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Writer's pictureAnna Dunworth

Best children's books of all time


As a mom of two under three, I'm familiar with this generation's most popular children's books. We receive them as gifts, are overwhelmed with their online ads, and often visit the bookstore and library to select new favorites.


My two-year-old's book obsession (lol) inspired me to wonder - What are the most popular children's books ever? Well, I dove into the bestseller lists, best-selling Amazon books, and "top ever" compilations from many websites to find out.


I pulled up the top recommendations from eight sources and compared the results, focusing only on picture books. These five books appeared most often:

  1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle, 1969)

  2. Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak, 1963)

  3. Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown, 1947)

  4. Green Eggs & Ham (Dr. Suess, 1960)

  5. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter, 1902)

Interestingly, the best-selling kids' books on Amazon (sorted by most often purchased) include only The Very Hungry Caterpillar from our list. The other books in the top 5 Amazon bestsellers are:

  • If Animals Kissed Goodnight (Ann Whitford Paul, 2014)

  • Happy Birthday to You (Dr. Suess, 1959)

  • Around the Farm (based on Eric Carle's drawings, 2014)

  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Eric Carle, 1967)

The discrepancies in the two lists likely stem from current trends, newly released books, or simply what people look for on Amazon. For example, the Dr. Suess birthday book is likely more popular than others because it is an easy birthday gift to send to a child.


One thing is clear from this research...Kids across generations love Eric Carle!


Finally, I can't close this feature without sharing our family's favorite children's books.


My two-year-old is completely obsessed with the Little Blue Truck Books by Alice Schertle. He has nearly all of them, and they never get old. My littlest book-lover is most interested in the "If I were a..." series, which is a collection of touch-and-feel books perfect for her 7-month-old brain (and fingers).


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