Literature to chew on

Our favorite board books:

Hug by Jez Alborough

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton (gets a special endorsement from Big Friend's ma)

Big red barn by by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Inside freight trains by Donald Crews

Wiggle by Doreen Cronin

Jamberry by Bruce Degen (the rhythm of this book is really jazzy and the illustrations keep even older children interested)

Touch and feel: Pets (or any Touch and Feel book) by Nicola Deschamps

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. This book presents the first joke that all kids "get": a puppy doesn't say 'Meow' - that's ridiculous!

Is your mama a llama? by Deborah Guarino. "You are right about that: I think your mama must be a bat!"

Counting kisses by Karen Katz

The snowy day by Ezra Jack Keats

Brown bear, brown bear what do you see? by Bill Martin Jr. You know, I have never liked this book, but I am a member of a miniscule minority in this regard.

Chicka chicka boom boom by Bill Martin Jr. This book, on the other hand, taught Mr. Three all his letters before he was two!

Guess how much I love you by Sam Mcbratney

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. I think it was my friend Allison who pointed out that Big Man, at two, resembled Sal even more than he looked like Danny Torrance, so this book will always have a special place for me.

I Stink! by Kate McMullan

Baby Faces by Margaret Miller

Little Bear by Else Holmes Minarik

Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli

We’re going on a bear hunt by Helen Oxenbury

Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

Ten Minutes til Bedtime by Peggy Rathman. These two books by Peggy Rathman are almost wordless but high on interwoven detail. They both work for a large age range.

Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg

Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak

Mr. Brown can moo! Can you? by Dr. Seuss

Train Song by Diane Siebert and Michael Wimmer

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw. Very simple but funny and with a great rhythm plus terrific colored pencil illustrations.

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina. The monkeys say "chee chee chee!".

Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta Stickland and Paul Stickland. The winner and all-time champion favorite little-kid book in our house.

Tails by Matthew Van Fleet. A new entry in the canon. Lots of touchy, wiggly, shiny features.

Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus! by Mo Willems