The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1894)
Favorite Illustrator: ANGEL DOMINGUEZ
I had planned to hold off reading The Jungle Book to my son until he was a little older, but he wanted to read it. He is snake-crazy you see, and oh boy are there some great snake scenes/stories between Kaa and Nag and Nagaina and Karait. So read it we did…and he enjoyed the action, and I enjoyed the beauty of it’s prose and poetry (and the action).
DO NOTE I would make sure your kids are comfortable with hunting, death and the natural cycle of life and struggle of nature before reading it. My son’s favorite things to watch during TV time are nature documentaries so I felt he was ready. Otherwise you might want to opt for an abridged version (I will cover this classic sometime in 2022 so stay tuned!)
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Jungle Book Illustrated by Angel Dominguez from Abebooks
1900-1910
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Our Favorite Illustrator: ROBERT INGPEN
Although The Wind in the Willows is a book for children, it is not the easiest read aloud book for young children. The syntax is a bit complicated, and the language challenging.
However, the content is magical. So for that reason, I chose to read it to my 5 year old son. It was not easy, I had to explain a great deal, and summarize every page up until Chapter III, when he began to follow the story on his own, but I am so happy we pushed through. We read a version that had sparse illustrations, and it is how the idea for this blog began because with a different version it would have been so much easier!
I plan to do a study on the various illustrators of this classic in 2022 as well so stay tuned! Click here for my feature on illustrator Robert Ingpen.
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Wind in the Willows Illustrated by Robert Ingpen from Amazon
The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs (1918)
Illustrated By: MAY GIBBS (the Author)
Incredibly imaginative with great characters. What a fantastic world May Gibbs has created. I can understand why this has remained a classic in Australia for over 100 years! It does take a bit of getting used to though as the book has a nonstop tempo (“and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened” ); I had to go back and reread bits to make sure my son and I followed what was going on. My 5-year old’s report: “I want more Snugglepot and Cuddlepie adventures!”
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Illustrated by the Author from Abebooks
1920’s
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne (1926)
Illustrated by: ERNEST H. SHEPARD (the above cover contains colorized illustrations and will be available January, 2022).
I’ve read many Disney adapted versions, and enjoyed them all, but the original stories have such purity that you feel as if you are being newly introduced to old friends.
We used an audio version for this one and loved it! Look for the version performed by a cast of wonderful actors (two of which are Stephen Fry and Judi Dench). It is well worth the purchase.
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Winnie-the-Pooh Illustrated by E.H. Shepard from Amazon
∞ The Collected Stories of Winnie-the-Pooh Full Cast Dramatization Audible Audiobook
Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf (1938)
Illustrated by: ROBERT LAWSON
This is a longer picture book by the same author and illustrator team that did The Story of Ferdinand. A charming book that takes a couple of reads to fully appreciate. My 5 year old son loved this and had me read it to him twice in a row the first time we read it together. Young Wee Gillis must choose between becoming a Highlander or a Lowlander until a third option makes itself available. Short enough to read in one sitting.
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Wee Gillis Illustrated by Robert Lawson from Amazon
Wolf Story by William McCleery (1947)
Illustrated by: WARREN CHAPPELL.
This book is just wonderful. I loved everything about it. The story within a story design was new and fantastic for my 5-year old, who wanted “one more chapter” each reading. I loved the idiosyncrasies the parents in Wolf Story share with modern parents-I found it delightfully amusing; even though 73 years have passed since this book was written you can still chuckle about the shared things we do as parents. The end was brilliant.
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Wolf Story Illustrated by Warren Chappell from Amazon
Illustrated by GARTH WILLIAMS
It took me a long time to pick up Charlotte’s Web to read to my then 4 year old because I was concerned that the death of Charlotte, and Wilbur’s anxiety over the possibility of him being killed, would be too much for my son. However it didn’t bother him at all, neither did Charlotte’s passing. He loved it and only commented at the end was that he did not expect that!
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Charlotte’s Web Illustrated by Garth Williams from Amazon
1960’s
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (1960)
Illustrated by: GARTH WILLIAMS.
I absolutely love this book. Read it with a music source nearby. Both my 5 year old son and I sat in silence when we finished it. Wow! We read it directly after reading Charlotte’s Web (it wasn’t planned it just happened to be the two books I had at home once all the libraries closed after Covid began). It was lovely to go straight from the farm (where we learn a little about crickets by the way) to a subway station in the great city!
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Cricket in Times Square Illustrated by George Selden from Amazon
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater (1977)
Our Favorite Illustrator: This one is a toss up between TONY AUTH and JILL PINKWATER. Both have their individual style to fit the story. I ended up going with Tony Auth due to his version being the one I found at our local library, but with either you can’t go wrong.
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Hoboken Chicken Emergency Illustrated by Tony Auth from Amazon
∞ The Hoboken Chicken Emergency Illustrated by Jill Pinkwater from Amazon
The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban (1986)
Illustrated by QUENTIN BLAKE
Ok this book is a strange one! Watching the Tim Curry animated version afterwards kind of enchanted my son and I, and slowly, slowly, we grew to love the book. If you read it, let me know what you think!
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ The Marzipan Pig Illustrated by Quentin Blake from Amazon
Paddy’s Pot of Gold by Dick King-Smith (1990)
Illustrated by: DAVID PARKINS.
Paddy’s Pot of Gold was one of the first chapter books we read. I had never read Dick King-Smith before but almost from the start both my son and I were enchanted! I found it among several books set out in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, but it is not especially holiday related. Nonetheless it may become our annual March read for a few years! This book can be especially magical for only children!
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Paddy’s Pot of Gold Illustrated by David Parkins from Abebooks
Dodsworth in New York by Tim Egan (2007)
Illustrated by: TIM EGAN (Illustrated by the Author)
Humorous story with a great lesson on taking responsibility. I love that a couple of years after reading it to my son, he can read it back to me, as it’s a great early reader book series as well!
WHERE TO BUY:
∞ Dodsworth in New York Illustrated by the Author from Amazon
The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems
Illustrated by: Tony DiTerlizzi.
