Send your comments to Suzanne Amara, our daughter and Willy's (and Freddy's) mother.

Books my 3 year old son REALLY likes (listed by his Mom)

(see below additions to the list that Willy likes at 5 and his
brother Freddy likes at 2)

I am writing this list because it is a type of list I hunted for in vain
on the Internet several times.  I wanted a list of books that kids
REALLY like---not books that parents, reviewers or teachers think are
great, but ones that the kids themselves like.  I think the viewers of
this page can understand that---as series books are often that type of
book also!  Of course, not every toddler/preschooler will like the same
books.  My son has a special fascination with trains, and that is
reflected on this list.  Keep in mind that these are the books HE likes-
--some of them I also like, some I can barely stand!  I would love to
hear from you with your ideas of others books that fit into this type of
category---books for the very young that they themselves love.  The
books are in no particular order.  I think some of them are out of print
, but you can probably find them used.   I have a lot of luck finding in
print books and even some out of print ones on Amazon.com.  Thanks for
looking!

MAX'S NEW SUIT (and all the other Max books)  by Rosemary Wells
 This is a series, for you series lovers!  It was the first series Willy
liked.  These books are board books, about Max and his sister Ruby.  Max
is a very typical toddler (although he is a bunny)--he doesn't want to
take a bath, he says No a lot, he won't eat his eggs--and I think what
Willy likes is the fact that sometimes Max gets his own way and that
there are no "morals" here---he doesn't eventually realize that eggs are
yummy, he talks at his own pace and so forth.  There are a lot of
pictures of Max falling over, which Willy finds extremely funny.  I have
read that the newer versions of these books got rid of some of those
pictures--which is probably good in a way, but he would miss them!

LEARN WITH THOMAS  by Christopher Awdry and Ken Stott
 Although my son Willy is one of the world's biggest Thomas the Tank
Engine fans, he doesn't like all of the Thomas books.  This is one he
really does!  It has categories of things to learn about---shapes,
colors, weather---with rows of pictures down the side illustrating each
item in the category, and bigger pictures in the middle of the double
page spreads.  The pictures are fairly cartoon like, but he seems to
like them and has learned a lot from them.

FROM LETTER TO LETTER by Teri Sloat
 This is an ABC book, and a wonderful one.  Each letter is filled in
with pictures of things beginning with that letter, and the pictures are
extremely detailed.  Willy LOVES the T with train pictures especially,
but has looked at all of them a lot.

THE LITTLE HOUSE  by Virginia Lee Burton
 This is one of those books we all agree on---the experts, parents, and
kids.  It tells the story of a house which starts out in the country,
but then the city creeps closer and closer until it is in the city,
until it is returned again to the country.  Willy will not listen to all
the words, but he sure loves the pictures, especially of course the
train images!

THE MOON JUMPERS  by Janice May Udry, pictures by Maurice Sendak
 I have to admit this is not a book I really am crazy about---I find it
a little dull.  But Willy loves it!  It is a simple story of kids
playing outside in the dark until they are called in by their parents. 
Lots of moon pictures, which he likes, and a cat to find in many of the
pictures, which is a game he enjoys also.

BABY KERMIT'S NURSERY RHYMES
 I found this one at a yard sale, and wish I could find more in the
series I think it is from.  It's a board book, with photos of set pieces
of baby Muppets illustrating nursery rhymes.  The pictures are very
detailed, and Willy loves to try to find little things--like a tiny
Kermit doll Miss Piggy is holding--in them.

BABY BOP'S COUNTING BOOK by Mary Ann Dudko and Margie Larsen 
Photographer:Dennis full
 Willy is NOT a Barney fan, will not watch the show, but for some reason
he loves Baby Bop and Barney books!  Especially this one---it is a very
simple counting book, each page is simply Baby Bop counting something
like candles on a cake or butterflies.  He has memorized it!

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD story by Watty Piper, illustrated by
Cristina Ong
   This is a classic that I am not a fan of---I find the story not
terribly exciting and the pictures not overly interesting.  But I guess
it's a classic for a reason, as Willy just loves it!  There must be
something about that "I think I can" message, or maybe it's just the
trains!

CATS KNOW BEST by Colin Eisler  pictures by Lesley Anne Ivory
  Willy and I agree on this one!  It's a gorgeous book, with detailed
and lifelike cat pictures.  The story is mainly just a listing of things
cats know best about---where the milk is freshest, where to have their
kittens, etc.  But there are so many neat details to find in the
pictures, and one of the cats looks just like one of ours!

BUGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT (and all the bugs books) by David A.
Carter
   This is a part of a series of pop-up bugs books--and Willy loves all
of them!  The pop-ups are very imaginative, and the storyline simple but
cute.  Lots of neat details in different books, like a powder puff you
can touch, a mask you can take out or a scratch and sniff patch.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD 	Illustrated by Dana Regan
  This book has wheels on it, and you can snap it shut to make it a
train.  The song is of course a favorite of all train lovers, and the
pictures are cute.

