We love the library. Typically, we go to the library every 3 weeks, checking out about 100 books at a time. Then we come home, squish on the couch all together and read about 20 before naps. After naps, we read another 20 or so, with the girls looking at the rest until dinner. By the third or fourth day, we’ve read every one, and most of them many times. We love to read. And my girls can usually be found with a book all over the home (especially the youngest).
For a while, I didn’t know enough books to pick and choose which were our favorites. But after about a year of regularly checking out library books, we have a few that are our go-to books.
First, the Berenstain Bears series. A classic. My girls LOVE the BBs. I know there’s a lot of words on a page and some of the books are oddly similar, but the messages are great and the morals are excellent. These books have spurred quite a few good discussions with our 4 year old. We have now (as of last week) read every single Berenstain Bears book. 
Second, Fancy Nancy. In a house full of girls, the Fancy Nancy books are a natural favorite. I love the drama in the books as well as the simplicity. I also love the illustrations and how they teach big “fancy” words, as well as their definitions. 
Third, Pinkalicious. Now, the original Pinkalicious book is the best. Purplicious is okay, but not as good. We also enjoy “The Pink Drink” but “Tickled Pink” is probably one of the dumbest books I’ve ever read (besides Ghost Gets Dressed). So Pinkalicious is a hit and miss, but if you haven’t read the first one, do.
Fourth, we love all the adventures of Frog and Toad. They are so much fun! And the humor is so dry. Sure, “The Dream” is odd, but “Cookies” and “A List” are great. 
Fifth, we love Dr. Seuss. Of course, every one is familiar with Dr. Seuss, right?! But if you want some classic favorites, we love The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street, the ABC book, The Tooth Book, Baby Oh Baby The Places You’ll Go!. We also LOVE Go Dog Go! but that’s PD Eastman, not Dr. Seuss. Still, the books look the same.
Sixth, the “If You Give” series. Sure, they are exceedingly redundant and stretch the theme too far, but the original ones are still clever. We recently saw a little rendition of “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” which the girls LOVE. We also have a CD with “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, A Pig a Pancake, A Moose a Muffin, and Take a Mouse to School” plus some other songs. We love the songs and the girls regularly beg to listen to this CD.
Some of our other favorites are not part of a series, but are just one of a kind books.
Hippo-NOT-Amus–excellent and very fun to read. You’ll get very good at saying “Hippo-gir-ele-bat-onoceros” and I didn’t even have to look it up!
Moose’s Loose Tooth–I love the clever ending. This is one of my favorites.
Heckedy Peg–I love the power of a mother’s love in this book.
The Monster at the End of This Book–Who doesn’t love Grover?!
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day–Ahh, memories. I love this one. Did you know there are two others in the series? Both pretty good, though not as classic as the first.
Click, Clack, Moo–Hilarious!
Oink?–Such dry humor.
Of course, there are thousands more books that are worth checking out, but if you needed place to start, hopefully you can head over to the library and come home with a whole bunch of great ones now! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
What are your favorites?
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20 books before nap time? You are extremely ambitious! Hazel’s nap routine is 1 -3 books. Luckily Milly can read, is an avid reader, and ever since I taught her part of her practice, and learning to serve is reading to her siblings, which she does alot of, and reads herself like a book worm. I hate the library, so forewent it for a long time. We have some rich and wonderful books at home so we just enjoy those and it felt great to simplify my life, for the time being. But finally Milly and I went to the library and we got a lot of fun books. And I’ve had some fun with books about art and such! We finally got a bed time routine in place and because the kids did well I started reading a chapter book….I picked up at the libary. I was so tired though in reading it and do you know what I thought? Mothers sacrifice so much for their children, which is to say, good job for reading 20 books to your children. I’ve been there, but I suppose now I spend my energies other places. Keep up the good work.
Reasons I hate the library:
We always loose a book.
I always stress out about finding that book.
Its always in a new wierd place for example how one got under the cedar chest I don’t know the crack seemed way too small.
Rawl always had a poopy diaper at the library which I was supposed to put in my purse. Gross!
There was a lost child at the library, which was mine.
Containing Rawl at the library was a nightmare.
Forget about it once I had George who would cry too much on the way to the library let alone getting there.
Carrying the books out, with children is a feat of his own.
Anal, cold, un-understanding librarians.
Reasons I love the library:
Story time, even with all that now and then I’d forget how hard it was and take the kids to a story time.
Unlimited books.
So many fun topics the kids and I both had a blast getting them.
Occasionally you meet a nice librarian.
Free movies, generally some really good old ones.
And BEST of all: LIBRARY book sales. One did me for the next 5 years, or more, and I spent about 30-40 dollars on some gem of books!
No fair! I was seriously going to write this post next week! CRAZY!
I have been totally annoyed when we spend time at the library and come home with stacks of books that are a.w.f.u.l.! So bad that I really wonder how they got published. So, I’ve been keeping a list of those that I think are really note worthy to pass on and yes, even buy, if they go on sale or are in a book order. These are what I AND my kids have liked, 4 and under.
Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
I Want to Say I Love You by Caralyn Buehner
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed
We’ve All Got Bellybuttons by David Martin
There’s a House in Mommy’s Tummy by Giles Andreae (pregnancy–so cute! a must!)
Hugless Douglass by David Melling
The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The Little Engine That Could illustrated by Loren Long
Chicka Chica Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Time to Say Please by Mo Willems
The Llama Llama Series (like Llama Llama Mad at Mama) by Anna Dewdney
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers (good for when new babies come)
Chimpanzees of Happytown by Giles Andreae
Well, that’s the list so far…and I keep adding to it. I look forward to the other new titles I’ll find from other blog readers. Thanks for this post!
Oh good, I needed some new girl and picture books to reserve. We go to a library branch, so browsing isn’t as effective as reserving what you want on line. One of our favorite series starts with the book “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” Always interesting to see which kids think you should let the pigeon drive and which kids agree you should stick with the rules.