Sandra Boynton’s children’s books are new classics. I first discovered her delightful picture books via my sister-in-law, who had an entire shelf of Boynton’s books for my nephew. Now, with my own little boy, I’m really enjoying them. Her books all claim “serious silliness” on the back cover. I’d agree: we all enjoy the light-hearted silliness, but a child may still learn something.

A quote from her (silly) website:

In the time it would take you to read War and Peace, you could read every book Sandra Boynton has written, and still have time leftover to, oh, learn Italian or something. Plus her drawings are generally cuter than Tolstoy’s.

Why not go read one today?

Here are some of my favorites:

Hippos Go Berserk: One hippo is lonely, so she calls some friends and they all go berserk! Teaches counting, 1-10. This one is my all time favorite. My son likes to devour it too. (Note the corner missing on our copy.)

(Ooops! I shouldn’t have let him hold a book when he was six months old. Now I need to buy another!)

The Going to Bed Book: Animals on an ark get ready for bed. Teaches bedtime routine.

But Not the Hippopotamus: Various animals are playing together (for example, A hog and a frog do a dance in the bog), but not the hippopotamus! Teaches the need to include others.

Moo, Baa, La La La: Animals make all sorts of sounds! Teaches animal sounds, with a dose of silliness mixed in. (For example, singing pigs say La La La.)

Horns to Toes and In Between: Three silly monsters teach parts of the body, including their horns!

These I haven’t read in a long time but I intend to find them and read them soon!

  • A to Z: Teaches an alphabet of animals.
  • Doggies: Some dogs say Ruff and others say Woof!
  • Blue Hat, Green Hat: Teaches colors and clothing.
  • Opposites: Teaches opposites.
  • Barnyard Dance: The barn animals square dance.

I’ve recently discovered Children’s Classics, a monthly meme/carnival via Mr. Linky hosted by 5 Minutes for Books. This month it is about favorite picture books. I’ve been thinking about how delightful Sandra Boynton’s books are, and I thought I’d write this up for your own enjoyment. What is your favorite picture book?