Slightly Off Topic: Favorite Picture Books

As you might know from my profile, I have kids. Two girls, aged 3 and 1. I don't usually review kids books, but I do love them, and now that I have children, I finally have an excuse to buy them. Here are a few of my favorites. You can click on any of the book covers to purchase them from Amazon.com.

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard.

"When Bird woke up, he was grumpy.
He was too grumpy to eat.
He was too grumpy to play.
In fact, he was too grumpy to fly.
'Looks like I'm walking today,' said Bird."

This book has very cool illustrations, and it makes me AND my kids laugh. What more could you want?

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. This is an oldie (it was around when I was a kid) but a goodie. It's about a tough little princess who rescues the snooty and ungrateful prince from a dragon, then decides she doesn't need that guy anyway. This is another one that will make you laugh, and it's a breath of fresh air if you're tired of all those pretty damsels in distress sitting in their ivory towers, waiting for someone to come and save them.

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. This little board book is about a zookeeper saying goodnight to all his animals, but they have other ideas. A cute little story, this is my 18-month-old's favorite book.

Food for Thought by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. This whimiscal book is full of illustrations created using produce. A banana becomes a giraffe, and orange is a laughing face. It sounds weird, but once you get looking at it, it's very cool. Food for Thought is full of great concepts- kids will learn letters, numbers, colors, shapes and opposites. Our copy is nearly dead, we've read it so much.

Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney. Llama Llama does not want to spend the day shopping at the Shop-o-rama. He wants to get an ice cream cone. Shopping is boring, and this Llama is going to pitch a fit! If you've ever tried to take a preschooler shopping, you will appreciate this book. My daughter and I thought it was hilarious. And for those of you who are all about "teachable moments," this book is a great starting point for talking to your child about how to behave appropriately at the store.

So, those are my faves. Next time you need a baby shower gift, you know what to get! Now tell me, what picture books do you love? Or hate? While you're thinking about it, here a few more pictures from my favorites: