TTT: Children's Books I'm Thankful For

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme started on the Broke and the Bookish blog.

They set the topic, we make the lists. Visit their site to see more on this topic

I've been spending a lot of time with my nieces and nephews and various littles in my life lately, and this has caused me to do a lot of reading of children's books. Thus, I'd like to list the books I'm thankful for in that category. Books I'm glad to read over and over and over and over again (mostly of the board book variety).

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
Really anything Dr. Seuss is delightful to read aloud to children, but this one is a challenge for me as a reader as well as for the kids to follow along. It's a tongue-twister and I always find myself reading it quickly, thus heightening the fun.

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt, illustrations by Cyd Moore
This is a family favorite, and one that I don't mind reading a lot of. The story of a little boy asking if his mother loves him no matter what is cute, and the different situations he imagines are fun. It's especially fun to ask toddlers and preschoolers if they'd like to eat a bug sandwich like the character in the story. If you enjoy the book Guess How Much I Love You, this is a similar read.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrations by Clement Hurd
It's a classic for a reason. It's a great bedtime read, saying goodnight to everything around them before drifting off to sleep.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
This book about a poor giraffe embarrassed to shake his groove thing is such a cute tale. It's all about being yourself, not worrying about others, and having fun. The giraffe needs to learn how to 1. dance and 2. not care what everyone thinks. The illustrations are adorable and the story is good for all ages.

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
I tend to give this book as a baby shower gift. It's such a sweet story about how the world changed when "you" were born.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This classic story is a fun read-aloud for preschoolers especially. It's also fun to joke about what a tummyache that caterpillar must have had.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk..." and so begins the tale of consequences. That mouse is quite demanding and causes a series of unpredictable events, ending up back at the cookies. The other books from this series are also fun reads.

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
This is a classic, fun story about asking the zoo for a pet. It's fun to lift the flaps and see what crazy animal the zoo sends the main character. For older kids, they can guess before lifting the flap to discover the animal, and it ends happily. Just a cute, fun read.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Another story of unending parental love. This is a very sweet story. In my experience, the grown up reading the book appreciates it more than the child listening to it.

Baby Beluga by Raffi
This book must be sung. You have to sing the song while going through the pages. It's a requirement. If you don't know this delightful children's song, click here.

That's my list of books I'm thankful for this year (any of which would make great holiday gifts, by the way). What books are you thankful for?

~Cailey