Reddit mentions: The best children books about monkeys & apes

As others have said, she needs to be getting some kind of counseling ASAP, and that will also involve parenting strategies for you guys. Parenting classes would be a great idea too. I know you said money is an issue, but there are free and low-cost resources available. To start with, you might try calling one of these parenting hotlines:

National Parent Helpline: 1-855- 4A PARENT (1-855-427-2736)
24 hour Parent Helpline: 1-888-435-7553
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

Here's more info about that last hotline, it might be the best place to start: https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/

You can also check out this site for local resources: http://www.nationalparenthelpline.org/find-support/state-resources

In the meantime, here are a few tips off the top of my head:

• Remember that she's not TRYING to be "bad" or annoy you, even though it may seem like it. She's been through a lot, and has a lot of big confusing scary overwhelming feelings that she doesn't know what to do with. Kids act out as a way to communicate something, often because they have some need that is not being met in that moment - whether that's a basic need like being hungry or tired, or an emotional need for attention, comfort, or reassurance that the adults in her life can keep her safe. More on this idea here. When it seems like she's just being a little jerk, ask yourself, what is she trying to tell me? what does she need from me right now? how does this situation look from her perspective? Try to think "she's having a hard time" rather than "she's being a pain." She deserves every bit of calm and patience you can muster!
  
  
• Of course that doesn't mean inappropriate behavior is okay; in addition to figuring out the root problem, it's important to teach her better ways to express her needs and feelings rather than acting out. An important first step in this is teaching her to identify her emotions - 3 years old is not too young to start. Get some books from the library like The Way I Feel and The Feelings Book. Help her identify her emotions in daily life - "I bet you're feeling disappointed that we can't go to the park since it's raining." or "It looks like you're really angry right now." This also helps her feel validated and understood.
  
  
• The next step is teaching her more productive ways to handle those big feelings. Read some books like Little Monkey Calms Down and Anh's Anger that show good coping skills like taking deep breaths, talking about what's wrong, cuddling a stuffed animal, etc. Model those strategies yourself - "I'm starting to get frustrated right now, so I'm going to take some deep breaths instead of yelling." When she acts out her feelings inappropriately, remind her of some better choices - "I know you're angry right now, but hitting is not okay. Would you like to take some deep breaths like Little Monkey, or go sit with your anger like Anh?" Emphasize that all feelings are okay, but we need to act on them in ways that don't hurt other people. Try to watch for the signs that she's getting upset and head it off before she's in a full-blown meltdown. And of course a 3yo doesn't have the self-control to always make good choices (even when reminded), but by encouraging those options you're laying the foundation for better behavior and emotional regulation as she gets older.
  
  
• Related to the above points - rather than thinking in terms of "punishing" her behavior, think about helping her learn from mistakes so she will make better choices in the future. Hitting her just teaches that hitting is acceptable and whoever is biggest and strongest (you!) can get their way - this is even more confusing and damaging to a kid who's been abused. Instead try to use logical consequences that show her why her actions were a bad idea. For example if you're playing with her and she starts screaming, a logical consequence is that you stop playing and say, "I don't like it when you scream at me, that makes me not want to play with you. When you're ready to talk nicely I'll play with you again."
  
  
• Time-outs can be a way to interrupt bad behavior and get her to stop and think about what she's doing; however there's some research to suggest that they might not be appropriate for some kids who've been abused (definitely better than hitting though!). The goal of a time-out should be to help her calm down, and if she's screaming for an hour it doesn't sound like that's happening. You might try a time-in instead, where you calmly sit with her and discuss what happened. A calm-down jar can be a great tool as well - when she's upset, have her shake it up as hard as she can, get all her anger out, and then she has to sit quietly and watch until all the glitter has settled. When you meet with a counselor they will be able to better advise you about what strategies will work best in your situation. Just remember, your goal is to TEACH her not PUNISH her.
  