THE TRUCK BOOK by Lawrence DiFiori
  This is a Golden Sturdy Shape Book---a simple story of a girl and her
father going to the city to sell fruits and vegetables--but something
about it really strikes a chord with Willy.  Probably the buses and the
ice cream truck!

BEAR'S BARGAIN  ( and many other Bear books by this author) by Frank
Asch
 I am not sure what it is about these books, but this whole series is a
huge favorite of Willy's.  These stories are about Bear and his friend
Little Bird doing things like playing hide and seek, fishing, trying to
find gold at the end of a rainbow, and other adventures.  I think Willy
really likes the pictures, which are very simple and clear, but with
neat little details, like a spaceship from one book showing up in
another book, a moon hiding behind clouds and things like that.

TWO EYES, A NOSE AND A MOUTH by Roberta Grobel Intrater
 I like this one too!  It is about all the infinite variety there is in
human faces, and is mainly just many, many, MANY pictures of people's
faces!  Willy is convinced that one of them is his Daddy, and one his
Nonno!  At the end, there is a place to tape in a picture of the owner,
and Willy loves the fact there is a real picture of him at the end!

THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsburg
 I would have to say this is probably Willy's very favorite book.  I
didn't think he would like it, and I myself found it a touch too
precious, if you know what I mean.  But I was wrong!  The pictures are
just beautiful--they are really haunting in a way.  One he loves the
most is of a train climbing up huge, huge mountains in the night.  He
will sometimes listen to all the words, which are really for older kids,
but often just wants to look at the pictures and "read" the story to me.
 This book has grown on me, and I now really love it too.

FREIGHT TRAIN by Donald Crews
 This is a classic, and for train loving kids a real must!  It is the
simplest of stories---just the tale of a train of many colors coming
into view, going past cities and over bridges, and finally being gone. 
But the pictures are clear and detailed, and the text easy to memorize,
which Willy seems to love in a book.  We have read this one millions of
times!

CARS! CARS! CARS!  by Grace Maccarone Illustrated by David A. Carter
 This was the first book Willy could "read", having memorized the whole
thing.  The text is very easy to learn that way, every page being along
the lines of "Many cars, few cars" or "Wet car, dry car", and the
pictures are humorous and uncluttered.  

WHISPER FROM THE WOODS by Victoria Wirth Illustrations by A. Scott
Banfill
 My husband and I don't agree on this one!  It is a story of the life of
a tree, and ends with the tree's death but with the birth of a new tree,
carrying on the cycle.  My husband finds it too morbid for little kids,
but Willy has never been bothered by it.  The pictures are probably the
most beautiful ones I've ever seen in a kid's book.  They are incredibly
detailed forest scenes, and you find something new every time you read
this.  Willy listens to the whole story, and asks to hear it over and
over.

I'LL CATCH THE MOON by Nina Crews
 Moons are another of Willy's passions, and this is a must for moon
loving kids!  It's about a girl that dreams of going into the sky and
catching the moon.  The pictures are nighttime cityscapes combined with
big moon photos and photos of the girl.

HOW MANY?  by Fiona Pragoff
 A very neat counting book, with photos of items to count like cookies,
socks, bears, etc.  The pictures are very interesting in that they show
many varieties of each item, and Willy likes finding the pretzel cookie
or the ball with a flower on it.  The back lists 4 other books in the
series, which I wish I could find---Maybe I should take my own advise
and check Amazon.com!

IS THERE A MONSTER IN THE HOUSE? a Muppet book illustrated by Tom
Brannon
 Willy likes many Sesame Street books, although he is not much into the
show itself (he is a BIG Mister Rogers fan), but this one is probably
his favorite of that genre.  It is about a house haunted with monsters,
which Grover discovers with the help of lift-the-flaps.

GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown  Pictures by Clement Hurd
 Another classic in many senses.  I was sort of surprised how much Willy
liked this one.  I never really was a huge fan of it, but he loves the
comforting words and the detailed pictures.


I will try to add to this list as Willy gets new favorites and as his
baby brother develops favorites of his own!  I hope to hear from you
with your ideas and comments!      Please write!  Suzanne Amara



More books Willy loves, and also books that Freddy loves!

Finally, I am doing an update to the list of books that Willy loves, and
adding a few books that Freddy loves.  Willy is now 5.  He still loves
trains above all else, but has added a few other interests, like space 
and sometimes cars.  Freddy is 2.  He has a lot more rounded interest
than Willy, but strangely his book interests are more narrow!

It’s been great hearing from people that have read this list and enjoyed it.
Please write if you have any comments, ideas, or anything else you want to
communicate about the list!

Again, I am listing here books my boys like best, not that I like best,
although I do like some of them a lot! Most of the books on the old list
are still favorites too.

