1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

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Book cover for '1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up'

AGE 0-3

Bedtime for Frances

AUTHOR: Russell Hoban
ANNOTATION:
Frances finds it difficult to go to sleep with the strange noises and menacing shapes that seem to fill her room after dark. For preschool-grade 2. 1960.
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Elmer

AUTHOR: David McKee
ANNOTATION:
Elmer is not gray like all the other elephants in his herd. Elmer is a patchwork of beautiful, brilliant colors, and he hates it! He hates it because the other elephants laugh and tease him day after day. When Elmer devises a way to look like all the other elephants, he and they learn to appreciate individual differences. For preschool-grade 2. 1989.
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Goodnight Moon

AUTHOR: Margaret Wise Brown
ANNOTATION:
A little bunny already tucked into his bed says goodnight to the familiar things in his room as the light dims gently until all is dark. For grades K-3. 1947.
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Lavender's Blue

AUTHOR: Kathleen Lines
ANNOTATION:
A distinctive collection of traditional nursery rhymes from England. For adults to share with children from preschool-grade 2. 1954.
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The Little Engine That Could

AUTHOR: Watty Piper
ANNOTATION:
When a train carrying good things for children breaks down, only the little engine offers to help, and everyone wonders if she can pull the train over the mountain. For preschool-grade 2. 1930.
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Make Way For Ducklings

AUTHOR: Robert McCloskey
ANNOTATION:
Five helpful Boston policemen stop busy city traffic so that Mrs. Mallard can move her family of eight ducklings from their island in the Charles River to their new home in the Public Garden. For grades K-3. Caldecott Medal 1942. 1941.
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Owl Babies

AUTHOR: Martin Waddell
ANNOTATION:
Three baby owls wake in the night to find their Mommy GONE! Will she come back soon? For preschool-grade 2. 1992.
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The Runaway Bunny

AUTHOR: Margaret Wise Brown
ANNOTATION:
A little rabbit who wants to run away tells his mother how he will escape, but she is always right behind him. For preschool-grade 2. 1942.
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar

AUTHOR: Eric Carle
ANNOTATION:
A hungry caterpillar eats holes through plums, cheese, sausage, and other food and gets a stomach ache. Then something wonderful happens to the fat caterpillar. For grades K-3. 1969.
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We're Going on a Bear Hunt

AUTHOR: Michael Rosen
ANNOTATION:
Delightful retelling of an action-packed chant that tells the story of a brave young family who set out to hunt a bear. They go through long grass–“swishy swashy!” And through a river–“splash splosh!” Through the mud–“squelch squerch!” And through the forest–“stumble trip!” Through a snowstorm–“hoooo woooo!” And into a long, narrow, gloomy cave. For preschool-grade 2. 1989.
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AGE 3+

Alfie Gets in First

AUTHOR: Shirley Hughes
ANNOTATION:
Alfie accidentally locks his mother and baby sister, Annie Rose, out of the house, and he can't reach the latch to let them in. Soon the whole neighborhood is involved in getting the door open. For grades 2-4. 1981.
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Amazing Grace

AUTHOR: Caroline Binch
ANNOTATION:
Grace is a child who loves stories. And she loves to act them out. When her teacher announces that the class will do the play Peter Pan, Grace knows just what part she wants. Raj tells her she can't be Peter Pan because she's a girl. Natalie tells her she can't be Peter Pan because she's black. But Grace discovers that she can be anything that she sets her mind to be. For grades K-3 and older readers. 1991.
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Angelina Ballerina

AUTHOR: Katharine Holabird
ANNOTATION:
Angelina, her cousin Henry, and the rest of the Mouseling family share Christmas cheer with a lonely, retired postman. For grades K-2. 1983.
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A Bear Called Paddington

AUTHOR: Michael Bond
ANNOTATION:
On a London railway platform a family finds Paddington, a Peruvian bear with a “Please look after this bear” sign around his neck, so they adopt him immediately and discover more excitement than they can handle. For grades 3-6. 1958.
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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

AUTHOR: Bill Martin, Jr.
ANNOTATION:
A brown bear sees a red bird. What does the red bird see? Each animal sees another colorful animal until a goldfish sees a teacher, the teacher sees her class, and the class sees each one of the animals again. For preschool-grade 2. 1967.
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The Cat in the Hat

AUTHOR: Dr. Seuss
ANNOTATION:
A story in rhyme tells about two bored children sitting at home on a rainy day while their mother is out. Then the Cat in the Hat arrives on their door mat to show them good fun with his tricks and games. For grades K-3. For grades K-3. 1957.
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Clifford, the Big Red Dog

