My Aunt's gift became the first children's picture book in my collection. Today I own nearly fifty hardcover, beautifully illustrated books. Each year I collect five to ten more that I choose for myself or are given to me as a gift. Perhaps in the future I will be able to sit in a chair and read with my own children. For now, I have six nieces and nephews who love to choose their favorite stories from my collection and listen intently as I read to them. For me, my collection is far more valuable than china dolls or antique furniture. Each book contains a wealth of knowledge and fantasy. My picture books do not sit on a shelf covered with dust, but are shared with children.

Ackerman, Karen. Song and Dance Man. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1988.

Ackerman's story of a Grandfather who opens a dusty trunk and performs for his grandchildren in the attic. Illustrated by Stephen Gammel. Caldecott Medal winner.

Ahlberg, Allen & Janet. The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1986.

The Postman delivers letters to The Three Bears, The Wicked Witch, Cinderella and many others. Children can take out the letters from within the book and read what the characters have written to each other.

Barrie, James M. Peter Pan. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1987.

The classic tale of Peter Pan, who refuses to grow up, and his adventures in Never Never land. This edition includes the fantastic illustrations by artist Michael Hague.

Base, Graeme. Animalia. New York: H.N. Abrams, Inc., 1986.

Base's alphabet book is filled with everything common and unusual from A to Z. His elaborate illustrations are truly amazing to any child or adult.

Base, Graeme. The Eleventh Hour - A Curious Mystery. New York: H.N. Abrams, Inc., 1987.

Someone steals the delicious feast at Horace the elephant's eleventh birthday party. Children can try to unravel this curious mystery. "The inside Story" is sealed at the back of the book.

Bennett, William J. The Children's Book of Virtues. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.

Based on Bennett's Best-Seller book, The Book of Virtues, this version is especially for young children. Michael Hague illustrates the stories and poems that teach children about good character.

Bjork, Christina. Linnea's Almanac. New York: R & S Books, 1989.

Linnea is a little girl from the city who's heart is in the country. She keeps a year long almanac and shows young readers activities that help them learn about nature. This book, illustrated by Lena Anderson, won the West German National Children's Book Award in 1984.

Bjork, Christina. Linnea in Monet's Garden. New York: R & S Books, 1987.

Linnea's friend, Mr. Bloom, takes her to Paris and to Monet's garden. There she learns about the artist and his beautiful paintings of his garden. The book is illustrated by Lena Anderson and includes photographs of Monet and reproductions of his paintings.

Brett, Jan. The Wild Christmas Reindeer. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1990.

Teeka lives in the Arctic near Santa's house and is asked to train the reindeer for Christmas Eve. Brett's story is enhanced through her beautiful illustrations.

Brown, Margaret Wise. The Runaway Bunny. New York: R. B. Rauch, 1970.

Brown's story of a little bunny who threatens to run away, but changes his mind when he realizes how much mother bunny loves him. Illustrated by Clement Hurd.

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden. Boston, D.R. Godine, 1987.

This classic 1911 story of a little girl named Mary Lennox who renews the hopes of an invalid boy. The tale is illustrated by artist Grahm Rust.

Carle, Eric. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Saxonville, MA: Picture Book Studio, 1986.

A little girl wants the moon so she can dance with it. Her father finds a way to get it for her. Carle's illustrations include pop-ups that bring the story to life.

Day, Alexandra. Carl's Christmas. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1990.

Through illustrations, Day tells the story of Carl the Dog. Carl takes wonderful care of the baby so his human family can go shopping for Christmas.

Eisen, Armand (editor). A Treasury of Children's Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

A compilation of classic tales and illustrations including Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Aesop's fables, Thumbelina, and The Night Before Christmas, as well as many others.

Gray, Nigel. A Country Far Away. New York: Orchard Books, 1988.

Two boys compare and contrast the similarities and differences of their everyday lives. One boy is African, the other is Western. Philippe Dupasquier illustrates the experiences of these boys living on opposite sides of the world.

Hepworth, Cathi. Antics. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1992.

Hepworth's unusual alphabet book finds ants in everything from Antique to Antzzzzzz (snoozing at a picnic). A reader may even find Immigrants or Santa Claus.

Hunt, Angela Elwell. The Tale of Three Trees - A Traditional Folktale. Batavia, IL: Lion Publishing Corp., 1989.

Three trees aspired to be the tallest tree in the world. But one became Christ's cradle, another his fishing boat, and the third the cross he carried to his death. This old tale has a beautiful message about what is really important. Illustrated by Tim Jonke.

Hoffman, James. The Christmas Wreath. Grand Haven, MI: School Zone Publishing Co., 1993.

Santa's elves are too tired to decorate for Christmas. But nature creates a splendid display through its own beauty. The book has unique illustrations by Jack Stockman.

Joyce, William. Bently & Egg. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.

Bently, a frog, takes special care of his duck friend's egg. At first he thinks it's a boring job until he paints it and encounters a wonderful surprise. Joyce's illustrations are soft and sweet.

Kramer, Remi. The Legend of Lonestar Bear - How Lonestar Got His Name. Sandpoint, Idaho: Northwind Press, 1989.

Book one in the tales of Lonestar Bear and his wilderness adventures. This book and stuffed animal bear won the Best 100 Products of the Year & Creativity Year Book award.

