Preschool reading book
Best Preschool Books for the Classroom
Reading preschool books aloud to students is the best—the excitement, the comments (both related and unrelated, of course!), and the magical hush that falls over the classroom when you share the perfect title. A preschool classroom that’s fully stocked with diverse, top-quality books makes a huge difference for kids. Read on for 50+ of our recent top picks!
Psst: Don’t think we forgot about all our old favorite preschool books—many are included on this list of Books That Will Make You Nostalgic for Preschool.
(Just a heads up! WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
1. Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang
There are lots of kids in the childcare room while their adults attend English as a Second Language classes, but none of them speak to each other. That is until Luli makes a plan to bring them together to share tea and cookies. This is an adorable, heartwarming story about connecting with others that could definitely inspire many preschool tea parties!
Buy it: Luli and the Language of Tea on Amazon
2. Berry Song by Michaela Goade
A young girl and her grandmother gather berries together and thank the earth, celebrating Tlingit traditions and the seasons. Definitely add this lovely, relatable book to your preschool books that represent indigenous cultures.
Buy it: Berry Song on Amazon
3. Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
This title belongs in every single classroom collection of preschool books. It’s hands-down the most positive and inclusive book we’ve ever seen about physical appearance. No matter your shape, size, hair, skin color and markings, features—bodies are amazingly cool.
Buy it: Bodies Are Cool on Amazon
4. Circle Round by Anne Sibley O’Brien
There’s so much to talk about in the pictures of this sweet counting book. At the park, more circles (a ball, bike wheels, Hula-Hoops) mean more chances to play with friends!
Buy it: Circle Round on Amazon
5.
Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward SheffieldWe can’t have enough preschool books about feelings. This one explores emotions through the best context: ice cream! Kids can easily imagine how it would feel to be waiting in line for ice cream, eating ice cream, even dropping ice cream. Lots of fun follow-up project possibilities too!
Buy it: Ice Cream Face on Amazon
6. Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle by Nina LaCour
Family stories are staple preschool books. When Mommy goes away for the week, a little girl and her Mama make their own fun. Then they are happy to be reunited when Mommy returns.
Buy it: Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle on Amazon
7. Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter
Preschool books with fun sounds make great read-alouds. Late at night, a series of noises wakes up everyone in an apartment building one by one. What will lull them back to sleep? Illustrations by one of our favorites, Oge Mora, make this book sing.
Buy it: Everybody in the Red Brick Building on Amazon
8., 9. & 10. Baby Bear Counts One, Baby Bear Sees Blue, and Where, Oh Where, Is Baby Bear? by Ashley Wolff
There are plenty of sweet bear stories, but it’s the gorgeous linocut illustrations that really make these concept books stand out. They build children’s vocabulary and content knowledge about a bear’s habitat too.
Buy it: Baby Bear Counts One, Baby Bear Sees Blue and Where, Oh Where, Is Baby Bear? on Amazon
11. Mrs. Peanuckle’s Alphabet series by Mrs. Peanuckle
Everything about this series is downright adorable. Each book marches through a nature-themed version of the ABCs with engaging facts about bugs, birds, veggies, fruits, trees, or flowers—all while using cheerful mixed-media art.
Buy it: Mrs. Peanuckle’s Alphabet series on Amazon
12. Bear Is Awake! An Alphabet Story by Hannah E. Harrison
We love preschool books that combine the alphabet with a great picture story.
Hearing kids’ reactions as the narrative about a hungry bear unfolds is a treat. A is for “awake. …”
Buy it: Bear Is Awake! An Alphabet Story on Amazon
13. The Peas Series by Keith Baker
The original title in this series, LMNO Peas, is a longtime preschool book favorite because it combines two preschool loves: the alphabet and exploration of occupations. (Plus, could those little peas be any cuter?) We love having the latest installment, LMNO Pea-Quel, on hand for our pre-K kiddos as they start to tune in to lowercase letters, which are highlighted in this book.
Buy it: The Peas Series on Amazon
14. Again, Essie? by Jenny Lacika
Big brother Rafael wants to protect his toys from his toddler sister Essie. He fits together boxes and other found materials to make a wall. Will it work? Explore vocabulary like “tall,” “skinny,” “wide,” and more. We think every preschool classroom should have a full set of the Storytelling Math series books because they are SO good.
