Our Favorite Children's Books

Children's books are real treasures of the world. We think reading or listening to beautiful, creative, imaginative books forms some of the best parts of childhood. Although you can read children's books online these days, children really love touching and handling books.(and scribbling on them...)
Encouraging children's love for reading is a great gift you can give before they start their school. The whole thing comes naturally but it's worth taking a few tips too. We found some good reading tips for parents (different tips for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, 1st to 3rd graders and available in many languages.)
We have many books we want to talk about and share with you, so we've compiled our own list here. You will see some of the all time best classics everyone loves but here you will also find other eclectic contemporary ones. We absolutely love every single book here and we think you and your kids will love them too.
It is a growing list we will update every now and then. We also want to hear about your favorite books - so please share with us in the comments below. Thanks!

Here we go... (in no particular order)

1. Earth Dance (by Joanne Ryder (writer) and Norman Gorbaty (illustrator))

A moving and beautiful book about our precious Earth.

A beautiful poem/story from Ryder evokes wonderful tactile images of the Earth and it is very very moving. The illustration is fantastic. Stenciled with beautiful colors and shapes - it really makes you want to do some colorful stencils with the kids.
"Imagine you're standing tall in an empty space..."
It asks you to imagine yourself as the Earth and talks about forests, seas, animals, buildings, people... all surrounding 'you'.
A guide line from the publisher is ages 3 - 8, but you will cherish it however old you are.

> Earthdance - more reviews and info






2. Dawn by Uri Shulevitz (Author, Illustrator)

A book about beautiful and subtle moments in nature. Almost no story but with the best climax ever..! Elegant watercolor illustrations show a boy and a grandfather camping near the lake. As the dawn approaches, the nature slowly wakes up, a frog jumps, a breeze, a vapor rises... until the stunning last page brings you an unforgettable moment. The way Schulevitz describes subtle changes of light so accurately with watercolor is amazing. The publisher recommends it for age 4 - 8, but as with any great children's books adults will appreciate it too.

> Dawn - more reviews and info





3. The Little Flower King by Kveta Pacovska (Author, Illustrator)

We love Kveta Pacovska's delightful crayon drawings and collages and although all of her books can be highly recommended, The Little Flower King is a good one to start.
The little king peers through cut-out squares from the cover. He realizes that he's not so very happy and starts his quest for happiness. A simple and sweet story full of colorful, charming, whimsical and totally unique illustrations.
We just can't get enough of Pacovska's books, but some of them are quite rare to find. (a few are probably all sold out...!) Luckily this one is easily available. Ages 3 +

> The Little Flower King - more reviews and info







4. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
by Bill Martin & Eric Carle

'Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me.' 'Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a yellow duck looking at me'
Babies absolutely love the simple rhyming repetition, the anticipation of the next page with colorful animals. Together with Eric Carle's great illustrations these elements work like a magic portion for the babies. Along with the beloved 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', 'Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?' is a priceless classic. The sweet repeating lines help toddlers learn language and it's comforting bed time reading.
Ages: Toddlers - Preschool

> Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - more info




5. Bruno Munari's ABC by Bruno Munari

Renowned Italian designer and artist Bruno Munari started designing books for children in the 60's, originally creating them for his son Alberto. Since then his creations have became classics loved by children and adults alike. ABC books are special as they are often the very first books many children read, and there are many brilliant ones out there. Bruno Munari's artistic creation is one of the best and most beautiful.
It was created in the 60's but is still incredibly popular, it was chosen as one of the New York Public Library's "100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know" for 2004.
Ages: 4 - 8 +

> Bruno Munari's ABC - more reviews and info






Do you also like these books? Please recommend your favorite books for others. Thank you!

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