Today is International Children’s Book Day! The celebration has been held annual every year since 1967 in memory of Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday.
It’s a day to recognize the power of reading and the role books play in the development and education of children.
And if it inspires children to read – even better!
One of my earliest memories is sitting in the kitchen with a big picture book, “reading” to Mom as she made dinner. I hadn’t yet learned to read, but it didn’t stop me from wanting to.
My mom so often read to me when I was little, then sat and listened as I read to her. She had a love of books that she shared with me. One I never outgrew.
I loved books like How Freckle Face Strawberry Got His Freckles (since I had a few freckles of my own), and the Tawny Scrawny Lion.
The Little House on the Prairie series was always a favorite. As I got older, I added books like Summer of the Monkeys and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH to my favorites list. Then I discovered authors like C.S. Lewis and Ralph Moody and couldn’t get enough of the wonderful adventures, whether they happened in the magical world of Narnia or a ranch in the Wild West.
I think all those books I read as a child are part of what sparked my interest in writing children’s books.
And today, I’m going to give away a copy of Steve the Mule and Christmas Keepsake. The winner can choose to keep them, or I would happily send them to a library or school.
To enter the giveaway, just post a comment about your favorite children’s book!
20 Responses
My favorite books were the Berenstain Bear books. My mom had quite a few of them and I loved them!
I can’t recall how young I was when I began to love reading but I remember reading in middle school the whole Babysitter’s club series and loving how they were all different yet worked together so well. Sadly I’m the only one in my family who loves reading and now that I have a family of my own I want to instill my love of reading to my own kids and have them have a childhood full of love and books.
Mine was the black stallion series by Walter Farley
My kids loved Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
“The Pokey Little Puppy” was my favorite book growing up. I still have my copy!
Peter Rabbit was my favorite book.
My favorite childhood book was Ferdinand the Bull.
The covers of these books are wonderful!
Growing up, I of course started with the beloved Golden books, but once I got a little older I had a few favorite authors & read everything they wrote!
– Laura Ingles Wilder
– Thornton Burgess (Reddy Fox & Friends)
– E. B. White (Stuart Little, Trumpet of the Swan, Charlotte’s Web)
– Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby, the Mouse & the Motorcycle)
Ah, good times!!!
I always loved Thumbelina
I love reading The Golden Books to my children when they were little. Now we read to the grandchildren. All kinds of books. Your books look amazing.
I loved the Berenstien Bears Books because of the values they taught. I also loved the Pokey Little Puppy and the golden book version of Bambie! When I was in second grade I had to have surgery and my teacher Miss Klawitter brought me a disneybook with many different stories about Brer Bear and Brer Rabbit and Jimminey Cricket, and the Jungle Book characters. Loved it and the fact she encouraged my reading.
the bobbsie twins
Horton Hatches an Egg was my very first favorite.
Just today I pulled “The Secret of the Old Clock” off a bookshelf- Nancy Drew #1. As a younger child though I loved Little Golden books and then series like the Boxcar Children and the Bobbsey Twins.
Dr. Seuss books and Ramona Quimby books
I loved Bernstein Bears and Charlotte’s Web as a kid. But my favorite for my granddaughters is Steve the Mule and the Wonky Donkey.
I loved The Boxcar Children
I was a voracious reader as a child. Would still love to be but life gets in the way. I loved Golden Books. Dr. Dan the Bandage Man always comes to mind because it had a real bandage at the end of the book. Thanks for a chance to win a book.
Thank you for the chance. My grandchildren would love your books.
I always loved The Boxcar children, and Little House on the prairie!