First published in 1960, Are You My Mother? is one of the earliest and most popular books for budding independent readers — and it’s not hard to see why. The sentences are deceptively short and simple, but they add up to tell a warmly humorous tale about a somewhat impulsive hatchling who goes around looking for his momentarily absent mother — albeit in all the wrong places, since he doesn’t know what she looks like.

What really elevates the book to its classic status, however, are the author’s illustrations, which are expressive and full of personality. And while some parts of the story may seem mildly incredulous, it reflects a child’s innocent and unprejudiced view of the world — where anything is possible.