Children's Books: Your List of the Best and Worst

I just attended a baby shower, where the invitation included a “Wishing Well” request to include a children’s book for the new baby.

Each of us was tasked with inscribing a message to the newborn.  I thought this was a great idea: The new parents would end up with -a well-stocked library and a greeting card, all in one!

This got me thinking.  There are so many good children’s books out there, and plenty of bad ones, too.  

As a book lover, I liked the Berenstain Bears series when I was younger and now, I love to read it to my daughter.  The bear family's tree house is interesting and inviting, each story has a moral without being preachy and the stories are about as long as I want to get involved in at bedtime.

A newer book that I like is is Welcome to Your World, Baby by Brooke Shields.  It’s about a young girl introducing her new baby sister to their home.  The book is bright, whimsical and beautiful.

On the other hand, I would rather clean my bathroom than read Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Cat a Cupcake again.  There’s a fine line between funny and inane.  This isn't funny.

What children’s books do you consider must-reads? Are there any that you think should be avoided at all costs?