Many are also available in Spanish, and each one includes “Exploring the Math” activity ideas.
Buy it: Again, Essie? on Amazon
15. Five Hiding Ostriches by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
Five little ostriches wonder what to do when they spot a lion. This adorable spin on “Five Little Pumpkins” is such fun to read aloud and act out as a class.
Buy it: Five Hiding Ostriches on Amazon
16. Circle Under Berry by Carter Higgins
Explore shapes, colors, and prepositions with this most inventive of preschool books that’ll really get your class talking. It starts out simple but ramps up as the book goes on, making it a great multi-age concept book. Extension ideas abound, from offering it with loose parts for kids to explore or creating your own class version with cut and glued shapes.
Buy it: Circle Under Berry on Amazon
17. Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
Most preschool classrooms engage in some kind of study of families, and this book is a must-have to encourage an inclusive view on the topic.
Illustrations are colorful and engaging and sweetly portray many different variations on family structure.
Buy it: Love Makes a Family on Amazon
18. Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
Kindness is a universal theme in preschool, and this title brims with optimism and age-appropriate examples. Share it with kids and then celebrate their own kind ideas and actions.
Buy it: Kindness Makes Us Strong on Amazon
19. House: First Words Board Books by Michael Slack
We’ve used this collection of little label books—each features contents of a room in a home—in so many ways. Share them to get kids talking about their own homes or as examples to inspire kids’ own label books. The little books fit into the box like a puzzle, so they make for a great item for independent exploration during quiet time too.
Buy it: House: First Words Board Books on Amazon
20. Wheels by Sally Sutton
Sally Sutton earned a special place in our construction book-loving hearts with Roadwork.
This more recent title has a guessing game structure, which makes it perfect for reading aloud to kids who love vehicles.
Buy it: Wheels on Amazon
21. Penguin Bedtime Classics illustrated by Carly Gledhill
These are not your typical fairy tales! This board book collection distills classic tales down to a few basic—but still engaging—short sentences and fills in the gaps with diverse, fresh-feeling illustrations.
Buy it: Penguin Bedtime Classics on Amazon
22. If You Find a Leaf by Aimee Sicuro
A girl finds a leaf and imagines all the different things it could be. Gorgeous illustrations are so fun to pore over with kids. Add this to your preschool books for inspiring fall projects!
Buy it: If You Find a Leaf on Amazon
23. A Very Big Fall by Emmy Kastner
Here’s one for every kid who’s every worried over an upcoming change—even those that are supposed to be exciting. When the squirrels really talk up the fall changes to come, the little leaves get uneasy, especially Maple.
This would be such fun to act out with puppets or flannel board pieces!
Buy it: A Very Big Fall on Amazon
24. A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall
A witch heats up her cauldron for making a delicious soup, with plenty of wholesome ingredients and topped off with frogs. But she can’t keep the frog from jumping off the spoon! This is a hilarious read-aloud with fun pretend-play connections.
Buy it: A Spoonful of Frogs on Amazon
25. The Winter Bird by Kate Banks
A nightingale with a broken wing can’t fly south for the winter. Luckily, the kind winter forest animals help it adjust to the unfamiliar cold and snowy weather. This is one of our new favorite preschool books for talking about both seasonal changes and kindness towards others.
Buy it: The Winter Bird on Amazon
26. & 27. What Color Is Night? and What Sound Is Morning? by Grant Snider
These poetic titles celebrate the nuanced colors of night and the sounds of the very beginning of the day.
Bedtime and early mornings are preschooler prime times, of course, so these are highly relevant preschool books. They’re great springboards for activities about looking and listening carefully and describing colors and sounds in your school environment too.
Buy it: What Color Is Night? and What Sound Is Morning? on Amazon
28. What’s the Weather? by Shelley Rotner
Since we love every single one of Shelley Rotner’s gorgeous photo essays, it was hard to choose one to feature, but this title is particularly interactive for classrooms having conversations about the weather.
