# Companion Thread: Name your all-time three favorite children’s book, in order. No more than three, please **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348 "2025-12-03T01:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/1 "2025-12-03T01:07:48Z")
1. [The Boys’ King Arthur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy's_King_Arthur) by Sidney Lanier, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth 2. [The Happy Prince](https://www.abebooks.com/Happy-Prince-Tales-Wilde-Oscar-Everett/31040205088/bd) by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Everett Shinn 3. [Golden Tales of the Arabian Nights](https://www.beledy.net/sherezzah/AN-G10.HTM) by Margaret Soifer and Irving Shapiro, illustrated by Gustav Tenggren ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/2 "2025-12-03T01:12:50Z")
The Twenty-One Balloons Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Basil of Baker Street ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/3 "2025-12-03T01:22:23Z")
_The House at Pooh Corner_ (narrowly edging out _Winnie-the-Pooh_, because Tigger) _A Little Princess_ _Adam of the Road_ Runners-up: _Anne of Green Gables_ and the _Little House_ and _Bruno and Boots_ series (can’t pick a favorite book from either of the last two, however) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/4 "2025-12-03T01:24:38Z")
The Wizard of Oz and its companion books (sequels) - Frank Baum and others Black Beauty - Anna Sewell Lad, A Dog - Albert Terhune These were very early reads, as my sister taught me how before I started kindergarten. I was reading ahead of my age ever since I can remember, but these were some of the earliest before I jumped into Tarzan and Alan Quatermain books. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/5 "2025-12-03T01:30:14Z")
_Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_ _A Light in the Attic_ _Bunnicula_ (Realizing I don’t remember many children’s books by name, but I’m an Alice fanatic and loved Silverstein from a young age, so there you go. Most of my favorite reading from childhood was comic books, as in _Garfield_ and _Calvin and Hobbes,_ but probably not strictly speaking material intended for children.) One of my current greatest joys as a parent is watching my son fall in love with Shel Silverstein poetry. When I was in first or second grade I had a special reading tutor who took me out of regular class and I was allowed to sit with her and read any book I wanted. And I picked Shel Silverstein and to my shame and amusement I still have the exact book from the elementary school library and it’s the same dilapidated copy my son is reading now. That book is currently 36 years overdue. And yes of course I’m going to return it… once it’s 42 years overdue. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/6 "2025-12-03T01:35:30Z")
Redwall any Hardy Boys stories Tintin ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/7 "2025-12-03T01:37:39Z")
Where the Wild Things Are The Philharmonic Gets Dressed The Monster at the End of This Book ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/8 "2025-12-03T01:42:25Z")
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets-Dav Pilkey The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog-Mo Willems Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963- Christopher Paul Curtis ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/9 "2025-12-03T02:24:29Z")
The Wily Witch (Godfried Bomans) The House With A Clock In Its Walls Mr. Popper’s Penguins Ghosts and More Ghosts (Robert Arthur) The Secret Garden Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar & 6 more Witches, Ghosts, and Goblins (Ruthanna Long) D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe …oops. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/10 "2025-12-03T02:42:53Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths This one still circulates like crazy. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/11 "2025-12-03T02:55:06Z")
_Little Women_ _The Hobbit_ _The Wind In The Willows_ ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/12 "2025-12-03T03:07:33Z")
I’m hampered by not having read many children’s books until I was an adult. Most of the books I read as a kid were adult books. Uh… 1. _Peter Graves,_ William Pène Du Bois 2. _The Hobbit,_ J.R.R. Tolkien 3. _The True Meaning of Smekday,_ Adam Rex I guess? Maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/13 "2025-12-03T03:11:47Z")
Goodnight Moon. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Stick Dog Mostly, just the three books I’ve most loved reading to my kids. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/14 "2025-12-03T13:41:11Z")
I gave all of these to my friends and relatives kids when they were born: _Corduroy_ _Socks for Supper_ _Someone is Eating the Sun_ ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/15 "2025-12-03T14:15:00Z")
**The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins** by Dr Seuss; you could substitute another Dr Seuss book here **The Portmanteau Book** by Thomas Rockwell; I think I only read this one time as a kid, but it blew my mind with its weird nonsense and meta-commentary **Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm** by Alice and Martin Provensen; blunt and wry descriptions of farm animals with beautiful illustrations ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/16 "2025-12-03T15:12:54Z")
Watership Down by Richard Adams The Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander Dear Mr Henshaw by Beverly Cleary These may not be all time greats, but they’re the ones I remember most fondly. I probably read Watership Down a hundred times as a child. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/17 "2025-12-03T22:00:10Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > **The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins** by Dr Seuss; you could substitute another Dr Seuss book here Definitely a lesser known Dr. Seuss book, but a good one. I considered putting Sleep Book in my top 3. When I was a kid it would have been number 1. ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/18 "2025-12-03T22:20:07Z")
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling. 2. The Golden Compass - Philip Larkin. 3. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (and six more) - Roald Dahl. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/19 "2025-12-03T22:44:02Z")
1: A Wrinkle in Time 2: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 3: The Monster at the End of This Book Kind of a tough comparison, though, since the last one is targeted at a very different age than the first two. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/20 "2025-12-03T23:00:26Z")
Oh, this is very hard! My list might change day to day, but for now: 1. _Where the Wild Things Are_. In its genre, I think this book is the only perfect one. Outside of its genre, it’s still perfect. The balance of poetry, imagery, and emotion is sublime. 2. _Bud, Not Buddy_. Historical fiction about a Black boy growing up in 1939, orphaned and abused by horrible foster parents, has no right to be as funny and warm as this book is. So, so good. 3. _Sal and Gabi Break the Universe_. I’ve proselytized about this before, and I’ll keep doing it. A modern, sort of magical-realist story about a boy attending a school for the arts, and mourning his dead mother, and stealing chickens from alternate universes, and meeting his match in Gabi, whose picture appears in the dictionary next to “_extra_”–hilarious, smart, thoughtful, a meditation on death and on life, and just a joy to read. Many others are close (Golden Compass, Alice in Wonderland, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Knuffle Bunny, and so on), but to keep to the rules pretend those parentheses don’t exist. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348.md?page=2)