England has different classic and well known picture books than the US

[conuly]

Hm.

Y'know what? I wanna list classic picture books in the US, see how my list compares to the lists of other people. I'll get on that later if youse start commenting.

Edit: On that note, Ana has gotten quite interested in "Guess How Much I Love You". I'm impressed, it's really a bit wordy for a two year old. I started just reading it when she was nearly asleep during nap time, but last time I was there she requested it. Twice. I'm so happy :) I mean, I love toddler-ranged books as much as anybody else, but I think the kid should have a *chance* to move outside of rhyming text once in a while, y'know?

Edit again (well, not really): That said, let me say *again* how addictive Sandra Boynton is. Her books are insanely memorable. *nods* Love that author - hey, I can love picture books!

Edit the third (or second): Ana has very nearly more books than her parents. This is my fault.

1. Dr. Seuss
2. Curious George! I need to airlift some Curious George for my poor, George-less friends :P
3. Spot. Spot is beyond classic into cultish. Don't know why, exactly - the books are good, sure, but they're not books that have reading value past toddlerhood, unlike, say, Seuss.
4. Beatrix Potter - though, like classic Winnie the Pooh, people don't actually *read* these, they just know of them.
5. Where the Wild Things Are is the classic Sendak book. Depending on how you were raised, you may also remember Chicken Soup with Rice or In the Night Kitchen.
6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a classic Eric Carle book, as is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
7. The Little Engine that Could
8. Tikki-tikki-tembo. I still can recite "Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo" at top speed.
9. Goodnight, Moon. I have no idea *why* that author is only remembered for this rather insipid book when she wrote so much more, and better, but. Classic, it surely is.
10. Amelia Bedelia! Love her truly.
11. Berenstain Bears.
12. Arthur, who really was an aardvark at one point.
13. Corduroy
14. Clifford

More to come when I'm less bored.

Comments

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I can't honestly say I'm surprised. If nothing else, then for the language/spelling/grammar differences (the first in particular.) But also just because naturally there will be more American authors being read in America and British authors being read in Britainland. I wouldn't expect an American kid to have read most of the stuff I had and am generally surprised when I find books that are common to the two countries. Tony Ross, Shirley Hughes, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen... Heard of any of them? Oh, and have you heard of Brambly Hedge? I much prefered it to Beatrix Potter's books (for the beautifully detailed illustrations which I would study intently) although it's possibly a bit old for the babies just now.

Many of the books I see you and others list as classics I've never even heard of. Curious George for example. I hadn't heard of Dr Seuss until I was 8 or so and reading Judy Blume's Peter Whatshisname books in which his little brother gets Dr Seuss books. Even then I didn't actually know what they were until a few years later.

Out of curiousity, have you looked at any other Ahlberg books? They cover everything from picture books up to read-alones (The Bear Nobody Wanted is a beautiful story that's perhaps a bit above a read-alone actually.) Janet's work was so detailed and absolutely beautiful. I think I recommended Peep-o to you in the past (although it might have bottles in it, but I couldn't tell you for certain.) In fact I would basically say get your hands on anything they ever did together (and I presume Alan's writing is still as good, it's just sad to no longer have the beautiful illustrations.)

[conuly]

You never heard of Curious George? Oh, man, he was my favorite when I was little! Well, after Amelia Bedelia, of course.

The list of authors isn't ringing any bells, though I might still know specific titles - or they might have been translated, as spelling and grammar "mistakes" often are in kids books. I know that Peep-o was eventually published here as Peek-a-boo!, for example.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

My older two kids absolutely loved Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton.
Ken & I can still recite bits 7 years later.
It's a pity I can't find a copy to read to Quinn.
(I don't care enough to chase it up- he has his own favourites.)

[conuly]

Okay. I've definitely seen Michael Rosen's work, those books are gaining in popularity here, and certainly aren't *unknown*. Well, Bear Hunt isn't, anyway....

Tony Ross I certainly *hadn't* heard of. *A* Tony Ross illustrates the Amber Brown books, but it might be a different person.

Shirley Hughes I've never seen before in my life.

Michael Morpurgo seems to refer to either an author or an illustrator, I'm not sure.