  
• Always make it clear that you dislike her BEHAVIOR, not HER. This seems like an obvious distinction - of course you still love her! - but to a young child, especially one who's been abused, punishment can feel like rejection of her as a person.
  
  
• Make sure you notice and praise her GOOD behavior. When a kid is misbehaving a lot, it can start to seem like everything they do is wrong. Constantly remind yourself to look for things she's doing RIGHT - and show her how much you appreciate them. For some ideas you might check out this awesome list of 10 phrases parents should use every day.
  
  
• Structure and routine go a long way toward helping kids feel safe. She's just dealt with a lot of big changes in her life; give her a predictable routine every day as much as possible so she can start to feel more in control again. If she has a security object (blanket or stuffed animal), never take that away as punishment - anything that helps her feel more secure is something you want to encourage.
  
  
• Keep in mind that this kid has been through a lot. If she's been abused, she's learned by example that hitting and yelling are okay; she probably feels like she could be hurt again at any time (it's hard for a 3yo to fully grasp that she's safe now); she probably has a lot of confusion and pain and anger about what's been done to her. Parenting a 3yo isn't easy even in the best of circumstances, but parenting a kid who's dealing with all this is an extra challenge. You need all the support you can get, especially from professionals who are trained to help kids in these situations. Getting her mom some help for what she's been through will be super important as well, both for her own sake and for her daughter.
  
  
• Also remember to cut yourself some slack - you're doing the best you can, and even if every day isn't a good day, try to find something good in every day. Good luck, keep us posted on how things are going!

Oh, I <3 looking for books for my kids!! They are 14, 13, 12, 11, and 5. Our son is the youngest, and he loves all the books that his older sisters loved when they were younger. :D

Oh my gosh...Get those kids some books!

• This is my favorite children's book.
  
  
• The Story of Ferdinand.
  
  
• This is one of my son's favorites...IronMan!.
  
  
• The Day My Mommy Quit.
  
  
• Dragons Love Tacos.
  
  
• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.
  
  
• I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love.
  
  
• The Day The Crayons Quit.
  
  
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
  
  
• Boom Chicka Rock.
  
  
• Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Mama Hook Knows Best: A Pirate Parent's Favorite Fables with CD.
  
  
• Are You My Mother?.
  
  
• Love You Forever.
  
  
• I Love You, Stinky Face.
  
  
• The Runaway Bunny.
  
  
• Oh, The Places You'll Go. Cool idea I saw on Pinterest with this book: Buy a copy and have each of your kids' teachers write a little note somewhere in it at the end of every year. Give the book to your kid as a graduation gift. I am doing this with our son now, I saw the idea too late to start it for our girls.
  
  
• Ten Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed.
  
  
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
  
  
• The Velveteen Rabbit. -- A HUGE FAVORITE!!
  
  
• Locomotive.
  
  
• Sleep Like A Tiger.
  
  
• The Lion And The Mouse.
  
  
• Blueberries for Sal.
  
  
• David Gets In Trouble.
  
  
• Press Here. This is a very fun book!
  
  
• The One and Only Ivan.
  
  
• The Polar Express.
  
  
• Flotsam.
  
  
• Only One You.
  
  
• Beautiful Oops!.
  
  I would love this book for our oldest daughter if I win, please.
  
  /u/DrUsual...can you think of any?
  
  Thank you for the contest!

Hey Hilde $2.99 - Children’s Book

Everybody loves monkeys! Now everyone will love and cheer for Hilde – the little Capuchin monkey who was rescued in Bolivia.

This true inspirational story will delight all children.

You’ve heard of Curious George, now meet the real Hilde and read her uplifting story.

If you love Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson you will love Hey Hildel

Donations from each sale will go to help animal sanctuaries, like the one Hilde calls home, in Bolivia.

Great for children ages 2-8

Hey Hilde $2.99 at Amazon

Touchpoints-Birth to Three -- This doctor/author is used by many hospitals in their new parent education (he has a video series).

