I'm trying to create a better library for our little preschool playgroup and was hoping you all would have some suggestions for the must-have books. Must be non-violent, non-Disney. Thanks so much!

I pretty much love anything by Eric Carle=)
Just off the top of my head... I'll see if anything else pops into the ol' brain.

Nelle

We like Eric Carle, too! Dr. Suess board books. Here is a list of some of our favorites.

Spot books
Hop on Pop
Go Dog Go
Brown Bear, Brown Bear
Panda Bear, Panda Bear
Pat the bunny books
Going to sleep on the Farm

I know some people love Good NIght Moon and I'll love you forever (I think that is it with the bunny?) but my boys have never really cared for either of those.

That is all I can think of right now.

ITA with the Eric Carle books. Though they are board books our whole family loves Sandra Boyton books. They are everyone's favorite.

Also, Stone Soup, I'll Love You Forever and Where the Wild Things Are (last one by Maurice Sendak). My girls also like I Love You the Purplest.

Ooooh! All of the Young Little House on the praire books! My dd LOOOOVES them all!!!! They are perfect for preschoolers. :thumbsup:

My son really likes "But Not the Hippopotamus" by Sandr Boyton

At 1 he is able to shake his head yes and no along with the book and he can identify some of the things they do in the book, like he signs drink on the page where they have juice and signs hat when they wear the hats.

My son (age 4) loves

--The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

--The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed

--The Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow (though this book does use the word "stupid", which I don't like :( I usually just replace it with "silly" when I am reading it

--The Story of the RootChildren by Sibylle Von Olfers

--Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Five in a Row (http://www.fiveinarow.com/fiar/booklist.html) has a wonderful list. My children especially love Who Owns the Sun? and The Rag Coat.

Before Five in a Row (http://www.fiveinarow.com/before/booklist.html) is great, as well.

Other favorites:

Click, Clack, Moo -- Cows That Type by Doreen Croninand Betsy Lewin

All the Eric Carle books

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and the others she's written

Eric Carle books

Chris Van Allsburg ("The Polar Express" etc - some of these you might want to preread... I love the illustrations)

Robert Munsch ("I'll Love you Forever" "The Paper Bag Princess" etc)

Frog and Toad books

DH and Daniel just finished "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" - a chapter book by Beverly Cleary and Daniel loved it. I think it helps that DH has a motorcycle :p

Dr. Suess of course - if you haven't read them, you can see the political statements underlying in some of them... If that's a concern for you pre-read

"Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel" and others by Virginia Lee Burton

Ezra Jack Keats ("The Snowy Day" etc - all set in the city)

Cynthia Rylant (DS is enjoying the Poppleton books right now)

Jane Yolen ("Owl Moon")

Margaret Wise Brown ("Goodnight Moon")

Judith Viorst ("Alexander and the TErrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day")

Shel Silverstein ("The Giving Tree" NOTE: "Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book" is NOT for children )

~amey (books mentioned after authors are merely examples - i think all of them have MANY good books)

Off the top of my head, a great one that has environmental messages is "The Salamander Room"

:D

I like a lot of the books mentioned and:

_Is your Mama a LLama?_ by Deborah Guarino

We're Going on a bear hunt ( a universal hit!)

The Three Bears
The Little Red Hen -both by Byron Barton (these are simpler versions of these classic tales with graphic, bold illustrations that kids love.)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle

Is your Mama a Llama, Stephen Kellogg

Wheels on the bus, Paul Zelinsky (this is a cheeky version done with action tabs, very cute, read daily here.)

Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka

Anything by Rosemary Wells, but especially Noisy Nora and Max's Chocolate Chicken (for Easter-time)

Trashy Town, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (he does Oswald)

Maurice Sendak:

In the Night Kitchen
Where the Wild Things Are
Nutshell Library (these are little books that have songs written and performed by Carole King about them, like Alligators All Around, a sweet and funny alphabet song. This is a necessity of childhood, but much meaning is added with the video song or CD song listened to.)

Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik, illus. by Maurice Sendak (another necessity of childhood)

Here Comes Mother Goose, illus. by Rosemary Wells

I know there are more, I'm just blanking right now on others. This is a good start imo. -Laura

Favorites at my house, sorry if any repeats, no time to read all the responses:

The Frances books (Although, the night time book talks about spanking.)
Bread and Jam for Frances
Best Friends for Frances
etc

Kipper books

If You Give a Mouse a Cookies, and all the others

Books by the author of Curious George

Molly Brett books

Jan Brett books

Tasha Tudor books

Little Bear books

Margaret Wise Brown books

Eloise Wilkins books

Beatrix Potter stories

Caps for Sale

Pig in the Pond

OK, this is one about death of an older pig, nicely done!
Old Pig

Only the Cat Saw -Love this one!

Grandfather Twilight

Hope

My 3 year old loves the book I Stink. It's about a garbage truck. I don't know the author. She also likes anything by Pat Hutchins, Rosemary Wells (Max & Ruby), Stan & Jan Berenstain, Robert Munsch, or Richard Scarry. She likes Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer, Huggly books by Tedd Arnold, and Maisy books by Lucy Cousins.

She really likes Carl books. They are about a Rottweiler and a baby. I believe the authors name is Day, but not sure. She loves to tell me the story!

Harold and the Purple Crayon are good books, she always likes to try to copy the pictures.

She doesn't care for Goodnight Moon but really likes The Whispering Rabbit and Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.

Pig in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud by Lynn Plourde

The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Porvenson

Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley. Not a lot of words but cute bright vivid pictures.

Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simmy Taback. Excellent illustrations with this version. There is also There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by another author that is really good.

Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson

william's doll

pete's a pizza

Rosie's walk

If you were born a kitten

Love song for a baby

have you got my purr?

Mama, Mama and Papa, Papa.
If you give a mouse a cookie-Lily LOVES the page where he's holding his throat and gasping because he's so thirsty. ;)
Goodnight Gorilla-this has no words but is a really cool book, they both love it.
Flora's Blanket.
Mother Earth.
Those are a few of Lily's favorites.

Some of our favorites:

More More More said the Baby

All the Places to Love (beautiful illustrations, about the love of a family spanning generations, this makes me cry every time)

Corduroy

Guess How Much I Love You

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (older preschooler would enjoy this being read aloud)

Sheep in a Jeep

THE book in our house is Please Baby Please. It is not all that long, wonerful to look at and true to life with a toddler!!
I give this book at all 2y birthdays.

anything sandra boynton

Chicka chicka boom boom

and an awesome awesome book for older toddler/preschool aged kids who have a baby in the house - I can't talk yet, but when I do :heart:

The Colors of Us

Yoko's Paper Crane

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight
How Do DInosaurs Clean Their Rooms
How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Out Her Wash
Oh My Gosh, Mrs. McNosh

Mama Don't Allow