Not Just Dr. Seuss: Ten Authors for the One- to Four-Year-Old (by Quabbin)

1. Sandra Boynton. Even little bitty kids will love the rhythm of "Barnyard Dance" and "Pajama Time" and the sheer silliness of "Blue Hat, Green Hat." These are available as board books for as little as $5 each. Dog Train is a great CD to listen to in the car (though we skip the anti-broccoli song to avoid putting ideas into my child's head)--my favorite song is "I Need a Nap."
2. Mo Willems. Start with "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" or "The Pigeon Wants a Puppy"; kids three to six will also appreciate the Elephant and Piggie books.
3. Jonathan London. "Puddles" and "A Train Goes Clickety-Clack" are delightful--for ears of all sizes.
4. Elizabeth Verdick. This woman is a parent's best friend, with titles like "Naptime," "Bye-Bye Time" and "Hands are Not for Hitting" to gently guide kids toward behaving well even when they'd rather not.
5. David Shannon. His books about all the trouble little David gets into are short and true to life. We especially like "Oops!" and "David Smells."
6. Laura Numeroff. The "If You Give..." series will amuse you and your child as one thing leads to another and another. Illustrator Felicia Bond is also known for her work on Margaret Wise Brown's "Big Red Barn" and her own "Tumble Bumble."
7. Eric Carle. If you've already read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," try "From Head to Toe."
8. Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben. Simple and beautifully illustrated, board books like "Mommy Hugs" and "Daddy Kisses" are the perfect opportunity for a warm snuggle with your little one.
9. Anna Dewdney. Kids will identify with the title character in any of the "Llama, Llama" books.
10. Trace Moroney. Look up the "When I'm Feeling..." books to help your child deal with the roller coaster of toddler/preschooler emotions. The illustrations feature an adorable bunny, too.

Focus for this list: 
Quabbin, our guest poster today, is the mother of a 3-year-old who really loves books, and is also a former English teacher. Her usual system is to visit the library regularly so that they get to read a lot of books. Then, when they find a book that her little one latches onto and wants to check out week after week, she'll buy the book and add it to their collection. Since one of the hallmarks of this reading stage is that the little ones want to hear the same book over and over and over and over again, having the habit of turning books back in to the library can be a sanity saver. Feel free to borrow her method!