EVERYTHING by Sandra Boynton. I love her books and her art is so cute! My girls (3 and 5) also love the Madeline books. ANd don't forget Harry the Dirty Dog, one of my faves when I was a kid too!

Hi,
I have a home daycare, and the most important quality in a book is if you like to read it. So don't buy a book until you have read it completely. Also, children like books that have rhythm and rhyming in them. (These are more fun to read to them out loud) They also like surprise endings - and believe me, they are surprised EVERY time you get to the ending even if you think that you can't stand reading it even one more time.

PS Congratulations on the new grandbaby. Babies are such a blessing!!
Tori

An excellent source for children's book is from the PBS series "Reading Rainbow".

The show was hosted By LeVar Burton and ran for 26 years (ending in August 2009).

They have the best and most eclectic list of wholesome quality books. Most are award winning titles.

As a retired educator I can tell you that reading to a child, (even a high schooler!!!) is the most lasting and precious gift anyone can give. Nothing says "I love you" like sharing your time.

Reading to a child and reading in front of a child by parents teaches that reading is important. "So important that we devote special time for reading, and you should too!"

Reading to one's self is good way for a child to learn to entertain themself and is a refuge when they are troubled, sad or mad.

Having taught elementary, middle and high, at the end of the year the things they liked the most all year were:
1: Hearing true stories about what life was like when I was a kid (you know-the olden days before there were trees!!)

2: Being read to, especially dramatically read poems, stories and novels.

Here is the (very long) link right to the list:

http://www.google.com/search?q=readi...ls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&source=hp&channel=np#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=rbI&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=np&q=reading+rainbow+books&rev id=-1&sa=X&ei=pConTv_9EcrLgQeFichc&ved=0CJcBENUCKAE&ba v=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=1a31cd8525d58c0a&biw=1140& bih=1189

Hmmm...so many books to choose from!

'Spot' the dog books
Guess how much I love you
Mama, do you love me? -Barbara Joosse
Skippyjon Jones series
Ferdinand the Bull
Corduroy series
A snowy day - Ezra Jack Keats
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Where the wild things are
Curious George
Mi Carrito - Gary Soto
Amelia Bedelia
Fancy Nancy
Anything Eric Carle

Also, my girls like this website to read books online (a bit early for newborns) ;)

http://www.wegivebooks.org/

There are so many great children's books out there! We have a ton, but I work in a bookstore through out College so it's no surprise to anyone. The books my 5 month old loves the most right now are:

Guess How Much I Love You (she smiles when we help her do the actions in the book and we do them too)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You
Jillian Jiggs
Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash!
and her cloth books that have crinkly stuff inside of them.

How about adding a cute bookcase with a painted quilt pattern on it?

Ditto, The Runaway Bunny.

Don't forget all the Classic Nursery Rhymes and Children's Stories ... and seasonal ones!

* Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus
* The Nut Cracker
* etc.
(yes, not really baby, but important to include!)

i have an idea...here's what i did at my daughters shower. instead of a wishing well i asked for everybody to bring a book. maybe if there are certain ones you just ahve to have you can make a list or maybe register at a book store.

For when she is a bit older- Bill Pete books.

do you have Kohl's stores near you? The sell books for $5 and money goes to a children's charity. a real win win!

Enjoy the new one!