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When my daughter was born, I knew I wanted to read to her as much as possible. I loved reading from a young age and I wanted to share this passion with her. However, I did not want to be limited to traditional “baby” books. Not that there is anything wrong with Goodnight Moon, but I wanted to expose her to more than just board books. Plus, I wanted reading time to be something we would both enjoy together and not become a chore. There are only so many times you can enthusiastically read “Good night, light and the red balloon.”

So from the day my daughter came home from the hospital we started reading “big books” every day and night. Our first book together was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Not even a month old, my daughter would sit and listen for hours at a time. In no time at all we had finished the story and were on to the next book. While I had compiled a list of books to read before she was born, the list did not last us a year. (On the side is a picture of my daughter at her first birthday with every “big” book she had read with dad).

Reading the Best in Classical Children’s Literature

So right around her first birthday, I found myself scouring the internet for new books to read. I needed books that would keep my daughter’s attention. (Especially when she started to walk and was no longer a captive audience). The books also couldn’t be too scary. Although I was often surprised on what counted as scary. Apparently Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit is okay, but Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter is too much. (Your results may vary.)

When choosing books to read aloud, I often consider whether it’s a book she “should read” at some point in her life. Essentially is it a book that is so ingrained in our shared culture that she will benefit from hearing the story at least once. In my opinion not all the “classics” are great, but one still benefits from being familiar with them. Life is so much fuller (and school is so much easier) when you can understand analogies and pick up on allusions in everyday life.

When evaluating a book, I also consider whether it will teach my daughter to be a better person. While the number one thing in these early years is to make reading fun; its great if the story can also lay a foundation for living a good life. If it’s been awhile since you’ve read them, you might have forgotten the power of a simple Dr. Suess story like Horton Hears a Who! which teaches that “A person is a person no matter how small”.

Next, I wanted books that I would enjoy reading too, either because I had loved them growing up or because I was interested in reading them for the first time. While I read a lot growing up, there were still many “classics” that I had never gotten around to experiencing.

Finding the Best Illustrated Editions

Finally, after deciding on a given story, I needed to find the “perfect” edition. As many of the books on this list are older, they have been republished and illustrated multiple times. When looking for the “perfect” edition, I emphasized unabridged editions with tons of colorful illustrations that I felt captured the story and would keep my daughter interested. I also emphasized larger books as they are easier to read together. I’ve included links to the editions I ended up buying, or the closest still available, on the Book Review of MoreFairyTales.com.

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