10 Best Kids' Books You've Never Heard of...

Okay, this blog post is for all of the people out there who have young kids or who have influence over what they might read.   This is a list of my 10 favorite kids' books... the ones that are uncommon, that is.  We all know that Fancy Nancy and Good Night, Gorilla are top-notch books,  but this list includes 10 books we have at our house that are FABULOUS.  I just checked on amazon, and I believe that all ten of these get a 4.5 star rating or higher.  Check them out at your library, or buy them online!

#1:  If I Built a Car, by Chris Van Deusen.   This book is unbelievably charming, with great rhyming and fabulous drawings.  A must for boys!

#2:  The Party, by Barbara Reid.   This is one of my favorite authors out there. She works in 'plasticine' which is like clay art, which is then photographed for the book art.  It is unbelievably beautiful! This one has a charming storyline...

#3:  Creaky Old House, by Linda Ashman

Adorable rhyming in this one.  Charming storyline of a family that goes through a remodel of their house, and it all unravels.  Cute and funny.

#4:  Go Go Go! by Roxie Munro

This one has over 70 amazing flaps that unfold to show beautiful pictures and scenarios. My kids have loved this one.

#5:  The Circus Ship, by Chris Van Deusen

Another great story by this author - cute plot line of a ship that sinks and sends circus animals into a town.  My favorite page is the one with 15 animals creatively hidden throughout - the kids love finding them.

#6:  Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen

A great story of a child spending sweet time with his dad, searching for owls in the winter darkness. 

#7: The Subway Mouse, by Barbara Reid

Another plasticine art story by Barbara Reid.  She has amazing art in here, with an adventure of two mice escaping the subway.

#8:   Do You See a Mouse? by Barnard Waber

My kids absolutely love this book - it is a funny tale of a mouse that inhabits a fancy hotel.  The mouse is hidden on every page, so kids have to find it everywhere.  They love it.

#9:  Rhyme Bible Storybook, by Zondervan 

This is a great way for your kids to learn Bible stories, while also enjoying fun rhymes. 

#10:  Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, by Siegfried Engelmann

Well, I thought this was a weird book at first, but man, my kids have learned to read by doing this book with me.  It teaches all of the phonics in our language, in a way that kids can teach themselves to sound out every word.  100 lessons sounds daunting, but we do 2-4 lessons in one sitting, as I skimp a wee bit on following the instructions exactly.