Long-term, the best parenting book is Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. wherein a 1950s father laments the state of play among kids these days (in the 1950s). It will help you trust giving your kids time to play on their own, creating their own secret little worlds, instead of trying to manage every moment of their lives.

Good books for reading to your kid are really about quantity, not quality (although you want a minimum level of quality). Building vocabulary and understanding happens best by not reading the same tiny collection of books over and over again (which is also really boring for you).

Unless you're independently wealthy, that means either extensive use of your local library, or frequenting thrift stores and yard sales. On the latter, I can provide more advice (after 8 years, our home library of children's books hovers around 4,000).

Obviously, new board books have a certain allure during the first 18 months or so while your kid still tries to stick everything in his mouth. But if you're holding the book, no worries.

Three board books:

1. Everywhere Babies -- Our copy was mangled after two kids. My wife made me buy another copy for her as a keepsake.
   
   
2. Guess How Much I love You
   
   
3. Goodnight Gorilla -- the first book my kids laughed at, albeit they weren't introduced to it from birth, so the joke hit them as new.
   
   One serious I got great mileage from in toddlerhood was Disney's Out and About with Pooh 19 volume set. I'm no fan of Disney, but this is an excellent (out-of-print) series that teaches life lessons to toddlers. It's not like the AA Milne books, but you'll find that AA Milne's books are written for much older children, and much of their humor is intended (I think) for adults.
   
   Around the time you're experiencing first grade, Danny the Champion of the World is an excellent book for Dad to read to his kid. The focus of the book is the wonderful loving relationship the child has with his father, unlike so many other children's books where the parents are antagonists.
   

I know why everyone is so excited. There's only a couple of copies available at the Guelph library.

For your convenience, here is where you can get your own copy - and at a great price! Published May, 2016. Thanks dead-guy author for coming back to bring us the new adventures of the man in the yellow hat!

>It's the first day of Ramadan, and George is celebrating with his friend Kareem and his family. George helps Kareem with his first fast and joins in the evening celebration of tasting treats and enjoying a special meal. Then, George helps make gift baskets to donate to the needy, and watches for the crescent moon with the man in the yellow hat. Finally George joins in the Eid festivities to mark the end of his very first Ramadan.

Lovely book to share with the kids while fasting!

1. Everywhere Babies is excellent for birth through 18 or 24 months. It's a celebration of babies being loved (in rhyme), and so is loved by parents, and also toddlers.
   
   
2. Big Red Barn is a nice bedtime story as the animals go to sleep.
   
   
3. Then graduate to Going to Sleep on the Farm which has the same idea, but in much richer visual detail.
   
   
4. How Will We Get to the Beach is also nice. A mother is heading to the beach with her baby and several objects (umbrella, beach ball, etc.). On each page, Mom discovers her (ever-changing) mode of transportation won't do because it would mean leaving one of her things behind. For babies, it's a story. For toddlers, it's a memory game as you try to remember what's missing when Mom tries to get on the kayak, skateboard, hot air balloon, etc. There's also a tiny ladybug hidden on each page that older toddlers like to find.
   
   
5. Goodnight Gorilla is the first book that caused my daughter to laugh, due to the many voices given to the animals saying goodnight and the surprised sound I voice for the wife who realizes zoo animals are in her bedroom.
   
   
6. Morris the Moose has awesome humor for an older age child (3? 4? 5?) that is still quite good for adults, too.

My daughter was(is) a big fan of Little Blue Truck.

We also like Goodnight Gorilla and Peek a Who

For ones that can grow with her, I'd recommend:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Press Here
How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight

Honestly, anything by Mo Willems or Jane Yolen is going to be good! I have some books on my daughter's gift list too.

For more suggestions, a friend of mine is a librarian and has a TON of books pinned on Pinterest. Here's just one of her boards.

