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Mom's top 10 book list for toddlers

The Monitor asked parents to submit their favorite books to read with their toddlers in an informal Facebook survey. Our survey revealed that many of the books that parents cherish most are those that they remember reading as children. Here are the top ten recommendations of stories that are sure to hold up through endless readings – we can't make any promises about the pages of the book, though.

4. 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' by Laura Numeroff

  • By Noelle Swan Correspondent

Laura Numeroff's "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" shares the tale of a little boy and a mouse visitor. When the little boy offers the mouse a cookie, the mouse soon decides he needs some milk, which leaves him worrying he might have a milk mustache so he asks for a mirror, which spurs a desire to trim his whiskers. As the story unfolds, the little mouse sends his young host all over the house following subsequent whims. Toddlers adore Felicia Bond's illustrations of the little mouse wielding people sized tools. "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" was first published by Harper Collins Publishers in 1985.

Ms. Numeroff and Ms. Bond collaborated on several additional books in the same vein. "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" was the first in the series followed by "If You Give a Pig a Pancake," "If You Give a Dog a Donut," and "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake."

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

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