NYPL 100 Great Childrens Books

I do love a list. And a new list is even more fun. This week the New York Public Library released a list   of the top 100 childrens books of the last century. It's an impressively practical list- the books had to be in print and still readily available, and have an enduring popularity at the New York Public Library branches. 


As with any list, there are some I've read, some I've wanted to read for some time, and some that I've never heard of but do sound fabulous.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz (1972)

All-of-a-Kind Family Sydney Taylor, illustrated by Helen John (1951) 

Amelia Bedelia Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel (1963)

The Arrival Shaun Tan (2007) (see my review)

Bark, George Jules Feiffer (1999)

Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo (2000)

Ben’s Trumpet Rachel Isadora (1979)

Big Red Lollipop Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2010) 

The Birchbark House  Louise Erdrich (1999)

The Book of Three Lloyd Alexander (1964)

The Borrowers Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth Krush and Joe Krush (1953)

The Bossy Gallito/El Gallo De Bodas: A Traditional Cuban Folktale Lucía M. González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre (1994)

Bread and Jam for Frances Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson (1977) 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Bill Martin, Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle (1967)

Caps for Sale Esphyr Slobodkina (1938)

The Cat in the Hat Dr. Seuss (1957)

Chains Laurie Halse Anderson (2008)

A Chair For My Mother Vera B. Williams (1982) 

Charlotte’s Web E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams (1952)

Chato’s Kitchen Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara (1995)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)

Corduroy Don Freeman (1976)

Curious George H.A. Rey (1941)

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths Ingri D’Aulaire and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire (1962)

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Mo Willems (2003)

Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan (2000)

Freight Train Donald Crews (1978)

Frog and Toad Are Friends Arnold Lobel (1970)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler E.L. Konigsburg (1967) (see my review)

George and Martha James Marshall (1972)

The Giver Lois Lowry (1993) (see my review)

Go, Dog. Go! P.D. Eastman (1961)

Goodnight Moon Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (1947)

Grandfather’s Journey Allen Say (1993)

The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (2008) (see my review)

Green Eggs and Ham Dr. Seuss (1960)

Harold and the Purple Crayon Crockett Johnson (1955)

Harriet the Spy Louise Fitzhugh (1964) (see my review)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone J.K. Rowling (1998)

Hatchet Gary Paulsen (1989) (see my review)

The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

Holes Louis Sachar (1998) (see my review)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick (2007) (see my review)

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat Simms Taback (1999)

Jumanji Chris Van Allsburg (1981)

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book Yuyi Morales (2003)

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Kevin Henkes (1996) 

The Lion and the Mouse Jerry Pinkney (2009)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis (1950)

The Little HouseVirginia Lee Burton (1942)

The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)

Locomotion Jacqueline Woodson (2003)

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story From China Ed Young (1989)

Madeline Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

Make Way for Ducklings  Robert McCloskey (1941)

Matilda  Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake (1988)

Meet Danitra Brown  Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (1994)

Millions of Cats Wanda Gág (1928) 

Miss Nelson is Missing! Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall (1977)

Mr. Popper's Penguins Richard and Florence Atwater; illustrated by Robert Lawson (1938) (see my review)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. O’Brien (1971)

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale John Steptoe (1987)

My Father’s Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (1948)

My Name is Yoon Helen Recorvits, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska (2003)

Olivia Ian Falconer (2000)

One Crazy Summer Rita Williams-Garcia (2010)

The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (1985)

The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer (1961)

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue Maurice Sendak (1962)

Pink and Say Patricia Polacco (1994)

Pippi Longstocking Astrid Lindgren (1950)

Ramona the Pest Beverly Cleary (1968)

Rickshaw Girl Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Jamie Hogan (2007)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor (1976) (see my review)

Rumpelstiltskin Paul O. Zelinsky (1986)

A Sick Day for Amos MCGee Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2010) 

The Snowy Day  Ezra Jack Keats (1962)

Starry River of the Sky Grace Lin (2012)

The Stories Julian Tells Ann Cameron, illustrated by Ann Strugnell (1981)

The Story of Ferdinand Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson (1936)

Strega Nona Tomie dePaola (1975)

Swimmy Leo Lionni (1963)

Sylvester and the Magic PebbleWilliam Steig (1969)

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing  Judy Blume (1972)

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (1987)

Tar Beach Faith Ringgold (1991) 

Ten, Nine, Eight Molly Bang (1983)

Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose Tomie dePaola (1985)

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (1989)

Tuesday David Wiesner (1991)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle (1969)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 Christopher Paul Curtis (1995)

The Westing Game Ellen Raskin (1978)

When You Reach Me  Rebecca Stead (2009) 

Where Is the Green Sheep? Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek (2004)

Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak (1963) 

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (1975)

Winnie-the-Pooh A.A. Milne, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard (1926)

A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle (1962) (see my review)

43/100. Not bad. For a start.  

November 2014. 47/100


June 2016 50/100