For us? My daughter can always use more books. We have a ton, but she loves them. I think I'm most interested in The Day the Crayons Quit for her right now. It looks really good and funny and we like to read a little above her level to her anyway (she's almost 4 so at the bottom of this one.)

Green eggs and ham.

There is light at the end of this tunnel. Kids learn by modeling. When you yell, that teaches her that yelling is okay. If you can remain calm, it will help her learn to regulate her emotions through watching how you deal with stress. It can be difficult to emotionally detach yourself from the tantrum, but if you can ignore it consistently, that is the best way to stop it in the future.

After the tantrum is over, and after she's calm, you can try to address the issue itself. Ask what she was feeling, then accept those feelings and don't try to downplay them. They are overwhelming for her in some way, so they are important. See if you can discuss what she could do next time she's feeling that way.

We have a calming place for our 3 year old, introduced about a 1.5 years ago. When she's feeling overwhelmed by emotions and is having trouble controlling herself, she can go there to calm down. She grabs a stuffed animal to hug, and we come with her and just hold her hand or reassure her that we're there for her (we say "I got you" which helps her a lot). We do breathing exercises. After six months of introducing the calming place, she barely ever needed it again. I think she uses it about once every other month nowadays.

One thing that helped was the book Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl. We have the entire series, and they are really engaging for our daughter. This one, in particular, is about how Little Monkey deals with a stressful situation, his emotions, and how to come out of it. That's actually where we got the taking deep breaths thing. When we read it, we try and act out some of the calming mechanisms so that when she is stressed for real she can try and cope, and we talk about how Little Monkey is feeling, why, and what he should do about it.

I know it is really difficult to do this sometimes, but really try to remember that when your child is having a tantrum, she is having difficulties. She is feeling overwhelmed. She feels like she needs something, and she can't control herself or her environment. At 4 she probably isn't trying to be manipulative or hurtful toward you. She really just doesn't know how to handle whatever situation she's in. Soft words, comforting, and understanding is the best way to get through it. Ignoring tantrums is probably how most people do it, but we usually give our daughter hugs and try to help her work her way through her feelings. It works for us. Both ways are fine. The key is to address the cause of the tantrum only after it is over and to never lose your own composure. If you can do those two things, then they are going to 100% stop.

Love love love reading to my two daughters - 1 and 3. My grandmother was an elementary school teacher, so we grew up always being read to and were quick to learn to read ourselves - and now am definitely passing that along to my kids. Each of them get three books before bed at the very least, and are always bringing books over for us to read to them. I love it when they're at the stage where they're just really learning to talk, and babble their way through pretending to read a book. :-)

Some of our favorite books lately have been:

• So Big!
  
• Bear Stays Up for Christmas
  
• Zen Shorts
  
• How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
  
• What Makes a Rainbow?
  
• Is Your Mama a Llama?
  
• The Very Quiet Cricket
  
• Five Little Monkeys
  
• Are You My Mother?
  
• Goodnight Moon
  
• I Love You Stinky Face
  
• (Any number of Clifford books)
  
• (lots of Dr. Seuss books)
  
  I still have my collection of books from when I was young - I am looking forward to introducing them to Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl as they get older.

Hey, infants and toddlers need books too!

Yummy Yucky was a favourite in our house. So were Dinosaur vs Bedtime and Goodnight Gorilla.

Getting a little bit older, my kids loved all the Arnold Lobel books and so did I. They were/are among the very few of my kids' books that I never ever got tired of reading over and over again, night after night.

Personally I loved the Madeline books and the Babar books, my daughter liked them but I could never get my son into them.

This was a huge favourite for both my kids in the toddler/preschool years. I can still recite some of those stories from memory (and do).

The original Thomas the Tank Engine stories are really charming. If your nephew ends up taking an interest in trains and that sort of thing, this is a gorgeous book.

eta: almost forgot: Maurice Sendak is essential. My kids can both recite Chicken Soup with Rice from beginning to end.