Buy it: What’s the Weather? on Amazon
29. Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly and James Dean
Obviously, Pete the Cat is a preschool classroom’s best friend. We love this new fave—next to our all-time #1 Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, of course—for talking all things pizza and all things starting with the letter P. Preschoolers giggle endlessly over Pete’s pals’ silly topping choices.
Buy it: Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party on Amazon
30. Pizza Day by Melissa Iwai
This realistic narrative about a family who makes pizza from scratch—think growing veggies and making homemade sauce—gives kiddos lots to talk about! After reading, it’s definitely time for some pizza-making of your own.
Buy it: Pizza Day on Amazon
31. Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley
Soup is a close second to pizza for preschool cooking and food conversation possibilities. Elegant in its simplicity, this title features a single color word matched to a soup veggie on each page. We love pairing it with a paint color exploration, painting full sheets of paper, and chopping them up into “soup” pieces.
Buy it: Every Color Soup on Amazon
32. & 33. Good Morning Yoga and Good Night Yoga by Mariam Gates
Yoga story time is one of our favorite ways to incorporate yoga in the preschool classroom, and these are two of our go-to’s for energizing or winding down our littlest yogis.
Buy it: Good Morning Yoga and Good Night Yoga on Amazon
34. Find Fergus by Mike Boldt
Kids just love this book! Part story about a bumbling bear, part seek-and-find challenge, it’s perfect for sharing with a small group. Fergus wants to hide, but he needs a lot of guidance, which of course, young hide-and-seek experts find hilarious. We love preschool books that encourage pre-writers too—this one’s good for inspiring some list-making!
Buy it: Find Fergus on Amazon
35. Boxitects by Kim Smith
This is our newest favorite spirited STEAM tale. First of all, the amazing made-up words: Boxitect. Blanketeer. Spaghetti-tect. Kids want to be all of them. There is a nice underlying message about the value of teamwork, and tons of cardboard-box creation inspiration too.
Buy it: Boxitects on Amazon
36. Kitten and the Night Watchman by John Sullivan
The dad in this touching story works night shift security at a construction site.
Its hushed descriptions of his rounds—complete with repeated sightings of a small, gray kitten—mesmerizes kids. The text is richly detailed without being too much for preschoolers, and we love the nod to families in which parents work varying schedules.
Buy it: Kitten and the Night Watchman on Amazon
37. Alphonse, There’s Mud on the Ceiling! by Daisy Hirst
Monster sibs Natalie and Alphonse love playing outdoors but are frustrated to live in a tall apartment building. Creativity wins, though, and the story is full of their imaginative adventures both indoors and out. We like sharing a story about playing outside that also acknowledges the diversity of kids’ homes.
Buy it: Alphonse, There’s Mud on the Ceiling! on Amazon
38. A Story for Small Bear by Alice McGinty and Richard Jones
Small Bear is eager for her story time before settling in for winter’s sleep, but Mama tells her there’s preparation to be done first. Will they finish getting ready in time? This is hands down one of the sweetest preschool books we’ve read recently and weaves in so many preschool curriculum topics—family relationships, seasons, forest animals—and, of course, the power of stories.
Buy it: A Story for Small Bear on Amazon
39. Ruby’s Sword by Jacqueline Véissid
When preschoolers discover stick swords, our impulse can be to squash them in the name of safety. Imaginative Ruby shows us another path, though—one of ants rescued, apples procured, and fictional dragons challenged by a fearless knight, along with a satisfying, friendship-filled ending. Bookmark this for sharing each year when talking about using sticks in safe—but fun—ways.
Buy it: Ruby’s Sword on Amazon
40. Green on Green by Dianne White
This delightful journey through the colors of the seasons is particularly nice to share if you have a child in your class who’s expecting a sibling. The mother in the book subtly grows with each change in season, and by year’s end, the family celebrates a new arrival.
Buy it: Green on Green on Amazon
41. Penguin series by Salina Yoon
Penguin had our hearts back with Penguin and Pinecone, one of our favorite tales about the power of friendship that evokes amazing reflections from kids.
In each subsequent story, Penguin sensitively grapples with a new social-emotional challenge, and we—and our penguin-loving preschoolers—are here for all of them.
