The Book Badger Classic Children’s Book Top 10
What makes a classic children’s book?
Is it the pictures? The words? The lesson?
Personally, I think it’s all three. For me, a classic children’s book takes a great text and pairs it with memorable illustrations to teach something. Sometimes that something lies way below the surface. All the books in this list are memorable, educational, and vital to a child’s education.
The Book Badger Classic Children’s Book Top 10
# 1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
There is a reason that this is a classic children’s book. It teaches kids things. I mean REALLY teaches them on multiple levels. No matter what their age is, they can learn something from this book. It’s fascinating on a million levels. I even wrote a whole post where I talk about this book specifically because of how fundamental it is for kids. Bottom line, the Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic.
#2. Green Eggs and Ham
Who doesn’t love Green Eggs and Ham? Well, this guy in this book for one. But everyone else? Yup, we’re on board. We’ll eat them in a house and with a mouse, and yeah you get the gist. Not only is this a great book for picky eaters, it’s also a great introduction to repetition and sequence. Children will pick up on the sequence, which goes a long way to keeping their attention. It’s not just catchy, it’s a fundamental concept.
#3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Before my son could talk, he knew his colors AND several animals. Yup, because this book taught him. My 10 month old son could point to any color you asked him to, because of this book. It was also how he learned animals. And beyond that, the repetition of this book makes it very easy for them to “read” it to you, as it is very easy to memorize.
#4. We Are Going on A Bear Hunt
I never realized how much this book gets kids moving. It teaches them over, under, and through, but it also can get them to move too! They can pretend to walk through that grass, swim through the water, and tip toe through the cave. I love taking walks with my son while repeating the story of the book. Cosmic Kids Yoga even has a fun yoga adventure based on it. This book is a necessity for any active child. It’s easy for them to memorize, it’s action packed, and it has humor.
#5. Pat the Bunny
This is many children’s very first book, and for a good reason. It’s tactile. Babies don’t read, but they are exploring and learning through sight and touch. This book teaches them about textures, and is an introduction to first words and actions. It may not seem very exciting to old children, but for the very new additions, this book is the perfect first book.
#6. Goodnight Moon
This is a book I originally didn’t understand. As a parent, it drove me NUTS. I DID NOT love this book. But then one day it just clicked for me. Why is it so important that kids have this book? Mindfulness. This book is about recognizing the things around you as you start to go to sleep. Children then say goodnight to them one at a time. It’s very centering and engaging in a way that calms their mind.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I still don’t like it much. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an important book. So, begrudgingly, I put it on here. It deserves the place.
#7. Go Dog, Go
It may not scream “classic children’s book”, but this PD Eastman book is one of my personal all time favorites. This is the book that my mother was forced to read over and over when I was little. As an adult, I see why my mother tired of reading it. It is pretty tedious as a book. There is NO STORY. It’s just a bunch of random statements, really. But the more I think about it, the more important it seems as a book.
Go Dog Go teaches opposites. Stop and Go. Yes and No. Under and On Top. It also teaches a number of basic words and Red Light VS Green Light. This is an essential book for young children, even if it’s incredibly obnoxious to have to read.
#8. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
I never would have thought this series would be as big as it was. It’s even a TV show now! I grew up with these books, as did several people I know, and while I loved them, I didn’t realize I was learning from them until I had a kid of my own. Yes. These books teach kids something. They teach cause and effect. If you…. Then….
And while it’s all quite silly — with mice and pigs and dogs doing a number of activities that those animals would never actually do — the entire series of books is incredibly consistent, and is a wonderful introduction to if-then statements for kids.
#9. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
No matter how you may feel about the end (Spoiler: She dies. Because, I mean, you really can’t just eat all that stuff and be okay), this one is a classic. There was an old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly teaches children sequence and order as well as a (very rough) outline of the food chain. The spider eats the fly, the bird eats the spider, the cat gets the bird, and so on. Much like “Green Eggs and Ham”, this story has a memorable refrain that repeats itself over and over, allowing kids to pick up on the pattern and memorize it. Plus, you don’t even need the book. You can always just sing the song. This is my favorite version of the book.
10) Where The Wild Things Are
Where The Wild Things are is a simple story, text wise, but so much of the story is told in the pictures. It’s told through feelings and it’s relatable. Kids get in trouble a lot for things that they don’t realize are wrong. They get called “wild” or “crazy” when they make a mess or “make mischief”. Max fantasizes about running away with the wild things, then realizes that his home is where he should be. This is a beautiful lesson for kids. They realize that even when they are “A Wild Thing”, they still belong here with us, that we still love them, and more than any numbers, colors, or letters, our children need to know that a safe place and a warm meal will be there waiting, no matter how wild they are.
So, there you have it. My top ten classic picture books that I consider the fundamental building blocks of a child’s life-long reading journey.
What do you think?
What’s the book you remember most as a child?
What books do you feel truly teach kids?
Let me know in the comment section. I’d love to know what your top ten is!