My oldest is three years old, and I've found that books are a great gateway to the horror media we all know and love. It started the October after he turned one, when we found "Slide and Find Spooky" at a library book sale. It was a big hit and we've since amassed a pretty good collection of similarly themed board books

Where is Baby's Pumpkin?

Eek! Halloween!

Spooky Pookie

Little Boo

Llama Llama Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween, Curious George

and picture books

Go Away, Big Green Monster!

Happy Halloween, Little Critter!

Clifford's Halloween

Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat

Berenstain Bears Go on a Ghost Walk

Bonaparte Falls Apart

​

This past fall we started watching some horror-themed television and movies. Good intros were

Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest

Hotel Transylvania

Coco

Scared Shrekless

The Nightmare Before Christmas

and especially the late sixties and late seventies iterations of Scooby-Doo. More recently we've gotten into Mystery Incorporated! (which is a treasure trove of horror references for grown-up fans, from Hellraiser's Lament Configuration and Eaten Alive's Starlight Hotel to Vincent Price and Jason Voorhees). Other kid-friendly movies that went over well have included

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein

The Monster Squad

Beetlejuice

and, oddly enough, Starman

​

Obviously, every kid is gonna have their own preferences and move at their own speed. I've been lucky that mine gets a real kick out of "spooky" things, likes to pretend we're ghosts or monsters as we play chase, etc. One benefit of enjoying this stuff together is that we can talk about how monsters are for fun and not real, and we've watched makeup tutorials on YouTube to see how artists help actors pretend to be monsters. We have yet to go through waking up from a nightmare about any of this, and I think the conversations we've had about the imaginary nature of these things have really helped with that.

You're in the First 100 Days of Darkness https://www.scarymommy.com/100-days-darkness-new-baby/

Today, my 2 year old told me she loved me, that she wanted to hug and cuddle me. She also practiced for 20 straight minutes all of the emotional regulation techniques I've taught her (embrace Daniel Tiger for toddlers, omg it's the best tool). She said how she felt, why she felt that way, started singing the relevant song, and did breathing exercises, and declared that she felt better. All on her own.

It does get better, little by little. It's all really freaking hard but one day you are able to sleep in increments of more than an hour, live in moments of more than 10 minutes at a time, and eat hot food and drink hot beverages without being interrupted. There will be a day where you're not touched out.

You've got this. You may not feel like it but you've got this. You're not alone.

And in case no one has told you, invasive thoughts are common. If you get them, you can go "hello thought, fuck you" or think the opposite of the thought. Or notice things around your room using all of your senses.

One thing that helped me get through the first two years is Pokémon Go on my phone for making sure I get outside. (I'm sure this is probably harder with twins)

Hugs and love to you. You'll get through this.

Edit: c&p from my comment below:
Sure! First of all, I got these books:

• Little Monkey Calms Down https://www.amazon.com/Little-Monkey-Calms-Hello-Genius/dp/1479522864
  
  
• Calm Down Time https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Down-Toddler-Tools-Elizabeth-Verdick/dp/1575423162/
  
  
• Bye Bye Time https://www.amazon.com/Bye-Bye-Toddler-Tools-Elizabeth-Verdick/dp/1575422999/
  
  ​
  
  Daniel Tiger, the show, is on Prime Video, but there's DT apps for iOS and android. I highly recommend the Daniel Tiger Parents app as it has all the songs/episode clips. We embraced the ipad long ago so she can use it independently and will go to that app and play the songs.
  
  I tried to memorize the DT songs for different emotions like mad, frustrated, and sad. Then when she's feeling a certain way, I would ask her how she feels, then say "Are you feeling mad/sad/frustrated/etc?" then sing the song, and say something like "let's reset", "how many blows do you think you would need to blow out...4 candles?" and held up 4 fingers. If she's feeling uncooperative, I'll go "can you help me blow out the candles?" and then we count as we blow them out. Or I'll ask her to help a stuffed animal.
  
