A child snuggled on your lap listening to the rise and fall of your voice as you read Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar evokes the most precious memories you have with your little ones. There are so many wonderful books for kids to share with children.
In fact, there are some books that I think no child should miss hearing during those beginning years. So, I’ve compiled a list of 101 books to read to kids before kindergarten.
I know that your kids will have life-long memories of being read to by a loved one and chances are that one of these books will trigger that same memory when they are older.
The list is a mix of classics and newer books that will someday be classics. I recently updated this list to add new favorites and to help you begin building a diverse library.
Normally, on Growing Book by Book, I share a little about each book. Since this list is so long, I’m going to just list the books this time.
The purpose of this list is to get little ones “hooked” on books!
101 Books to Read to Kids Before Kindergarten
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Not to Be Missed Books for Babies
One of the main goals of reading with babies is so that they can soak up our voices and listen to our language. Another big reason to read to babies is that it is a wonderful and nurturing bonding experience between reader and baby.
All the books in this section are board books which means that they have heavy pages that babies will have a hard time tearing.
- Ten Tiny Babies by Katz
- I Love You, Sun I Love You Moon by Pandell
- Indestructibles: Let’s Go Outside! by Pixton- a great series of books that are washable, chew-proof, and tear-proof
- Five Little Ducks Nursery Songs by Busby- a wonderful collection of nursery rhymes and songs
- Goodnight Moon by Wise Brown
- That’s Not My Elephant by Watt or any other of the many That’s Not My… books published by Usborne- a great touch-and-feel series
- May We Have Enough to Share by Van Camp
- Tickle, Tickle by Oxenbury
- Where is the Duck? by Arrhenius
- Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children- little ones love photographs of babies
- I Love Me (Wonderful Me) by Grover
- Tummy Time Friends by Brisson
- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Fox
- Huggy Kissy by Patricelli
- Up Cat Down Cat by Light
- Peek-a-Who? by Laden
- Open the Barn Door by Santoro
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Cabrera
- Dear Zooby Campbell
- Black & White by Hoban
*For tips on reading with baby, check out this post.—>Reading With Baby
Don’t Miss Books for Toddlers
Here you will find a mixture of board books and hardcover/paperback books. These books are highly engaging which is important for little ones on the move.
- Blue Hat, Green Hat by Boynton
- Rosa Loves Cars by Spanyol
- Nest by Hurley
- So Much by Cooke
- Little Blue Truck by Schertle
- Chomp Goes the Alligator by Van Fleet
- Alphablock by Franceschell
- Bee Bim Bop by Park
- Lola at the Library by McQuinn
- Otis by Long
- The Last Marshmallow by Lin
- Grandma’s Tiny House by Brown-Wood
- Let’s Find Momo by Knapp
- Go Baby! Go Dog! by Vittur Kennedy
- Freight Train by Crews
- Hello, World Dinosaurs! by McDonald
- In My Garden by Musgrave
- The Wheels on the Bus by Williamson
- The Three Bears by Barton
- Huff & Puff by Rueda
- The Gingerbread Man by Schmidt
- Jump! By Matsuoka
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Numeroff
- The Busy Little Squirrel by Tafuri
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Martin Jr.
- Mail Duck by Sirotich
- Making Tracks City by Hall
- Baby Goes to Market by Atinuke
- Giraffes Can’t Dance by Andreae
- Guess Which Hand by Wilhelm
- Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car by Dopriak
- Little Owl by Teckentrup
- Say Hello! by Isadora
- Let’s Play Monsters by Peck
- Bear Snores On by Wilson
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Duskey Rinker
- Tinyville Town I’m a Firefighter by Briggs
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Carle
*For more books that toddlers will love, check out this post.—>Ultimate List of Books for Toddlers
Not to Be Missed Books for Preschoolers
This list includes books that will have preschoolers begging to be read over and over. There are also books that deal with new situations that preschoolers face such as starting school, managing big emotions, and learning about their world.
- The King of Kindergarten by Barnes- Use our Book Dive to go with this book.
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Willems
- What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?by Jenkins
- Blueberries for Sal by McCloskey
- Please, Mr. Panda by Antony
- The Gruffalo by Donaldson
- Float by Miyares- wordless book with lots of storytelling opportunities
- Raindrops Roll by Pulley Sayre
- Harold and the Purple Crayon by Johnson
- Jabari Jumps by Cornwall
- Green Is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors
by Greenfield Thong - The Paperbag Princess by Munsch
- Frog on a Log? by Gray- great for building phonological awareness
- Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Brisson
- The Snowy Day by Keats
- Under My Hijab by Khan
- Friday Night Wrestlefest by Fox
- Lilly & Friends: A Picture Book Treasury by Henkes- a collection of favorite Henkes stories
- Tap the Magic Tree by Matheson
- Corduroy by Freeman
- Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Litwin
- When We are Kind by Gray Smith
- Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Medina- Use our Book Dive to go with this title.
- The Little Red Fort by Maier- Use our Book Dive to go with this title.
- The Book With No Pictures by Novak
- The Mitten by Brett
- Eating the Alphabet by Ehlert
- Llama Llama Red Pajama by Dewdney
- Ada Twist, Scientist by Beaty
- The New Small Person by Child
- Hey, Water! by Portis
- One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Bernstrom
- They All Saw a Cat by Wenzel
- Mother Bruce by Higgins
- You Matter by Robinson
- It’s OK to Be Different by Parr
- Saturday by Oge Mora
- Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Thomas- great for building phonological awareness
*For more preschool book recommendations, check out this list.—>The Ultimate List of Preschool Books
Not to Miss First Chapter Read-Aloud Books
Around age 4, kids are eager to listen to chapter books. You have to find the right books though. Here are a few to start with on this leg of the reading journey.
- Winnie-the-Pooh by Milne
- Zoey & Sassafras Dragons and Marshmallows by Citro (series)
- Mercy Watson to the Rescue by DiCamillo (series)
*For more books that make great first chapter book read-alouds, check out these lists.
Chapter Book Read-Alouds for Preschool
Chapter Book Read-Alouds for Kindergarten
Book #101
Number 101 is for you to fill in on the list. It’s that one book when you close your eyes and think back to being snuggled up on someone’s lap, you vividly remember. That book is a must-read with your kids. What book is it? I’d love to know. Share the title in the comments.
Printable List of 100 Books To Read Before Kindergarten
Are you ready to bring JOY and PLAY into children’s lives through books?
Join over 60,000 educators who are saving time with targeted and meaningful resources to reach all their emerging readers.
As a thank you, I’ll send you a handy little reference sheet (color version and black & white) of 100 Books to Hear Before Kindergarten that you can take to the library, hang on the refrigerator, or share with families.
Click the button below to join our newsletter list. You’ll also get the downloadable book list emailed to you as a thank you gift.
Get the Books
Support independent bookstores and shop via Bookshop. I’ve compiled all the books for you!—>Shop the books in my Bookshop.
Reading aloud is the biggest literacy gift and boost we can give to our children. This list is a jumping-off point for you to help children fall in love with reading, build vocabulary, and discover the world of books.
This post first appeared on Growing Book by Book on 10/3/16 and has been revised several times.
AracelI Gonzalez says
My 3 children have truly enjoyed the Book “Where’s Spot” and With it we Created mant sweet memOrIes!
Tonya says
MY SON’s favorite was old hat, new hat by stan and jan berenstain. he memorized it and wanted to hear it every night. I plan to keep our copy to pass to him to read to his kids.
Cindy Unger says
I’m wondering if the colors have any significance? I was looking to see if it was any kind of guide? I couldn’t find a reference if it was–
I’m talking about the List of 101 books to read before Kindergarten.
Thank you.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Yes, a color guide is included on the printout. The first batch is for babies. Then, toddler, preschool, and beginning chapter books for preschoolers.
Samantha says
My childhood favourite has to be aesops fables. I loved them and the imagery too! A great list youve compiled though!
Elizabeth liston says
This is a great list. My 101 picK would be: Babar by JeaN de Brunhoff. Once i got past poor Babar’s mother being shot by the huner, i loved that story!
Or KatY no-pocket by Emmy Payne. I have vivid memories curled up with my mother reading those to me around 4,5 and 6 years old. They were my favorites!
kris smith says
Big Black Bear by wong Herbert yee
I love you stinky face
Cindy Gitt says
I love your lists and seeing your ideas for activities using books.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you so much Cindy!
Hillary s says
Saint GeOrge and the dragon
Donna Zellner says
good list
Bethany Edwards says
GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, WOULD BE OURS
George W. Davis, III says
#101 The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese.
Glenna Jakush says
Bark george by Jules PfEiffer is a favorite of mine. I also really love Wave by Suzy Lee and a ball for Daisy by Chris Rashka
Tanya says
Great list, thank you!
I would add “my cat likes to hide in boxes “ and “the runaway Hug”
Gordon Myers says
Your list is wonderful and I see recommended products below the article. It features “the giving tree”. I read that as a kid and i cried my eyes out every single time.
Susan Kummerle says
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene mosel. seeing it as an adult brought back great memories of my childhood. I’ve been reading it to preschoolers for years now, and they always love it!
Tricia Bridge says
Five Minutes Peace by Jill murphy
My children loved it and now it is a favorite with my grandson too.
moronke says
Wish I have them ALL; now
Laurie Sprinzen says
love all the books but dont want to print 18 pages…where is the one page color list that first shows up??????
Jodie Rodriguez says
Just click “subscribe to Growing Book by Book” and it will be emailed to you as a thank you gift.
Chris says
I received the 10 book list, but not the printable. I would like to receive it as well.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Hi Chris,
It was sent in a separate email. You might check your spam/trash folder for it. If you still can’t find it, let me know and I’ll resend it.
Best,
Jodie
Matt says
Recieved the list of 10 books but not the 100 books to read before kindergarten
Jodie Rodriguez says
Just sent you an email. Enjoy!
jodi says
such a great list! How do I get the printable version?
Jodie Rodriguez says
Hi Jodi, the list is available as a thank you to newsletter subscribers. Just click the button to subscribe for free, submit, and the list will be emailed to you.
Laurie says
i WONDER IF YOU made an effort to be gender equitable in your book lists.
I am surprised that you, as an educator, would not have considered the importance of making sure that both genders were represented equally.
Granted, I have not read every one of these books on this list, but there are many I have read and list seems extremely heavy on male characters.
Disappointing for those of us who have daughters. .
Elizab says
Was that really necessary? Do you feel better? If you dont like it, moVe on. Are you aware of the TREMENDOUS impact this teacher has had BEYOND her classroom to all of us?! She is to be commended and THANKED, not criticiZed. And by the way, if you had politley asked her for more books with female influence I feel quite certain she would have provided you an answer.
Hailee says
For us, it’s “wynken, blynken, and nod,” or as my son calls It, “winky nod.” We have my copy from when i was little!
Also, does it count if we jist read little blue truck 101 times a daY? 😉
Stacey says
Some of my FAVORITEs not listed are The Little Bear series, Saggy Baggy Elephant, Tawny Scrawny Lion, Pokey Little Puppy..I always loved the Little Golden Books, Also the Johnny Lion series and Jonathan London’s Froggy series are Favorites.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Golden Books bring back so many fond memories and have made books affordable for so many little ones.
Lisa says
I’LL.Love you forever by Robert MUNSCH…We read that book to all the children on the family.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Lisa, that is a favorite of many.
Amelia Schippel says
Just wish I could read it without crying.
Korey Averill says
The VELVETEen rabbit
Jodie Rodriguez says
A book that brings back great memories for so many people.
Brenda says
The House on East 88th Street
gale says
Is that a lyle cRocodile book? A favorite of mine when i was little! (sorry for the caps- my computer is wonky today)
Jodie Rodriguez says
Oh yes! Lyle is great.
Michelle says
Danny and the dinosaur- i used to read that book so much when i first learned to read
Under the bed- my eldest son liked this book so much we memorized it and the illustrations are awesome
Lm says
Lyle lyle crocodile was one of my favorites and now my kids Love it too.
Jodie Rodriguez says
That is one we have read a lot too. It’s a classic!
Vicki says
My dad visited me in the hospital when I was about 6, and I would beg him to read “The House THat Jack built.” He read it at a quick pace and when he was done, I’d beg him to do it again, faster and faster. Those times meant so much while in the hospital.
Jodie Rodriguez says
It’s amazing that those experiences impact our memories.
Jane Romatzke says
It is a wonderful book. Jack was a popular builder at our house.
AshleY sternBerg says
I was a big don freeman fan – i have big
Memories of “dandelion” and “a Rainbow of my own.” Big red barn by mWb. My kids love so manY on the list, and also “a Good day” by kevin henkes, “my friends” by taro Gomi, a little stuck by oliver jeffers, haiku baby and sweet dreams lUllaby and i haiku you by betsy snyder,school bus by donald crews, pout pout fish, peTes a pizza, whats wrong little pookie, fire truck by peter sis and iggy peck.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Yes, geat choices!
Eileen says
Owl Babies by martin waddell. We had to leave this book with our babYsitter every time we went out because my dAughter would miss us so much. Our daughter is now 23 and a special ed teacher!
Sarah says
Hairy MCCLARY from donaldson’s dairy by lynley dodd. My son loves this book, i think i may have read it at least 100 TIMes in THe last year.
Jodie Rodriguez says
It is always so fun to see which books our kids love to hear over and over.
Margie morris says
When i taught pk i did a whole unit on eric carle. Each bo taught a lesson.
Rosie says
Guess how much i love you (sam mcbRantley) has got to be my favourite to read to the kids. Great list
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you Rosie.
Alyssa says
Bread and HoneY bY frank asch –
Its One of the first things I bought when I Was pregnant. it’s no longer in print, and I paid an obscene amount of money for copy in good condition, but I had to have it to read to my kids.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Oh yes! Love Frank Asch’s books.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Asch is a favorite.
Mirinda mounir says
Thank you a lot 👏👍
Karli Siscoe says
Blueberriers For Sal
Kate says
The most memorable book for me from my earliest memories is “Now we are six,” by a. A. Milne. My dad would read those poems to me all the time! I loved thEm!! And can still recite some of them 🙂
Jodie Rodriguez says
What a great memory Kate!
Britton says
Thank you for this great list! My two favorites from childhood are Miss Rumphius and The Mountains of Tibet, so I’ll add those 🙂
Jodie Rodriguez says
Miss Rumphius brings back such wonderful memories for me too.
Stacy Sage says
The Maggie B–I still remember listening to my mom’s soft voice nearly 25 years later. Great bedtime story.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Love it!
Rebecca says
It looked like spilt mill
Geo says
Great lIst
Annette says
Owl Babies,
Little QuAck,
Please Mr. Panda,
Groovy Joe, Icecream and Dinosaurs,
KIM BURKLEY says
My 1 year old SON LOVES KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON BY KEVIN HENKES. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW BOOKS THAT KEEPS HIS ENTIRE ATTENTION. IT IS ALSO A CALDECOTT WINNER.
Amanda says
Ill love You For
Deb says
The Monster at the end of the book
Mary says
The Clifford the bIg red dog books are written by Norman BRidwell, not birdwell. The island that emily elizabeth lives on is called biRdwell island!
Great list! I teach kindergarten and have read a large portion of these to my stUdents this year.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you for catching that Mary.
eileen y. blau says
“Dogger” by Shirley Hughes
Jodie Rodriguez says
That is a favorite.
AllIe says
Hi Jodie, i’m a fellow library lover and mom, and i’m interested in stArting a blog. Would it be okay with you if i linked your site and used your list of 100 books to read before kindergarten in a post about homeSchool preschool activities? Thank you! Allie d
@LibrarylearninGmom
Beth says
THE TWO I REMEMBER MY MOM READING TO ME WERE
1. BABAR King of the elephants
2. Nanook of the north
Courtney says
Hi! Can you please send me the 101 list kf books to read before kinder. My email js court.pierce@aol. Thank you!
Pooja says
I have tried mamy a times to.claimthe download but it always fails can u email me the list to bajajpooja85@gmail.com
Jodie Rodriguez says
Pooja, please check your email. I just sent it to you again. Best, Jodie
Beth says
I am trying to get the printable list, but when I get the email its a different list, not the one shown in the post. How can I get the one listed here? Thanks!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Hi Beth, I just sent you an email titled “the book list you wanted from Growing Book by Book.” Enjoy, Jodie
Lisa says
Stand back says the elephant I’m going to sneeze
There are rocks in my socks said the ox to the fox
Jodie Rodriguez says
I have great memories of Stand Back Says the Elephant!
Victoria@Squiggles and Bubbles says
What beautiful imagery and emotions your first paragraph evokes! I love this list, my middle child is off to Kinder next year so it’s great to have a booklist to work through together!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you Victoria!
Renae Eddy says
Such a great list! We’ve read many of these. I love how you divide the list up by age level. It makes it so easy to read.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thanks Renae! I’m glad that the age brackets are helpful.
Nessa says
I have a few of these. Love ideas. Wild About Books is pretty fun too. I like having a printable handy for when I go to the store or library.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Wild About Books is a fun one. Thanks for sharing Nessa.
Melody Bartels says
I learned to read the Dick and Jane books. It is a better way when they can’t hear the sounds letters make I taught so far4of our grandchildren to read
Carol Campbell says
I learned to read an “Alice in Wonderland” picture book. My parents read it to me every night and finally I could read it to them!
Michelle says
The circus ship by Chris VanDusen or ANY of his books! Amazing – for kids and parents.
Or slinky malinky and hairy mclarry collections.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thanks for the ideas Michelle!
Tracy B says
I was excited to see Mouse Paint on the list, as it was my oldest son’s first favorite book. Another favorite of his was Are You My Mother?
As a preschool teacher, one of my favorite parts of the day was sorry time, and I’ve had the pleasure of reading most of the books on this list. I also recommend Pumpkin Soup, since it was a favorite of several age groups.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Oh yes, Pumpkin Soup is a fun one this time of year.
Tracy says
The crayon box that talked!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Yes, another good one.
Miranda Davis says
What a great list! Our all time favorite is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. My 14 yo actually sat down and listened to it again while I was reading to her little sister. She got teary-eyed.
Jodie Rodriguez says
There are so many people who love that book.
Patty Shadden says
This is a fabulous list. One that I intend to share with friends and family. Thak you.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thanks so much Patty!
Marty Hatcher says
I’m a retired elementary school librarian. I love so many titles on this list! I would add The Baby Beebee Bird, by Diane Redfield Massie, illustrated by Steven Kellogg. My students loved making the sound of the baby bird. I would also add I Like Me!, by Nancy Carlson. That’s just been released as a board book.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you for sharing Marty. I haven’t read The Baby Beebee Bird so I’m excited to check that one out. I Like Me! by Carlson is a very good one too.
JDaniel4's Mom says
This amazing list is filled with old favorites! It also has so new books I need to look for at the library.
Stef says
I came across your list just in time. My oldest will become a kindergartner next year – we still have some time to cover your great list. I love that you included a printable list – it makes it so easy for your readers!
Karen anderhalt says
The house in the night is a favorite here!
Jacquie says
So many of our favorites are on your list — I love that you include classic books and newer stories! and a printable list (woo – hoo!)
Kenny Felder says
I would very much like to share with you, and with anyone who reads this, the book “When I Was Young in the Mountains” by Cynthia Rylant. It is the most beautiful book for children I know. When my kids were at the right age (comparable to Courduroy), I chose that book as my birthday present for every kid-party we went to.
Jodie Rodriguez says
I love Cynthia Rylant’s work.
Michelle says
Wow, Jodie – this list is fantastic! I already pinned it to my Kids Books board so that I could find it easily over and over again! My kids are 14 and 16 now, but a lot of these books are in a special box saved under the house. I hope to hang onto them forever – who knows – maybe I’ll be able to read them to my niece or future grandkids, lol. No rush there, though!
denise n rehfuss says
This is a good list; however,i am disappointed by the lack of diversity of the books. I was excited to see “the snowy day”, but there was little else on the list for children of color.
Jodie Rodriguez says
There are others on the list too: Lola at the Library, Bee Bim Bop, One Day in the Eucalyptus Tree, Eucalyptus Tree, and Global Babies. You can also find more multicultural books on other lists I have: https://growingbookbybook.com/multicultural-books-for-preschoolers/ and https://growingbookbybook.com/multicultural-books-for-babies/ . I’m always on the look out for more high quality and high-interest books that are diverse to share for the younger crowd. 🙂
denise n rehfuss says
Thank you for your swift and enlightening reply. We will check out the books you mentioned!
Kenny Felder says
The little girl in Corduroy is black. Part of the strength of the book (it seems to me–others might consider this a weakness) is that her blackness is completely irrelevant to the story.
A book that my kids loved over and over, that is more self-consciously black, was “Aunt Flossie’s Hats.” Not well known but fun and charming.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Oh yes, Aunt Flossie’s Hats is a great one!
Ila kaiser says
One of my favorites is The Black Snowman by Phil Mendez and Carole Byard.
Jodie Rodriguez says
That is a beautiful book!
Colleen says
This is an excellent list! My third kiddo is heading off to kindergarten next year and we will wok our way through this list. The best thing is that my older two kids love to sit in on books for younger kids and listen! They love hearing books that they know and love!!
Jodie Rodriguez says
You are never too old to enjoy a great picture book. 🙂
Theresa Hover says
Growing up, my favorite book I would add to this list is “But No Elephants”
Jodie Rodriguez says
I always enjoy hearing about favorite books from our childhoods.
Erin Buhr says
I think we read almost all of these before my twins started kindergarten this year. What a great list!! Sharing this. I love that you created a printable!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you Erin. Book lists are one of my favorite things to create.
Janet says
Hi Jodie,
Thanks for sharing so many unique ideas with books and activities that are fun for everyone!
Thanks for compiling such an extensive book list for pre-kindergarten! Look forward to checking out the ones we haven’t gotten to yet. Was wondering if you could include a plain black and white option for book lists in the future? So many things to download requiring colored ink that it’s nice to be able to save ink when possible. I love a good checklist!
Thanks!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Great idea Janet! I’ll try to get a black & white list made this weekend. 🙂
Nae play-based-parenting says
What an awesome list of books to read before kindergarten. We’ve read lots of these already but there’s definitely some I want to get my hands on
Kathy says
Our boys (3 and 5) often chose the same 3 books fir bedtime stories:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Good Night Gorilla
Wiggle (by Doreen Cronin)
Jodie Rodriguez says
All good ones!
Jo says
Frog and Toad are Friends, Bread and Jam for Francis, Pig Pig Grows Up, But No Elephants, The Runaway Bunny.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Bread and Jam for Frances was one of my childhood favorites!
Helen says
What an amazing resource! I have to admit, there are a number of books that are unfamiliar. I will definitely be checking them out.
Jodie Rodriguez says
I’m glad the list will be helpful to you Helen.
Christina @There's Just One Mommy says
What a wonderful list of books to read to young children. We absolutely loved Snuggle Puppy and Goodnight Moon when the kids were babies and toddlers. And, of course, The Kissing Hand was a huge hit when they got to school age.
