One of our favorite gifts to give children is books. Even if they don't seem excited about them at first, we know they will get years of use and appreciation. We especially love to give small collections of books and here are five of our favorites.
• Maurice Sendak Nutshell Library
• The Little Books Box Set (Little Pea, Little Oink, Little Hoot) by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• Pooh Library, A.A. Milne
• The Eric Carle Mini Library
• E.B. White Box Set
Do you have a favorite collection to give your young friends?
Things Fall Apart: Living Alone in a Space After a Breakup
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Commercial Flour Sa...
10 Picnic-Ready Salads to Eat Outside
Recipe: Thai Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Beatrix Potter Books
Betsy, Tacy, and Tib series
Frances books-- though I don't know if these come in a boxed set?
Narnia series, C.S. Lewis
Anne of Green Gables series
Little House series
I think Harry Potter comes in a box set too now.
Dr. Seuss and "Guess how much I love you" by Sam McBratney
I wish "All of a Kind Family" came in a boxed set. I loved those books!
Madeline Books, Barbar Books, Beatrix Potter Set
I use to watch a little girl who had the Nutshell Library in her tiny backpack she'd bring to my house. We read them a LOT and they really made her happy when she was missing her mom.
My brother sent my first a box set of the the DK ABC, 123 & Word Board Books. Both my kids LOVED them way past babyhood.
I have read both "All of a Kind Family" and 3 or the Besty-Tacy books with my daughter (6) and she really LOVED them. I recommend them. And I would love a box set of all the Ramona books.
Beware, the "nutshell" library is smaller than a deck of cards, although they don't put that in the description.
I second Anne of Green Gables sets. I still have mine from when I was a kid and every once and a while I'll pick them up and reread one or two. I can't wait for my kids to be old enough to read them with them.
I also love to give the Shel Silverstein books.
Nutshell Library, I HAVE to have that for my little girl. I have a copy of Chicken Soup with Rice my mom checked out of the public library in 1974 and never returned. It was and is my favorite childhood book.
It is actually really interested to me. It actually seems to me that a lot of children have this deep rooted passion for books. Even if they don't express it immediately they love them. Don't guys think?
I love to give books as presents. Thanks for sharing!
Jess
I couldn't justify the cost myselt, but the Ingalls Homestead in DeSmet, South Dakota, has a gorgeous boxed set of the Little House books, packaged in a pretty wooden crate. The hardcover set, especially, is lovely:
http://www.ingallshomestead.com/giftshop_books.html
On a somewhat related note, what about a round-up of book-related travel ideas? Family Fun had an article about a mother-daughter Laura Ingalls Wilder journey (that's how I learned about the Homestead), and I bet there are other bookish vacations people could suggest!
As a teenager I loved the "Love Comes Softly" series of books by Janette Oake. I'm linking up to you again at http://www.onthelap.org Great list!!!
*swoons*
My son is obsessed with the 4x4 size Beatrice Potter stories my church carries in their library. He brings them home every time!