One of my favorite things about being pregnant and planning my son’s nursery was setting up his little library. My husband dutifully hung the IKEA bookshelves every millennial parent has now, and I stocked them with classic children’s titles, including some of my own books from when I was young. And while some of the beloved titles on his shelf make everyone who visits say, “I love that book” — Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, you know the big ones — there are other forgotten children’s books that catch people by surprise.
A forgotten children’s book is one that lives a little closer to the edges of our collective memory — they were big hits in our childhoods, but maybe don’t get the same amount of love today as they did when we were little (and begging our parents to read them again, please, just one more time?). Harry The Dirty Dog and The Kissing Hand come to mind. Both have been huge hits with generations of kids, but they’re usually not front and center on store shelves with Corduroy, you know? But even they enjoy some name recognition among the masses.
These 23 books aren’t quite as well-known anymore, but they loom large in our fondest memories.
The World of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
‘The World of Peter Rabbit’ by Beatrix Potter
Amazon
This beautiful set includes 23 stories about the most whimsical, adorably dressed animals living in the English countryside. Most people think of Peter Rabbit when they think of Beatrix Potter, but the whole set — Squirrel Nutkin, Two Bad Mice, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle — is the stuff of cottagecore fantasy. Best of all, each book is perfectly sized for little hands (something Potter herself insisted upon at the time of their first publication). I’m convinced this set is a foundation of why I’m such a book lover today. — Jamie Kenney, Associate Editor, News & Entertainment
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
‘Ox-Cart Man’ by Donald Hall, illustrated by Barbara Cooney
Amazon
This lovely book is the subject of an early Reading Rainbow episode, which is probably where I learned about it. Not much happens — a 19th-century New Hampshire farmer packs up everything his family has produced over the year and takes it to sell at Portsmouth Market. What makes this one so special is the beautiful rhythm of the text, originally published as a poem in the New Yorker in 1977. It’s simultaneously comforting, hopeful, and a little melancholic, in the way that Studio Ghibli movies often are. It respects kids and takes them seriously as tiny people who can appreciate language. It probably produced an entire generation of quilters, too. — Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor
More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman
‘More Spaghetti, I Say!’ by Rita Golden Gelman, illustrated by Mort Gerberg
Amazon
I actually still have my copy of this book, and it wasn’t until I tried to read it to my kids that I realized it was one of those super simple "first reader" types of books. I think that might partly be why I loved it — I was an early reader who devoured books — but the story of a little monkey who is so distracted by her love of spaghetti really got me as a kid. And the illustrations of the monkey and her manic happiness are forever ingrained in my memory. — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
‘In The Night Kitchen’ by Maurice Sendak
Amazon
This is an under-appreciated Maurice Sendak classic. It’s about a little boy who dreams about cooking. The drawings are fantastic, and it’s a slightly offbeat, totally hysterical book. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk
‘Miss Spider’s Tea Party’ by David Kirk
Amazon
I don’t know why this book was such a hit with me as a kid, but I checked it out of my elementary school library constantly. Maybe the idea of sitting down to tea with a friendly, oversized spider just did it for me (I was also very into Alice in Wonderland, so this tracks). I still remember a few favorite illustrations. It seems as though it’s no longer in print, but there are tons of used copies for sale on Amazon.— Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
In A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz
‘In A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories’ by Alvin Schwartz, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer
Amazon
If you were a kid who was really into this book, there’s a very good chance you were goth as a teenager. This classic of kids "horror" gave us "The Green Ribbon" and other spooky stories that served as gateways for creepier, scarier fare later on. It was the perfect book to read to see if you were ready for Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. — Jamie Kenney, Associate Editor, News & Entertainment
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
‘Amelia Bedelia’ by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel
Amazon
This book delighted me my entire childhood, and I couldn’t even guess at how many times I made my mom read it to me before I could read it myself. The wordplay of dressing the chicken and drawing the drapes always got me, and I think it’s part of why I learned to love a fun turn of phrase so much. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
‘Miss Rumphius’ by Barbara Cooney
Amazon
I could write an entire college thesis on this book; I actually wrote my college admission essay on it. Not only is it a beautiful-looking book, the message is clear and perfect. There are three important things in life: to live by the sea, to travel far and wide, and to make the world a better place than you found it. I gift this to every new parent, and I know it so well that I can recite it to my own kids. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Frog And Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
‘Frog and Toad Are Friends’ by Arnold Lobel
Amazon
This a great series about two seemingly very different but very good friends. The books are made up of short chapters in which the two show up for each other and show what it means to be supportive and kind. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
‘Katy and the Big Snow’ by Virginia Lee Burton
Amazon
