What is the _loveliest_ children's book you have ever read?

[lisalisa]

My personal favourite in the "loveliest" stakes is Lulie the Iceberg. Every time I read it with my dcs we are captivated by the beautiful art work and vibrant colours and the depth and breadth of description of Lulie the Iceberg's journey from the Artic to Antartica as well as the sheer variety of wildlife all beatifully illustrated.

It is a real feel good book and not only entertains and marvels but also sparks questions and discussions with dcs about geography and animals.

Quite the loveliest book I have seen and shared with my dcs......

What is yours?

dont set me off!! (heavily preg. and hormonal)

also all of the disney princess books - the depth of narrative is hard to beat

'No Matter What' and 'Some Dogs Do' are my all time favorites.

DH gave me 'No Matter What' on our wedding day so it has extra special. He also read it everyday to my bump when I was expecting DD.

olly and me (Shirley Hughes)

poems about a little girl of about 3 and her little brother.

I love it because DS1 always points at the girl and says 'that's me and theres my baby brother'(so I change the names to their names,he has never once complained that she's a girl .

and he sighs an all knowing sigh at the poem about being strapped into carseats as if to say 'oh I know how that feels'

ps I sob pathetically during GUess how much as well as this little baby...

OH MY GOD, I always thought Peepo was a bit smug and pious because I'd never noticed the war elements! I feel like a total idiot now.

I had thought it was an exercise in nostalgia, all 'wasn't life simple way back when, kids didn't have all these toys' blah blah, which is what irritated me. But now I've read it again since you all mentioned his father going off to war and everything, and I'm a blubbering wreck! What a fool. Gawd bless mn, that's all I can say.

Just seen this oysterpots! You'll blub every time now, you mark my words...

Aliens love underpants - Claire Freedman
The lion wha wanted to be loved - Giles Andreae
Snow Friends - Christine Butler
The Very Lazy Ladybird - Isobel Finn
All Julia Donaldson books - Room on a Broom and Sharing a Shell in particular
All Hairy McClary stories - Scarface claw makes my DD hide under her duvet

Any Alfie book
The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis - made my dd(5) cry big tears
Lettice

We like The Train Ride as it's so lovely to read aloud.

Will come back to this thread for book ideas - well done lisalisa

The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge (for aged 7 upwards I should think - I've read it so many times the pages have turned velvety soft!)
Ponder and William by Barbara Softly(tried to get from Amazon but unfortunately out of print but if you can get it secondhand, it's lovely!) I read it to my 4yr old ds and it's easy enough for him to read himself once he's a bit older.
Younger readers:
Snowbears by Martin Waddell
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffries
Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson
Colours by Shirley Hughes

Henrietta's House - Elizabeth Goudge

Giraffes Can't Dance - love this one.

eekamoose - me too with 'Sophie and the new baby'. Couldn't get through it without sobbing (as I am now )

Zagazoo by Quentin Blake.

There's something very moving about the way George and Bella subtly age (before turning into Pelicans which admittedly is not that subtle). And for some reason, the ending 'Isn't life amazing?' always make me well up. Just the sheer optimism of it.

The Velveteen Rabbit

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Thanks realityismyonlydelusion, for introducing me to Love You Forever - it had escaped me somehow. It's beautiful and I'm going to order it. Just googled and found out that Munsch wrote it as a memorial for 2 stillborn babies he and his wife had in the late 70s/early eighties. (sorry if someone else has said - haven't read whole thread.)

Christiana, I love love love Astrid Lindgren too. Read her books as a child many many times. Particularly Pippi is the best book ever

As for current favourites (DS is 6 months only...) 'Guess how much I love you' is beautiful, it shows so well how parents will always love their kids just a tiny bit more than the kids love the parents. And 'Goodnight moon', another classic, is amazing when putting your little one to bed. I also love the Olivia books by Ian Falconer. Surprised no-one mentioned them, they're really beautiful, funny & very smart.

For illustrations it has to be a necklace of raindrops/harp of fishbones.

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk is one of my recent favourites.

I loved the Velveteen Rabbit when I was little....

Sandbear by Shen Roddie. The language is lovely and the story is by turns sad and uplifting which is something most children's books don't manage.

I am mostly in love with these two books right now...

www.amazon.co.uk/Mud-Pies-Other-Recipes-Cookbook/dp/0802774873/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=123434 3124&sr=1-2

www.amazon.co.uk/You-Are-My-I-Love/dp/039923392X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234343203&sr=1-1

I also love the Velveteen Rabbit - I tell dd a story about her wooden pull along dog that lends most of its plot to The Velveteen Rabbit - when she is bigger I have this image of her reading The Velveteen Rabbit and going "Urrrmmm - Mummy - I think Margery Williams copied your story!!!"

Bronze - tell us more about raindrops/harp of fishbones pleeeaaaase - I don't think I know it and am sure I would love it too.

DD has started to collect Beatrix Potter books - each as divine and special as the next!!! - She is fabbytastic!

another vote for Snail and the Whale. And Where the Wild Things Are.

"Love You Forever" will always be the book from that Friends' episode to me!

"Where did that baby come from" and "Annie Rose is my little sister" are two of my favourites. I cannot read them without sobbing, they are such beautiful stories about siblings. My first born is a boy and my second born a girl so the Annie Rose book is particularly precious.