• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

Children’s Classics — Future Classics

May 12, 2009 by Dawn

Here we are, together again for the Children’s Classics, only this time we get to haul out our trusty old crystal balls and offer up our very own predictions. What qualities do you think a children’s book needs to possess to endure in our collective hearts long enough to warrant classic status? Are there authors who you think can write nothing but classics? What books do you think will grace the shelves alongside a munching caterpillar, a bunny preparing for bedtime, and a fish all on his own?

The majority of my ‘adult’ life has been spent in the daily presence of young children, so my perspective is definitely skewed in favor of the world of picture books. For ten years in my preschool classroom, I made sure to surround my children (and myself!) with the best picture books the library had to offer, and as a parent of three young ones, our home is also a literary treasure chest. When I think of all the contemporary children’s books, it’s an absolute joy to ponder which books my children will be reading to my grandchildren, and perhaps even further down the familial road. While there are many, MANY contenders out there, this pick is a no-brainer for me.

I have professed my love for Mo Willems’ work here before, and I am unashamed to do so again. If we’re talking likely future classics, Willems’ first big hit, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is required to be on the list. I have honestly read this book aloud too many times to keep count since its release in 2003, and each and every time, I genuinely laugh along with the children. My oldest was just three when we first fell in love with Mo’s work, and the Pigeon and my son were like twins separated at birth (minus the feathers, of course). The Pigeon represents the essence of a preschooler, and that will never change– the enthusiasm, the persistence, the inevitable meltdown (or as we call it, ‘the freaking out page!’). That’s what I think of when I hear the word classic– a book that will never lose its appeal and relevance. No matter if buses become obsolete, I do believe that the Pigeon and his desire to drive one will be around for a long, long time to come.

Now it’s your turn! Link up below to share your prognostications! And mark your calendars for our other upcoming Community posts:

More Children’s Classics this summer:
June 9 — Poetry (individual poems or anthologies)

July 14 — Book Trips (i.e. any books that have inspired a family ‘field trip’ of sorts– maybe to a children’s museum or a museum affiliated with an author, or a visit to the city of a beloved author, or even to something like a local pet store)

August 11 — Adventure! (i.e. any adventure or suspense stories– any children’s reading level)

Other events this month:
May 19 — Kids’ Picks
May 26 — What’s on Your Nightstand?
June 2 — Contemporary Bookclub- Everyone is Beautiful (okay, technically not this month, but close enough!)

Dawn could easily be accused of having a bit of a ‘Mo obsession,’ which she is enthusiastically passing along to her three children. For more book love and other random ramblings, hop over to her blog, my thoughts exactly.

Filed Under: Children's Books, Children's Classics, Community, Dawn, Picture Books

« Tamar
The Secret Circus »

Comments

  1. Childlife says

    May 12, 2009 at 5:46 am

    Great idea for a meme! 😀

    Funny, but when I think of classics in terms of childrens’ picture books, I tend to think more along the lines of Robert McCloskey and Stephen Kellog. I love Rainbow Fish and The Very Hungry Caterpillar too, but I still think of them as “future classics” — LOL! 😉

  2. Jennifer, Snapshot (and 5M4B) says

    May 12, 2009 at 6:10 am

    Dawn–

    I agree that Mo Willems isn’t going anywhere! We are going to the library today, so I think that I’ll check and see what’s available.

    The only one we own is The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! which cracks both of my children up all the time.

  3. stephanie says

    May 12, 2009 at 8:54 am

    We checked out several Mo Willems after your review and fell in love with Knuffle Bunny (and the sequel). My girls have special lovies and could totally relate to those stories!

    (Just something I noticed, because I’m geeky and I write the other carnivals on my calendar – I think the dates are off in the list above … May 18 and 25 are Mondays, not Tuesdays). 🙂

  4. Heather J. says

    May 12, 2009 at 9:55 am

    I noticed that you’ve been posting the schedule of upcoming events a few times each month and I wanted to say THANK YOU!!! I always get caught off guard and miss out of events I want to participate in. But with all these reminders I’m much better prepared – thanks!

  5. Amy says

    May 12, 2009 at 7:35 pm

    I highlighted Mo Willems last week—>http://hopeistheword.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/authorillustrator-spotlightmo-willems/

Trackbacks

  1. Book Review–The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall « Hope Is the Word says:
    May 12, 2009 at 9:59 am

    […] 12, 2009 Award Book , Challenges , Juvenile Fiction 0 Comments It’s time for the Children’s Classics carnival over at 5 Minutes for Books.  This month’s theme is future classics–new books that we […]

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • The Deep Limitless Air
  • This Place of Wonder
  • In the Dark We Forget
  • Death and the Conjuror
  • The Drowning Sea

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2022 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316