Robin's Top 10 Kids' Books

I chose to focus on books for an audience of preschool and younger.

10. Just For You by Mercer Meyer. A little one is trying so hard to be a good helper to his mother, but he can't anticipate the problems with mowing the lawn or washing dishes. The end is heartwarming when he does something perfect: expresses his love with a hug.

9. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do You Hear?

by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. Babies and toddlers will enjoy the visit to the zoo and will learn the names of the animals. Parents will be inspired to make the animal sounds for their giggling child.

8. The Berenstain Bears and the Truth by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Brother and Sister Bear accidentally break Mama's favorite lamp when playing soccer indoors and they place the blame elsewhere. The lie grows and snowballs until Mama and Papa help the cubs see that it's far worse to lie than to do something wrong and be honest about it.

7. Help Me Be Good About Being Greedy
by Joy Berry. One of three friends greedily devours all the chocolate chip cookies and as a result, his friends desert him. (No pun intended!) He learns the definition of a fair share and he learns how to avoid being greedy. Children will like the comic book-like plot on the right-hand pages, and parents will appreciate the simple problem-solving steps on the left-hand pages.

6. Timothy Goes to School by Rosemary Wells. Timothy is excited about his first day of school, but his feelings are crushed by Claude, who teases him about his clothes. By the end of the week, Timothy claims he's not going back to school. Then he meets Violet, who's having a similar problem. They forge a friendship and enjoy school once again.

5. Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You? by Dr. Seuss. Mr. Brown imitates all sorts of silly sounds: a fish kiss, a train whistle, and even thunder and lightening. There will be lots of giggles as young children learn words and sounds.

4. The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson and Jerry Pinkney.

I have always loved this story of an outcast among ducks who patiently suffers only to become a grateful and magnificent swan. The language in this version is descriptive and even if the book is longer than most, my children listen attentively.

3. If You Take A Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff. In this series of books by Laura Numeroff, a simple request sets off a hilarious chain of events. This is our favorite because the tiny mouse amazes a classroom of children when he builds a house of blocks and outfits it with tiny clay furniture.

2. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. This is an old tale of hungry soldiers who trick greedy villagers into giving them something to eat. It's a real reminder of charity in every day situations.

1.Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. A mother soothes her little bunny to sleep by saying goodnight to all the items in his room. The relaxing flow of the words makes this a bedtime classic in our house.