American children's books

No, Goodnight Moon is a very old book about a little rabbit who's procrastinating going to sleep. The colours are really old fashioned and the words are very soothing.

Eleanor Estes, for 8,9,10s. The Moffat Family stories, The Hundred Dresses, Ginger Pye. Wonderful, far better than Laura Ingalls Wilder, I think.

The Little Engine that Could and a book of poems called Dirt on My Shirt

Pete's a Pizza - a laugh and a great idea for a game with them...

Another Maurice Sendak that my two love: What can you do with a shoe?
Is Goodnight Moon the same as Goodnight Little Bear? it sounds familiar...
One I have just bought for older girls (10 ish?) is called Roller Skates (can't remember author but another Newbery winner)
Second Curious George and all Dr Seuss and similar

Don't know if anyone's mentioned books by Maira Kalman. DD was introduced to them by her godmother. The Pete Series and Ooh la la Max in love are the ones we have - very funny and well written.

So many great suggestions here! Agree Goodnight Moon and Goodnight Gorilla (although sound same are v different) are excellent for the very young. Paperbag princess feminist classic! No one yet mentioned the Harry stories: Harry the Dirty Dog, No Roses for Harry and Harry by the Sea. 1950's nostalgia bliss. New book out this year I loved was The King's Taster.

Ooh I like the Paperbag princess

The American version of "The Paperbag Princess" has to be the best ever children's book. I love it! Every year on book day I try to persuade DD to wear a paperbag to school, and she refuses and goes as a Disney Princess.

Agree re Sandra Boynton (genius) and the Magic Treehouse series

Aaah the velveteen rabbit looks lovely

The Velveteen Rabbit.
Books by EB White.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline someerother.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

McDuff stories like this one

Timothy goes to school

all remind me of being in America when DD reads them now - she's convinced she lived there too even though we moved back to the UK just before I got pregnant with her!

the day the babies crawled away looks fab

We loved picture books starring 'Little Crittur' which we bought in drugstores mainly, so I suspect they aren't considered 'works of great literature'! Also 'The Little Engine that Could' is an American childhood classic overlooked over here.

Oh and "The Day the Babies Crawled Away"

Wonderful!

We have

When Mama Come Home Tonight and On the Night You Were Born.

Lovely, lovely books.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom are both excellent.

Now I'm off to look at the others mentioned!

Olivia the pig appears to be almost exclusively American but I have no idea if they are any good (I was looking for presents for a small American girl called Olivia...)

we have Goodnight Moon and Goodnight Gorilla - I had no idea they were American "classics"

Been looking at Barnes and Noble and found these which look good too.

Drippy fish ; How do you Wokka Wokka ; All kinds of families ; When Mama comes home tonight ; Sophies big bed; Baby Bears chairs ;

Whats wrong with my hair ; On the night you were born ; Cloudy with a chance of meatballs ; The important book ; How full is your bucket ; Fancy Nancy

No excuses ; Max?s words ; Chicka chicka boom boom ; Jeremy draws a monster ; The gingerbread pirates ; The tiara club;

Peeny butter fudge ; Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the Last Day of Kindergarten ; Dad are you the tooth fairy ; Me and my animal friends ; The bad news report card

The American revolution from a-z ; Punctuation takes a vacation ; Extra credit ; Frindle ; Miss Daisy is Crazy ; The lemonade war; No Talking; Ivy and Bean ;

What to do when you worry to much ; Mr Klutz is nuts ; I spy A-Z ;

(Just putting it here so I can find it later)

Anyone read any of the above

My suggestions are a bit retro as we lived in the US when I was 3 and I have lots of picture books from then. No idea if they're still in print. So my list is:

Another vote for Blueberries for Sal - it's such a classic.
Make Way for Ducklings - another oldie but still lovely.
We All Sing with the Same Voice - originally a song from Sesame Street. No idea if you can get it over here but a friend sent it to me and my two have loved it since they were about 1. You can find the tune on Youtube.
Homer Price
The Sign on Rosie's Door
One Morning in Maine

Goodnight Gorilla
Blueberries for Sal
Ferdinand the bull
Jamboree
I went walking
Moonlight by jan ormerod
Sunshine also by jan ormerod

Plus seconding alot of others here esp Knuffle bunny which my toddler thinks is hilarious!

Agree about Little House (on the Prairie) books. Loved the originals as a child, and now my DC adore "My First Little House" books.

Obviously you have lots of special days throughout the year, presidents day, 4th July, Thanksgiving - can you reccomend any books on those ?

Hadn't heard of Shel Silverstein - see what people miss out on when they don't know, what other books exist.

The magic treehouse looks good too.

Are the Arthur books based on the tv show or the show on the books - not that it matters

The Berstein bears are fab I remember them from when I was little.

Are PD Eastman and Seuss somewhat "related" looking on Amazon and there seems to be a vibe between the two [dim witted?]

Kevin Henkes Lilly looks like a fab character too.

Thank you for the older suggestions as well - also look after "big" children so it's just as nice to have something for them to read/or have read to them.