AUTHOR: Norman Bridwell
ANNOTATION:
Emily Elizabeth has a big red dog - the biggest, reddest dog on her street - and his name is Clifford. Clifford is so big that when he runs after cars, he catches them in his mouth, and his doghouse is bigger than Emily Elizabeth's house. For preschool-grade 2. 1963.
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Corduroy

AUTHOR: Don Freeman
ANNOTATION:
A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has wanted most of all. For grades K-3. 1968.
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Curious George

AUTHOR: Margret Rey
ANNOTATION:
Curious George, a very curious little monkey, has such difficulty adjusting to city life that he keeps himself and his owner in one scrape after another. For preschool-grade 2. 1941.
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Eloise

AUTHOR: Kay Thompson
ANNOTATION:
Six-year-old Eloise describes her escapades at the Plaza Hotel in New York where she lives with her nurse Nanny, her dog Weenie, and her turtle Skipperdee. For grades 2-4 and older readers. 1955.
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Freight Train

AUTHOR: Donald Crews
ANNOTATION:
A train of many colorful cars - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black - starts slowly, then moves in a rainbow blur across the countryside. Bilingual book in English and Spanish. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Honor. 1978.
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Green Eggs and Ham

AUTHOR: Dr. Seuss
ANNOTATION:
In this rhyming story, Sam-I-am follows his companion everywhere, begging him to taste a dish of green eggs and ham. For preschool-grade 2. 1960.
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Guess How Much I Love You

AUTHOR: Sam McBratney
ANNOTATION:
Little Nutbrown Hare wants to tell Big Nutbrown Hare how much he loves him. When Little Nutbrown Hare says he loves his dad as far as his arms will stretch, Big Nutbrown Hare says the same thing, but his arms are much longer. How can Little Nutbrown Hare show he loves his dad more? For grades K-3. 1994.
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Harry, the Dirty Dog

AUTHOR: Gene Zion
ANNOTATION:
Harry buries his scrubbing brush and spends a glorious day getting dirty before he finally realizes that soap has its uses, after all. For preschool-grade 2. 1956.
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In the Night Kitchen

AUTHOR: Maurice Sendak
ANNOTATION:
Mickey's dream tumbles him into the night kitchen, where three singing bakers mistake him for milk. Mickey sets them straight and flies to the Milky Way in an airplane made of dough to find milk for the bakers. 1970.
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Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

AUTHOR: Mo Willems
ANNOTATION:
A trip to the laundromat becomes a momentous occasion when Trixie, too young to speak words, realizes that her favorite stuffed animal is missing and struggles to explain the problem to her father. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Honor Book. 2004.
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The Little House

AUTHOR: Virginia Lee Burton
ANNOTATION:
The story of a pretty little house built for a family by a man who never wanted it to be sold. The seasons and the years pass, and gradually a city surrounds the little house until it is rescued in a wonderful way. For grades K-3. Caldecott Medal. 1942.
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The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray

AUTHOR: Hildegarde H. Swift
ANNOTATION:
After the beacon atop the George Washington Bridge is installed, the little lighthouse fears he will no longer be useful, until an emergency arises. For grades K-3. 1942.
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Little Toot

AUTHOR: Hardie Gramatky
ANNOTATION:
Although Little Toot comes from a famous family of hard-working tugboats, he himself hates work and is scared of the ocean. One day Little Toot happens into an ocean storm with a stranded ocean liner and surprises everyone. For grades K-3. 1939.
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Love You Forever

AUTHOR: Robert Munsch
ANNOTATION:
A young woman holds her newborn son and looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him. This is a story of how that little boy goes through the stages of childhood and becomes a man. It is also about the enduring nature of parents' love and how it crosses generations. A book for children and adults to enjoy. 1986.
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Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

AUTHOR: Bernard Waber
ANNOTATION:
Lyle the crocodile is very happy living with the Primm family on East Eighty-eighth Street. But Mr. Grumps and his cat, Loretta, are very unhappy with Lyle's presence. Mr. Grumps even has Lyle put in the zoo! But there will soon come a day when Mr. Grumps and Loretta cannot thank Lyle enough. For preschool-grade 2. 1965.
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Madeline

AUTHOR: Ludwig Bemelmans
ANNOTATION:
Mischievous Madeline, the nonconformist in a Paris convent school, makes an adventure out of having appendicitis. For preschool to grade 2. 1939.
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Max

