There is no such thing as a child who doesn’t like reading; you only need to hand them the right kind of book to fire up their reading habits. The following books are those that have thrilled generations of children and no child should have the misfortune of growing up without reading them.
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown (1947)
Listed by School Library Journal as the ‘Top 100 Picture Books’ of all time in 2012 and one of teachers’ top 100 books for children by the National Education Association, Goodnight Moon is a simple but lovable children’s picture book that has been well-appreciated by children as a bedtime story. In it, a personified bunny ritualistically goes through a process of saying goodnight to everything visible to him from his room. “Goodnight Moon . . . Goodnight Air. Goodnight noises everywhere”.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1969)
One of the greatest children’s classics of all time, The Very Hungry Caterpillar pictographically describes the evolution of a caterpillar eating its way through an array of food to eventually pupate into a beautiful butterfly. According to Amazon, a copy of this children’s book is sold every 30 seconds somewhere in the world. Educating children about the days of the week, types of foods, and the lifecycle of a butterfly, Carle’s book has also been endorsed by the Royal Etymological Society.
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)
1963’s most distinguished American picture book for children, Where the Wild Things Are won Sendak the Caldecott Medal and is a delight for both kids and adults. The story revolves around a boy named John Max who, dressed in his wolf outfit goes to his bedroom and sails away to an unknown island where he encounters ‘wild things’ or creatures.
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (1957)
Regarded as one of the best-selling children’s books of all time and adapted into animation and film, Theodor Geisel wrote and illustrated The Cat in the Hat under the pen name of Dr. Seuss. This children’s story revolves around an anthropomorphic cat who shows up at Sally’s house, makes a mess while entertaining her and her brother, and cleans up with the help of his friends, Thing 1 and Thing 2 just before Sally’s mother comes home.
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (1952)
Inspiring animations, live-action films, direct-to-video sequels, and a video game, E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web is counted as a classic in children’s English literature and one of the best-selling paperbacks of all time. The story is about a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte; when the farmer is about to slaughter Wilbur, Charlotte uses her web-making skills to create praise-worthy words for Wilbur to save him from slaughter.
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)
How wonderful would it be if we could simply draw the world as we understand it? Crockett Johnson explores this possibility in Harold and the Purple Crayon where an inquiring four-year-old boy owns a purple crayon with which he creates the world by drawing it. Through this power, he takes many adventures and when he feels sleepy he simply draws a bed and falls asleep on it. This is Johnson’s most popular book which has also inspired many
adaptations.