CLIFFORD'S THANKSGIVING VISIT by Norman Bridwell
and any other Clifford book!  I would say right now, Clifford is #1
on both boy's lists! They are simply crazy about Clifford books.
This one is Willy's favorite, as it's the only one we've found with
a train in it also, but he likes them all, especially Clifford's Kitten,
Clifford's Christmas and Clifford the Small Red Puppy.  I went out and
bought every Clifford book I could find we didn't have at the local
bookstore lately, because I was getting sick of the ones we did have!
I must admit they are not the most exciting books in my eyes, but I know
I liked them as a kid also, because some of them are SO familiar to
me even when reading them to the boys for the first time.  I think they
like the absurbity of them---Clifford being so very huge---and the
simple plots with a lot of things getting knocked down or over!

TIMOTHY GOES TO SCHOOL by Rosemary Wells
and almost any Wells book!  This is an author I love and Willy loves too.
This book especially is a real favorite of his.  It's about a boy
starting school and wearing all  the "wrong" clothes and getting 
picked on by a stuck up classmate, but finally finding another
classmate to be friendly with.  As with all her books, the pictures are
simple but very expressive, and the feelings of the children are SO
true to life.  I think Wells is the most honest writer for young
children I have ever found.  She is not afraid to admit childhood
isn't all fun.  I don't know if it's coincidence, but this book really
helped Willy through a very tough time when he was having to have
frequent treatments for fairly severe asthma. I would read it to him 
over and over during a treatment, and it was all that would keep
him calm.  I spulged on a whole bunch of Wells books lately, but this one
really stood out in Willy's heart as his all time favorite of her books.

STOP, TRAIN, STOP! based on the The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry
and all other Thomas books!  This one is for Freddy!  Although he doesn't
really watch Thomas videos or shows as much as Willy ever did, he
loves any Thomas book. Whenever I ask him what he wants to read, 
the answer is predeterimined  "A Thomas book!"  This one is one both
of the boys like a lot, as there are scenes where things get
thrown around in the train---you can see what kind of pictures young boys
seem to really love a lot!

THE STORY ABOUT PING by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese
I read this book to Willy one day half expecting him to cut me off
mid-first-page, as it has none of the elements he's usually interested in.
But he listened all the way, asked for it again, and has asked for it
millions of times since then.  It's another example of a classic
that is a classic for a reason.  There is something about this story that
is really haunting. The pictures are so expressive, and the story so 
scary in a controlled way.  Willy has asked me a lot about China since 
reading this book, and wants to go see the Yangtze River and
the Wise Eyed Boat.  It's one of the first times a book has sparked new
interests in him, rather than a book just happening to cater to his
interests.

GO, DOG, GO! by P.D. Eastman
I had to work a little to get both boys to love this one.  I love it, and
really wanted them to appreciate it, which they do now---they ask for it
often!  It's the simplest text you can imagine, but the neatest and most
expressive pictures!  They love the picture of the bird stopping the
dogs from racing along, the picture where one dog remains awake in the bed
while the rest sleep, and most of all the picture near the end with the
huge dog party in a tree.  Willy has sometimes just looked at that picture 
for up to half an hour, discovering new things in it.

KATY AND THE BIG SNOW by Virginia Lee Burton
Willy loves the train parts of this book best, of course, but also has a
fascination with snow, and vehicles, which combine to make this a favorite.
I admit I can get a bit bored with it at times, but can sure understand
why he likes it so much.  (Willy's Grandmother Alice says she loved it
50+ years ago!)


CARROT DELIGHT by Brian Mangas, illustrated by Sidney Levitt
Had to through in this one as an example of a book with almost no parent
appeal, which nontheless Willy requested over and over for a time this past
summer.  It's about a young bunny behaving and the father bunny not 
behaving as well, which is a theme I think kids really like. 
It's a boring story in my eyes, with not very exciting pictures, but
it must have something that kids like!

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM by Seymour Simon
This is the book that got William interested in space.  He loved the simple
but informative writing and the wonderful photographs, and moved on from 
this survey of the solar system to have a more specific interest in Saturn.
At times he didn't want to hear all of every page, which I can handle, 
but he took in what he wanted to take in and really learned a lot.

THE TWIDDLEBUG'S DREAM HOUSE by Pat Tornborg, Photographs by Alan
Gelman
I got a whole bunch of Sesame Street  Book Club books at a yard sale. 
They varied WIDELY in quality.  Some I had to hide as I couldn't stand
to read them at all.  This one was by far the best of the bunch, and
is a very high ranking favorite of Willy's.  It's a book about the 
Twiddlebugs moving into a very well equipped dollhouse, and all
done with great photos of the doll furniture and decorations.
It's worth looking for.


These are the books I can find in a quick sweep of our bookshelf!  I will
try to add more a little sooner this time!  Happy reading to your own
young readers.

Suzanne Amara