Hardcover

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Here are the best-selling children's books of all time (through the end of 2000), with author and year of initial publication, compiled by Publishers Weekly. OP means the book is no longer in print.


Reprinted from Publishers Weekly
© 2002 by Publishers Weekly

  1. The Poky Little Puppy, Janette Sebring Lowrey (1942)
  2. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter (1902)
  3. Tootle, Gertrude Crampton (1945)
  4. Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss (1960)
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J. K. Rowling (2000)
  6. Pat the Bunny, Dorothy Kunhardt (1940)
  7. Saggy Baggy Elephant, Kathryn and Byron Jackson (1947)
  8. Scuffy the Tugboat, Gertrude Crampton (1955)
  9. The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss (1957)
  10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J. K. Rowling (1999)
  11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling (1999)
  12. Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein (1974)
  13. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Dr. Seuss (1960)
  14. The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein (1964)
  15. The Littlest Angel, Charles Tazewell (1946)
  16. Hop on Pop, Dr. Seuss (1963)
  17. Oh, the Places You'll Go!, Dr. Seuss (1990)
  18. Dr. Seuss's ABC, Dr. Seuss (1960)
  19. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J. K. Rowling (1998)
  20. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle (1969)
  21. The Children's Bible (1965)
  22. A Light in the Attic, Shel Silverstein (1981)
  23. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, Beatrix Potter (1904)
  24. Are You My Mother?, P. D. Eastman (1960)
  25. The Rainbow Fish, Marcus Pfister (1992)
  26. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Dr. Seuss (1958)
  27. Richard Scarry's Best Word Book, Richard Scarry (1963)
  28. Disney's the Lion King, adapted by Justine Korman (1994)
  29. The Tale of Jemina Puddle-Duck, Beatrix Potter (1908)
  30. The Little Engine That Could, Watty Piper (1930)
  31. Fox in Socks, Dr. Seuss (1965)
  32. Goodnight Moon (board book), Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd (1991)
  33. The Real Mother Goose, Blanche F. Wright (1916)
  34. Go, Dog Go!, P. D. Eastman (1961)
  35. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss (1964)
  36. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, Beatrix Potter (1903)
  37. The Tale of Tom Kitten, Beatrix Potter (1907)
  38. Macmillan Dictionary for Children, edited by Judith Levy (1975)
  39. Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne; illustrated by Ernest Shepard (1926)
  40. My Book About Me (By Me, Myself), Dr. Seuss; illustrated by Roy McKie (1969)
  41. Where's Waldo?, Martin Handford (1987)
  42. Just Imagine (1992) OP
  43. The Great Waldo Search, Martin Handford (1989)
  44. The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg (1985)
  45. Find Waldo Now, Martin Handford (1989)
  46. Cat's Cradle, Anne Akers Johnson; illustrated by Sarah Boore (1993)
  47. The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary, P. D. Eastman (1964)
  48. Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd (1947)
  49. Walt Disney's Storyland, Walt Disney (1962)
  50. The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Nancy Drew #5), Carolyn Keene (1931)
  51. Barney's Favorite Mother Goose Rhymes Vol. 1 (1993) OP
  52. Falling Up, Shel Silverstein (1996)
  53. The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew #1), Carolyn Keene (1930)
  54. Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever, Richard Scarry (1964)
  55. The Tower Treasure (Hardy Boys #1), Franklin Dixon (1927)
  56. Guess How Much I Love You (board book), (1996)
  57. Barney's Farm Animals, (1993) OP
  58. I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, Dr. Seuss (1978)
  59. Baby Bop's Toys, (1993) OP
  60. Put Me in the Zoo, Robert Lopshire (1960)
  61. The Touch Me Book, Pat and Eve Witte (1961)
  62. I Am a Bunny, Ole Risom, illustrated by Richard Scarry (1963)
  63. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (1964)
  64. Never Talk to Strangers, Irma Joyce (1967) OP
  65. Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, Dr. Seuss (1975)
  66. Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever, Richard Scarry (1968)
  67. When We Were Very Young, A. A. Milne; illustrated by Ernest Shepard (1924)
  68. The Hidden Staircase (Nancy Drew #2), Carolyn Keene (1930)
  69. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Laura Numeroff; illustrated by Felicia Bond (1985)
  70. The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)
  71. Barney's Magical Picnic, Stephen White (1993)
  72. The House on the Cliff (Hardy Boys #2), Franklin Dixon (1927)
  73. Richard's Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, Richard Scarry (1968)
  74. Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney; illustrated by Anita Jeram (1995)
  75. Animalia, Graeme Base (1987)
  76. The Bungalow Mystery (Nancy Drew #3), Carolyn Keene (1930)
  77. Kay Thompson's Eloise, Kay Thompson; illustrated by Hilary Knight (1955)
  78. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White; illustrated by Garth Williams (1952)
  79. Moo Baa La La La (board book), Sandra Boynton (1982)
  80. Disney's 101 Dalmatians, adapted by Ronald Kidd (1991)
  81. Barney's Color Surprise (1993) OP
  82. Disney's Beauty and the Beast, adapted by Ronald Kidd (1991)
  83. Scholastic Children's Dictionary (1996)
  84. Eloise Wilkin's Mother Goose, Eloise Wilkin (1961)
  85. Oh Say Can You Say?, Dr. Seuss (1979)
  86. The Secret of the Old Mill (Hardy Boys #3), Franklin Dixon (1930)
  87. Disney's The Little Mermaid, adapted by Ronald Kidd (1991)
  88. Love Is a Special Way of Feeling, Joan Walsh Anglund (1960)
  89. The Very Quiet Cricket, Eric Carle (1990)
  90. The Magic Locket, Elizabeth Koda-Callan (1988)
  91. A Fly Went By, Mike McClintock; illustrated by Fritz Siebel (1958)
  92. The Going to Bed Book, Sandra Boynton (1982)
  93. There's a Wocket in My Pocket!, Dr. Seuss (1974)
  94. Big Bird's Color Game (1980)
  95. Aladdin, adapted by Ronald Kidd (1992)
  96. Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey (1941)
  97. ET: The Extra-Terrestrial Storybook, William Kotzwinkle (1983)
  98. Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (board book), Dr. Seuss (1996)
  99. Dr. Seuss's ABC (board book), Dr. Seuss (1996)
  100. The Mystery of Lilac Inn (Nancy Drew #4), Carolyn Keene (1930)
  101. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?, Dr. Seuss (1970)
  102. The Cheerios Play Book, Lee Wade (1998)
  103. Baby's First Words, Lars Wik (1985)
  104. The Runaway Bunny (board book), Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd (1991)
  105. Disney's The Lion King, adapted by Ronald Kidd (1994)
  106. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Storybook Based on the Movie (1990) OP
  107. Disney's Storybook Collection (1998)
  108. The Missing Chums (Hardy Boys #4), Franklin Dixon (1930)
  109. The Way Things Work, David Macaulay (1988)
  110. The Mitten, Jan Brett (1989)
  111. Hunting for Hidden Gold (Hardy Boys #5), Franklin Dixon (1928)
  112. The Eleventh Hour, Graeme Base (1989)
  113. Thomas the Tank Engine's Noisy Trip, Rev. W. Awdry (1989)
  114. Where's Spot?, Eric Hill (1980)
  115. If You Give a Moose a Muffin, Laura Numeroff; illustrated by Felicia Bond (1991)
  116. Baby Bop's Counting Book (1993) OP
  117. Tawny Scrawny Lion, Kathryn Jackson (1952)
  118. Barnyard Dance, Sandra Boynton (1993)
  119. The Silver Slippers, Elizabeth Koda-Callan (1989)
  120. Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?, Richard Scarry (1968)
  121. Star Wars Episode I Cross Sections (1999)
  122. House at Pooh Corner, A. A. Milne; illustrated by Ernest Shepard (1928)
  123. On the Day You Were Born, Debra Frasier (1991)
  124. Santa Mouse, Elfrieda Dewitt (1966) OP
  125. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories, Dr. Seuss (1958)
  126. My First Bible in Pictures, Kenneth Taylor (1989)
  127. Stellaluna, Janell Cannon (1993)
  128. Love You Forever, Robert Munsch (1986)
  129. The Sneetches and Other Stories, Dr. Seuss (1961)
  130. Ten Apples Up On Top!, Theo. LeSieg; illustrated by Roy McKie (1961)
  131. Baby's ABC, Steve Shevett (1986)
  132. The Very Busy Spider, Eric Carle (1985)
  133. I Spy Christmas: A Book of Picture Riddles, Jean Marzollo; photos by Walter Wick (1992)
  134. My First Word Board Book (1997)
  135. I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!, Dr. Seuss; illustrated by James Stevenson (1987)
  136. Thomas and the Freight Train, Rev. W. Awdry (1991)
  137. Arthur Goes to School, Marc Brown (1995)
  138. Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr. Seuss (1940)
  139. Happy Birthday to You!, Dr. Seuss (1959)
  140. Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book, Dr. Seuss (1962)
  141. Babies So Tall Board Book, Gyo Fujikawa (1963)
  142. Big Bird's Mother Goose, photos by John Barrett (1984)
  143. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, Jon Scieszka; illustrated by Lane Smith (1989)
  144. It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, Marilyn Sadler; illustrated by Roger Bollen (1983)
  145. The Jolly Postman, Janet and Allan Ahlberg (1986)
  146. The Tall Book of Nursery Tales, Feodor Rojankovsky (1944) OP
  147. The Napping House, Audrey Wood; illustrated by Don Wood (1984)
  148. Curious George, H. A. and Margret Ray (1941)
  149. Baby's Animal Friend, Phoebe Dunn (1988)
  150. Richard Scarry's Early Words, Richard Scarry (1976) OP


Reprinted from Publishers Weekly
© 2002 by Publishers Weekly


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