Buy it: Penguin series on Amazon
42. Bird House by Blanca Gómez
A young girl finds an injured bird while on a walk with her abuela. They nurse it back to health and release it—and receive a surprise visitor the following spring. If you’re looking to add to your collection of gentle preschool books for reading aloud again and again, this is a good choice. It’s also available in Spanish.
Buy it: Bird House on Amazon
43. Natsumi! by Susan Lendroth
Natsumi has tons of energy, just like many preschoolers we know. Her grandfather helps her channel it into the perfect pastime: drumming! We like to pair this book with … you guessed it: plenty of percussion invitations.
Buy it: Natsumi! on Amazon
44. & 45. Daniel Finds a Poem and Daniel’s Good Day by Micha Archer
If you think poetry isn’t for preschoolers, think again.
They dictate the most perfect poetic lines, and this pair of titles is the best springboard. Daniel is an honest, observant, caring delight of a character.
Buy it: Daniel Finds a Poem and Daniel’s Good Day on Amazon
46. Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
This feel-good story tells of a little girl who plays dress-up with her mother’s headscarves. We love sharing it when talking about families or when conversations about head coverings arise among students.
Buy it: Mommy’s Khimar on Amazon
47. I Really Want To See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi
This story is for every kid who fiercely misses a special relative. Yumi desperately wants to see her grandma, so she sets out for her house. What she doesn’t know is that Grandma has also decided to make a visit, causing some frantic back-and-forth.
Buy it: I Really Want To See You, Grandma on Amazon
48. Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre
April Pulley Sayre’s photos are unparalleled for encouraging kiddos to study nature and observe like scientists.
We love all her titles, but this one is particularly helpful for classrooms that study frog life cycles.
Buy it: Being Frog on Amazon
49. What Happened to You? by James Catchpole
This is one of our new favorite preschool books for building empathy around differences and disabilities. Joe just wants to play pirates at the playground, but the other kids can’t contain their questions about why he has only one leg. It’s a great #OwnVoices story for opening discussions about balancing curiosity with respect for privacy.
Buy it: What Happened to You? on Amazon
50. Listen by Gabi Snyder
We love preschool books that encourage mindfulness and wonder, and this does both. A girl practices listening to the myriad small sounds around her, naturally encouraging preschool students to do the same.
Buy it: Listen on Amazon
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150+ AMAZING Preschool Books Preschoolers Will Love
How many books did you read in the classroom yesterday or at bedtime last night? 1, 2, 3, a gazillion?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?… These are just a few of the books that most preschoolers will request every single day.
Keeping up with the demand of a voracious book lover can be challenging.
Here is your one-stop-shop for all things related to reading books with preschoolers. I’ve got the best book lists, reading tips, and book activities that will have your preschoolers craving more and more books which is music to a parent or teacher’s ears.
Preschool Books
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
When choosing books for preschoolers, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
- Choose books that are engaging. Great characters and lots of dialogue draw a preschooler right into the story.
- Know your child or group of kids. Attention span will vary from child to child. Start with shorter books and build your way up to lengthier stories.
- Match books to a child’s interests. If you have a child who loves monsters, then grab a big stack of monster books.
Kids love to learn more about topics they are passionate about at any given moment.
Book Lists
Each reader, of course, has her own personal reading taste. But, there are some books that can almost be assured to be loved by all preschool children. The two that I hear teachers and parents say over and over again are…
Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin and illustrated by James Dean is a sure hit. Really anything by Pete the Cat can be inserted here. I personally prefer the original four books that were written by Eric Litwin. The others, in my opinion, have become commercialized and the quality of the story isn’t there like in the first four books.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems is great for eliciting lots of participation and giggles. That silly pigeon wants to drive the bus, but the bus driver has asked the reader to make sure that doesn’t happen. Move right into Elephant & Piggie books after you have read the Pigeon books.
See what parents and teachers say are the other must-reads for preschool.—>Giant List of Popular Preschool Books
By Age
Each year I share a list of books that have been favorites in our house for the past year. They are some of our most popular book lists for kids. Here are the two that apply to the preschool years: Favorite Books for 3 Year-Olds and Favorite Books for 4 Year-Olds. I’m pretty sure they will be hits with your preschoolers too.
