Recommendations based on The Polar Expressby Chris Van Allsburg

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Goodnight Moon

    by Margaret Wise Brown
    A bedtime story of a young bunny saying goodnight to the various objects in its room.

    In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room – to the picture of the three little bears ... (Goodreads)

  2. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

    by Judith Viorst
    A young boy experiences a day of unfortunate events, learning to accept his feelings and move on.

    Alexander narrates the story of having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day. From the moment Alexander woke up, he noticed the bubble gum that was in his mouth when he fell asleep had now ... (Wikipedia)

  3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

    by Dr. Seuss
    A grumpy creature's attempt to ruin Christmas for an entire town.

    The Grinch , a grouchy, cave-dwelling creature, hates Christmas ; his only companion is his unloved but loyal dog, Max. He resides on the snowy Mount Crumpit, located north of the town of Whoville, ... (Wikipedia)

  4. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

    by Laura Joffe Numeroff
    A humorous story of a young boy's attempt to satisfy the endless requests of a mouse.

    A boy gives a cookie to a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk. He then requests a straw (to drink the milk), a mirror (to avoid a milk mustache), nail scissors (to trim his hair in the mirror), ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Corduroy

    by Don Freeman
    A teddy bear's adventures in a department store, searching for a missing button.

    A picture book classic! One of, School Library Journal,’s "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time (2012) One of the National Education Association’s "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." Don Freeman's ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

    by Bill Martin Jr.
    A playful story of letters competing to climb a coconut tree.

    The 26 characters in this rhythmic, rhyming baby book are a lowercase alphabet with attitude. "A told b, and b told c, 'I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree'"–which probably seemed like a ... (Goodreads)

  7. The Cat in the Hat

    by Dr. Seuss
    A mischievous cat visits two children on a rainy day, resulting in a wild and chaotic adventure.

    The story begins as an unnamed boy who is the narrator of the book sits alone with his sister Sally in their house on a cold and rainy day, staring wistfully out the window. Then they hear a loud ... (Wikipedia)

  8. The Lorax

    by Dr. Seuss
    A story of environmental stewardship and warning of the consequences of greed.

    A young unnamed boy living in a polluted area visits a strange isolated man called the Once-ler on the Street of the Lifted Lorax. The boy pays the Once-ler fifteen cents, a nail, and the shell of a ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Stellaluna

    by Janell Cannon
    A young bat's journey of self-discovery, learning to navigate the world while embracing her true identity.

    In a forest far away, a mother fruit bat has a new baby, and names her, Stellaluna. One night, an owl attacks the bats, knocking Stellaluna out of her mother's embrace, and she falls into the forest ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    by Eric Carle
    A caterpillar's journey of growth and transformation to becoming a butterfly.

    THE all-time classic story, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Mitten

    by Jan Brett
    A mischievous rabbit's adventures inside a lost mitten, bringing together a woodland community.

    Millions of readers have fallen in love with Jan Brett’s, The Mitten, and over 2.5 million copies have been sold since publication in 1989. This striking oversized anniversary edition with a silver ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Love You Forever

    by Robert Munsch
    A boy is comforted and loved by his mother throughout his life, reminding him that her love is unconditional.

    An extraordinarily different story by Robert Munsch is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child—forever. "A young woman holds her newborn son and looks at him lovingly. Softly ... (Goodreads)

  13. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

    by Doreen Cronin
    A group of cows learn to type, and use it to negotiate better living conditions with their farmer.

    Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO. But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Rainbow Fish

    by Marcus Pfister
    A fish learns the importance of friendship and sharing after being gifted a pair of glittering scales.

    The story is about The Rainbow Fish , a fish with shiny, multi-coloured scales . He has blue, green, purple, and pink scales. Interspersed with these colorful scales are shiny, holographic scales ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Harold and the Purple Crayon

    by Crockett Johnson
    A young boy's imaginative journey of creativity and exploration.

    The protagonist, Harold, is a curious four-year-old , boy who, with his purple crayon , has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it. Harold wants to go for a walk in the ... (Wikipedia)

  16. No, David!

    by David Shannon
    A mischievous boy's adventures, learning the consequences of his actions.

    When, David Shannon, was five years old, he wrote and illustrated his first book. On every page were these words: No, David! ...And a picture of David doing things he was not supposed to do. But some ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Velveteen Rabbit

    by Margery Williams Bianco
    A toy rabbit's journey to becoming real through the power of love.

    A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other new presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. These presents are modern ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

    by Mo Willems
    A pigeon's mischievous attempts to drive a bus and the humorous exchange between reader and pigeon.

    When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Little Engine That Could

    by Watty Piper
    A small engine teaches the power of positive thinking when it faces a difficult task.

    In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain after its engine breaks down. Larger engines, treated anthropomorphically , are asked to pull the train; for various reasons they refuse. ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Curious George

    by H.A. Rey
    A mischievous monkey's adventures, learning valuable lessons along the way.

    The story opens with George, a little orphaned brown monkey, in the jungle of Africa. An unnamed man in a large yellow straw hat observes him through his binoculars and decides to bring the monkey ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Snowy Day

    by Ezra Jack Keats
    A young boy's joyous exploration of the world on a winter's day.

    Peter, The Snowy Day's protagonist, wakes up to the season’s first snowfall. In his bright red snowsuit, he goes outside and makes footprints and trails through the snow. Peter is too young to join a ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Strega Nona

    by Tomie dePaola
    A magical old woman uses her powers to teach a village about consequences of foolishness.

    Set in Calabria , in southern Italy, the book focuses on the exploits of Strega Nona. She is a sort of witch doctor noted throughout her home village for her numerous successful remedies. She helps ... (Wikipedia)

  23. You Are Special

    by Max Lucado
    A parable about unconditional love, teaching children to appreciate their unique qualities.

    Max was interested in helping children understand their value - not from the world's perspective, but from God's. Wemmicksville is a land created by Eli, the "God" figure of the story. He creates ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Kissing Hand

    by Audrey Penn
    A young raccoon learns to cope with the anxiety of being away from home with the help of his mother's comforting kiss.

    School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    by Judy Blume
    A young boy's humorous journey of growing up, navigating his way through family life.

    The book focuses on 9-year-old Peter Hatcher's frustration with the horrendous behavior demonstrated by his annoying 2½-year-old brother, Fudge, who frequently goes unpunished. Peter becomes ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Make Way for Ducklings

    by Robert McCloskey
    A family of ducks navigates the city of Boston, finding a safe home.

    This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1942, Make Way for Ducklings has been ... (Goodreads)

  27. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

    by William Steig
    A young donkey's journey of adventure as he uses a magic pebble to protect himself from danger.

    Sylvester, a donkey from the fictional community of Oatsdale, collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color." One day he finds a pebble that grants wishes. Immediately afterward, a lion scares ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Paper Bag Princess

    by Robert Munsch
    A young princess rescues her prince from a dragon, learning to stand up for herself along the way.

    Princess Elizabeth plans to marry Prince Ronald, who she thinks is perfect. However, a dragon arrives who destroys her castle, kidnaps Ronald, and burns all her clothes, so she must look for ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Miss Nelson Is Missing!

    by Harry Allard
    A teacher's mysterious disappearance that causes her students to realize the value of her presence.

    The classic, hilarious story of a misbehaving class, their sweet teacher, and the legendary substitute teacher who restores order in their chaotic classroom. Includes bonus downloadable audio. Miss ... (Barnes & Noble)