Hello.  I'm hoping that someone here will be able to help me with this.  I'm an avid reader and attribute that to the fact that my mom and dad read to me everynight while I was growing up.  Because of this, I'm looking to start a library of children's books for my future family. 

I've already picked up quite a few chapter books that I enjoyed growing up and have found four board books that I couldn't resist buying.  However, this is where I need your help.  What were some of your children's favorite books when they were wee little?

I have recently purchased A Snowman Named Just Bob, Scarecrow Pete, The Library Lion, and Bad Dog Marley.  What else should I look into buying or getting from paperbackswap.com?

My girls love the Froggy books ( i happen to have Froggy loves books on my shelf) but any of them are great.

Berenstain Bear books are a big hit here too.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a good book too

Fancy Nancy books

Five Minutes Peace is a good cute story

if i think of some others i will let you know :) they really love all books!

just went back and read your post again, none of these are board books but they are good.

:)

my kids favorite books are

ten little ladybugs (think book, but not board)

go dog go (board book and then regular one as they got older)

There was a board book about a mouse and a strawberry that my kids loved, but I can't think of the name anymore, maybe someone else will remember the name of it.

Non board books we love:

Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel

Monster at the end of the book

Chrysanthemum

I love you stinky face

I am sure there are many more, I just cant think of the names.  I love to read to my kids.  Just think back to what were your favorites as a child!

Skippy Jon JOnes

How I Became a Pirate

The Big Meow

Waves in The Bathtub

and a must for every little one getting ready for preschool/school The Kissing Hand

I read this to my daughter in pre k, she is is 2nd grade now and to this day we still dothe kissing hand when I drop heroff in the morning.

My Son loved Sandra Boynton books.Also Bear in the Big Blue House and anything that was "Chunky" and easy to hold:) He is now 7 and LOVES to read too!!!

Stacy

We started reading to my daughter when she was just baby and now at age 7 I have to tell her to put the book down and go to bed.  I think that starting a childs library is very important.  In fact we had a baby shower where they were supposed to bring at least one book that was their favorite when they were a child or of their childs.  Some our favorites have been...

Sandra Boynton - Snuggle Puppy  (I found these great compilation books w/CD and she absolutely loved them)

Laura Numeroff - If you give a Pig a Pancake, If you give a Mouse a Cookie (put these on my shelf yesterday and already they have been ordered)

Dr. Suess - Foot Book and MANY MANY more

Berenstein Bears - Any of these books are wonderful, but my personal favorite was Bear Scouts

Double Trouble in Walla Walla - A long book, but really silly

I'll Love You Forever - This one will make you cry

Doreen Cronin - Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Click, Clack, Moo

The Little Red Hen makes a Pizza - A classic tale with an updated version

Caps for Sale - I loved this book as a child

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak

Where the Sidewalk Ends - My husbands favorite as a child

Socks by Beaverly Cleary

Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman and Jos A. Smith

Redwall series

Lars the polar bear books (really good - one of my very favorites as a child!)

Curious George (I don't know exactly what age group you're looking for here, but Curious George books where some of the first I read)

My kids like several already on the post, but they also liked Eric Carle books.  They come in both board books, hardback, and paperback.  They also liked any lift-a-flap book--especially the Little People ones, when they were really little.

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions so far.  I am having so much fun looking at all the books and getting this all together.  I also love the idea of bringing a book to the baby shower to start a library.  I alway had books when I was little and I do believe that is what made me the reader I am today!!!

I have two boys, one is now 4 & the other is almost 2 here is a list of what they/we love(d):

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle---both love this one (He also writes Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear, Baby Bear, Baby Bear..., Panda Bear, Panda Bear..., but Brown Bear is by far our favorite of those)

I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt----sounds weird, but is really cute

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (sp?)---a copy of this will go in my 4 yr. old's box of memories to give to him when he is older b/c he used to carry this book EVERYWHERE!

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown---my 4 yr. old couldn't have cared less about this book but my other son enjoys it

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle--both liked this one a lot

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn--preschool age

Anything by Karma Wilson--we esp. like her books with Bear as the main character

Kiss Good Night & You Can Do It Sam by Amy Hest--preschool age

Anything & Everything I Spy & Curious George is loved by my 4yr old

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Hope this helps!      Shayla

so many have been listed...

i wanted to ask this question earlier and am so glad you did! thanks!

Goodnight Moon - best!

The Runaway Bunny

anything Dr. Seuss

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel

sandra boynton

Laura Numeroff

Eric Carle

my son LOVES Bob the builder and Thomas the Train

there are a few others that  we couldnt live without. ill have to go to the baby's bookshelf to see which ones we love most and post again.  i want to hear of others b/c we try to read at least 3 times a day and sometimes im reading the same books over and over.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late are great books!  So funny!  And perfect to read to those little ones who have an excuse for everything! 

