1. Well, the first group that come to mind are favorites, not only becasue they are great books and they elicit fond memories of good times with my youngest, Danny; but they are also the books I shared with my grandbaby Arna when we had her for 2 weeks recently. They are Raffi books that serve as lyrics, too, for fun kid songs. So you sing / read Baby Beluga, The Wheels on the Bus, Shake Your Sillies Out, and Down by the Bay. You must supply your own jiggles, squeals, and hand motions.
2. Right near the top of the list is The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. In the one-room schoolhouse, my teacher, Aunt Luella, read that book at the first of every new school year (along with a story about a woman in a vinegar jar). As much pain as she caused my self-esteem, the reading of this book always brought back fond memories about a little house out in the country surrounded by sun and green, a focal point of happy family life. As the city grows and spreads, it encroaches and finally overcomes the little house with its black and busy life. The house is redeemed and transported again to a beautiful countryside, with an organic garden no doubt. I bought a copy as an adult with the feigned intent to just read it to my kids.
3. I love Irish veterinarian James Herriot's grown up books of his interesting life sticking his arm to the armpit in cow's behinds, but his Only One Woof is a delight, and any dog story is precious.
5. I have a gazillion I could write about, but for now the last ones are by Thomas Locker. He has several books that are just good story telling; but what makes these such keepers is the masterful artwork that covers each page. He paints like the grand masters of old and infuses the richness of color and line to simple moral tales. The art is as much the story as the words. Some titles are Sailing with the Wind, Where the River Begins, The Boy Who Held Back the Sea.
I like the James Herriots too. I like Moses the Kitten, and Blossom Comes Home (illustrations are excellent).
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