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The LearningBug recommends these 
Super Seven picture book classics

1.  Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown - All of our 
children adored this time honored picture book.  Our daughter even memorized it over time.  It's the story of a young rabbit and all his bedtime rituals.  He says goodnight to everything in sight, including the "young mouse" who reappears throughout the story.  The book concludes with a whisper and hush.  All the while, the bunny's room has darkened, and we leave him well on the way to slumber.  The poetic lyricism is beautiful, and the story is timeless. 
2.  Owl Moon by Jane Yolen - This 1988 Caldecott Honor book tells the delightful story of a little girl bundling up late on a winter's night to tramp through the woods with her father to go owling.  With nothing but hope and each other, she wonders if his "who-who-who-whooooo" be enough to call in a Great Horned Owl.  The illustrations are watercolor washes and bring a richness to the story that is in complete harmony with the text.  Whether you live in the city, the country, or suburbia, this book will weave a magical adventure for your child. 
3.  Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown - This book was one of my favorite childhood stories, and it was such a pleasure to share it with my children.  Imean, who wouldn't want to hold a little furry creature tiny enough to fit in your hand and give it a kiss on its little fur nose to send it on its way?  This book is classic Margaret Wise Brown magic and lyricism.  It is a most peaceful bedtime story.  Try to find the fur-covered version!
4.  Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - Enter the world of a child who has been pushing the limits all day long and has finally "crossed the line" with his mother. She sends him to bed with no supper - "wild thing" that he is.  And there in his white hooded pajamas, he does what any imaginative child would do:  He discovers the land where the wild things are.  It it a dream?  Is it real?  It hardly makes a difference as we see the child befriended by all manner of wild things.  Together they raise a rumpus, and the child is crowned King of all the Wild Things...before he finds his way home and discovers his supper - still warm - waiting at his bedside.  This is a delightful story with marvelous illustrations that you and your child will enjoy and remember for years to come.
5.  Katy and the Big Snow  by Virginia Lee Burton - The author may be better known for his excellent story, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, but my children adored Katy and the Big Snow because it combined their fondness for heavy construction machinery with that heartfelt wish for the biggest blizzard ever.  And so this story begins with a drizzle that turns into snow so thick that it blankets the entire city.  It is too much for the regular plows.  It is time to call in Katy, the snow plow reserved for only the worst possible weather conditions. Where other plows get stuck in the snow, Katy just keeps on truckin'!  Methodically and efficiently, she digs out her city - beginning with the essentials (like the hospital) and moving on to the main streets with the post office and stores - and finally digging out the side streets.  It is a long day for Katy!  She deserves a rest, but WOW, is she happy!  If your child loves trucks, bulldozers, excavators, and backhoes, he or she will be right in the driver's seat when everyone depends on Katy to clear the roads after the Big Snow!
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6.  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - Though written for children (and perhaps a bit long for the very young), The Giving Tree has lessons for people of all ages - lessons touching on friendship, love, and sacrifice.  With few words and beautiful pen and ink illustrations, the author describes the ever evolving relationship between a boy and an apple tree.  As the boy grows up, he asks more and more of the tree - who gives and gives - until the boy is an old man, and the tree is ancient with nothing more to give.  Or is there more?  After all, with love, aren't all things possible?  Here is a wonderful book that is written simply, but its simplicity belies the profound lessons it teaches to all who turn its pages.
7.  The Polar Express by Chris Van Arlsburg - This is the best children's Christmas book ever written, and it is likely to have your child believing in the magic of Christmas a wee bit longer.  It may even make you a believer once again too!  Along with the young boy in this story, your child will board a train - a magnificent steam engine, its cars filled with other youngsters.  The lyrical prose will take you on a Christmas Eve journey to the North Pole where the boy in our story receives the first gift of Christmas from Santa himself.  Though he can have any toy in the world, he chooses a silver reindeer bell from Santa's sleigh.  What happens to the bell that night, on Christmas morning, and in the years to come is a poignant reminder of the loss of innocence we all experience at one time or another.  And if you are like me, make sure you have a tissue handy when you read this Christmas treasure.  It is truly Chris Van Arlsburg's gift of the season!





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