[conuly]

You can always order off of amazon.com

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I know but with postage from the States, it seems a bit expensive for a book Quinn's a bit old for.
Thanks, though.

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

First time I ever read Spot was in French class.

And as a child, I had an album of Vivian Leigh reading Beatrix Potter stories. Still have it, actually. I should hook everything up and burn it to CD.

[conuly]

Y'know, I could've *sworn* they had an Australian version, much like amazon.ca or amazon.co.uk

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

Not that I know. *shrugs*
I have looked.

[conuly]

I'm not bitching at you, I'm going "hey, I just checked, they tricked me!"

[kahala.livejournal.com]

I think language and spelling differences are not as important as you think... Often, publishers simply produce different versions for different markets. Most books have a price, ISBN, etc etc on them, and these don't apply in the 'other' market, whichever way round it goes. The majority of publishers will produce a UK and US verison of their books, either by selling rights to the US (see Harry Potter; published by Bloomsbury here, Scholastic there) or by just producing their own different versions.

(Am utterly not getting at you, btw; this is possibly something that a lot of people just don't know!)

[kahala.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'd like to add a specific recommendation from the Ahlbergs, Each Peach Pear Plum!

[conuly]

*giggles*

That's the book which prompted this conversation. I said that it "should be a classic" and Emma was surprised that it's not a classic over here.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

First I heard of Curious George was a reference in Friends. Not heard of Amelia Bedelia either.

Let's see... I mostly listed authors because I can't think of their specific titles ;0)

Tony Ross - I realise now, having engaged my brain, that he's an illustrator not an author. Although I'm sure he's written a couple. I Want My Potty was written by him I believe.

Shirley Hughes - the wonderful Dogger as well as the Annie Rose series (who looked JUST like I did at that age.)

And you've commented on the other two since I started this comment hours ago ;0)

[conuly]

If you ever have kids, remind me to send you some Curious George and Amelia Bedelia (classic aspie. She's all punny. When asked to "draw the curtains" she sits and sketches them, when asked to "heat up a can of soup" she puts the can in the skillet, and so on)

[its-what-we-are.livejournal.com]

Tuesday by David Wiesner. Best picture book ever.

[phibby.livejournal.com]

Ah! That's a great list. Amelia Bedelia! Those are some of my favorites from childhood, though I had never heard of "Tikki-Tikki-Tembo" before. Also, I've just got to add that I *have* read Winnie the Pooh and A House on Pooh Corner before (I even did a report on A. A. Milne in seventh grade), though you're right in that I can't think of anyone else I know who has. They're such great books, too.

A few of my childhood classics you didn't list are Corduroy and Clifford. I remember in first grade how one of my closest friends had never heard of Corduroy, and the whole class was shocked when she told us. He's right up there with Goodnight, Moon and Where the Wild Things Are mihi. As for Clifford, that was another very popular series when I was younger, sort of like Berenstain Bears and Arthur.

I always thought Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was a classic as well, though maybe I'm just imagining its popularity.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I wasn't surprised, more amused.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Not having kids actually, but I will keep the latter in mind if and when my brother does. Sounds cool.

[conuly]

*grins*

Honestly, I feel tempted to send some to *you*.

[conuly]

It's very popular, but it's really only very recent.

[rachelkachel]

I love posts like this, they bring back so many memories :) I remember Corduroy, but I hadn't realized it was a classic. I'm not familiar with Spot, though.

I've read Beatrix Potter! We had about a dozen of her stories, in little books. Besides Peter Rabbit I think the favorite at our house was the Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.

[luvsrimmer.livejournal.com]

The B Book. That was my all time fave as a kid. Impossible to find now, but I believe it was by the same author as the Berenstein Bears. It's all about these different crazy things that start with B and in the end it "broke baby bird's balloon".

Oh! And There's a Monster At The End of This Book! starring Grover

Plus the usual assortment of Little Golden Books (think the Grover one was) and Dr Seuss.

[missfahrenheit.livejournal.com]

... and the Jolly Postman! That book still amuses me :D

[missfahrenheit.livejournal.com]

Princess Smartypants (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0698115554/103-1421444-5333444) was my favourite picture book, or at least the only one I can remember owning...