and populated with native animals this book takes children right into the world that the author grew up in.
53
Title: The Story of Ferdinand
Author: Munro Leaf
Publication year: 1936
Published in: USA
Summery: Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree-- just smelling the flowers--to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree, is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid. Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility.
My Thoughts: Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings.
54.
Title: Orlando: A Camping Holiday
Author: Kathleen Hale
Publication year: 1938
Published in: UK
Summery: This is the first book about Orlando, the famous marmalade cat. He and Grace, his beautiful tabby wife, have three kittens - tortoiseshell Pansy, white Blanche and coal-black Tinkle. In this first story Orlando and his family go off on a camping trip where the kittens learn to swim, paint pictures of the scenery and enjoy sleeping (or not sleeping) under the stars.
55.
Title: Little Toot
Author: Hardie Gramatky
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: The story of a little tug boat who becomes a hero when none of the grown-ups could come to the rescue appeales to children the same way that the "The Little Engine That Could" does.
My Thoughts: They made this into a cartoon that you can watch on Youtube. It has the most annoying song that kids will love and adults would love to get out of their head.
56.
Title: Madeline
Author: Ludwig Bemelmans
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: "In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines — the smallest one was Madeline." Nothing frightens Madeline--not tigers, not mice, not even getting sick. To Madeline, a trip to the hospital is a grand adventure.
My Thoughts: This book will never get old, it has so much that children of all ages will love. So much so that it has several sequels, a TV cartoon and a live-action movie.
57.
Title: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publication year: 1939
Published in: USA
Summery: Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers -- the very symbol of industrial America. But with progress come new machines, and soon the inseparable duo are out of work. Mike believes that Mary Anne can dig as much in a day as one hundred men can dig in a week, and the two have one last chance to prove it and save Mary Anne from the scrap heap.
58.
Title: Curious George
Author: H. A. Rey
Publication year: 1941
Published in: USA
Summery: The curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat to live in a new home, but--oh, what happened! Though trying to be good, George is still very curious and takes a swim in the ocean, escapes from jail, and goes for a flying ride on a bunch of balloons.
My Thoughts: This will never get old.
59.
Title: The Little House
Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publication year: 1942
Published in: USA
Summery: Virginia Lee Burton won the Caldecott Medal in 1943 for her memorable picture book The Little House, a poignant story of a cute country cottage that becomes engulfed by the city that grows up around it. The house has an expressive face of windows and doors, and even the feelings of a person, so she’s sad when she’s surrounded by the dirty, noisy city’s hustle and bustle. Fortunately, there’s a happy ending, as the house is taken back to the country where she belongs. A classic!
60.
Title: The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
Author: Hildegarde H. Swift
Publication year: 1942
Published in: USA
Summery: The book begins by introducing the lighthouse and its job of warning the boats on the busy Hudson River of the rocks nearby. The lighthouse is pleased with and proud of its important job, however when the bridge is built, it towers above the lighthouse, which now feels small and unimportant. But the lighthouse later learns that it is still important and needed to do it's job.
My Thoughts: The little red lighthouse of the book is actually a real place, officially Jeffrey's Hook Light on the Hudson River in New York.
61.
Title: The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My
Author: Tove Jansson
Publication year: 1952
Published in: Sweden
Summery: In a delightful, curious game of what comes next, Moomintroll travels through the woods to get home with milk for Moominmamma. A simple trip turns into a colorful adventure as Moomintroll meets Mymble, who has lost her sister, Little My. Along the way, they endure the hijinks of all the charming characters of the Moomin world, including the Fillijonks and Hattifatteners.
62.
Title: My Naughty Little Sister
Author: Dorothy Edwards
Publication year: 1952
Published in: UK
Summery: My naughty little sister is stubborn, greedy, and full of mischief. She tries to cut off the cat's tail; she bites Santa's hand; and she and Bad Harry eat all the pudding at Harry's party. How much trouble can one little sister cause?
63.
Title: Martine
Author: Gilbert Delahaye
Publication year: 1954
Published in: Belgium
Summery: Martine is the perfect child, she is well behaved, funny and adventurous. Her adventures take on the magical quality we remember from childhood where imagination made things 100 times more fun.
64.
Title: Eloise
Author: Kay Thompson
Publication year: 1955
Published in: USA
Summery: Eloise is a six-year-old girl who lives in the "room on the tippy-top floor" of thePlaza Hotel in New York with her Nanny, her dog Weenie, and her turtle Skipperdee.
My Thoughts: Eloise is a child who is constantly underfoot but everyone loves her so it's ok. The book is written in the way a 6 year old would talk, so there is no punctuation and she often repeats herself.
