Title: The Going-To-Bed Book
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
What happens when it is time for a batch of zany animals to go to bed on the boat? This short, rhyming book describes the animal’s bedtime routines. The regular meter of the poem ensures that your child will eventually be able to chant along with this funny, yet soothing bedtime story.
Title: Seven Silly Eaters
Illustrator: Marla Fraee
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Title: Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
It won’t take many reading before your child happily chants along with the regular metered rhythm of this delightful book. Detailed ink and watercolor pictures work perfectly in delivering the escapades of lovable Hairy Maclary and his canine friends. This is the first in a popular series.
Title: Bear Snores On
Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Title: Hippos Go Berserk!
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Good luck finding a funnier, rhyming counting book than this Sandra Boynton classic. The rich visual detail combined with the consistent rhyming pattern will keep your child’s interest and attention for every reading of this short, colorful board book. A great early concept book for teaching counting, number sense and rhyme..
Title: Each Peach Pear Plum
Illustrator: Janet Ahlberg
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner
Why We Love It:
This outstanding rhyming picture book makes use of all the nursery rhymes and fairy tales you’ve read to your children. Colorful and detail-rich pictures combined with rhyming couplets presented in an I Spy format are sure to entertain and hold your child’s interest. This book should be in every child’s library.
Title: Little Blue Truck
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Title: Barnyard Dance
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Title: Llama Llama Red Pajama
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Settling down for the night can be challenging for many young children including Llama llama. After a story and kisses, Mama Llama leaves little llama to sleep. The separation proves too much for little llama whose imagination goes wild when mama does not immediately appear when called. Young children will identify with little llama’s dilemma and find reassurance knowing that “ Mama Llama’s always near, even if she’s not right here.” The soothing rhythm and clever rhymes make this a hit and a favorite to recite.
Title: Where is the Green Sheep? Donde
Illustrator: Judy Horacek
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Engaging and witty illustrations, repetition and rhyme make this book a must-have for any home library! This book introduces the concepts of opposites, adjectives, counting and colors while hunting for the elusive green sheep. The simple words and predictable pattern make it easy for children to finish the sentences as they read together with a parent. And the well-placed Spanish text is an additional bonus for Spanish speakers.
Title: Tumble Bumble
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Rhythm and rhyme make this board book so much fun to share with young children. Your little one will soon be chanting and bouncing along with the animals in the story. Simple rhyming couplets and colorful pictures with just enough details for pointing and naming will will make this book a favorite.
Title: Moo Baa La La La!
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
The funny pictures and words delivered in a rhythmic rhyming text make this a delightful book to read again and again. Sandra Boynton’s animals make the kind of sounds that young children love and the regular beat lends itself to a variety of activities. First published in 1982, this sturdy board has sold over 3 million copies and is Boynton’s most popular title as you will see.
Title: Jamberry
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Title: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More
Illustrator: David Katrow
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner
Why We Love It:
Don’t be surprised if your young children laugh with delight whenever you open Karen Beaumont’s I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! Little ones giggle to see the cheeky young boy causing mayhem as he coats his house in Technicolor splashes of paint. David Catrow’s brilliant illustrations capture this wild rumpus perfectly. From beginning to end, Beaumont’s story maintains a pulsing beat and makes you want to sing it from the rooftop even after the book has been put away.
Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Illustrator: Eric Carle
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Repetitive lines help children remember and become active participants during read-aloud time. And when the simple line,” …what do you see? I see a …looking at me.” is repeated on every page, it won’t take long before your child is chiming in. First published in 1967, this classic concept book features a bouncy rhyming repetition that has sparked three similarly popular concept books. Eric Carle’s colorful tissue-paper collage allows children to focus on the animal and its color.
Title: A House is a House for Me
Illustrator: Betty Fraser
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner, Elementary
Why We Love It:
“A hill is a house for an ant, an ant.
A hive is a house for a bee.
A hole is a house for a mole or a mouse
and a house is a house for me!”
This rhythmic rhyming book explores a ride variety of different kind of shelters. The repetitious finale to every page can be supplied by younger children who recognize the pattern and are eager to supply the final line — and a house is a house for me! The detailed illustrations perfectly support the text and should provide great launching points for further conversation. Older children typically enjoy creating their own versions using the books’s format.
Title: Iggy Peck Architect
Illustrator: David Roberts
Stage(s): Preschool, Beginner, Elementary
Why We Love It:
“Young Iggy Peck is an architect,
and has been since he was two.
When he built a great tower – in only an hour –
with nothing but diapers and glue.”
With its hilarious storyline, clever text, lyrical rhyme and spectacular illustrations this book is a home library must-have. Iggy uses all sorts of unusual objects to build his masterpieces: dirty diapers, dirt clods, underwear and peaches, to name a few, and manages to save the day when a school field trip goes awry. Iggy Peck Architect is a terrific story that encourages children to think outside of the box. It is a fantastic read-aloud for kids and grown-ups alike with lots of post-reading potential for building fun.
Title: Silly Sally
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of when “Silly Sally went to town, walking backwards, upside down.” On her jaunt to town, Sally meets some equally silly characters (a pig, dog, loon, sheep, and Neddy Buttercup) and together they have a rollicking good time. Children will enjoy hearing this classic tale over and over. The repetition and rhyme throughout the story makes it easy for children to remember the words and read or sing along with their favorite parts.
Title: The Piggy in the Puddle
Illustrator: James Marshall
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner, Elementary
Why We Love It:
Just try to read this one without laughing. It cannot be done. Pick up the pace and everyone will be in stitches following young bonnet-wearing piggy who just wants to play in the mud. Despite her family’s objections, one by one, they all end up in the squishy-squashy, mooshy-squooshy, oofy-poofy mud.
Title: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld
Stage(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Read this simple rhyming story to your truck-loving child at bedtime. A variety of construction vehicles get ready to stop work so they can be ready for another day of construction fun. Detailed illustrations perfectly capture the mood and truck fun in this delightful bedtime story perfect for toddlers and preschool age children.
Title: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner, Elementary
Why We Love It:
Colorful full page illustrations with delightful rhyming text describe the bedtime antics of ten misbehaving dinosaurs. Human dinosaur parents of different ages, body types and races are shown in the book. Their reactions to the misbehaving dinosaurs make for a silly, funny and satisfying bedtime read. By story’s end, each dino becomes compliant, loving and bedtime-ready. As an added bonus, children will enjoy finding the dinosaur’s name hidden on every page.
Title: Good Night Moon
Illustrator: Clement Hurd
Stage(s): Newborn, Infant, Toddler, Preschool
Why We Love It:
Since 1947, generations of children have been soothed to sleep by this classic bedtime tale of a bunny saying goodnight to objects in his room including “a quiet old lady whispering hush”. The language is soothing and slow with a rhyming pattern that makes the story so appealing to young children. In addition, there is a small mouse hiding on each page which is great fun for older babies and toddlers.
Title: Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey
Illustrator: By the author
Stage(s): Toddler, Preschool, Beginner
Why We Love It:
Lyrical, rhyming text and luminous illustrations are perfectly paired in this magical bedtime tale. Sleeping children are drawn in black and white while their dream adventures are in dark, rich brush-stroked colors. Each child’s dream animal takes them on a colorful and magical journey in this beauty of a bedtime story.