My Top Ten Favorite Children's Books

In 2017, my wife, Maria and I welcomed our rainbow baby, Miguel, into this world. It would also serve as an introduction into the world of children’s books, particularly board books and picture books.

Maria and I are lifelong readers. Not surprisingly, we’re picky about our reading material, including children’s books. I have found that we’re both sensitive to language and a book’s illustration style. We’ll pass on a book if either element is lackluster.

As a parent, especially when your child becomes attached to a book, you will read it over and over and over and over again so my favorite children’s books have to be ones that are not nauseating to read. (It’s okay if one or two parts of a book are a bit cheesy, if you’re asking me.) They must also be aesthetically pleasing. And since you’ll read them, night after night after night, my favoritest children’s books tend to provide teeny visual details to point out and remark upon to enrich the reading experience, or have a number of characters that lends itself to reading them in playful voices. For me, it’s all about finding different wrinkles to keep the readings from becoming stale.

Without further ado, here’s my top-10 list in chronological order from Miguelito’s infanthood to his present surly toddlerdom:

Good Night Baby! (To Baby, With Love)
illustrated by Sarah Ward

This was one of the first books we ever read to our Miguelito. It’s only ten pages long and less than a two-minute read, even if you linger on Sarah Ward’s adorable illustrations. With the crinkly elephant ear on the front cover—which baby Miguelito wore out—this is peak infant reading material, IMHO.

I am a Bunny
by Richard Scarry

This was probably the first children’s book I came to love as a newfound father. Nicholas the bunny is a ridiculously cute little guy. Each page of illustrations is simply gorgeous and the prose is perfect. Oftentimes, with the children’s books I read aloud to Miguelito, I will cut out words or unnecessary clauses to improve the reading. There is not a single word I would cut from this book.

Little Fish and Mommy
by Lucy Cousins

In our little family, this book has serious staying power. Maria and I have read it to Miguelito since he was a one-year-old and he still requests it for bedtime reading. With her Maisy books, Lucy Cousins is one of our favorite children’s book authors. I simply love her cheerful, child-like, and consistently playful illustration style. The story for this book is a sweet one. [more?]

A Friend for Dragon
by Dav Pilkey

Before the pandemic, our trinity occasionally tried to sit in for children’s book readings at our beloved local bookstore. One time, this book was read aloud and we were rapt in its story. This book cracks my top-10 list because it’s a children’s book that openly discusses death, sadness, loneliness, and even the concept of rebirth. It’s fucking amazing what it pulls off in the span of forty-eight pages!

This was the first long-ish children’s book we have regularly read for Miguelito. Soon after we bought this book, we got him another of Pilkey’s five Dragon books and eventually bought each one. They’re all fantastic (and proletariat-affordable!) Dragon’s Fat Cat is probably my favorite one but this one is special since it’s the first one we were introduced to.

Buster the Little Garbage Truck
by Marcia Berneger
illustrated by Kevin Zimmer

Since he’s been a toddler, Miguelito—like many other kids, you may be surprised—has taken a shine to great big hulking garbage trucks and their automated grabber arms. His love and fascination of them forges on and Marcia Berneger’s book is a fun, engaging read featuring a family of three garbage trucks. Kevin Zimmer’s illustrations are neat and delightful and I love reading this book for Miguelito since it provides an opportunity to read a number of character voices, including Buster, his dad and mom, and the poor kitty when its in peril. (Spoiler alert!) To boot, since he was about two or so, Miguelito has oftentimes flashed a desire to be a bigger kid instead of our baby so little Buster’s quest to be a stronger, less fearful little garbage truck assuredly resonates with him.

William’s Winter Nap
by Linda Ashman
illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Like I Am a Bunny, I think this book, in terms of its illustrations and prose, is just about perfect. Believe me, not everyone can pull off rhyming children’s book prose, but Ashman has a knack for it. Its prose allows William’s Winter Nap (a.k.a. A Cozy Good Night) to be a book we can read again and again and again without getting too tired of it. And Groenink’s illustrations are just fantastic. It takes this book, along with its sequel, William Wakes Up, to another level. The multitude of characters makes it a fun read since it readily provides an opportunity to read them with different tones and voices.

 

Mousie, I Will Read to You
by Rachael Cole
illustrated by Melissa Crowton

In the past few months, this has been one of Miguelito’s favorite books, and it’s been one of my favorites to read to him. Cole’s prose throughout is splendid, conjuring a quiet, tender, and meditative tone. (I always read this book softly.) And Crowton’s illustrations are stunning. The larger book format serves them well since each page is rich with detail. Mousie, I Will Read to You is an ode to books and reading that also illustrates a beautiful nurturing relationship between a child and their mother which is another reason why I couldn’t keep this book off this list.

 

Hurry, Hurry Little Sloth
by Joe Rhatigan
illustrated by Jacqueline East

 

This is another gem of a book with fun, lively prose and super-cute illustrations that serve as a pitch perfect accompaniment. Hurry, Hurry Little Sloth cracks this list because I love the messaging it ends with. I humbly feel like it’s surprisingly deep for a children’s picture book.

 

 

Max and the Tag-Along Moon

by Floyd Cooper 

 

Cooper’s book has recently become one of our favorites. The paintings—particularly those featuring Max and his grandpa—convey a beautiful, vivid sense of intimacy. The prose is clear and succinct throughout while evoking a childlike spirit; it also gorgeously pairs with the illustrations. This book captures the reverence and wonder a child can have for the Earth’s moon, that “magic ball of light” high up in the night sky. What makes this book memorable is how the moon is paired with Max’s love for his grandfather.

 

Paletero Man
by Lucky Díaz
illustrated by Micah Player



Maybe Maria and I haven’t been reading the right children’s books—which is entirely plausible—but this book is kind of a revelation with its delightful embrace of Spanglish. We’ve read a number of books that are bilingual, with prose in English and its Spanish equivalent, but this is the first children’s book I’ve read that unapologetically mixes English and Spanish within its story. It makes for a zestful read. To boot, Paletero Man weaves a beautiful message about community and gratitude and Micah Player’s vibrant illustrations are a righteous match for this modern tale.

 

Honorable Mentions

Walk and See 1 2 3
Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

I Love Daddy!
by Jillian Harker
illustrated by Kristina Stephenson

William Wakes Up
by Linda Ashman
illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Dragon’s Fat Cat
by Dav Pilkey

Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs
by Catherine D. Hughes
illustrated by Franco Tempesta

Maisy Goes to Preschool
by Lucy Cousins