AUTHOR: Bob Graham
ANNOTATION:
Born into a family of superheroes, Max is a late bloomer when it comes to flying. But when a baby bird falls from a nest, Max flies to its rescue without even thinking about it. For preschool-grade 2. 2000.
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Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

AUTHOR: Virginia Lee Burton
ANNOTATION:
Mike Mulligan remains loyal to his steam shovel, Mary Anne, against the threat of the new gas and diesel-engine contraptions and digs his way to a surprising and happy ending. For grades K-3. 1939.
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Mousehole Cat

AUTHOR: Antonia Barber
ANNOTATION:
Mowzer the cat tells the tale of how she and her human, an old fisherman named Tom, save Mousehole, their tiny Cornish fishing village, from starvation at Christmas time. For preschool-grade 2. 1990.
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Old Bear

AUTHOR: Jane Hissey
ANNOTATION:
Bramwell Brown, Duck, Rabbit, and Little Bear - stuffed toy animals - set out to rescue their friend, Old Bear, placed in the attic years ago and since forgotten. For preschool-grade 2. 1986.
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Olivia

AUTHOR: Ian Falconer
ANNOTATION:
Olivia, a preschooler pig, lives with her mother, father, and younger brother Ian (who is always copying her). Olivia is good at lots of things–dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, dancing, and painting on walls. And she is very good at wearing people out. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Honor. 2000.
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One Snowy Night

AUTHOR: Nick Butterworth
ANNOTATION:
Percy the park keeper lives in a little hut in the center of the park. Every day he shares his lunch with the animals, who all know about his hut. One cold snowy night the animals come, one by one, to share the warmth of Percy's bed. Soon the bed is so crowded that everyone is tied in a knot and poor Percy is squashed. But the problem is surprisingly solved by the appearance of a special, final guest. For preschool-grade 2. 1989.
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Owl Moon

AUTHOR: Jane Yolen
ANNOTATION:
On a cold winter's night, under a bright full moon, a young girl and her father trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Medal. 1987.
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Ox-Cart Man

AUTHOR: Donald Hall
ANNOTATION:
A lyrical journey through the days and weeks, the months, and the changing seasons in the life of one nineteenth-century New Englander and his family. For grades K-3. 1980.
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The Sea-Thing Child

AUTHOR: Russell Hoban
ANNOTATION:
A delicate fantasy about the sea-thing child, born to dive deep, fly high, and wander far. But a howling storm uproots him and flings him on the beach in a terrified little heap until other sea creatures help him triumph over his fears. For grades 4-7 as well as older readers. 1972.
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The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant

AUTHOR: Jean De Brunhoff
ANNOTATION:
Babar, a young elephant, leaves the jungle to live in Paris. When he returns home he is proclaimed king of the elephants. For Preschool-grade 2. 1931.
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The Story of Ferdinand

AUTHOR: Munro Leaf
ANNOTATION:
Ferdinand, a bull who prefers to sit and smell the flowers, is mistakenly thought to be the most ferocious bull in Spain. He is carted off to the arena for a bullfight, but a surprise awaits the spectators. For grades K-3. 1936.
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The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

AUTHOR: Beatrix Potter
ANNOTATION:
Jemima the duck is a simpleton, and in trying to establish her nest in a secluded place, she very nearly falls victim to a foxy gentleman. For preschool-grade 2. 1908.
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The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher

AUTHOR: Beatrix Potter
ANNOTATION:
Mr. Jeremy Fisher, a frog, encounters some problems when he goes fishing. For Preschool-grade 2. 1906.
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The Tale of Peter Rabbit

AUTHOR: Beatrix Potter
ANNOTATION:
All about the famous rabbit family: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and especially Peter, who disobeys Mother Rabbit's order to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden. For Preschool-grade 2. 1902.
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Where the Wild Things Are

AUTHOR: Maurice Sendak
ANNOTATION:
After being sent to bed without supper for misbehaving, Max puts on his wolf suit and sails away 'through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year' to where the wild things are. An imaginative fantasy for grades K-3. Caldecott Medal 1964. 1963.
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Winnie-the-Pooh

AUTHOR: A.A. Milne
ANNOTATION:
Winnie-the-Pooh is a lovable little bear who is always getting himself into trouble. On a visit to Rabbit, greedy Pooh eats so much that he gets stuck in Rabbit's hole and has to stay there a week until he gets thin again! For grades 2-4. 1926.
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AGE 5+

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