Here are a few of my favourite books (in no particular order).
Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman is the first book in a series that includes:
The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs
Jillian Jiggs to the Rescue
Jillian Jiggs and the Secret Surprise and
Jillian Jiggs and the Great Big Snow
They're all great books but the original Jillian Jiggs is the one we still quote randomly around the house.
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss was a staple at bedtime when I was a child. It includes the stories "Gertrude McFuzz" and "The Big Brag" but "Yertle the Turtle" was definitely my favourite of the three. (Mostly because of the way my mom pronounced "Yertle the Turtle" with her Greek accent.) I still can't say it properly (or at least I prefer not to).
No list of my favourite books would be complete without at least one Robert Munsch title on it. I still remember the first time I heard Robert Munsch telling this story on TV. It was the first story of his I had ever heard. I didn't know who he was or what the actual title of the book was but from that day on I would catch myself saying "A mud puddle jumped on me." every now and then. I was thrilled when I found the book years later. Whenever I read it I still read it the way I remember hearing Robert Munsch tell the story all those years ago on TV.
I came across Puzzlehead by James Yang completely by accident. It's a fun story with some lovable characters. The art is bright and lively. It was a hit with my kids and the grown-ups reading it.
Phoebe Gilman is on the list again for Something From Nothing. This is an adaptation of a traditional Jewish folktale. The art is astounding. I was lucky enough to see one of the original pieces on display at a CANSCAIP* art show. I was a little overwhelmed at being so close to one of Phoebe Gilman's originals. The details in the art are breathtaking. This is one book that can be read again and again.
*CANSCAIP stands for CANadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien was the first true fantasy book I had ever heard of. My grade six teacher read it to the class and I was hooked from page one.
I re-read it years later as a grown-up and loved it so much I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well.
I've recently shared the book with my own kids and it was just as much fun reading it to them as it was the first time I had it read to me.
Suzanne Collins might be famous for writing The Hunger Games but before Katniss Everdeen there was Gregor. I had read the series a few years ago and then shared it with my kids.
My kids and I loved the five books in this series so much that we were a little sad to see it end.
Perhaps it's time to take them off the shelf again and have another read.
Never Let You Go by Patricia Storms is one of the sweetest parent and child picture books I've ever read. The art is funny and beautiful. I still can't get over how Patricia depicted the night sky with the Aurora Australis in full show.
Mo Willems' books crack me up. Whether I'm reading The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! or the endearing Elephant and Piggie series I can't help but get into the story. His characters are real, well, characters. I love them and the antics they get up to.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats was the first book I read all by myself. I loved Peter's red snowsuit. It was also the first book I ordered from the Scholastic Book Clubs. I remember the excitement I felt on the days the book orders came in. I think that's where my love of reading started. And this was the book that started it all.
Thank you, Ezra Jack Keats. I still love The Snowy Day.
I first discovered Arthur on PBS but it didn't take me long to discover the books by Marc Brown. It's neat to see how the illustration style changed over the years. You'd never know that Arthur and his family are aardvarks from the cartoon.
Normally I'm not a fan of characters who are animals having pets, but I'll make an exception for Arthur.
Plus, the TV has probably the best song about libraries that I've ever heard, "Having Fun Isn't Hard When You've Got a Library Card." Awesome.
I know, Harry Potter is a bit of a gimme on anyone's list of favourite books. I did fall in love with them and eagerly wait for the next book in the series. I often spent months speculating about what was going to happen in the next book and I was always absolutely and completely wrong.
This series got millions of people around the world interested in reading and talking about kids books. It was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.
I've read a lot of Greek myths both in Greek and in English. In fact, mythology was a big part of what I studied in university. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is a great book for kids. All those gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters can get confusing but this book really brings them to life. I learned a thing or two myself.
Copyright ©2014 Stella Partheniou Grasso. All rights reserved.