65.
Title: Harry the Dirty Dog
Author: Gene Zion
Publication year: 1956
Published in: USA
Summery: Harry is a white dog with black spots who loves everything . . . except baths. So one day before bath time, Harry runs away. He plays outside all day long, digging and sliding in everything from garden soil to pavement tar. By the time he returns home, Harry is so dirty he looks like a black dog with white spots. His family doesn't even recognize him!
66.
Title: The Cat in the Hat
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publication year: 1957
Published in: USA
Summery: Poor Dick and Sally. It's cold and wet and they're stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process!
My Thoughts: This is a book that belongs in the hearts of every single person on this planet. Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that "pallid primers [with] abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls" were leading to growing illiteracy among children, The Cat in the Hat changed the way our children learn how to read.
67.
Title: The Cow Who Fell in the Canal
Author: Phyllis Krasilovsky
Publication year: 1957
Published in: USA
Summery: Hendrika the Dutch cow is bored living on the farm. She longs to see the wondrous sites in the city, a place she has heard about from Pieter the horse. Quite by accident, her wish comes true one day when she falls into the canal and floats downstream on a raft.
68.
Title: A Bear Called Paddington
Author: Michael Bond
Publication year: 1958
Published in: UK
Summery: The Browns first meet Paddington on a railway platform in London. He is sitting on a battered suitcase, wearing an odd-looking hat and a sign around his neck that reads, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” And that is just what they do, unaware that home will never be the same once Paddington becomes a member of the family.
69.
Title: Little Blue and Little Yellow
Author: Leo Lionni
Publication year: 1959
Published in: USA
Summery: Little blue and little yellow share wonderful adventures. One day, they can't find one another. When they finally meet, they are overjoyed. They hug until they become green. But where did little blue and little yellow go? Are they lost?
My Thoughts: A cute way to teach kids about color.
70.
Title: Green Eggs and Ham
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publication year: 1960
Published in: USA
Summery: Sam-I-Am mounts a determined campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat a plate of green eggs and ham.
My Thoughts: Yet another classic that is not only charming and funny but helped parents convince their kids to try new foods.
71.
Title: Go, Dog. Go!
Author: P. D. Eastman
Publication year: 1961
Published in: USA
Summery: Green dogs, yellow dogs, big dogs, little dogs. Dogs who prefer cars, dogs who favor skis. Watch these dogs go fabulous places and do amazing things.
My Thoughts: Life lessons? Romance? Literary instruction? Go, Dog. Go! offers all this and more, wrapped up in one simply worded, warmly hued package. Using single-syllable words in rhythmic repetition, and introducing colors and prepositions, this Seuss-styled classic has been an early favorite of children since 1961.
72.
Title: Berenstein Bears: The Big Honey Hunt
Author: Stan and Jan Berenstain
Publication year: 1962
Published in: USA
Summery: According to Papa Bear, a bear must use his “smarts” to search for honey. When he brings Brother Bear along on a hunt for honey, it takes more than a few missteps to outsmart the Bears.
My Thoughts: This series was among my personal favorites as a kid. Because they not only have the traditional picture books for younger kids but also short chapter books for older kids that deal with older kid issues.
73.
Title: Ivor the Engine
Author: Oliver Postgate
Publication year: 1962
Published in: UK
Summery: Ivor the Engine has everything an engine could want but he still isn't happy. It's up to his driver and the stationmaster to figure out why, turns out Ivor has a secret dream. He wants to be a singer!
My Thoughts: These books are based on a very popular cartoon series of the same name that aired in 1959.
74.
Title: Clifford the Big Red Dog
Author: Norman Bridwell
Publication year: 1963
Published in: USA
Summery: Meet Clifford and Emily Elizabeth in the original Clifford book! Clifford is big. Clifford is red. But most of all, Clifford knows how to BE A GOOD FRIEND.
My Thoughts: For anybody who loves dog and would really love to have one that's 25 feet tall.
75.
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publication year: 1963
Published in: USA
Summery: One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.
My Thoughts: Check out the Honorable Mentions page for more by Sendak.
76.
Title: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Author: Bernard Waber
Publication year: 1965
Published in: USA
Summery: Lyle the crocodile lives happily with the Primm family until one day his world is turned upside down. His neighbor Mr. Grumps has Lyle committed to the zoo because Lyle frightens his cat and because well he is a crocodile.When zoo life doesn't measure up to life with the Primms Lyle and his former stage partner make a break for it.Will Lyle ever see his adoptive family again?
77.
Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Author: Bill Martin, Jr.
