Reading books to your loving, adoring child is a true highlight. Trapped into repeating “Lonky Zonky goes Kablooee” for the 39th time to your squirming, not-asleep child is a definite circle of hell. That said, for some reason there are books that are a delight to repeat. Also key: if there are multiples by the same author. This helps keep the books fresh while reducing search costs. Below are a selection of the Best of the Best for Team Benalish.
We are in a Book (or really anything by Mo Willems)
A grand champion of children’s lit, Mo Willems was a former Sesame Street animator and his books are just rock solid. From breaking the fourth wall (We are in a Book), to a trilogy of loss and redemption (the Knuffle Bunny saga), to a reluctant pigeon, Mo Willems is both prolific and shockingly funny/clever/heartfelt.
This is a little more Benalish Dad-centric, but it turns out that there’s a generation of D&D nerds who graduated to parenthood and are eager for instructional ABC books that read, “C is for Chupucabra with a lot to digest. D is for Demon who can be such a pest.” Fun, nerdy, and with delightful pictures, the authors have been branching out into some longer form material too.
Frankly, more children’s books would benefit from a touch of dark humor, and this story of a bear who lost his hat, and the lengths to which he would go to recover it, is actually pretty funny. Great art too.
Written by Neil Gaiman (of Neverwhere and other dark contemperary fantasy), it’s a story of a panda with a big, big sneeze. Also has a good building rhythm, (“Are you going to sneeze?” “Ah, AHH, AHHHHH. No.”)
Translated from Japanese, these books are an absolute delight. Also a very nice change of pace from Western toddler literature, these books follow two sisters on their semi-magical, very low key journeys through the woods, the town, the snowy day, etc.
Julia Donaldson is probably more famous for “The Gruffalo” but I really enjoy this one. Just infectiously catchy rhyme and rhythm. Let’s see how I do:
The witch had a cat
And a hat that was black
And long ginger hair
In a braid down her back
Part of the “Wordless Trilogy” these books are in fact, quite wordless. But the gorgeous art (and a modern retelling of “Harold and the Purple Crayon”) is very fun to read and create the story along with your Nugget.
Benalish Dad 
gotta throw a +1 on the Banshee.
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Thing #2 loves Room on the Broom but makes us skip the dragon, somewhat defeating the author’s intent in her own sweet way. Our favorite Julia Donaldson by far is The Snail and the Whale—the tale of how the tiny snail with her silvery trail saved the great big gray-blue humpback whale gets me every time.
Chu’s Day has been ordered, in time for the imminent birthday. How did I miss that Neil Gaiman had a written a book for small kids? Next you’re going that Stephenson has adapted Snow Crash for toddlers, right?
Upvote for all things Willems, especially Nanette’s Baguette. Also Upvote for I Want my Hat Back, but T2 lost interest after seeing an animated version on Kanopy. Hm.
Other T2+dad favorites: The Rabbit Listened; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and all things Sendak – esp. The Night Kitchen, Where the Wild Things Are, and Pierre.
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Oh I need to get on that snail & whale action! Sounds great.
The Rabbit Listened was one of our favorites too, though I cut it because it struck me as a one-off. Perhaps I’ll start another post that has the one-offs (Rabbit Listened, The Five Forms, etc.)
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