10 Great Books for Kids

In an earlier article, I recommended 10 Best Board Books for Infants and Toddlers. In this article, I am suggesting another ten children’s books that are appropriate for kids 4 years old and above. Most of these are award-winning books and are a must-have for any child’s library collection.

1. Jumanji (1981) by Chris Van Allsburg
Does this name sound familiar to you? Of course it is! It is the story book from which the movie “Jumanji” originates from. In fact, this book is a 1982 Caldecott Medal winner. It is a story of two kids who were left alone at home by their parents. Because they were so bored, they went to the park and found a board game which they brought home. Much to their surprise when they played the games, things come to life such as a lion, monkeys, rhinoceros, a volcano and more. It is a thrilling and exciting book to read to your kids and one they would love to read again and again. Aside from the story line, the pencil drawing illustrations look very real. Your kids will think they are inside the story book.

2. The Polar Express (1985) by Chris Van Allsburg
Here is another award-winning book from Van Allsburg. This timeless story book which earned the Caldecott Medal in 1986 is about a young boy who believes that Santa is real and who was given the chance to ride on the Polar Express, a train which brings children to the North Pole to see Santa Claus. It is a book that you and your child can read during the Holiday Season and even throughout the year. This will make anyone continue to believe in the spirit of Christmas.

3.  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1987) by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz
When you or your child seems to be having a bad day, this book will definitely make you smile. This is a story of Alexander who wakes up with gum sticking on his hair and unpleasant events follow after that. It can lead you and your child to learn a lesson that, bad days and events usually start with a wrong attitude.

4. The Very Busy Spider (1989) by Eric Carle
The short, simple and repetitive story line, the colourful illustrations, and the embossed spider’s web make this children’s book a classic. It is about a spider who was blown by the wind to a farmyard fence and who starts to create a web. Farm animals such as the cow, the goat, and the dog try to dissuade her from finishing her web by asking her to play with them. But she perseveres and at the end of the day, she catches a fly through her web. It’s a story with a message.

5. Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China (1996) by Ed Young
This story is a Chinese folktale version of the Little Red Riding Hood. Unlike in the fairytale, the bad wolf is unable to harm anyone except that he is killed at the end. Instead of only Little Red Riding, there are three girls in the story and the eldest outsmarts the wolf who pretends to be their grandmother. The mixture of abstract and realistic images as well as the three-picture sequences that often bears resemblance to Chinese decorations make this story book a 1990 Caldecott Medal winner.

6.  Harold and the Purple Crayon (1998) by Crockett Johnson
Imagination is powerful and the possibilities are limitless. This is what this book conveys to every child and adult who reads it. The story begins with Harold thinking and deciding to go for a walk with a purple crayon on his hand. Harold draws the horizon, the moon, a path to the forest, a tree, a dragon and more. Finally, he finds his way home, goes to his bed and goes to sleep. Readers will find that with just a purple crayon, Harold is able to do anything, make anything, and go everywhere. Indeed, the power of one’s imagination is endless.

7. No, David! (1998) by David Shanon
Your little kid will surely relate with the main character, David for he or she could have done similar deeds as that of David. David’s mother tells him “No!” as he commits one misdeed to another. He reaches for a cookie from a jar, runs naked down the street, puts colours on the walls, tracks mud on the carpet and a whole lot more. But after all that he has done, at the end his mother assures him that she loves him. The meaningful story and the funny illustrations make this a 1999 Caldecott Honour book.

8. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (2004) by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon
If you want to read a story with a moral lesson to your child, then this one should be part of your collection. This 1976 Caldecott Medal winner is a story from Africa about a mosquito who tells a lie that influences everyone in the jungle until the sun refuses to shine. Because of the darkness, the animals in the forest deliberate the problem and finds out the root cause. Your child will learn that telling a lie will have negative consequences. The colourful pictures and illustrations are also a plus in this book.

9. When I Miss You (The Way I Feel Books) (2006) by Cornelia Maude Spelman, illustrated by Kathy Parkinson
Are you looking for a book to help your child deal with separation anxiety? This picture book is one that I recommend for you to read to him or her. It features a guinea pig who talks about his feelings of being separated from his parents because they have to work or they have to travel to another place. He also rationalizes that his parents need to be away but they will soon be back for him. In addition to this, the colourful pictures vividly illustrate the story making this one a must-have for your child’s library.

10. Tikki Tikki Tembo (2007) by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
This story tells how Chinese parents give their firstborn sons a very long name and this why the main character is named Tikki tikki tembo-no- sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo. It narrates the story of how Tikki Tikki Tembo has fallen into a well and how he is saved by an Old Man after quite a long time. It has a moral lesson for your child to learn and it has beautiful and line and wash illustrations that give it an Oriental look.

Do you know of any more great books you have read as a child or have read for your child? Share them with us below!

You will like these as well

• Video Games May Be Good for Your Kids
• Putting Spouse Over Kids Will Lead to a Happy Family Life
• How to teach your child how to swim
• Have Our Teenage Girls Gone Bad?
• “Adult Terms” Among the Top Search Items for Kids
• Daddy’s Guide to Rough Housing with Kids
• How to Raise Well-Behaved Kids
• How to Enhance Your Child’s EQ
• Daddy’s Guide – Getting Homework on the Road
• Roughhousing – Dad’s Way!