Publication year: 1967
Published in: USA
Summery: Exuberantly coloured artwork and favourite animals make this rhythmic story the perfect introduction to looking and learning about colours. Each spread leads seamlessly into the next and young children will delight in Eric's colourful collage animals and simple repetitive language.
My Thoughts: Check out the sequels, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
78.
Title: What Does the Mouse Think on Thursday?
Author: Josef Guggenmos
Publication year: 1967
Published in: Germany
Summery: What does the mouse think about on Thursday? Well...Thursday is just like every day, and what does the mouse think about every day? Food! Everyday, the mouse thinks about delicious and huge food. And if he can eat and drink all the food he wants, he will no longer be a pitiful little mouse. He will grow strong and big. At first, as strong as a buffalo. Then he will grow into a super hero, and will save a beautiful mouse damsel in distress. Life will be good, and he will be so happy.
79.
Title: What Do People Do All Day?
Author: Richard Scarry
Publication year: 1968
Published in: USA
Summery: Shows and tells what busy people do every day to build houses, sail ships, fly planes, keep house, and grow food.
80.
Title: Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman
Publication year: 1968
Published in: USA
Summery: Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation. When all the shoppers have gone home for the night, Corduroy climbs down from the shelf to look for his missing button. It's a brave new world! He accidentally gets on an elevator that he thinks must be a mountain and sees the furniture section that he thinks must be a palace.My Thoughts: Very cute story that makes you want to know what kind of trouble your toys were getting into when you weren't looking.
81.
Title: Wonderful Tree
Author: Ulf Lofgren
Publication year: 1969
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Walking home, ordinary Edward sees a seed, plants it, watches it grow like Jack's beanstalk, ascends in a wicker basket, arrives the next day at a little house in the trunk, variously disports himself through an all-blue day, an all-yellow day, and an all-red day, ditto autumn, winter and spring, until he tries to fly and falls. . . to wake up on the ground where a seed has just settled.
82.
Title: In the Night Kitchen
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publication year: 1970
Published in: USA
Summery: The book depicts a young boy's dream journey through a enormous baker's kitchen where he assists in the creation of a cake to be ready by the morning. Sendak's unique style captures the spirit and feeling of a dream, as Mickey floats, flies, and dances from one panel to the next.
My Thoughts: When Mickey (who looks to be about three years old) enters the Night Kitchen, he loses his pajamas and is fully naked in some parts of the story so a lot of people have wanted to have this book banned saying to was unappripriate for young children. I don't know why, I remember when I was 3 I didn't really get what was the big deal about nakedness cause no one really does at that age.
83.
Title: Barbapapa
Author: Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
Publication year: 1970
Published in: France
Summery: Barbapapa is both the title character, and name of the "species" of said character, which is a generally papaya-shaped, pink shapeshifting blob-like creature who stumbles upon the human world and tries to fit in.
My Thoughts: The shapeshifting is usually accompanied by the saying "Clickety Click—Barba Trick", or in the 1970s British dub "All Change!" (Based on the expression used by the driver on British buses when the bus reaches the end of its route).
84.
Title: Mr. Tickle
Author: Roger Hargreaves
Publication year: 1971
Published in: UK
Summery: You'll laugh until it hurts when Mr. Tickle goes on a terrific tickling spree!
My Thoughts: The late Roger Hargreaves created the Mr. Men series for his son, Adam, who currently oversees the estate and creates illustrations for new Mr. Men books.
85.
Title: Visst kan Lotta cykla (Lotta’s Bike)
Author: Astrid Lindgren
Publication year: 1971
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Lotta is a very popular character in Swedish children's lit. She is often getting into trouble and just like a real child often learns about the consequences of her actions. In this book Lotta decides to "borrow" her neighbors bike only to find a little to late that it is much to big for her.
86.
Title: Little I Am I
Author: Mira Lobe
Publication year: 1972
Published in: Austria
Summery: This is the story of a small creatures journey to discover what it is. On its journey it often compares itself to other creatures it sees, before coming to the conclusion that "I am I!"
My Thoughts: Beautifully illustrated with charming rhymes.
87.
Title: The Church Mouse
Author: Graham Oakley
Publication year: 1972
Published in: UK
Summery: The first in a series of picture books devoted to the adventures of a group of mice who live in an English church, this story follows Arthur, the church mouse whose peaceful life in a small-town church is considerably enlivened when he invites the local mouse population to take up residence.
My Thoughts: They're classics - wonderful humour that's a clever comment on humanity through the guise of Sampson the church cat (who had listened to so many sermons about the meek being blessed and everybody really being brothers that he had grown quite frighteningly meek ...).
88.
