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I didn’t always know I would end up being a school librarian, but I DID always know I loved books. With summer vacation starting and the crazy pace of teacher life FINALLY slowing down, I thought I’d take you on a stroll down Memory Lane with me as I share some of my favorite picture books I loved when I was growing up.
Although a couple of these are holiday-specific and would work better in the fall or winter, most would make fabulous reads for your students or children any time of the year (so think about adding some of these picture books to your kids’ summer reading lists!).
How many of my favorite classic picture books do you remember loving as a child?
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Definitely an oldie-but-goodie, this book won the Caldecott Medal in 1942. It’s the story of how the Mallard family scours Boston for the best place to make their nest, stopping some traffic along the way.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
I’m not sure if I was more in love with the illustration of that peddler with a pile of hats on his head or the cheeky monkeys who steal the caps, but this is another one that brings back happy memories.
Just for You by Mercer Mayer
This is the original Little Critter book and by far my favorite in the series. Little Critter wants to do something kind for his mom but can’t seem to get anything right.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
Cranberry Thanksgiving tells the story of Grandmother and Maggie as they share their Thanksgiving meal with two guests. Will Grandmother’s special cranberry bread recipe remain a secret, or is one of the guests up to no good? I definitely loved that the authors included a cranberry bread recipe at the end of the story…my seven-year-old self thought it was the coolest way to end a book.
Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
I’ll never forget seeing the gorgeous illustrations in this picture book for the first time. I couldn’t believe someone really drew that perfect little jingle bell. Amazing!
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Corduroy’s after-hours adventure in the department store is magical and fueled my blossoming five-year-old imagination. And I just love that line when Lisa tells Corduroy she likes him just the way he is but that fixing the button might make him more comfortable.
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
A beautifully-illustrated story of a family that starts over after a fire. I remember being captivated by the idea of saving pennies in a jar, and I loved the beautiful floral-printed chair the family purchases. I shared this one with my second grade library students this past spring, and they enjoyed it too.
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Oh, Amelia Bedelia! I have so many fond memories of reading about this queen of literal language when I was a first grader!
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
I remember being about eight and hearing this story for the first time during library time at school and being a little bit changed that day. I wondered, am I more like the boy or the tree? Should I try to grow up to become the tree? And it still gets me thinking.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Because we all have a day like Alexander’s from time to time.
The Little Duck by Judy Dunn
I had a copy of this book as a child and was thrilled to come across it on Amazon awhile back so I could enjoy this story again. With beautiful photography, this book tells the story of Henry, a duckling who is raised by a little boy on a farm and who eventually makes his way back into the wild. My favorite photo in the book would have to be the picture of Henry resting on the back of the boy’s golden retriever. Such a sweet book. (If you decide to read this one to your students, check out these print-and-go activities that go with this book!)
The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby by Stan and Jan Berenstain
I was a HUGE Berenstain bear fan as a kid. When McDonald’s came out with Berenstain Bear Happy Meal toys, my parents let us have so much McDonald’s, and eventually when the fast food restaurant switched to a new kind of toy, my dad negotiated with the McDonald’s manager to find one last Mama Bear in a back room somewhere to complete my set. (Thanks, Dad! I still remember that!)
I’m a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the early books in this loveable series, and this one that tells about the birth of Sister Bear is my fave.
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Such an inspirational little story! I remember loving the illustrations of the toys and the cheery little engine.
Round Trip by Ann Jonas
These illustrations…Wow! This is another one of the picture books that left me skipping out of my elementary school library with a new appreciation for human creativity. If you aren’t familiar with the book, all of the black-and-white illustrations can be viewed right-side up or upside down. I busted this one out for my own library students this year and they were just as excited as I had been years ago. I heard a lot of, “How did they do that?” “Turn the page upside down again!” and “This is awesome!” that day.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A creative twist was oh so fun for me when I was learning to read, and I just loved the pages of this book with the holes as part of the design. When I think back to early moments of childhood joy, I think of sitting on my mom’s lap and imagining that caterpillar eating his way through one watermelon slice and one slice of chocolate cake and one ice cream cone.
Each and every one of these books came into my life courtesy of my parents, teachers, or school librarian. What an amazing gift a great book is for a child – for building language skills AND memories that can last a lifetime! Thinking about these stories makes me stop to appreciate the blessing of my job as a school librarian. I hope that one day my students can still remember some of these and other life-changing stories I’ve shared with them.
What books come to mind when you think about reading as a young child? Feel free to share one of your favorite childhood books in the comments!