Favorite Books

• Kids love repeating the same books over and over again, so fill your bookshelves with ones you’ll actually enjoy reading!

• I’ve organized all my favorite books into an Amazon List so it’s easy to add, but you can also view individual links below

• Get the board book version where possible - easier for child to hold

Interactive books 

• These are great for young toddlers because they can engage with them like toys

• Wait until age 18+ months for books with flaps, otherwise they will likely be destroyed

  • Any of the Maisy books, like Maisy at the Farm or Maisy goes to Bed

  • Pat the Bunny

  • Where is Baby‘s Belly Button?

  • Where is Spot?

  • Dear Zoo

  • Go Away, Big Green Monster

  • What Makes a Rainbow?

  • Press Here

Books to teach vocab 

• These focus on key language categories like animals, colors, and body parts

  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (and the lesser known Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?)

  • Head to Toe

  • Sandra Boynton books:

    • Opposites

    • Blue Hat, Green Hat

    • Moo Baa La La La

    • Hippos Go Berserk

  • If You’re Happy and You Know It

  • Priddy Baby books (they also make bilingual versions):

    • First 100 Words

    • Animals

    • Colors

Rhyming/Rhythm books

• These are my favorite kinds of books because children’s brains are wired to pick up on patterns - eventually, you can let your child fill in the second half of the rhyme

• Try not to interrupt the book with too many questions since it will disrupt the effect of the rhymes/rhythm

• Dr Seuss, of course: 

• Old Hat, New Hat

• The Foot Book

• Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb

• Hop on Pop

• Honk Honk, Beep Beep

• Jamberry (great illustrations, too)

• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?  (same great illustrator)

• Goodnight Moon

• Busy Fingers

• Dinosaur Dance

• You are New
  
  
  

Books with a great story

• As your child gets older, most books will fall into this category and have actual plots, woohoo!

• Many parents know the value of peppering in questions for your child like “what do you think will happen next?”

• This is important, but I’d also add your own observations/opinions so it doesn’t feel like an interrogation - like,  “ooh this reminds me of our house!” or “I think that pink flower is beautiful”

• This will also encourage your child to offer their own spontaneous comments in the future

• Little Blue Truck

• Hug Machine

• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

• Are You My Mother?

• Little Gorilla

• Caps for Sale

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Books for preschool age

• You Choose - such a fun way to build vocabulary and discuss likes/dislikes (they also have a Fairy Tales and In Space version)

• Busy, Busy Town - also great for vocab and learning about all the different jobs people play in a community

• Pirate Boy - especially if you have an imaginative kid, might make you tear up

• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

• Frog and Toad books: charming, wise stories about friendship that will make the adults chuckle too

  • Frog and Toad are Friends

  • Frog and Toad Together

  • Frog and Toad All Year

  • Days with Frog and Toad

• The Berenstain Bears - I’m not a fan of many of the Berenstain Bears books, but these two are an exception!

  • Spooky Old Tree

  • Too Much Noise

• The Madeline books - the creative rhyme schemes and beautiful illustrations stand the test of time

  • Madeline (the original)

  • Madeline’s Rescue

  • Madeline and the Bad Hat

• PD Eastman (protege of Dr Seuss)

  • A Fish Out of Water

  • Sam & The Firefly

  • Big Dog, Little Dog

• Robert Munsch - these amazing books are a little cheeky/fresh, so may want to pre-read to determine if your child is ready

  • The Paper Bag Princess

  • Mortimor

  • Purple, Green and Yellow

  • Stephanie’s Ponytail
    
    
    
    

Books for transitions/holidays

• Birth of a sibling: Because I’m New

• Starting preschool: Rosie goes to Preschool

• Potty training: P is for Potty, Potty, Diapers are Not Forever

• Jewish holidays: PJ Library sends a free book each month based on your child’s age and what holidays fall during that month. Two of my favorites for Shabbat are Challah for Shabbat Tonight and The Friday Nights of Nana

• Little Blue Truck has a Halloween and Christmas book

• Two other great Christmas books: Madeline’s Christmas and Red and Lulu