Title: The Sea-thing Child Author: Russell Hoban
Publication year: 1972
Published in: UK
Summery: A "sea-thing child" washes ashore on a pebbly beach, "a little draggled heap of fright." He builds an impenetrable igloo of sea stones around himself but eventually emerges to develop a cantankerous friendship with a fiddler crab. Becoming restless, the sea-thing child converses with an eel and an albatross, both of which confidently head out to sea, but the ocean remains an enemy to the storm-battered creature. Finally, the wisdom he's absorbed, the goading of his crab companion, and a restless night conspire to awaken his latent destiny and he flies into the wind and over the waves to discover "Whatever there is!"
My Thoughts: Sea and sand-toned watercolors enhance the hatched illustrations; the sea-thing child, left to the imagination in the original version, is portrayed as an endearing little auklike bird here.
89.
Title: Father Christmas
Author: Raymond Briggs
Publication year: 1973
Published in: UK
Summery: Meet Father Christmas: a very human gift-giver with a tough job to do. You'll find out that he sometimes gets a little grumpy living at the icy North Pole and squeezing down chimneys, but he more than makes up for it in heart and humor. Raymond Briggs brings this endearing character to life in over 100 wonderfully illustrated vignettes that follow the adventures of Father Christmas on his big night of the year.
My Thoughts: Raymond Briggs, creator of The Snowman, tells a magical Christmas story that will appeal to everyone who wants to believe in Santa Claus.
90.
Title: My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes
Author: Eve Sutton
Publication year: 1973
Published in: UK
Summery: Cats from many different countries may like to do all kinds of strange and exotic things like fly aeroplanes, or sing and dance, or even play the violin - but my cat, an ordinary round-the-house cat, likes to hide in boxes ...Very young children will love joining in with this fun rhyming story that is also just right for beginner readers.
91.
Title: Who's Seen the Scissors?
Author: Fernando Krahn
Publication year: 1975
Published in: USA
Summery: The tailor's scissors suddenly take off on a rampage, snipping their way around town leaving a wake of mild destruction.
My Thoughts: A wordless book that will have you laughing out loud!
92.
Title: Morris's Disappearing Bag Author: Rosemary Wells
Publication year: 1975
Published in: USA
Summery: It's Christmas Day and Morris is missing. He was there to open his present-a teddy bear-and to watch his older sisters and brother open their gifts. His siblings went off to play with each other's new toys, but nobody wanted to play with Morris's bear. So Morris found something new to play with-a disappearing bag. He jumped right in and became invisible! Now he has something everybody wants to try. But they have to find him first.
93.
Title: Uppo the Bear
Author: Elina Karjalainen
Publication year: 1977
Published in: Finland
Summery: The main character in the books is Uppo-Nalle, a teddy bear. The bear was named Uppo-Nalle (Finnish for "sunken bear") because he was found underwater during a river cruise and picked up by a little named Reeta. This is just the start of this very cute story of the seafaring, poetry writing bear and his new friends.
94.
Title: Burglar Bill Author: Janet Ahlberg
Publication year: 1977
Published in: UK
Summery: Who's that creeping down the street? Who's that climbing up the wall? Who's that coming through the window? Who's that?...It's Burglar Bill.
My Thoughts: Bill eventually reforms his bad habits, but even when he is at his thieving worst he is portrayed sympathetically.
95.
Title: Dogger
Author: Shirley Hughes
Publication year: 1977
Published in: UK
Summery: When Dave loses his favourite toy, Dogger, he is desolate. But then Dogger turns up at the school summer fair, and everything seems all right - until someone else buys him before Dave can get the money!
96.
Title: Up in the Tree Author: Margaret Atwood
Publication year: 1978
Published in: Canada
Summery: Two children rejoice in their home up in a tree, free from parental guidance and earthbound concerns. But when beavers gnaw their ladder into matchsticks, the children aren’t sure they want to be quite so alone. Playful, whimsical, and wry, the story is vintage Atwood.
My Thoughts: Because it was considered too expensive and risky to publish a children’s book in Canada, Atwood not only wrote and illustrated the book, but hand-lettered the type.
97.
Title: The Snowman
Author: Raymond Briggs
Publication year: 1978
Published in: UK
Summery: A wordless story. The pictures have "the hazy softness of air in snow. A little boy rushes out into the wintry day to build a snowman, which comes alive in his dreams that night.
My Thoughts: Absolutely beautiful. Truly captures the magic of a snow day.
98.
Title: Freight train Author: Donald Crews
Publication year: 1978
Published in: USA
Summery: With a few words and the most marvellous illustrations, Freight Train will take your child on a magical journey. Each page features a different part of the freight train in a bright color. Then the whole train moves through the countryside, faster and faster until the colors start to blur from the speed.
