The Five Most-Awesome Kid Books, a guest blog by Veronica O.

“The Lorax” is coming to a theater near you! You know… the one about a feisty fury tree-lovin’ creature with a HUGE mustache? If you’re not familiar, “The Lorax” is a Dr. Seuss classic written in 1971 about the negative effects of industrialization. The Lorax was one of the first children’s books to tie the issues around environmental depletion to personal responsibility in a way kids could relate to.

Since then, children’s book topics have expanded to address modern-day issues in a positive, fun and educational way. Check out these five awesome books:

1. Hubert the Pudge: A Vegetarian Tale by Henrik Drescher
Pudges are kinda weird looking. Their favorite snack is a cobweb. And, they can grow big enough to give elephants ‘pudgy-backrides.’ Hubert is one lucky pudge who escapes from a processing plant where pudges never reach their growth potential. In the wild, he feasts on luscious grass, exotic orchids, andskunk cabbage. And he GROWs and GROWS and GROWS. Although he makes many friends in his new life, he can’t seem to forget his fellow pudges left behind.

Topics – animals, friendship, environment, food

2. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
And Tango Makes Three is based on a true story. In New York’s Central Park Zoo, actually. It’s about two male penguins who formed a couple (yup, two males) and tried and tried relentlessly to hatch an egg-shaped rock (*tear). Moved by their efforts, a keeper finds them a real egg in need of care. With much love and dedication, the two penguins hatch their chic, Tango.

As you can imagine, this book has topped lists of controversially reading, and has even been banned in many school systems and libraries. You can find it on Amazon.

Topics – animals, family, relationships, homosexuality

3. I am Mr. Ellie Pooh, by Thusitha Ranasinghe
I kid you not. This book is made of pooh – straight up elephant pooh-pooh. No. It doesn’t smell. I am Mr. Ellie Pooh tells the tale of how elephant pooh is helping communities in Sri Lanka thrive and co-exist with wild elephants by making pooh paper and children’s books. Sounds like a ‘Show-and-Tell’ winner to me!

Topics – animals, environment, conservation, community

4. Grandpa Green, by Lane Smith
Grandpa Green wasn’t always a gardener. He was a farm boy, a soldier and, most of all, an artist. Grandpa Green’s great-grandson discovers the garden and a fantastic world where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten. (As described on Amazon)

Topics – family, relationships, aging

5. The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
Who can make it through this book without crying? It’s the ultimate children’s book of love and sacrifice. The Giving Tree gives itself – trunk, branches and soul to a little boy through all of life’s stages.

Topics – family, friendship, relationships, aging, environment

So, what are your favorite books? Be sure to share in the comments below!