Agreed on the Carle, but The Little Engine That Could is my number one story-time bugbear. It's achingly repetitive without having rhythm, the various morals are rammed down one's throat, and the original illustrations are incredibly dated now. For something with a lot of adult wordplay that kids also love, this house recommends the SkippyJon Jones series. But you have to be able to do a broad Spanish accent!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Skippy John Jones series!