My Thoughts: Several things make this simple book so effective. First, the bright colors are identified to help preschoolers learn them.
99.
Title: Is That a Monster, Alfie Atkins?
Author: Gunilla Bergstrom
Publication year: 1978
Published in: Sweden
Summery: Alfie's bad conscience over hitting a smaller boy creates a monster under his bed, which keeps him from sleeping at night.
My Thoughts: Great book for helping children learn the difference between right and wrong and admitting when you have done something wrong.
100.
Title: Ox-Cart Man Author: Donald Hall
Publication year: 1979
Published in: USA
Summery: The book takes place in what looks to be the mid 19th century. A man that is never named lives on a farm with his wife, daughter, and son. The book begins with the family packing his cart with the various goods they have to sell. There are mittens knit by his daughter, shawls spun and woven by his wife, and birch brooms carved by his son.
My Thoughts: This is a story not wonderful in that it teaches children about history and how life was, but also teaches them about buying and selling and working for what you have.
101.
Title: Mister Magnolia
Author: Quentin Blake
Publication year: 1980
Published in: UK
Summery: In this wittily rhyming picture book, Mr. Magnolia has a full and happy life except for one serious omission, he only has one boot. But one day, he receives a mysterious parcel, and at last Mr. Magnolia can splash in the puddles with everyone else.
102.
Title: Peace at Last
Author: Jill MurphyPublication year: 1980
Published in: UK
Summery: This is the tale of a drowsy Mr Bear as his attempts at sleep are disrupted by Mrs Bear's snoring, baby Bear's playing, clocks and cats, taps and owls.
My Thoughts: Things no matter how old, we can all relate to.
103.
Title: Mr. Archimedes' Bath
Author: Pamela Allen
Publication year: 1934
Published in: Australia
Summery: Mr Archimedes and his friends try to work out why the water always overflows when they all have a bath.
My Thoughts: "EUREKA!"
104.
Title: Leo and Popi Author: Marie-Agnès Gaudrat
Publication year: 1980
Published in: France
Summery: Leo is a little boy and his stuffed monkey is Popi who comes to life through Leo's imagination.
105.
Title: Postman Pat's Treasure Hunt
Author: John Cunliffe
Publication year: 1981
Published in: UK
Summery: Can Pat and Jess find Katy Pottage's missing doll for her - and make her birthday a really special date?
106.
Title: Ernest and Celestine Have Lost Simon
Author: Gabrielle Vincent
Publication year: 1981
Published in: Belgium
Summery: Ernest is a poor bear who has sheltered and fathered Celestine ever since he discovered the mischievous baby mouse in the garbage when he was cleaning the streets. Together they live poorly but happily.
107.
Title: Alfie Gets in First Author: Shirley Hughes
Publication year: 1981
Published in: UK
Summery: Arriving home after shopping with his mom and sister, Alfie rushes inside and slams the door. Bang! Alfie is stuck inside and his mom and Annie Rose are stuck outside without a key. Soon everyone in the street becomes involved in trying to rescue Alfie, but he is having to much fun!
My Thoughts: Like Home Alone only younger and without the bad guys.
108.
Title: One Woolly Wombat
Author: Rod Trinca
Publication year: 1982
Published in: Australia
Summery: A now-classic Australian counting book, featuring native animals and other features of the Australian landscape and lifestyle.
My Thoughts: Good for kids who might one day be fans of the Crocodile Hunter.
109.
Title: Avocado Baby
Author: John Burningham
Publication year: 1982
Published in: UK
Summery: The Hargraves, a kind but scrawny family, want their new baby to grow up big and strong. But the tiny tyke will hardly eat a thing. One day, Mrs. Hargraves finds an avocado in the fruit bowl, and the infant gobbles it up. But then, the strangest things begin to happen as the baby develops superhuman strength.
My Thoughts: Just the book for picky eaters.
110.
Title: Gorilla
Author: Anthony Browne
Publication year: 1983
Published in: UK
Summery: Hannah loves gorillas but has never seen one. Her father's too busy to take her to the zoo - or for anything else come to that. For her birthday, Hannah asks her father for a gorilla - but is disappointed when she discovers that the gorilla she's got is just a toy one. But then something extraordinary happens...the toy turns into a real gorilla, who puts on her father's hat and coat and takes her off for a magical visit to the zoo...
111.
Title: Angelina Ballerina
Author: Katharine Holabird
Publication year: 1983
Published in: UK
Summery: Angelina Mouseling--a young white mouse--loves to dance, to the exclusion of all other activities. She won't clean her room, she won't help clear the table, she listens to neither her mother or her father because she is dancing, dancing, dancing at every waking moment.
