Best books for children of all ages

AGES 3 AND UNDER

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

By Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
(Margaret K. McElderry, 1989; board book, 1997)
A family—drawn in Oxenbury’s trademark cheerful style—gamely sets out on an adventure and finds more than anyone bargained for. You’ll love “squerching” your way through this one together.

'More More More,' Said the Baby

By Vera B. Williams
(HarperCollins, 1990; board book, 1997)
A multiethnic trio of adult-child pairs, rendered in a rainbow of watercolors, scamper, coo and giggle. Subtitled “three love stories,” this rhythmic, rhyming cuddle of a book begs to be read aloud (“your two little feet / good enough to eat”).

From Head to Toe

By Eric Carle
(HarperCollins, 1997; board book, 1999)
The esteemed collagist playfully depicts animals and children arching their backs and wriggling their hips, inviting youngsters to do the same. Leonard Marcus calls this beginner’s workout “a deceptively simple book about anatomy, nature, movement and make-believe."

No, David!

By David Shannon
(Blue Sky/Scholastic, 1998)
It’s a concept every child can relate to: How many different ways can a parent say no? Yet no matter how badly a kid messes up, he’ll always hear “I love you” in the end. Lest you think the book more sappy than sassy, fan Jon Scieszka calls the artwork “perfectly demented.”

Bark, George

By Jules Feiffer
(HarperCollins, 1999)
Little kids love to meow like cats and moo like cows—and so, apparently, does puppy George, much to the chagrin of his exasperated mom. Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Feiffer tells his story with endearingly expressive sketches and delivers a sure-to-provoke-discussion surprise ending.

OTHER BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY EXPERTS
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (1982, board book 1999)
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond (1985)
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)
• Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman (1994, board book 1997)
• Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet (1995)
• Tickle Tickle by Helen Oxenbury (1999)
• Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis, illustrated by Daniel Kirk (1999, board book 2001)
• How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague (2000)
• I Stink! by Kate & Jim McMullan (2002, board book 2005)
• Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)

Ages 3 and under | Ages 3 to 7 | Ages 7 to 10 | Ages 10 and up