Ask HN: What are your favorite toddler books?

While visiting my nephew I got to read to him from the Hilda series by Luke Pearson. Absolute magic, and the title character demonstrates curiosity in spades.

That's the secret to writing children's books. You have to write something an adult can read 100 times without going insane.

One I really liked was The Bravest Ever Bear. I forget who it's by, but it is pretty good by the "adult reading 100 times" test. It may be for kids a bit older than 4, but not a lot.

- Good Night, Moon

- The Runaway Bunny

- Harold and the Purple Crayon

- Grandfather Twilight (for slightly older children)

- Sandra Boynton books

- Max's Breakfast (and other books)

- I Read Signs (Tana Hoban; other books by her also quite good)

- Go! Go! Go! Stop! (Cherise Mericle Harper)

- Little Pea (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)

- Trucks, My Car (and other Byron Barton books)

- The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle; some other books by this author are also good)

- Roadwork (Sally Sutton; also in the same vein by the illustrator Brian Lovelock: Demolition, Flight of the Honey Bee, The Rain Train).

Many others come to mind, but these are well-loved.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is quite good IMHO.

To me, "The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos" [1] by Deborah Heiligman and LeUyen Pham is a true gem. I suppose it might raise interesting discussions on how and why one should tolerate eccentric people. A book full of warmth, both in storytelling and illustrations (wow!).

1: https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Loved-Math-Improbable/dp/1596...

Try Richard Scarry, his books are illustrious with a high re-read value.

My daughter loved all types of books when she was younger.

My son, who will be 3 in July, seems to only like books that rhythm or have some type of pattern.

Here are some he likes:

Enough Inigo Enough https://www.amazon.com/Enough-Inigo-Gentle-Revolution/dp/075...

Good Night Moon https://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Moon-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp...

Little Blue Truck https://www.amazon.com/Little-Blue-Truck-board-book/dp/05445...

Green Eggs and Ham https://www.amazon.com/Green-Eggs-Ham-Dr-Seuss/dp/0394800168

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

All the picture books of William Joyce

Paul O. Zelinsky's Rumpelstiltskin

Little people big ideas books might interest them. Its a range about people who changed the world in some way. So scientists, artist's, ...

I always found just reading fact books was better than stories

Dear zoo, Little blue truck, Goodnight moon

Mo Willems is awesome (Pigeon series, Elephant and Piggy). Some of the Dr. Suess books are still great and fun to read (I can read with my eyes shut, One fish two fish). The book with no pictures, the day the crayons quit, dragons love tacos, and the princess and the dragon by Audrey Wood are all books that I've probably read 100 times and still enjoy.

As my kids got a bit older the Box Car children series was compelling, and the girls loved the Rainbow Magic books. Capt. Underpants and Dog man are hilarious and just subversive enough that a 7-9 yr old feel like they are getting away with something. Then on to Mysterious Benedict Society, Harry Potter, Rick Riordan, and Keeper of the Lost Cities.

Our M.O. was to max out our Library card on a regular basis with just about everything possible and then iterate from there on the authors the kids enjoyed. I feel like reading is one of the things we've gotten right so far.