I recently put together a list of children's picture books for a friend who just had a baby. The list is hardly exhaustive. It's possible that I've even left out some of my favorites... but this list is what I came up with.
These are books I like - some for wonderful storytelling, others for captivating illustrations, and others just because I remember them fondly from when I was a kid. (There are a few that Jemma threw in, too.)
I'm not going to say "these are good books." Taste is so subjective... and I'm sure there are people who will be horrified that "Pinkalicious" didn't make the cut - and there may even be someone out there who hates "Slinky Malinky", which made it to the list. These are just what I'd recommend at the moment (in no particular order):
Llama llama mad at Mama – Anna Dewdney
The Lorax – Dr. Seuss
Ladybug Girl – Dadi Soman and Jacky Davis
Frog goes to Dinner- Mercer Mayer
What do you do with a Kangaroo – Mercer Mayer
Goodnight Gorilla – Peggy Rathman
Fine as we are – Algy Craig Hall
Room on the Broom – Julia Donaldson
The Kissing Hand – Audry Penn
So Many Bunnies – Rick Walton
Where’s my Hug – James Mahew
When Stella was very very small – Mary Louise Day
I love you, little one – Nancy Trafuri
Goodnight my duckling – Nancy Trafuri
Daddy Hug – Tim Wames
Where the Wild things Are – Maurice Sendak
Stella Luna – Janell Cannon
Verdi – Janell Cannon
Pinduli – Janell Cannon
The princess knight – Cornelia Funke
Big Red Tub – Julia Jarman
I love you the puplest – Barbara M. Joosse
Twilight – Holly Young Huth
No Matter What – Debi Gliori
We’re going on a bear hunt – Michael Rosa
No one but you – Douglas Wood
Grumpy Cat – Britta Teckentrup
Bark, George – Jules Feiffer
Martha doesn’t say sorry – Samantha Berger
Martha doesn’t share – Samantha Berger
Magic Box – Katie Cleminson
Move over Rover – Karen Beaumont
Is your mama a llama – Deborah Guarino
No no yes yes – Leslie Patricelli
The giving tree – Shel Silverstein
A bargain for Frances – Russell Hoban
Lilly’s big day – Kevin Henkes
Lilly’s purple plastic purse – Kevin Henkes
Chester’s Way – Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum – Kevin Henkes
Sheila Rae’s peppermint stick – Kevin Henkes
Walter the wolf – Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
The little Brute family – Russell Hoban
A stone doll for sister brute – Russell Hoban
George and Martha – James Marshall
The Mole sisters and the moonlit night – Rosalyn Schwartz
An Extraordinary Egg – Leo Lioni
10 Minutes ‘til Bedtime – Peggy Rathman
4 Valentines in a Rainstorm – Felicia Bond
Swim, Little Wombat, Swim! – Charles Fuge
Belinda the Ballerina – Amy Young
Fritz and the Beautiful Horses – Jan Brett
The Sleep Ponies – Gudrun Ongman
Kiss Kiss – Margaret Wild
Brown Bear – Bill Martin
The paper bag princess – Robert Munsch
Mr. Rabbit and the lovely present – Charlotte Zolotow
Just for you – Mercer Mayer
Slinky Malinky – Lynley Dodd
Harry Maclary and Zachary Quack – Lynley Dodd
Is there room on the featherbead – Libba Moore Gray
No fighting no biting – Else Holmelund Minarik
Guess what I found in Dragon Wood – Timothy Knapman
The sun egg – Elsa Beskow
The quiet book – Deborah Underwood
Red sings from the treetops – Joyce Sidmon
Little by little – Amber Stewart and Layn Marlow
Kikis blankie – Janie Bynn
Max cleans up – Rosemary Wells
Noisy Nora – Rosemary Wells
Max’s chocolate chicken – Rosemary Wells
Sam who never forgets- Eve Rice
Monkey and Me – Emily Gravett
DW the picky eater – Marc Brown
DW’s guide to preschool - Marc Brown
Mr. Large in charge – Jill Murphy
The Gruffalo – Julia Donalson
Rose meets Mr. Wintergarten – Bob Graham
If I were a Lion – Sarah Weeks
Library Lion – Michelle Knudsen
Little Fox goes to the End of the World – Ann Tompert
Mouse Tales – Arnold Lobel
Another Mouse to Feed – Robert Kraus
Me and my Amazing Body – Joan Sweeny
Bread and Jam for Frances – Russell Hoban
Falling for Rapunzel – Leah Wilcox
Farfallina and Marcel – Holly Keller
The three little wolves and the big bad pig – Eugene
Trivizas
A kiss for little bear – Else Holmelund Minarik
Imogene’s Antlers – David Small
The country bunny and the little gold shoes – Du Bos Heyward
The mysterious tadpole – Steven Kellogg
Dr. Desoto – William Steig
Many Moons – James Thurber
10 Hungry Monsters – Susan Heyboer O’Keefe
A porcupine named fluffy – Helen Lester
Otis – Janie Bynum
Mortimer Mooner Stopped taking a bath – Frank B. Edwards and
John Bianchini
Angels Watching over me – Julia Durango
Sleepy Places – Judy Hindley
When I’m sleepy – Lynne Cherry
Everyone Poops – Taro Gomi
Friends Forever: The adventures of Melrose and Croc – Ema
Chichester Clark
Crictor – Tomy Ungerer
The Empty Pot – Demi
Herbert the Lion – Clare Turlay Newberry