  ​
  
  We also talk about choices a lot, good and bad choices. When she's making a bad choice, I tell her that she's making a bad choice and needs to reset herself and make good choices. "Kicking me is a bad choice. It hurts me. I cannot allow you to kick me or kick people. Are we allowed to kick others? Let's reset and take big breaths"
  
  I ask her a lot of open-ended questions, how are you feeling, what kind of choice are you making/was that, what was the bad choice, what can you do to make good choices next time? What can you do to reset?
  
  This morning, what she was doing was bringing me magnetic blocks, saying I needed to make a ladder or a house for a giraffe. Then it broke as she grabbed it. "I'm mad! Roar! I do breathing exercises." then she blew out several times, got off the couch, said something about how the blocks broke and she could make something else (I've reiterated to her that "The best thing about blocks breaking apart is that you get to make something new") and said she felt better and happy.
  
  ​
  
  Hope this helps! Sometimes it helps to have something physical for them to do when regulating. Or like, having them notice something around the room using their five senses. Oh! And you could have them hold their bellies and breathe in and out and notice how big their bellies get (I talk to her about how lungs work)
  
  

My son knew all his letters at age 2 as well. At 3 he was reading out street and shop signs, and now at 4 he can read simple books by himself. All we did was read books with him from a young age. He watches about an hour of TV/videos every day, stuff like Pingu or Dora or Thomas or kids' songs on youtube - none of which can be credited with teaching him to read, I think it was just reading with him.

Some of his favorite books (in chronological order):

• Classics like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  
  
• I See A Monster
  
  
• Funny Face - highly recommended, gave my two-yr-old a simple way to recognize and express his emotions
  
  
• Five Little Monkeys Jump on the Bed and other similar sing-along and/or play-along books, which greatly helped him begin to sight-read words.
  
  
• Catch Me, Catch Me, the first book he learned to read by himself. Simple rhyming text combined with his favorite theme, trains.
  
  
• That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown - his latest favorite: great story, great mix of repeating words and new/challenging words without ever going completely over his head.
  
  
  
  I'm a stay-at-home mom so we probably have more time to read with kids than families where both parents work. But even so maybe you can still try: we only read about one book a day on average, so making it a bedtime routine would put two-working-parent kids on the same footing as ours.

This is Amazon UK, and I notice your using Dollars, but these should be similar prices and probably have prime as well.

Nice little Curious George cuddly toy (No UK prime but free UK delivery)

A collection of Curious George Stories (has UK prime)

Collection of Horse Toys (has UK prime)

Basketball set (WARNING: Bad reviews, may not be too good but if it does turn out to be decent should be great! (No UK prime but free UK delivery)

Space Hopper, great for if you hate your Reddit buddy! (has UK prime, and pretty cheap)

Hope this helps!


EDIT: Also found this nice Curious George counting book, goes from 1 to 100 so pretty basic, but also has thing sot count on each page! And has UK Prime!

Copying this and adding some from another place i had posted it

Boynton books like pajama time and wake up are hits
Eric Carle like the very busy spider, mixed up chameleon, panda bear panda bear.
Pout pout fish
Bear snores on
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear https://www.amazon.com/dp/0859531821/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pQtezb6GYSVXT
Dr suess is a hit - Mr. Brown can moo can you, 1 fish 2 fish, green eggs and ham.
We have the 3 in this line because he loved the first one someone gave him so much cool dog school dog, fun dog sun dog, snow dog go dog - link - Cool Dog, School Dog https://www.amazon.com/dp/1477816704/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2RtezbBD2BBWB
The behavior series in these books are amazing - i used the paci one to quit paci and hands are not for hitting and feet are not for kicking to stop those unwanted behaviors - Feet Are Not for Kicking (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575421585/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_v4Hgzb4MFJ4YD

My kid is crazy about planets so we have some on planets too and he learned so much from them
Hello, World! Solar System https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553521039/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_h7HgzbRYET040 (this one still has pluto but whatever lol)
Solar System for Kids: The Planets and Their Moons https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682801152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_I8Hgzb7V5G69T

Little blue truck

My kid is also really into these wipe clean books and we spend about 45 mins snuggled on the couch doing them - this one is great but the dry erase marker it comes with is not that good, i just use a different one. We just skip the pages with time etc but he has a blast doing them
Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book (Wipe Clean Early Learning Activity Books) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312499221/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_49Hgzb8D8BE9T



He has way too many books but these are some of the favs.