112.
Title: Dusty Wants to Help
Author: Inger Sandberg
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Sweden
Summery: A little boy who just wants to help his family with everyday chores winds up making more of a mess then there was in the first place.
My Thoughts: Parents you have all been there.
113.
Title: We Are the Triplets
Author: Roser Capdevila
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Spain
Summery: Ever wish you could jump right into your favorite fairy tales, well here are three young sisters get to do just that! When ever these girls get bored or are naughty they are sent into a story that teaches them a lesson.
My Thoughts: Not just limited to fairy tales the girls also find themselves sent into classic literature as well.
114.
Title: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's DairyAuthor: Lynley Dodd
Publication year: 983
Published in: New Zealand
Summery: The star of this book is Hairy, the diminutive black dog and with his host of canine pals. They take the town until a giant tomcat sends them all homeward.
115.
Title: Possum Magic
Author: Mem Fox
Publication year: 1983
Published in: Australia
Summery: Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush invisible. But when Hush longs to visible again, the two possums must make their way across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more.
My Thoughts: I remember reading this book to pieces before I even had a basic understanding of where Australia was other then it looked like they had much cooler animals and food then we did.
116.
Title: Felix and Alexander
Author: Terry Denton
Publication year: 1985
Published in: Australia
Summery: Felix, the toy dog, is very worried when his friend Alexander doesn't return from a walk. In his efforts to find Alexander, Felix tears his side and some pink stuffing spills out. This stuffing eventually helps them both find their way home to bed.
117.
Title: Pancakes for Findus
Author: Sven Nordqvist
Publication year: 1985
Published in: Sweden
Summery: It is Findus the talking cat's birthday, so Farmer Pettson wants to bake a big stack of pancakes for the cat who has three birthdays a year.
118.
Title: Love You Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
Publication year: 1986
Published in: Canada
Summery: The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. Then when she is old and grey he sings the song to her, before going home to continue the tradition by singing to his very own newborn daughter.
My Thoughts: Captures the joy of being a mother and a child, of being little and of growing up.
119.
Title: This Is the Bear Author: Sarah Hayes
Publication year: 1986
Published in: UK
Summery: The boy, the bear and the dog are the best of friends. But one day the bear gets lost and has to be searched for high and low.
120.
Title: Old Bear
Author: Jane Hissey
Publication year: 1986
Published in: UK
Summery: Ever wonder what your toys do when you're not looking? Well Rabbit, Little Bear, and Duck decide to rescue their friend Old Bear from the attic. First it's a wobbly tower of blocks, then they climb on each other's shoulders, bounce on the bed, climb a potted plant, and, finally, fly a small wooden airplane up to the trap door in the ceiling.
121.
Title: Owl Moon
Author: Jane Yolen
Publication year: 1987
Published in: USA
Summery: A girl and her father go owling on a moonlit winter night near the farm where they live. Bundled tight in wool clothes, they trudge through snow "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl"; here and there, hidden in ink-blue shadows, a fox, raccoon, fieldmouse and deer watch them pass. An air of expectancy builds as Pa imitates the Great Horned Owl's call once without answer, then again. From out of the darkness "an echo/ came threading its way/ through the trees." Schoenherr's watercolor washes depict a New England few readers see: the bold stare of a nocturnal owl, a bird's-eye view of a farmhouse.
My Thoughts: Love this author, she writes for all ages.
122.
Title: Winnie the Witch
Author: Valerie Thomas
Publication year: 1987
Published in: UK
Summery: Winnie the Witch lives in a black house. She has black chairs and black stairs, black floors and black doors. The trouble is that Winnie's cat, Wilbur, is also black. After sitting on him and tripping over him, Winnie decides to turn Wilbur into a green cat. But then he goes out into the long grass! Winnie is going to need a little magic to make sure she can always see Wilbur.
123.
Title: Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Author: Martin Waddell
Publication year: 1988
Published in: UK
Summery: In this tender account of a sleepless night in the bear cave, Big Bear sets out with all his patience and understanding to show Little Bear that the dark is nothing to be afraid of. When all the lanterns in the cave aren't enough to quell Little Bear's troubled emotions, Big Bear offers—in a final loving gesture—nothing less than the bright yellow moon and the twinkling stars!
124.
Title: Crocodile Beat
Author: Gail Jorgensen
Publication year: 1988
Published in: Australia
Summery: There's a party going on down by the river! All the animals are there--ducks and elephants, monkeys and birds, even bears and a snake. They're all dancing, singing, and stomping their feet, with King Lion himself leading the song!
