Our neighbours and friends seem to all be having babies around the same time, so here is a list of the best kid books we have enjoyed. Some have great art, some are great stories, some are good lessons or just enjoyable.
"Some Bugs", by Angela Diterlizzi
https://www.angeladiterlizzi.com/some-bugs
The art is stunning and beautiful. We have this in board-book format so it's great for newborns as they (likely) won't destroy the page. They also wrote “Some Pets”.
"Robots, Robots Everywhere!", by Sue Fliess
Illustrated by Bob Staake
Again, love the art. It's cute and silly and kids enjoy it.
"Frog and Toad" series, by Arnold Lobel
There are four collections of Frog and Toad stories and it's worth getting all of them. The art is beautiful but the stories are also great. Frog is the "reasonable, cheerful" half and Toad is the "grumpy, not-so-bright" half who is always getting into trouble. The stories are memorable, cheerful, uplifting.
When they got older my kid invented the fun game of choosing one word each time we read the story and getting me to replace it with a different word. So replace "finding your lost button" with "finding your lost dirty socks", replace "getting a letter in the mail" with "getting garbage in the mail", and so forth. They find it hilarious. It gives them another reason to keep reading and stay engaged, even at a slightly older age.
"Goose On The Loose" and “Hen’s Pens” collection, by Russell Punter
Illustrated by Stephen Cartwright
This is a wonderful language book for teaching how to read English. I have had good successes with gifting it to friends and neighbours where English is not the first language spoken at home as well. "Grandma really likes reading these ones - and they are easy and helpful for her to read and learn also!" Hey look at that, teaching a kid is a great excuse to do some learning and growing yourself.
These books were designed by some well-credentialed educators to teach kids rhyming sounds and how to sound out and figure out words to learn the language. They're really great.
There are a number of books in this series - "Frog on a Log", "Shark in the Park", "Big Pig On A Dig", etc. They're all helpful. I had a hard time finding these new and had to hunt down some used copies online, but it looks like the publisher's website lists them again so I hope you are able to find them.
https://usborne.com/ca_en/goose-on-the-loose-9781474970181
https://usborne.com/ca_en/books/series/phonics-stories
"I Want My Hat Back", "Square", by Jon Klassen
Great art, well done short stories.
"Goodnight Moon", by Margaret Wise Brown
A great book for calming down. The writing cadence, rhyme, and rhythm help to get kids settled for sleep. I build on this by always reading slowly in a quiet, calm voice. A good book to read last and wind down for the night.
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/goodnight-moon-margaret-wise-brown?variant=41228811993122
"The Very Noisy Night" is also good, in a similar vein of calming kids down. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/647175/the-very-noisy-night-by-diana-hendry-illustrated-by-jane-chapman/
I haven't read "The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rabbit_Who_Wants_to_Fall_Asleep , which is supposed to be designed by a psychologist specifically to hypnotize you to fall asleep, but I'd like to try it.
"Fox In Sox", by Dr. Seuss
Apparently Dr. Seuss is a divisive figure among some people. I like this book. One of my crowning parent achievements is: I was able to read all the way through this entire book, without making any mistakes saying the words out loud, once. You might think that sounds silly and would be easy. Try it.
This book is silly and kids seem to like it. "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" is also good.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/43010/fox-in-socks-by-dr-seuss/
"The Book With No Pictures", by BJ Novak
"The funny thing about books is: whatever the words in the book say - the person reading the story has to say. No Matter What."
A great and creative book that shows kids how sometimes adults have to follow rules too. Gives them a great chance to feel like they are in charge for a moment, and also to be silly. Always makes our kids laugh outrageously. Wonderfully done.
https://thebookwithnopictures.com/
"Little Monster's Bedtime Book", by Mercer Mayer
Again some people do not like this art style, but this book is great. It has been read in multiple generations of my family, so I could be biased. Has nice rhymes and interesting creatures. Seems to give kids ideas and encourage their imagination.
Richard Scarry series
Lot's of great options to choose from here. I'm partial to "Cars and trucks and things that go". These books usually simple art and simple words, so when your brain is tired you can just read and not have to think.
https://www.richardscarry.com/books
"The Very Hungry Caterpillar", by Eric Carle
Another classic, great in board-book format for newborns and small kids. Bright beautiful pictures. Easy to read.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/301943/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-by-eric-carle/
Good luck with your reading!