Brian of Pizzaspotz
Pizza night with the kids is fun
Eating pizza with your kids is one of the most favorite of all family nights. Whether you go to Chuck E. Cheese or IT’s Pizza or Incredible Universe or someplace else with your kids for pizza night, here are some great Margaret Wise Brown Books to read to them when the night is through.
BONUS BOOK. Big Red Barn
Big Red Barn on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.7 Stars
In the past, a picture book author wasn’t worth his or her weight in salt if they didn’t do a barn or rural themed book. In fact, in the early years of children’s literature, the city and all things in it were considered bad and the simple rural life found in the country was the true ideal for all boys and girls. In this barnyard tale, the animals live in tranquility with one another as a day in the life of a farm is described with rhythmic text.
BONUS BOOK. The Little Island
The Little Island on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.4 Stars
If I remember correctly, there is an illustration of Margaret Wise Brown’s house in this book. She and the illustrator were friends. The story speaks of the different seasons the island experiences and the various animals found in the seasons. A small kitten arrives on the island and some people think it is an inappropriate entry for a book about seasons. Who can argue with Margaret Wise Brown or Golden MacDonald? (her pen name for this title). This is a great book and your young children will enjoy it.
8. A Pussycat’s Christmas
A Pussycat’s Christmas on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.8 Stars
Any Christmas book is great to read, but a Margaret Wise Brown Christmas book is a delight. This is the first of two Margaret Wise Brown Christmas themed books in our list. Through the eyes and ears of a friendly black and white cat, the sights of Christmas come alive. The lilting and rhythmic text are a perfect match for the lifelike illustrations. A magical time like Christmas deserves a simple book that only Margaret Wise Brown could pen. If you can only get one Christmas picture book, get this one, but…you’d also have to go get the other Christmas book she wrote which you’ll soon read about.
7. The Important Book
The Important Book on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.4 Stars
What is important to your child? There are items like a daisy, a spoon and the rain found within the pages of The Important Book and Margaret Wise Brown writes exactly what is the most important aspect of each item. However, a writer with the talent of Margaret Wise Brown was not being didactic in her writing, but opening up an avenue for debate. Maybe some children will think that the most important thing about a spoon is not that you eat with it or that the most important thing about a daisy is not that it’s white. Margaret Wise Brown uses the brilliant text in this book to open up children’s minds, not close them.
6. The Noisy Book
The Noisy Book on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.2 Stars
A favorite from many childhoods, The Noisy Book follows Muffin, a little dog who has a bandage over his eyes. Hence the name The Noisy Book, the text goes into details about all the noises Muffin hears. It’s a guessing game as to what the next noise will be. Kids will love this book. Create new memories in your family by reading this book with your own children.
5. Five Little Firemen
Five Little Firemen on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.5 Stars
This is a nice little book that will make all boys happy. Boys like fire trucks and firemen. Our copy of Five Little Firemen is actually autographed by the firemen at Station #4 in Irving, TX. They had an open house and we were invited to attend. My son took this book and each fireman signed it for him. This will always be a great memory. As for the book itself, the melodic text jumps from the pages like the flames from the buildings. These five little firemen are heroes to everyone in the book and help keep that belief about firemen alive for all to learn for ages to come. Thank you to all emergency workers for risking their lives for us daily.
4.Seven Little Postmen
Seven Little Postmen on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.8 Stars
Our copy of Seven Little Postmen has a heart wrenching dedication and story behind it. We bought our copy at a now defunct thrift store and I cried when I read the dedication from grandmother to grandchild. It was almost a plea to the child to be able to write grandma a letter, not just to the grandchild, but to his parents. “Please,” it seemed to beg, “Please let our grandson see us or at least send us a letter.” Reading the story afterwards broke my heart. Nevertheless, the illustrations are thrilling. I love the style of Tibor Gergely. Although he has illustrated many different books, The Seven Little Postmen is one of my all-time favorites from his pen. The postmen in this Margaret Wise Brown tale seem to be a bit more jolly than what we see from the postal service today. The story tracks a letter to grandma from beginning to with lots of lyrical lines and details thrown in for good measure. This is simply a brilliant book.
3.On Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.6 Stars
Every great picture book writer needs a Christmas classic and I feel this is the Margaret Wise Brown Christmas classic. The illustrations definitely help make me feel this way. I am transported onto the wintry street with the carolers each time I read this to my son. If you love the Christmas season as much as I do, you need to read this book to your children or grandchildren. This book has siblings, Christmas and snow and the night before Christmas is always magical when all of these elements are included. Throw in realistic illustrations and the poetic words of Margaret Wise Brown and you have perfection.
2. Runaway Bunny
A timeless tale of a mother’s love and growing toddlers’ yearning for independence. Mama’s little bunny wants to run away. He playfully does so and with each run, he turns into something his mother would never be able to find. When he becomes a fish, Mama becomes a fisherman with a carrot as bait. The entire book is playful and filled with both black and white and color drawings of which I prefer the black and white because it allows the book to show its age. The Runaway Bunny was first published in 1942. I love classic picture books. Illustrator Clement Hurd did a splendid job capturing the love Mama bunny possesses for her little one. This is the ultimate story about how a mother will go anywhere, do anything, become anything to protect and show their love for their little bunnies.
and number one on our top ten Margaret Wise Brown books list is….
1. Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon on Amazon
AMAZON RATING: 4.6 Stars
By far, this is the most popular of all Margaret Wise Brown books. The words within Goodnight Moon may make up the most memorable poem of the 20th and 21st centuries. The words waltz around the pages of the book and sing a precious lullaby to the little one listening to the loving reader who shares the text. Who could believe that the book filled with good night odes to inanimate objects could be so loved by toddlers and parents of multiple generations. I think it comes with that moment when one becomes a parent and the baby begins regular bedtime hours, a book must be bought and read constantly and more often than not, that book is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
What are your favorite Margaret Wise Brown books? Not on our list? Please use the comments section below to tell us about some other great Margaret Wise Brown books.
Here’s a list of all of Margaret Wise Brown’s books.
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