I like Sendak immensely, just about everything I've seen of his. This one is particularly chilling. Also look at "In the Night Kitchen."

A bit of a cheat, this one, since it includes eight books, but, much like Sendak (the two are very closely related in my mind), I love them all. The author interviews included at the end offer tremendous insight into the inspiration for these stories, as well as the messages and lessons he wishes to convey.

This is my favorite of the lesser-known Dr. Seuss books. He creates an entirely new, zany alphabet with wildly inventive creations to accompany each letter.

I recommend this book a lot, often with the suggestion that parents be mindful of its content. Though technically non-fiction, the myths read like great stories, and the colorful illustrations are vibrant and beautiful.

This is one of the longer ones, but I'll take any chance I can to recommend "The Wizard of Oz," especially when the illustrations in this volume do so much to enhance the story.

Like other books in this list, I like most everything this author has written and illustrated (especially when the two go together), and struggle to decide which one to include here. This book won the contest for its absurd humor.

This book (similar to the work of Sendak and Ungerer) does not shy away from the anxiety and fear felt throughout childhood. It also happens to feature a light, reassuring ending.

Though I worry there is a morbid thread running through this list, I appreciate the tender yet direct encounter with death featured in the book, as though it's simply a matter of course.

I very much like the idea of Mischievians running amok and badgering our daily lives in playful, mildly wicked ways.

There are some big ideas at play in this book, with a fun, light touch. The accompanying audio CD complements the book perfectly.

The original H.A. Rey stories of Curious George are REALLY long, each book seeming to contain about three individual, somewhat related stories. Now imagine seven such books collected in one volume.That said, they are great fun. I still remember the loving look my wife gave me when I brought this home.

Though an older book, I only just stumbled across this one recently, when I noticed the name Lynd Ward on the cover, of whom I am a big fan and whose wordless books are considered to have influenced the development of the graphic novel.