Woohoo! This is a top ten list I actually know something about! lol Having kids means I have some fun kid's books that I love to read to my Muirlettes. And we still read them even though both of them are over 12 years old. These are in no particular order, but...
10. Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson
10. Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson
For every kid who loves horses. Plus if you want to learn to draw them, Anderson's pencil drawings were magnificent. The stories are heartwarming and full of joy.
9. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
9. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
These were awesome poems and stories. The Yippiyuk, Morning Ride, Sick - I still remember several of them from when I had to memorize something for an audition to a school play. "I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann McKay...
8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
This was one of those stories that fired the imagination and let us delight in the absurd. My dad used to read this to me as a kid and now I read it to the Muirlettes. The movies deviate from the story too much to be good, but the original tale is wonderful.
7. The Church Mice in Action by Graham Oakley
7. The Church Mice in Action by Graham Oakley
Actually all The Church Mice books are awesome, but this is one where the Vestry roof needs repair so they convince Samson, the orange tabby church cat, to enter a cat show to win the money for the roof. It's a hoot and there are some amazing adventures of Humphrey and Arthur, the intrepid mice who gets everyone else into trouble.
6. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
6. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
What I loved about this story is it turns the traditional fairytale on its head. The dragon comes and steals the prince away, and the princess must outsmart the dragon to rescue him. And she doesn't take anyone's crap while doing it. It's a great story for empowering girls.
5. The Runaway Mummy by Michael Rex
5. The Runaway Mummy by Michael Rex
Everyone knows the Runaway Bunny, but have you met the Runaway Mummy? This is such a fun, cute play on the old-standby and there are far more fun antics they get into. They even make fun of the bunny.
4. You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano
4. You Are My I Love You by Maryann K. Cusimano
A friend of mine introduced me to this book when my kids were babies and it was so sweet.
3. Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
3. Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
Another friend gave us this rhyming tale and it's so funny about sheep, and a jeep that ends up in a heap. It's cute and you have to look for the frog and the seagull in every page. :)
2. Way Out in the Desert by T.J. Marsh and Jennifer Ward
2. Way Out in the Desert by T.J. Marsh and Jennifer Ward
This is actually a counting book. At the time we got it, we were living in Arizona and we saw most of these critters daily, so it worked out great. But the rhymes still stick with me and learning the southwestern wildlife has stuck with my kids.
1. Where's My Cow by Terry Pratchett
1. Where's My Cow by Terry Pratchett
Oh my glory, I was sent this book from a British friend of mine who was a huge Terry Pratchett fan. I had no idea the man wrote children's books. But this one was ridiculously hilarious and imaginative. And he based it in his sci-fi/fantasy world like one of his characters reading to his child. It's got to be my all time favorite kids book and I will read it to my kids even when they're old enough to have kids of their own. :)
That's my list. I hope you enjoyed seeing the books my kids grew up on. Check out the lists from my fellow authors.
That's my list. I hope you enjoyed seeing the books my kids grew up on. Check out the lists from my fellow authors.
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