20 Award Winning Titles

All of the books this week are award winning titles. Some books may be familiar to you already and others may be titles you’ve never heard of before, but all are excellent reads! Hopefully you and your child will find a new book that causes you to fall in love with reading all over again. If the award winning status isn’t enough, all of these books are highly recommended by me.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Families will enjoy reading the tale of a little caterpillar that eats his way through a treasure trove of food and eventually becomes a beautiful butterfly. The story has short, bold statements that will be easy for kids to understand and beautiful illustrations will capture a child’s attention. Children and their caregivers will learn the days of the week and practice their counting skills as you find out what this hungry caterpillar ate all week. Have fun as you flip through the cleaver page design of each day’s food. As families read the story again and again, children will also learn names of foods, fruits and about one of nature’s most magical moments.

Corduroy by Don Freeman
Loved by many generations of children, Corduroy has become a family favorite story. Corduroy is a small stuffed bear in green overalls with a wish to be taken home by a loving family. Children will love to hear the story of Corduroy’s adventure in the toy store and whether finding his missing button will truly fix what’s missing. Beautifully rendered illustrations help to tell this wonderful story. Every adult and child will relate with the story of a little girl’s adoration and love for a small stuffed bear.

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Simple pen and ink illustrations bring you through this heart warming tale of an old couple and their quest for a single kitten. Sing along with the rhythmic beat of “Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.” Find out what happens when the old man returns with more than he bargained for and how one lowly little kitten finds it’s way into their hearts.

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
A lazy summer day is a perfect day for an outing. Children and caregivers will come back again and again to follow the soft pastel illustrations of Mr. Gumpy’s Outing. Large letters and colorful pictures will help kids to follow along as you read helping them learn the names of animals. This delightful picture book is sure to please.


Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Follow the child-like, colorful pencil drawn illustrations in this story of the enduring love between Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Ann. Are they going to be replaced by newer and “better” shovels? Mike and his steam shovel have dug canals, railways, highways and more, but their biggest challenge will test their worth. Maybe a solution for Mike and Mary Ann will come from the smartest person of all, a child.

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
From twelve little girls in one straight line comes Madeline. She is the youngest of the girls, but is not easy to scare. From mice and ice, to the hospital, Madeline is never afraid. Read along with her adventure as you point out the famous landmarks of Paris throughout the book. Kids will love hearing about what happens with Madeline.

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Follow the Mallard family as they care for their young brood. Soon it is time to move to a new home, and the wonderful, caring illustrations allow us to observe as Mrs. Mallard leads the ducklings and the city of Boston will have to make way. Highlighted by their “human” characteristics, caretakers and children will fall in love with the simple story of the Mallard family and their mother’s love.

There’s a Nightmare in My Closet written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer
The story of a brave little boy and the “nightmare” in his closet is sure to make everyone who reads it chuckle with delight. Children and caregivers will smile as they read about what the boy decides to do to face his fears. Will he conquer his fears or end up with a whole new problem altogether? Follow along to find out in the wonderfully enjoyable story of There’s a Nightmare in My Closet.

George and Martha written and illustrated by James Marshall
The book, George and Martha has five great stories about two great friends. From being honest with friends to looking at yourself in the mirror too much, children will be taught some valuable life lessons while giggling along with George and Martha’s tales. Parents will enjoy the stories too as they point out the lessons learned through the adventures of these two best friends.

Kittens First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Oh, what a night! Little kitten is confused when she sees her first full moon. That “bowl of milk” is just taunting her. Laugh and smile as you follow her brave journey into the night and whisper softly “oh, poor kitty” as she never can quite get her milk. Will she continue to be unlucky or will her luck change? Children and caregivers will enjoy reading the story to find out.

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Pictures by Crockett Johnson
Read the simple tale of a little boy who plants a carrot seed. Everyone tells him “it won’t come up” but he knows it will. Kids will be delighted at the simplicity of the story and the determination of the little boy. Parents will enjoy the tenacity of the little boy as he shrugs off all those who say it’ll never happen. The Carrot Seed has become a favorite book for good reason and will continue to be read to generations of children.

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus and Illustrated by Jose Aruego
Follow Leo and meet his friends as Leo sets out to prove “better late than never”. Have fun flipping the pages to see if Leo will read, draw, write or speak. Can he “bloom” like the rest of the young animals or will he never catch up? Beautifully rendered illustrations create a wonderful background to an important story.

Frederick by Leo Lionni
During the cold of winter 5 field mice live in a stone wall. What will they do when all the supplies have dried up? Frederick is the story of a mouse who is a dreamer and whose contribution is different than the rest. Memories of happy days when we are down, thoughts of the sunshine on a cloudy day and the colors of summer are essential supplies for a hard winter. The story of Fredrick shows how food isn’t all we need to sustain us in hard times and how being different can be an asset. Beautiful, simple illustrations lend the wonderful story of Frederick.

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Simple, colorful and enchanting pictures bring you through this tale of a mischievous gorilla. Watch the excitement begin as the guard puts the zoo to sleep, but gorilla lets all the animals out of their cage. Caregivers and children will enjoy talking about the pictures. Everyone who read Good Night, Gorilla will laugh along with gorillas’ adventure. This wonderful tale is sometimes only told with the picture on the page, or very few words, but each scene has all the information you need as you flip to see where gorilla takes you next.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Wonderful and magical, the tale of a “wild “child’s imagination brings reader’s of all ages back to a time when anything was possible in Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. Travel with Max as he enters a world filled with terrible monsters with terrible roars, terrible teeth, terrible eyes and terrible claws. Smile as you turn each page to a new adventure in this world of make believe and find out if being king is all it’s cracked up to be.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Simple pictures and easy text help bring this story down to an early reader’s level. Young readers will want to take the reigns as they read the story and are sure to tell this tale over and over again. Laugh along with them as the monkeys in this tale begin causing trouble, and act out the scenes when the monkeys begin to tease. Then smile when the peddler finds a way to outsmart the monkeys.

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Wonderful colored illustrations overlay the black and white photo imagery of a New York neighborhood in this tale of a trip to the Laundromat gone wrong. While dad and Trixie begin by having a wonderful time together something changes and Trixie does everything in her power to show her discontent with the situation. Knuffle Bunny has been left behind. You will read this tale time and time again as the fun imagery, short lines, and sweet story keep you turning the pages.

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Harry is one of those really smart dogs. He doesn’t like bath time, so he figures out that if he steals the scrub brush he won’t be forced to take a bath. Well, enjoy reading along with this story as Harry proceeds to get the dirtiest he ever has. Smile while Harry ends up getting exactly what he didn’t want when he returns home in order to prove he is the real Harry.

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
Wherever rabbit goes, trouble follows, even though he means well. Parents will enjoy teaching kids about all the different animals in this tale of two friends who wind up making a lot trouble, even though they meant well. The wonderful and lively illustrations will keep kids enthralled in the story as you find out how Rabbit and Mouse get out of one mess and right into another.

Rapunzel Retold and Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Beautiful and detailed paintings illustrate each scene as you read this timeless classic. The true nature of love is put to the test in the classic tale of Repunzel. This story will enchant you with its wonderful telling of an enduring love and fascinate you with the detail of its illustration. Caregivers and children will enjoy reading this beautiful book.