What is the Best Children's Book You've Ever Read?

What is the best children's book you've ever read and why?

I'm going to segment this into kids picture book and young reader novels. So for picture book I'm going to give it to The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. I think it was his best book and he was talking about preserving the environment before it was cool to talk about it. The pictures, the writing, the message, just everything was perfect to me.

UNLESS is a timeless message that all children should hear and all adults can still learn from:

For young adult novels, Bridge to Terabithia can still make me cry to this day. It was a powerful way to teach children about death and loss and how adults don't have the answers to everything all the time. The film also makes me cry whenever I watch it.

David Smooke Linh Smooke what are you reading these days?

ABSOLUTELY THE LORAX. I included it in here: https://linhdaosmooke.com/blog/big-topics-for-little-people-top-10-children-books-on-social-justice

The lorax made me cry. I think the runaway bunny is also beautiful ❤

I know Rianke Krugel must have some recommendations as well!

for me, The Little Prince, a small, cute and also sad book

For me, it’s The Little Prince too. I read its Urdu translation when I was eight. It was a magical experience for me. Again read the English translation some years ago. Want to read the French version some day :)

My childhood selection: YES to the Little Prince! I still have my copy from childhood. I also loved Black Beauty. I was crazy about horses and this story that was told from an animal's point of view just so beautifully drove home that animals are sentient and feelings too. Little Women avidly featured for all the obvious reasons, but definitely because I wanted more sisters. And of course all by Roald Dahl (but specifically The BFG, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Alice in Wonderland was a wonderful go to read too, and a brilliant intro into the little more mature fantasy found in The Hobbit as a pre-teen.

Young adult selection: One of my favourite books of all time; 'Kringe in 'n Bos' (Circles in a Forest), by one of my favourite authors of all time (Dalene Matthee) features heavily in my YA reading years. Wikipedia sums it up nicely. (Apparently there is also a film?! I might not watch it, for fear of it completely ruining the visual journey that this novel is for me, lol.) If folks can get their hands on this book; read it, seriously.

Too hard to pick a favorite of all time! But my favorite children's book to read right now is "Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots". It's interactive, timely, and jokes are memorable enough that I can bring them when we're not reading and still make my daughter laugh. #BucketheadOut

Another one we’ve been loving lately (and there’s a lot, like 100+ books on her shelf) is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I’m pretty sure it’s a metaphor for the bittersweetness that comes after a child is too old to depend on the parents. I’m very surprised that at age 3 she can understand how sad that can be.

The Giving Tree is up there for me...but so sad...like I don't think I'd read it to a kid before bed haha everyone gets sad before sleeping.