125.
Title: Stina
Author: Lena Anderson
Publication year: 1988
Published in: Sweden
Summery: On a visit to her grandfather's house by the sea, Stina goes outside to see a storm but is frightened by it until Grandfather finds her and shows her the best way to watch a storm is together.
126.
Title: Fire-Engine Lil Author: Andrew McLean
Publication year: 1989
Published in: Australia
Summery: Old fire-engine Lil is still keen to fight fires, but these days she usually sits in the station while the smart modern engines do all the work. Then comes the emergency at Brown's Farm, and Lil is the only one who can help. Will she get there in time to save the farmhouse and all the people and animals?
127.
Title: One Snowy Night
Author: Nick Butterworth
Publication year: 1989
Published in: UK
Summery: It is a snowy winter night and it is very cold outside, Percy the Park Keeper’s hut is nice and warm but Percy discovers that if you invite one animal in you’ll have to invite them all in and his hut is only small – it’s certainly going to be a tight fit!
128.
Title: The Mousehole Cat
Author: Antonia Barber
Publication year: 1990
Published in: UK
Summery: Discover the wonderfully atmospheric and dramatic Cornish tale of Mowzer, the cat, and Tom, the old fisherman, who brave the wrath of the Great Storm-Cat to try and save their village.
129.
Title: Amazing Grace
Author: Mary Hoffman
Publication year: 1991
Published in: USA
Summery: Grace loves stories, and with a boundless imagination she acts them all out. One day, her teacher asks who would like to play the lead in the play Peter Pan. Grace eagerly raises her hand, but Raj tells her she isn't a boy, and Natalie tells her she can't because she is black. Nana sets Grace straight: she can do anything she sets her mind to! Grace's talent bursts forth, and she wins the audition hands down. Binch's radiant illustrations add to this inspiring story.
My Thoughts: A book that touches on the subjects of gender and color prejudice so delicately that very young children will quickly learn that you can do anything no matter what.
130.
Title: Window
Author: Jeannie Baker
Publication year: 1991
Published in: UK
Summery: In this wordless picture book a story is told and seen through the window of Sam's room. The reader can see the landscape being destroyed as Sam grows up--forest and animals are replaced by neighbors and houses, factories are built, graffiti is scribbled on walls and other problems indigenous to populous cities appear. At the end of the book Sam holds up his baby to a new window where the tree-filled landscape contains an ominous sign advertising a new subdivision.
My Thoughts: "By the year 2020," Baker says in a concluding note, "no wilderness will remain on our planet, outside that protected in national parks and reserves." Her distinctive collages are extraordinary in their complexity, but children will need an adult to explain how, "by understanding and changing the way we personally affect the environment, we can make a difference."
131.
Title: Slinky Malinki
Author: Lynley Dodd
Publication year: 1991
Published in: New Zealand
Summery: Slinky is a nice cat as long as the sun is shining. But once the sun goes down and the night darkens, he prowls the neighborhood as a literal cat burglar. Nothing is safe as the feline rapscallion makes off with whatever he wants. Then one night he goes too far and steals far more than usual.
132.
Title: T’choupi
Author: Thierry Courtin
Publication year: 1992
Published in: France
Summery: T'choupi is a young penguin and the star of this long running series of books that tell of his daily adventures. Including life at home, visiting Grandparents and learning to be a big brother.
133.
Title: Frog in winter
Author: Max Velthuijs
Publication year: 1992
Published in: UK
Summery: One morning, Frog wakes up knowing that something has gone wrong with the world. Everything is completely white, and it is very cold outside. Much too cold for Frog to take part in any of the fun that his friends are having with the ice and snow. Eventually the other animals band together to equip Frog with warm clothing and extra firewood.
134.
Title: Where's My Teddy?
Author: Jez Alborough
Publication year: 1992
Published in: UK
Summery: Yikes! Eddie's in for the surprise of his life when he discovers that his teddy bear has grown much too big to cuddle! But there's fun in store when Eddie meets up with a real bear who's got just the opposite problem—his lost teddy bear has shrunk to a size that's much too small for such an enormous bear to cuddle. Could it be a case of mistaken identity?
My Thoughts: A truly funny tale about mix-ups and misunderstandings.
135.
Title: Okilélé
Author: Claude Ponti
Publication year: 1993
Published in: France
Summery: Okilélé is a small creature considered by all to be very ugly, so he hides away from the world and invents fabulous machines like a device that lets him talk to the stars. As it turns out the creatures that live in the stars are the ones who offer a friendly hand out to Okilélé and teach him that he is worth a great deal.
My Thoughts: This is a story similar to The Ugly Duckling.