I hope you don't mind multiple suggestions!

Where's My Teddy? (and other Jez Alborough books)

I love We're Going on a Bear Hunt especially if you learn the song!

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? (and other Bill Martin Jr. books)

From Head to Toe (and other Eric Carle books)

Caps for Sale (similar to Panda Bear and Head to Toe in its repetition but even more awesome)

I really like the Five Little Moneys series by Eileen Christelow.

Good Night Gorilla

Big Red Barn

Depending on how long she will listen to a story, I have a healthy obsession with Leo Lionni lately. Maybe Little Blue and Little Yellow would be a good starting place.

I Went Walking - I recently read this book to my class. After, we went on a walk and took pictures of the things we saw. I made a book with the pictures and my children are still obsessed with reading it because they memorized the pattern.

I want to keep going, but green eggs and ham.

Edit: I just wanted to add that there have been some amazing suggestions so far. Also, I freaking love Mo Willems!

Congratulations!

My kids are now adults, and I teach young children. Over the years, these are the books for very young children that I have found to have the most staying power.

Infant/Toddler/Early childhood books: (you can read these to a child under 1 year, he or she will appreciate the rhythmic sounds, and both words and pictures acquire meaning as time goes on.)

Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (simply the best parental bonding books)

What Do People Do All Day by Richard Scarry

PeekABoo, The Jolly Postman and Each Pear Each Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
All three books have engaging text and illustrations that both child and adult can appreciate.

Little Blue and Little Yellow This book, in my opinion, is a work of art on several levels. Kids never get tired of its reassurance.

No, David by David Shannon (but IMO the other David books are not nearly as good)

Caps for Sale Another book with repetitive rhythms for children, with an amusing story

Blueberries for Sal A classic that has stood the test of time, I still read this to the class every fall.

The Lion and the Mouse This is Aesop's fable, told with no words, only Jerry Pinkney's amazing illustrations. Two, three and four year olds ask for this story over and over again.

Other favorites:

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney

Ferdinand the Bull

The Cat in the Hat

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Authors to consider: Jan Brett, Shel Silverstein, Judith Viorst, E. B.White, Frank Asch, Roald Dahl.

Robert Munsch gets mixed reviews but to me, The Paperbag Princess is a must.

My daughter loves books and I really like some of the Sandra Boyton books. We got this vinyl one, "Barnyard Bath", for bathtime- it's silly, short, and gets the kids involved in cleaning the animals and then themselves.

Dear Zoo is a classic lift-the-flap with pretty sturdy flaps. Goodnight Gorilla is also an old school book with a simple story told mostly through the pictures.

I'm loving all the suggestions!

Mischief Managed!

I assume the answer is wine? Well the baby can't drink wine, So I found this grape rubber ducky: http://www.amazon.de/Duckshop-Fruchtiges-Quietscheentchen-Traube/dp/B00E64ZWL8/ref=br_it_dp_o_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2PMQ99RMHRDDN&coliid=I2202LUSKGZHSF

The second is a broom, which also a baby can't use. But a toothbrush is kind of like a broom for your mouth! http://www.amazon.de/Summer-Infant-Mundpflege-Set-6-teilig-Gr%C3%BCn/dp/B000H0JDGK/ref=sr_1_9?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1405350445&sr=1-9&keywords=zahnb%C3%BCrste

