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?

Courtney

It's gorgeous.

Ooh mummydoc: Giant Jam Sandwich is one of my absolute faves too.

And a very obscure one: The Maggie B: I loved it as a child and tracked it down to by a copy for dd.

The Runaway Tram is also lovely, with gorgeous pictures and a very nostalgic storyline.

I didn't realise about the war theme with Peepo either...duh.

Pookie by Ivy Wallace

Really lovely, definately a tear jerker, even I cried and I'm dead 'ard

here

The Big Big Sea - Martin Waddell
(Beautiful illustration - a mother takes her little girl out at night to paddle in the moonlit sea.)

Once There were Giants - Martin Waddell
(About growing up - 'now one of the giants is me')

Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present - Charlotte Zolotow
(Dreamy blues and greens and gentle humour as Mr Rabbit suggests presents for a little girl's mother whilst helping her assemble a gorgeous basket of fruit - "She likes blue...you can't give her blue...something blue maybe...stars are blue....I can't give her stars, but I would if I could" etc)

The Green Ship - Quentin Blake
(Children discover an amazing 'ship' in a garden and make friends with an old lady who sails them 'into the eye of the storm'.)

Also love The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden - a heartrending Christmas story 'about wishing'. An orphan and an unsold doll find one another and find new home too.

Many many more.

so glad this thread came up again - meant to bookmark a while back but forgot. some GREAT books here

Beegu
Can't you sleep little bear
the Olivia books - I think he has children spot on....
Giraffes can't dance
Little Red Train books - illustrations are wonderful...
The Blue Balloon

not keen on Owl Babys - but DS likes it...

The jolly postman, the book always delights my girls even tho we know the postman is brigin letter and postcards, and they read it a million times!

Funnybones by the Ahlbergs! Classic.

'Boy', 'The World of Willy Whiskers' and 'Bogwopit'.

Different ages and all great books. IMO (obviously).

the tiger who came to tea - obviously!

DD especially likes it when we substitute her name with Lucy's and lucy's mummy becomes me and we do ridiculous voices!

DS likes it when the tiger drinks Daddy's beer.

...and drinks all the water in the taps so lucy can't have a bath! (still not sure if this is a good thing or not?) Whatever, thanks to the tiger, lucy goes out in her nightdress to have sausages, chips and ice cream for tea (dd's favs)

Oscar Wilde - The Selfish Giant

Lovely lovely - and the Happy Prince. My Dad used to read them to us but I haven't been able to without a lump in my throat too big to speak. (Dad is dead otherwise I'd have got him to read them.)

I will always remember my Mum giving me 'The Velveteen Rabbit' for Christmas when I was little and her starting to blub as she read it to us on Christmas Day. We were at my grandparents' house and my granny came rushing over to hug my Mum to find out what was wrong - it was a moment of such tenderness which will stay with me forever and a whole new side we saw of my granny who we had always thought of as really scary!

Books that I have discovered since having my own kids which I love but haven't (I think) been mentioned so far:

Where the Fairies Fly - Jane Simmons - the illustrations are gorgeous and the story is so lovely; I love the pic of Lucy and Jamie snuggled up in bed together at the end
Snow Bears - Martin Waddell - where they're all eating hot toast by the fire makes me want to be there in the room with them
The Magic Sky - Lucy Richards - anything with bears in it seems to appeal to me And it's educational too!

'This is the bear' I loved reading it to ds.
'Owl babies' obviously!
For older children 'Kensukes's Kingdom' is lovely and will make you cry at the end.

The Red Bird by Astrid Lindgren. Wonderful and weepy.

Necklace of raindrops

I kept it and read it to dd1 for the 1st time about 3 months ago. Captivated...

Bob Robber and Dancing Jane - I used to beg my dds to read it. It makes me feel hopeful again.

Way too many to list them all, however token few:
Tango makes Three - true story about penguins
Penguin Post - another Debi Gliori
Goodnight Moon - lovely rhyming book
Charlotte's Web
Babe

And one I adored as a child - When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

I can't do older children's books, because I still enjoy reading them now, and am always finding new and really good ones. This week I am reading The Wizard of Earthsea to the children and remembering what a great book that is. I'm also reading to myself all the Carneige Award winners from the library and there are some excellent and very thoughtful books there too. As my children have passed picture book age I can be more selective I think.

I think the Snail and the Whale is probably my favourite

Also the Baby who wouldn't go to Sleep (partly because the baby looked a little like ds)

The Bear under the Stairs

Draw me a Star

Alberto the Alligator

Six Dinner Sid

nooka - have you read "the changeover"? Can't remember the Author, was the 1st love story I ever read and was a carnegie winner...

One that I got recently and we all love is Library Lion.

Reality that made me cry all right. Might get it for me and dh rather than the dc.

Must join the library rather than visit bookshop.

The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson is the most wonderful childrens book....
I can't believe it isn't more popular. It really really should be.
every household should have it!