Favorite Children's Books

Some good friends had a baby recently, and I had no idea what to get them.  Mobiles, swaddling blankets, beautiful onesies, things that smell fantastic, flowers, food...doing their laundry, walking the dog - practical things. But what do you give when all the basics have been covered, or you're too far away to send food before it melts?

It was a dilemma.

After doing some serious talking with my family, what popped into my head was...books.  (Duh, hello, this is a book blog.) Truly great, readable by everyone, pick up over-and-over-and-over again books that are part of childhood.  One of the things that was a big deal in my home was having books with a)an engaging story and b)wonderful illustrations.  Everyone can appreciate those - from the tiniest to the oldest.  Here are some that my family and I loved:

From Top to Bottom, L to R: 
Eloise by Kay Thompson/Tikki Tikki Tembo* by Arlene Mosel/The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch/Squawk to the Moon, Little Goose by Edna Mitchell Preston/Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans/Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney/King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood/Make Way for Ducklngs by Robert McCloskey/Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag/ Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

What were some of your favorites that you read when you were a child, or that you and your family read now? Any great new additions that you've discovered, or that have come out recently?

Other lists of fantastic books:
New York Public Library's Picks (Jam for Frances! Caps for Sale! How could I have forgotten?!)
National Education Association's Picks