I was first drawn to this book because I shared a name with the main character, a snow plow affectionately named Katy. Written and illustrated by Massachusetts artist Virginia Lee Burton, the book is set in a small town just after a snowstorm. The hero, Katy, helps to clean all the streets and doesn’t stop till the job is done. As a kid growing up in New England, I loved this winter story, and now my kids do too. — Katy Elliott, Senior Editor, Personal Stories
Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos
‘Rotten Ralph’ by Jack Gantos, illustrated by Nicole Rubel
Amazon
This, to me, is just such a classic. It meets kids where they are — it’s OK to have bad moments but be a good person — and the cartoons are hysterical. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
‘The Monster at the End of This Book’ by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin
Amazon
In this book, Grover is terrified of the monster promised at the end of the book and urges readers not to go any further so they can avoid it. My mom could probably recite this book from memory for all the times she read it to me as a kid. I get why it was such a favorite of mine — kids love having agency and love defying authority in a playful way, but they often don’t get either of those things in their daily lives (understandably, since kids are chaotic and have no prefrontal cortex to speak of). They also love interacting with media, and this book was basically the Dora the Explorer or Blues Clues of its day. So, getting to turn the page when Grover begs you not to was hilarious. — Jamie Kenney, Associate Editor, News & Entertainment
George and Martha by James Marshall
‘George and Martha’ by James Marshall
Amazon
I LOVE these books. George and Martha are hippos who go on adventures, do silly things, and just live their lives. It’s adorable and snackable for kids. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
‘The Poky Little Puppy’ by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren
Amazon
You know how there are certain foods in animated movies you’d give just about anything to actually eat? As a little girl, all I wanted in the world was to be able to pet this adorable puppy and feel its soft little back wrinkles. It’s soothing to read aloud and listen to, the illustrations are precious, and it’s the perfect low-stakes bedtime story. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Put Me In The Zoo by Robert Lopshire
‘Put Me In The Zoo’ by Robert Lopshire
Amazon
My husband read this as a kid and introduced it to our kids. It’s silly, rhyme-y, fun, and is just a delightful book for kids who want to "read" to themselves. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
‘A Bad Case of Stripes’ by David Shannon
Amazon
This book hooked me because the artwork was unlike anything in any of my other favorite books. If memory serves, the girl at the center of the story eats a batch of lima beans or something and comes down with, well, a bad case of stripes. Hijinks ensue. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
‘Are You My Mother?’ by P.D. Eastman
Amazon
Oh man, this book gets me. It’s about a little bird who thinks all these other animals are his mother — a dog, a cow, etc. — until finally he realizes who his mother is. It’s rhyming and admittedly kind of strange, but my kids were both obsessed with it. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
‘Caps for Sale’ by Esphyr Slobodkina
Amazon
Goodness, I was obsessed with this classic book. I think it was the bright colors of the illustrations — something about that orange, green, and blue all working together just really burns bright in my mind. But the book was also silly, and the scene with all of the monkeys wearing the hats in the tree was one of my favorites. — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Brave Irene by William Steig
‘Brave Irene’ by William Steig
Amazon
This book is by the great William Steig, and it’s about a little girl whose mother is a seamstress. She gets her big break to make a gown for a wealthy woman but gets sick, so she can’t deliver the dress. Irene takes it upon herself to deliver the gown despite the horrible snowstorm. As the title suggests, this book is about bravery, kindness, and showing up for people. Whenever it was snowing badly when I was little, my mom and I would always joke that we’d have to make like Brave Irene and go outside to do whatever we had to do. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’ by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond
Amazon
I don’t know why this book was such a favorite of mine as a kid, but it’s one I made sure to include on my son’s bookshelf. Now, every time we read it, I laugh internally at how much the mouse and I are alike. I, too, walk into a new room, begin a super in-depth activity, and then promptly forget about it when my brain moves on to something else. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
‘The Story of Ferdinand’ by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson
Amazon
This is the perfect children’s book: It teaches individuality and the importance of staying true to yourself in the face of peer pressure, and the importance of embracing non-violence. It’s just the best. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch
‘Stephanie’s Ponytail’ by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Amazon
I re-discovered this one when I was buying more Robert Munsch books for my girls (IYKYK), and when I saw the cover on Amazon, I squealed out loud. I had such an immediate memory of reading this book over and over — it’s all about a girl named Stephanie who keeps trying out new hairstyles only to have her classmates copy her the next day — and falling in love with the family in the illustrations. — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
I Spy by Jean Marzollo
‘I Spy’ by Jean Marzollo, photographed by Walter Wick
Amazon
I Spy books were always flying off the shelves of our school library. Some of the scenes are still so vivid in my mind’s eye, like the scene in a child’s bedroom with a giant blue dollhouse, or the clouds filled with hidden white objects featured on the cover of the fantasy edition. These were fun to work through solo or with friends, and looking back, they feel like the perfect cozy book for kids. — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Did this list jog any bookish memories for you?
Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by us and is published as shown on Scary Mommy.
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