What's Your Favorite Books in Order

The What’s Your Favorite books are built to start conversations. Instead of following one main character through a plot, each title asks a simple question, like favorite color, favorite animal, favorite food, or favorite bug, and then shows many different answers.

Every spread feels like meeting a new artist.

These books are often created with a whole group of illustrators, not just Eric Carle. Each contributor brings their own style to the page and shares a short note about why they chose that favorite. Carle’s influence is still there in the playful approach and the bright, kid-centered design, but the variety is the point, children get to see that the same idea can be drawn in dozens of ways.

They work well as read-alouds, but they’re also great for browsing. You can read cover to cover, or you can flip around, pick a page, and talk about what you see. Kids naturally start comparing, “I like that one too,” “I’ve never tried that food,” “That bug looks scary,” which is exactly what the books are designed to do.

These titles are especially handy in classrooms, libraries, and family gatherings because there’s no pressure to follow a plot. You can stop after a few pages, come back later, and the experience still makes sense. They’re also a sneaky way to practice observation and vocabulary, since the pictures encourage kids to name colors, animals, and details.

The real payoff is the back-and-forth. Adults get a window into what a child notices and cares about, and children get practice explaining their choices in simple words.

There isn’t a strict order to read them in. Choose the topic that’s most likely to spark interest, then let the artwork and the conversation carry the rest.