Recommended Reading:
Teach yourself beginners Arabic Script:A good start in learning all about the Arabic script, the basis of reading and writing Arabic.
The Arabic Alphabet: How to read and write it. This is also a good begiinners book which will guide you through the Arabic Alphabet.
Arabic verbs and the essential of Grammar: This is not a teach yourself book but more of a refrence guide. The book covers Arabic verb conjugation and grammar usage.
Dictionaries:
The Oxford English Arabic Dictionary of current usage. Also available in a concise format good for the travellers.
Hans Wehr- Arabic Englsih Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic: An excellent dictionary which covers standard and colloquial Arabic. To use this dictionary,however, you need to be familiar with the "root" structure of the Arabic verbs.
The Oxford Picture Dictionary: An Englsih-Arabic Dictionary, you should know how to read Arabic before buying this book.
Colloquial Arabic:
Arabic at a glance: a useful phrase book and dictionary for travellers to the Middle East. Phrases are given in Egyptian Arabic using the English alphabet.
Teach yourself Gulf Arabic: Audio Pack - This course focuses on the dialects of the Persian Gulf.
Eastern Arabic Dictionary and Phrase book - This book covers useful words and phrases of the the spoken Arabic of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. You can also try Spoken Lebanese.
Lonely Planet Moroccan Arabic phrase book. This book teaches North African dialect(Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). Note that the North African dialect is the least understood among Arab speakers buy this book only if you are seeking to learn this dialect in particular.
Software:
Rosetta Stone Arabic Personal Edition Leve l - This software employs the rosetta stone method of building vocabulary and grammar by presneting images to convey the meaning.
Children's books:
Hippocrene Children's Illustrated Arabic Dictionary
My First Arabic Alphabet Book
My Arabic Words Book