A Hat, so one of my fave children's books: http://www.amazon.de/Caps-Sale-Peddler-Monkeys-Business/dp/0064431436/ref=br_it_dp_o_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2PMQ99RMHRDDN&coliid=I32R69HWZ3WSEM

A Book, so a nightlight based on another favorite book: http://www.amazon.de/Niermann-Standby-Nachtlicht-Projektor-80036/dp/B00E6QXMNQ/ref=br_it_dp_o_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2PMQ99RMHRDDN&coliid=I2JZ

A trunk? So here's a toy box: http://www.amazon.de/K%C3%A4the-Kruse-55909-Alba-Spielzeugbox/dp/B004124UEA/ref=reg_hu-br_item-added

Bonus: A cape. This one is pretty self-explanatory: http://www.amazon.de/CTI-038922-Geschenkbox-Badeponcho-Waschhandschuh/dp/B005DGBA6E/ref=br_it_dp_o_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2PMQ99RMHRDDN&coliid=

Over in the Meadow

Little Blue Truck

One Duck Stuck

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Sheep in a Jeep

Jamberry

The Napping House

Hand Hand Fingers Thumb

Bubble Gum Bubble Gum

This brought back great memories. Also, type any title into youtube to listen to a reading so you know if you like the book before buying. As for category, "animal noises" or "onomatopoeia" are good search terms.

I assume by "grad school" you meant "grade school"?
Since he wants to work with animals, have him read [url=https://www.amazon.com/One-Only-Ivan-Katherine-Applegate/dp/0061992259]The One and Only Ivan[/url]. It's a beautiful book. Sad at times, but very honest and heartfelt.

I just want to tell you that my young daughters and I are completely enthralled with you and your work, thanks in large part to the Patrick McDonnell children's book about your childhood, Me . . . Jane, which we often read together with reverence and awe. You are an inspiration to all 3 of us.

My question: do you feel that this book is an accurate (if a bit simplified, for young children) portrayal of your childhood dreams and motivations?

My son is 14 months old and he LOVES reading time. It's actually quite strange. We've been reading to him since he was born, and he'll go into his room, get a book out, and sit down and "read" through it all by himself.

Some of our favorites:

• On the Night You Were Born My son will "dance" when the polar bear dancing page comes up...it's awesome
  
  
• The Greedy Python or any other Eric Carle book, really
  
  
• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb or any other Al Perkins. Similar to Dr. Suess.
  
  
• Horns to Toes and In Between or any other Susan Boynton.

These both look like great books and they both remind me of one of my daughter's favourites "Me... Jane" a very short and simple but inspirational re-telling of Jane Goodall's life story.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Reminds me of one of my favorite books as a kid: http://www.amazon.com/Caps-Sale-Peddler-Monkeys-Business/dp/0064431436 It is a favorite of my sons as well.

Hand Hand Fingers Thumb by Al Perkins. https://www.amazon.com/Fingers-Thumb-Bright-Early-Books/dp/0394810767/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Easy tiger. Calm down...
As I’m finding out more I’m asking more.
And so what if questions are similar.

Also. Take a look.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Curious-George-Learns-Count-100/dp/0547138415/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1542124749&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=learn+to+count&dpPl=1&dpID=51x01ckBREL&ref=plSrch

It's an escape tutorial

Why do I remember this book?

http://www.amazon.com/Caps-Sale-Peddler-Monkeys-Business/dp/0064431436

What kind? Did you get from a guy who got jacked by a monkey? That monkey was an asshole.

As a parent I immediately thought of this book: https://www.amazon.com/Caps-Sale-Peddler-Monkeys-Business/dp/0064431436

These are from my childhood:

Caps For Sale

Strega Nona

Madeline

Madeline always reminds me of this hilarious video from German director Werner Herzog.

Anyone read the Twits? First thing that came to mind.

Caps For Sale

Relevant

I can't remember if he hides behind a clock, but Good Night, Gorilla?