# 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:** 3
**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 5, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/41 "2025-12-05T00:12:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “Candy”\* > > \*by Terry Southern Don’t take Candy from strangers…or @Jackmannii ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/42 "2025-12-05T00:44:54Z")
The Very Hungry Caterpillar The Hobbit Lots of ties for third. But some of the books that i loved best as a child haven’t held up to adulthood. I recently (two nights ago) reread “Half Magic”, and while i did pick up and begin “Knights’ Castle”, the book has some issues that bother me as an adult. And i tried to reread the “Chronicles of Prydain” , which i absolutely adored, but couldn’t get into it. I’ll try again when i get through Eager. Maybe I’ll give third place to “Where The Wild Things Are”. But i love that more as an adult than i did as a child, so maybe that’s not a good choice. ---
**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 5, 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/1025348/43 "2025-12-05T01:12:45Z")
Damn, I mean, damn. I have no words. ---
**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 6, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/44 "2025-12-06T21:55:39Z")
I’m using this thread for Christmas shopping ideas, and was reminded of a couple more good ones: The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian, by Lloyd Alexander; and My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. ---
**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 7, 2025, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/45 "2025-12-07T02:03:31Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “Candy”\* > > \*by Terry Southern Uh… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/46 "2025-12-07T02:17:41Z")
It just beat out Boccaccio’s _Decameron_. ---
**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 7, 2025, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/47 "2025-12-07T05:06:58Z")
While I read both as a child, I wouldn’t consider either a children’s book. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/48 "2025-12-07T05:25:25Z")
One is a Feast for Mouse What’s That Awful Smell? And one I can’t recall the name of. It had a monster child trying to go to sleep, terrified of the little girl under the bed. It helped my daughter so much, I wish I could remember the name. A few minutes of googling got me nowhere. :pout: ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/49 "2025-12-07T05:40:22Z")
1 - The Wind in The Willows 2- The Gruffalo 3 - Where The Wild Things Are ---
**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 7, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/50 "2025-12-07T16:09:33Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > and My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. I loved this one when my 5th grade teacher read it to us, and still loved it when I read it myself. It was a thrill to have my library host the author at a DC Environmental Film Festival event decades later. However, when I read it to my daughter the long descriptions were too much for me. I could tune out when it was being read to me, skim it when I was reading silently, but when reading aloud they drove me a little crazy. That didn’t really tarnish the earlier memories, though. ---
**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 7, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/51 "2025-12-07T16:12:02Z")
Yeah, I think it may be a little much for the grandson I bought it for, but screw it. He’ll have the opportunity. ---
**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 7, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/52 "2025-12-07T16:13:44Z")
How old is he? I’ve known plenty of kids, especially boys, who have loved it. All have been city kids. ---
**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 7, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/53 "2025-12-07T16:21:18Z")
11, but not much of a reader. I always give books to kids (as well as toys). I’ll never know if they actually read the books, but I can dream! ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/54 "2025-12-07T16:27:02Z")
There was a book I loved when I was a kid, that I can’t find in my brain the name of. Two boys lived next door to a scientist, who may or may not have been an alien, that built a rocket. Lots of puns in the text. Particularly by the scientist guy. It was probably written late 60s-early 70s…I read it around '78? I want to say the scientist was Mr Tumnus, but that was the dude from Narnia. I think there was a sequel. Anybody got an idea? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/55 "2025-12-07T17:35:11Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Two boys lived next door to a scientist, who may or may not have been an alien, that built a rocket. Possibly _The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet_ by Eleanor Cameron. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/56 "2025-12-07T17:45:15Z")
The first book I ever got out of the library. ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon.’ When I was 12, ‘Little Women’. It was tough sledding, some words and situations I didn’t quite understand, there was no internet to research anything. I could get the gist, though. ‘The House at Pooh Corner.’ Fell in love with Pooh, in fact, loved all of the books. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/57 "2025-12-07T17:46:21Z")
I was wondering if that was it, too. But i don’t remember puns. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/58 "2025-12-07T17:47:00Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > Harold and the Purple Crayon Ooh, that’s my third, edging out “where the wild things are”. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/59 "2025-12-07T19:17:37Z")
Yup, that’s it! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2025, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companion-thread-name-your-all-time-three-favorite-children-s-book-in-order-no-more-than-three-please/1025348/60 "2025-12-08T06:48:03Z")
Four sequels, two short stories, and the original book came out in 1954. [Previous 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) [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=4)