Kroll, Virginia. I Wanted to Know All About God. Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1994.

Children wonder what God is like and learn about him by observing nature, themselves, and the world. The book has illustrations of children playing and learning, painted by Debra Reid Jenkins.

Mayer, Mercer. There's a Nightmare in My Closet. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1968.

A little boy learns to face the silly, harmless monster who lives in his closet. A cute story for children with active imaginations. Illustrated by Mayer.

Mazer, Anne. The Salamander Room. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1991.

A little boy finds a salamander in the woods and wants to keep him. But he soon realizes his bedroom would need to grow into a forest to meet all the salamander's needs. Illustrated by Steve Johnson.

McQueen, John Troy. A World Full of Monsters. New York: T.Y. Crowell, 1986.

This story tells how monsters once lived just like people. They were firemen, storekeepers, and window cleaners. McQueen's entertaining tale explains the things that "go bump" in the night. Illustrated by Marc Brown.

Micklethwait, Lucy. A Child's Book of Art. New York: Dorling Kindersley limited, 1993.

Classic paintings by artists such as Renoir, Escher, and Cassatt help children learn their first sight words.

Numeroff, Laura Joffe. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.

A silly sequence of events occurs when a little boy gives part of his cookie to an energetic mouse. Humorous illustrations by Felicia Bond.

Rosen, Michael. We're Going on a Bear Hunt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1989.

A family of five endures a long, difficult hike to find a bear. Children will enjoy the repeated verses and funny sounds as the family tracks through wild terrain. Illustrations by Helen Oxenbury.

Scieszka, Jon. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. New York: Viking, 1992.

Older children will love Scieszka's crazy versions of classic tales. The book is filled with funny stories such as Little Red Running Shorts, Cinderumplestiltskin, and Jack's Bean Problem. Entertaining illustrations by Lane Smith.

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. New York: Viking, 1989.

A creative, humorous revision of the classic story of the Three Little Pigs. Illustrated by Lane Smith.

Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper & Row, 1963.

Sendak's story of ill behaved Max and his journey to the land of the Wild Things, where he becomes king. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year. Illustrated by Sendak.

Seuss, Dr. Six by Seuss. New York: Random House, 1991.

A compilation of six of Dr. Seuss's creative stories, including The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Seuss, Dr. Oh, the Places You'll Go. New York: Random House, 1990.

Dr. Seuss's speech about the "Great Balancing Act", life itself. An inspirational book for adults as well as children.

Silverstein, Shel. A Giraffe and a Half. New York: Harper Collins, 1964.

Silverstein's tongue twisting story and illustrations become more ridiculous with every page turned.

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. New York: Harper Collins, 1964.

Silverstein's touching story of a tree that gave everything it had to make a boy happy. The story has an important message for children and adults about giving and taking in life.

Stewart, Bianca Covelli. The Treasure Trunk. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.

A romantic tale of the courtship and wedding of two sweethearts named Elizabeth and Andrew. Delightful, colorful illustrations by Donna Ayers.

Thackray, Patricia. Fanny McFancy - A Passion for Fashion. San Diego, CA: The Green Tiger Press, Inc., 1988.

Fanny is a bird with extravagant taste in clothing. In Thackray's rhyming tale, Fanny learns a lesson about appearances. The book has humorous illustrations by Sandra Forrest with calligraphy by Nai Y. Chang.

Thurber, James. Many Moons. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1943.

The King is caught in a dilemma when his sick daughter insists she must have the moon to get well again. Though he consults all his wise men, it is the simple but smart Jester that solves the King's problem. Contemporary illustrations by Marc Simont.

Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. New York: M. K. McElderry Books, 1993.

Trivizas' revision of the classic tale, told from the wolves point of view. Helen Oxenbury's illustrations make the wolves appear innocent and the pigs mean and ugly.

Wadell, Martin. The Big Big Sea. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1994.

A little girl's memory of a walk with her mother along the seashore under the light of the moon. Illustrated by Jennifer Eachus. Book is signed by author and illustrator.

Williams, Margery. The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real. Cohasset, MA: Vermilion, Inc., 1995.

Written in 1922, The Velveteen Rabbit has captivated the hearts of children, who love the magic and fantasy of this tale. This edition is beautifully illustrated by Donna Green.

Wittmann, Patricia. Scrabble Creek. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1993.

Several children camp at Scrabble Creek and learn to brave the big outdoors at night. Illustrated by Nancy Poydar.

Wood, Audrey. King Bidgood's In the Bathtub. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1985.

The young page boy is the only one who knows how to get King Bidgood out of the Bathtub after the whole kingdom fails in their attempts. Wonderful illustrations by Don Wood. Caldecott Medal winner.

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1984.

A man leaves a publisher fourteen illustrations, but fails to include the stories that go with them. The mysterious, intriguing illustrations by Van Allsburg will inspire children and adults to create their own stories.

Van Allsburg, Chris. Jumanji. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1981.

Two children find an ordinary looking board game in the woods. But the game is like no other they have ever played. A Caldecott Medal winner.

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1985.

A little boy travels to the North Pole and receives a sleigh bell from Santa, but loses it on the way home. A book for those who believe in the spirit of St. Nick. Caldecott Medal winner.