136.
Title: Sleep Well, Little Bear
Author: Quint Buchholz
Publication year: 1993
Published in: Germany
Summery: So like Goodnight Moon, this book features a young bear getting ready for sleep by looking around his room and noticing the little things that mean it is nighttime.
137.
Title: Poems for the Very Young
Author: Michael Rosen
Publication year: 1993
Published in: UK
Summery: Humorously illustrated by Greenaway award-winner Bob Graham, this collection of more than 100 poems provides an excellent introduction to poetry.
My Thoughts: Includes works by such poets as Shel Silverstein, Eve Merriam, John Agard, Afua Cooper, and Langston Hughes.
138.
Title: Guess How Much I Love You
Publication year: 1993
Published in: UK
Summery: Humorously illustrated by Greenaway award-winner Bob Graham, this collection of more than 100 poems provides an excellent introduction to poetry.
My Thoughts: Includes works by such poets as Shel Silverstein, Eve Merriam, John Agard, Afua Cooper, and Langston Hughes.
138.
Title: Guess How Much I Love You
Author: Sam McBratney
Publication year: 1994
Published in: UK
Summery: "Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him.
My Thoughts: A great book for dads to read to their kids, cause it shows that dads are just as loving as moms.
139.
Title: The Story of the Little Mole by Werner Holzwarth
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140.
Title: Garden of Little Creatures by Antoon Krings.
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141.
Title: Clown by Quentin Blake
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142.
Title: The Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt
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143.
Title: Bad Habits by Babette Cole
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144.
Title: Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
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145.
Title: Molly Goes Shopping by Eva Eriksson
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My Thoughts:
146.
Title: The Magic Pocket: Selected Poems by Michio Mado
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Published in:
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My Thoughts:
147.
Title: Rosa Goes to Daycare by Barbro Lindgren
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My Thoughts:
148.
Title: Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly
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My Thoughts:
149.
Title: Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs (Harry and the Dinosaurs) by Ian Whybrow
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My Thoughts:
150.
Title: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
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My Thoughts:
151.
Title: Crispin: The Pig Who Had It All by Ted Dewan
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My Thoughts:
152.
Title: Max by Bob Graham
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My Thoughts:
153.
Title: Olivia by Ian Falconer
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My Thoughts:
154.
Title: Madlenka by Peter Sís
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My Thoughts:
155.
Title: Marc Just Couldn't Sleep by Garbiela Keselman
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My Thoughts:
156.
Title: The Widemouthed Frog by Francine Videl
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My Thoughts:
157.
Title: Tatu and Patu in Helsinki by Aino Havukainen
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My Thoughts:
158.
Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
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My Thoughts:
159.
Title: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
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My Thoughts:
160.
Title: Unknown or Forgotten Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier
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161.
Title: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
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My Thoughts:
Publication year: 1994
Published in: UK
Summery: "Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him: as wide as he can reach and as far as he can hop. But Big Nutbrown Hare, who can reach farther and hop higher, loves him back just as much. Well then Little Nutbrown Hare loves him right up to the moon, but that's just halfway to Big Nutbrown Hare's love for him.
My Thoughts: A great book for dads to read to their kids, cause it shows that dads are just as loving as moms.
139.
Title: The Story of the Little Mole by Werner Holzwarth
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My Thoughts:
140.
Title: Garden of Little Creatures by Antoon Krings.
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141.
Title: Clown by Quentin Blake
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My Thoughts:
142.
Title: The Runaway Train by Benedict Blathwayt
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143.
Title: Bad Habits by Babette Cole
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144.
Title: Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
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My Thoughts:
145.
Title: Molly Goes Shopping by Eva Eriksson
Publication year:
Published in:
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My Thoughts:
146.
Title: The Magic Pocket: Selected Poems by Michio Mado
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
147.
Title: Rosa Goes to Daycare by Barbro Lindgren
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
148.
Title: Jamela's Dress by Niki Daly
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
149.
Title: Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs (Harry and the Dinosaurs) by Ian Whybrow
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
150.
Title: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
151.
Title: Crispin: The Pig Who Had It All by Ted Dewan
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
152.
Title: Max by Bob Graham
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
153.
Title: Olivia by Ian Falconer
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
154.
Title: Madlenka by Peter Sís
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
155.
Title: Marc Just Couldn't Sleep by Garbiela Keselman
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
156.
Title: The Widemouthed Frog by Francine Videl
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
157.
Title: Tatu and Patu in Helsinki by Aino Havukainen
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
158.
Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
159.
Title: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
160.
Title: Unknown or Forgotten Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts:
161.
Title: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
Publication year:
Published in:
Summery:
My Thoughts: