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Top 10 Sandra Boynton Books

March 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Amazon

I never heard of Sandra Boynton or board books until Harrison was born. Suddenly a few similar books started rising into the regular rotation of books that we would read at night time and I took notice. Half of the time it was because my son would request it, the other half was because it’s the book I really wanted to read to him that night. I really loved these books and they seemed so simple but the art and writing is just amazing. It captivated my boys and the books never became one that I dreaded having to read yet again. The amazing thing about the Sandra Boynton books is both of my sons had the same reaction to them. They both had their favorites but they both loved having these books read to them.

So, without further ados, here are my top 10 favorite Sandra Boynton books

1. Oh My, Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!

Amazon

This book started my oldest sons complete and total love of all things Dinosaurs! He loved this book. He used to call “Me oh My” and at night time when we asked him what he wanted to read he would keep saying “My oh My” over and over again. Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton is available at Amazon for $5.26.

2. Snuggle Puppy!

Amazon

This book holds a very special place in my heart. I love it for two reasons. The first is pretty typical, the story/song is well written, it’s fun to read and the art is great. The second and most important reason is I LOVED listening to my wife enthusiastically sing this book to my children and loved hearing their giggles as it was sung to them. It’s really a fond memory and I have never actually told my wife that part of it. It’s available at Amazon for $5.25 at Snuggle Puppy! by Sandra Boynton.

3. But not the Hippopotamus

Amazon

This is another book that I had a fun time reading. I guess I can’t really keep repeating that with every book I list since I enjoyed reading all of the books on this list but regardless, this one was a fun read. I loved how they giggled when I would say “But not the Hippopotamus” in a different goofy voice each time. It’s available at Amazon for $4.59 at But not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton.

4. Hippos Go Berserk

Amazon

My younger son Sean, LOVES this book. He loves it enough that my older son started asking Sean to stop picking it as his night time book. The book starts with a lonely hippo that calls a few friends over for a party. The party gets out of hand, tons of Hippos arrive and go berserk and party all night. When the party is over, all the hippos leave and the story ends with the one Hippo being all alone again. Every time I read this book, Sean would put on this cute little sad face and ask why all the Hippo’s left him all alone. It was very sweet. It’s available for $6.77 at Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton.

5. Barnyard Dance

Amazon

Like a lot of Sandra’s books, this one was written as a song but it has a very sing-songy feel to it. It’s about all the barnyard animals getting together and having a big dance. I always end up singing the book all the way through and tapping my feet as my boys sit on my lap. It’s available for $15.77 at Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton.

6. Moo, Baa, La La La!

Amazon

This book is described on Amazon as “serious silliness” and that hits the nail on the head. It’s fun, it’s silly and like all the other books it’s a great read. It’s about farm animals and the kinds of noises they make with some purposeful errors thrown in for fun. It’s available for $6.99 at Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton.

7. Opposites

Amazon

Another great book that teaches by showing two things that are the opposite of each other and describing them as such. It helped my sons understand the concept of size and did it in an enjoyable fashion. It’s available for $5.51 at Opposites by Sandra Boynton.

8. The Going to Bed Book

Amazon

It’s funny because the book was about going to bed but for whatever reason my youngest son wanted to read it in the morning when sleep was the last thing on his mind more than he ever wanted to read it at night. Maybe he thought by not picking it at night he would somehow sneak by and not have to go to sleep but for whatever reason it was a favorite morning book of Sean’s. Both kids enjoyed it though and it is available for $5.02 on Amazon at The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton.

9. Hey! Wake Up!

Amazon

As funny as it was that Sean wanted to read the Going to Bed Book in the morning, he picked the Hey! Wake Up! book in the evenings before bed. I suspect it was wishful thinking but either way it was a great book. It’s available on Amazon for $5.72 at Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton.

10. Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories

Amazon

I love Christmas time and this past year, this was Sean’s favorite book to read leading up to the great event (the coming of Santa Claus). He loved reading about Bob the reindeer, a tiny little reindeer who is silly and fun. It only made the bottom of our list because it’s not a book we read year round but rather one we read one month a year. The book has 7 stories total and is available on Amazon for $3.65 at Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories by Sandra Boynton.

We have just about every Sandra Boynton book that has been released and it was actually quite hard to limited ourselves to our favorite 10. I was pretty excited to listen to an interview on NPR about Sandra and to find out that she lives in Philadelphia. We are only an hour and a half out of Philly and love to go into the city when we can. It’s nice to know that an author that has meant so much to us lives in our back yard. It somehow makes her feel more relevant to our lives.

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Books and Reading Tagged With: barnyard dance, Board Books, Bob and 6 More Chirstmas stories, but not the hippopotamus, hey! wake up!, hippos goe berserk, moo baa la lal la, oh my oh my oh dinosaurs, opposites, Sandra Boynton, snuggle puppy, the going to bed book

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Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
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Some children learn about VPNs through friends or even social media. This makes it easy for them to reach content that should be blocked. Parents often underestimate just how simple it is for kids to use these tools. 6. Creating Fake Accounts When parents monitor social media, kids may create hidden accounts. These “finstas” or fake profiles allow them to interact freely without parental oversight. While their main account appears harmless, the secondary one tells a different story. Kids are outsmarting parental controls by playing both sides at once. Checking for duplicate accounts can help parents stay more aware. 7. Exploiting Time Zone Settings Some kids change the time zone on their devices to bypass screen time limits. This trick allows them to gain extra hours of usage undetected. Parents may assume controls are working, but in reality, the child is bending the clock. It’s a clever loophole that highlights just how resourceful kids can be. Monitoring device settings regularly can catch this tactic. 8. Disabling or Uninstalling Apps Parental control apps can be deleted or disabled with surprising ease. Some kids even reinstall them before a parent checks, making it seem like nothing changed. Others may simply restrict permissions to prevent apps from functioning properly. When apps aren’t monitored closely, parents may not notice they’ve been tampered with. This shows the importance of consistent follow-up. 9. Turning to Friends for Access If a child can’t get past restrictions on their own, they may rely on friends. Visiting a friend’s house or borrowing their phone can give them a free pass. Parents often forget that peer environments can override restrictions set at home. This kind of social workaround is especially common with gaming or social media. Open conversations about trust and responsibility are essential. 10. Hiding Apps in Plain Sight Kids sometimes download apps that look innocent but serve as gateways to hidden activity. These apps may disguise themselves as calculators or utilities. In reality, they allow file storage, private messaging, or browser access. Parents glancing at a home screen may overlook them entirely. Learning to recognize these disguised apps can help parents stay informed. 11. Outpacing Parents’ Tech Knowledge Finally, kids often know more about devices than their parents do. Whether through YouTube tutorials, TikTok hacks, or peer groups, they quickly learn advanced workarounds. This knowledge gap means controls can be bypassed before parents even realize the loophole exists. Staying informed and continually learning about new technology is the best defense. Kids are outsmarting parental controls because they adapt faster than most adults. The Real Solution Lies Beyond Restrictions While controls and filters are important, no system is perfect. Kids will always find creative ways around barriers, making communication the strongest safeguard. Setting clear expectations, building trust, and having ongoing conversations about online behavior matter more than apps alone. Parents who combine technology with open dialogue create a safer digital environment. The goal isn’t to win a battle of wits but to build a relationship that keeps kids both safe and honest. Do you think kids are outsmarting parental controls faster than parents can keep up? Share your experiences in the comments below. What to Read Next... 6 Parenting Tech Shortcuts That Can Expose Your Child to Strangers How Much Screen Time Is Too Much—Legally Speaking? Is Your Child’s School Quietly Tracking Their Location Without Your Consent? How Much Screen Time Is Quietly Reshaping Childhood Behavior? Why Some Parents Are Being Investigated Over Homeschooling Records

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