Children's Books in the USA

I'm fairly sure literature in general these days is universal. i was speaking to some of my american friends recently on a similar topic (i'm british) and they had very similar experiences to me in school regarding what we were taught, what we read, nursery rhymes ETC.

I'm not quite sure what age range of children's books you're curious about.  Pre-school books would include Corduroy by Don Freeman, Harold & the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.  My personal favorite from that period growing up was Harry the DirtyDog!! by Gene Zion.   For early school age kids, books like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey and Babar the Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff.  I bought my niece a copy of Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans a while ago.  She's still too young to read on her own, but her mother can read it to her.  And for developing elementary school age kids, there's Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster,  The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  When I was young, I really enjoyed the Paddington Bear books by Michael Bond and A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden.  I should probably mention Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, too.  I never read it, but I think many American girls have.  A Christmas ago, I picked up Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer for my 10 year old nephew.  I wouldn't classify it as "classic" yet, but maybe it will be in the future.  Just look at Harry Potter. 

I wouldn't consider them classics but I do enjoy reading the "If you give a cat a cupcake..." books to my daughter.