Beth Cheng says
Love these books, thanks for the list. Now it is time to go find those we have not read before it is too late! 🙂
Heidi says
Great collection! You have my favorites in there. Reading to kids is so important. Thanks for this list.
Jodie Rodriguez says
I agree. Reading aloud is the single best thing we can do to help our kids grow into readers.
Jen Walshaw says
Wow what a fantastic list and there is a lot of new books to me there. I guess that is what happens when you live in different countries.
Sarah Benton Feitlinger says
What a great list! Between those that I hold dear from my own childhood like Curious George and Ezra Jack Keats books, to the newer ones that I am discovering with my own kids, like those by Sandra Boynton and Mo Willems I think we’ve read most. Definitely excited to check out those that we haven’t read yet!
Jodie Rodriguez says
I love sharing the classics and discovering new gems too.
Kara Carrero says
This is so great! We started homeschool kindergarten this year and any that we had no read yet I am definitely going to be adding to our kids’ library list.
Jodie Rodriguez says
We are homeschooling for kindergarten this year too. I love that we get to read so many great books together through the day.
Emma says
I think we’ve read most of these at least once. Llama Llama never gets old – and we love those Rhyming Dust Bunnies!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Emma, the author of Rhyming Dust Bunnies also has a brand-new book called Is That Wise, Pig? My boys rank it right up there with Rhyming Dust Bunnies.
Margareta Rönnberg says
Your list seems very ethnocentric… Why not try some more challenging books for children under 4? For example Swedish ones translated into English:
Pom and Pim by Olof and Lena Landström? It is a cumulative tale about a child’s soft toys. The two of them go out for a walk and a succession of things happen to them, some lucky and some unlucky, with one thing leading to another.
When Pom falls over and hurts himself they find a banknote and are able to buy ice cream, but the ice cream gives
Pom a tummy ache. And so on.
Or much-admired writer and illustrator Pija Lindenbaum’s I Love Manne? Manne, is dark-skinned and
has lots of curly hair, unlike Micke, the ‘I’ of the story, who is a tiny boy with hardly any hair at all. This little boy
loves everything about Manne: his hair of course, but also his grandma, the gunge he makes in the sandpit, and his
broken stick. But he finds he has competition for Manne’s attention when another, tougher boy comes to join in
the sandpit games.
Or Sanna Töringe and Kristina Digman’s two books Cat Can in the Morning and Cat Can in the Park. Or
Lena Sjöberg’s What’s That Behind Your Back? There is a figure on each right-hand page, a person or animal, or even
a robot or troll. The words are a series of guessing games.
There are of course also more didactic picture books that combine learning with pleasure. One notable example is
Pernilla Danielsson’s witty Can You Drink It?.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you for sharing your suggestions. We always love to discover more books.
Jessica Petersen says
My son is a first grader, so he’s already past kindergarten, but it’s never too late to read more wonderful picture books! I think we’ll have a lot of fun with the ones on this book list that we haven’t read yet. Thank you!
Rachel says
We have read so many of these book, but our favorite right now is going on a Bear Hunt. Looking forward to trying some of the ones we haven’t read yet.
Sharon Olson says
Good morning Jodie,
I am trying to get the downloadable list of 101 books to read to kids before kindergarten. It keeps sending me the sandwich activity (I love this activity too)
How do I get just the list?
Thanks
Smiles, Sharon Olson
Jodie Rodriguez says
Hi Sharon, I fixed the problem and it’s working now. I stayed up way too late night last night working on it and forgot to change the link. 🙂
Michelle says
Hi Jodie,
I’m also having problems downloading the list. Can’t wait to go through it and find some books I haven’t heard of before.
Thanks,
Michelle
Jodie Rodriguez says
Hi Michelle,
You might check your spam folder in your email inbox. I just checked to make sure everything was working correctly and it was fine on my end. Hope that helps. Best, Jodie