Many great ones listed! Goodnight Moon was a favorite for all three of my kids. Others:

Pat the Bunny

The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle

Where's Kitty - Mercer Mayer (chunky flap book)

Click Clack Moo

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

A Bad Case of Stripes

My students love The Bailey School Kids series.  They're fun, easy chapter books with recurring characters and I've yet to meet a 2nd/3rd grader who didn't enjoy them. 

These series by Cynthia Rylant are fabulous: Poppleton, Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge

Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie

Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel

I am a book list fanatic.  I go a little overboard at times. LOL!!  If you want some wonderful suggestions of children's books you could collect a few books along those lines as well.  I recommend The New Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt  and The Book Tree...can't remember the author.  There's tons and tons more but this is a good start. 

The Sandra Boyton books are a huge hit in my family (dd's ages 5-3-10mos)  infact, the red hat green hat was one of the first books both older girls "read" on their own.  our babies always enjoy(ed) Baby Angels, in fact, my 10 month old ALWAYS stops crying/fussing/etc. when someone reads that one to her.  The illustrations are wonderful.

Another that I didn't see listed yet was Tasha Tudor's books, we have 1 is one (it's a bit WL book on the site) that was my middle child's favorite when she was a baby.

Anything by Jez Alborough! 'Hug' is great for babies (there's only one word to read - hug - but it's such a cute story!) then

Duck in a Truck for toddlers, and all the Bear stories.

Also The Gruffalo and the Gruffalo's Child (Julia Donaldson?? can't quite remember) are big hits in my house.

My children loved the Biscuit books when they were really little, about a little girl and her dog named Biscuit. Dr Suess is obviously a huge hit. By far the one they all memorized first was Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

My recommendations as a teacher for 35 years and an avid reader for all of my life:

Eric Carle books

Bill Martin, Brown Bear, Brown Bear...

Mike Mulligan....

Katy and the Big Snow by Burton

Beatrix Potter tales

If You Give A Mouse A Muffin and others

Jan Brett's books, beautiful!! Familiar tales

Curious George

Guess How Much I Love You

Nursery rhymes, other familiar poems like Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Over in the Meadow, etc.

{Poems and rhymes are just great for language , memory, and listening development in very young children}

Any beautifully illustrated book

Some favorite picture books at our house:

• Ten Minutes Till Bedtime by Peggy Rathmann
• Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
• Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton (not a board book)
• the Sandra Boynton board books
• The Monster At The End of This Book  (with Grover) by Jon Stone
• Huggly Gets Dressed by Tedd Arnold
• The Beast In the Bathtub by Kathleen Stevens (more words--older picture book)
• Underwear! by Mary Elise Monsell (again--more words--older picture book)
• Mavin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Suess (and other Dr. Suess books)
• Feely Bugs by David A. Carter (might not be a good one to buy second hand; the textured "bugs" can get a beating)
• Not A Box
• Peanut Butter Rhino by Vincent Andriani
• Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
• Mother, Mother, I Want Another by Maria Polushkin

My daughter is 13 now, but we still enjoy pulling some of these out now.  (Do you ever get too old for a good picture book?)  We teach in the 2 & 3 year old room at my co-op, so we have an excuse to keep looking.  :)  Of this list, our extra favorites would be the Peggy Rathmann books, Sandra Boynton, Not A Box, and The Monster At The End Of This Book.

We also love the picture books by Jon Scieszka that "warp" fairy tales & fables--but they might be more fun for age 7 & up: kids who are already familiar with the original fairy tale.  Here are the titles we've enjoyed:  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Frog Prince Continued, The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales, and Squids Will Be Squids.  (When I say "& up" I'm not kidding--we still read these all the time.)  Hee hee

As a new mommy I am loving all the suggestions!  Great thread!

My granddaughter is just finishing first grade, and she is an avid reader.  (and I am PROUD to say, at the top of her class in reading!)  It shocks me sometimes how well she does.  The other night she wanted to read to ME so she picked out "Madeleine in London" and got through the whole book by herself.  Maybe schools have higher expectations than when I was in school, because I was just getting through the Dick and Jane series at her age!

Anyway, my question is this.....does anyone have any suggestions for books to search for her?  She has read a couple of the Beverly Cleary series, but I think Nancy Drew-type is just a little too far for her.  Help!?!?

Thanks!!!

My niece is just finishing first grade and she really likes the Junie B Jones books and some of the Magic Treehouse Books.

As for picture books my kids (5 and 2 years old) really liked:

Paperbag Princess

Peanut Butter Rhino

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You

Go Away Big Green Monster

Chica Chica Boom Boom

Who Wants a Dragon

If You Give a Pig a Pancake

A Porcupine Named Fluffy

My daughter is finishing 2nd grade and these have been a few of her favorites.

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park

The Pony Crazed Princess

Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne

The Adventures of The Bailey School Kids

The Boxcar Children

American Girl Series

Little House on the Prairie

my daughter is in first grade and is loving the fairy books that are fairly new like Tink north of neverland, we just finished Fira and the full moon. they have quite a few in the series.