More Great Book Lists
Just like we need a variety in our diet, we also need to expose kids to a variety in their reading diet too. Having multicultural books on our shelves is a must. Add a good helping of multicultural books for preschoolers to your shelf too.
Books are also a great teaching tool. Preschoolers learn about colors, shapes, feelings, sequencing, and more. Explore some titles to help with that development.—>Books for Preschoolers to Teach Basic Concepts has over 40 book suggestions.
Here are some other related preschool book list posts to check out.
Science Books for Preschoolers
Math Books for Preschoolers
Interactive Books for Kids
Nonfiction Books for Preschoolers
Seasonal
A change of seasons is a great opportunity to help your child learn and grow through books. Below are some of our favorite books to celebrate each season and the holidays of the season.
Fall Books for Preschoolers
Winter Books for Preschoolers
Spring Books for Preschoolers
Summer Books for Preschoolers
For holiday-specific books, we have you covered too!
Groundhog Day Books
Click here for more Holiday Books and Activities.
Books for Preschool Themes
This growing list of preschool books for different themes pairs with our Preschool Literacy Units. Any unit of study is always richer with some quality reading material.
All About Me
Apples
Balls
Boxes
Cars and Trucks
Dinosaurs
Insects
Leaves
Space
Spiders
Books for Special Milestones
Preschoolers usually encounter many special milestones during these precious years.
Here are some book lists to fit those special times
Books for New Siblings
Hopefully, you won’t need this list, but Death of a Sibling books too.
First Day of School Books
Preschool Books and Activities
Our literacy time centers around books. We thrive on using a book as a springboard into real-life learning and playing.
*Each month a new Book Activity is shared on Growing Book by Book. It’s an early literacy-building hands-on activity paired with a favorite children’s books. Here are a few preschool book activities to start with the students.
Pete the Cat Activities
Eric Carle Activities
*Virtual Book Club for Kids is a monthly club that to use on a regular basis. Each month a preschool book is selected and participating bloggers share hands-on activities that correlate with the book. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Brown Bear Brown Bear Activities
Pinkalicious Activities
Corduroy Activities
*One of my very favorite activities to do at home with preschoolers (and older kids) is Family Dinner Book Club.
Each month a book, themed menu, table craft, conversation starters, and a family service project are shared. Here are a few past favorites.
James Herriott’s Treasury for Children ( I LOVE this book.)
A Bear Called Paddington
*Another book project near and dear to my heart is helping my preschoolers learn to give to others. We created a monthly project that would help us focus on reading, creating, and then sharing with others. All the books, activities, and service projects were put together to create my first book, Read, Create & Share. It’s a great way to bring books to life with preschoolers.
Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales, and Folk Tales
I bet you have a few fairy tales and nursery rhymes memorized. They are true classics. We were on a huge Three Billy Goats Gruff kick for a while.
Add a good mix of nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and folk tales into your child’s reading diet.
Here are our all-time favorite rhyming books to build phonological awareness.
—>Click to see the Not To Be Missed Rhyming Books.
And speaking of rhymes, I have some rhymes and songs your preschoolers will love. Plus, they will help build your child’s phonological awareness.—>35 Songs and Chants to Build Literacy Skills
Circle Time Books
Some books lend themselves better to circle time read-alouds. Here are my top picks of circle time books.—->Circle Time Books
More Tips for Reading Books with Preschoolers
Here are some common questions with answers and tips when it comes to reading books with the preschool crowd.
How do I deal with a squirrelly preschooler during a read-aloud?
It’s the nature of preschoolers to be a bit squirrely. They are an active bunch of youngsters. I so wish I could find a way to bottle that amazing energy and take a dose myself.
Just because kids are moving during a read-aloud doesn’t mean that listening isn’t happening. Many kids need to keep their hands busy to help with concentration.
Why Can’t My Child Sit Still When I Read? is a post I wrote with ideas to keep kids focused during a read-aloud.
Should I read a chapter book to a preschooler?
Many preschoolers are also ready to start listening to chapter books. This read-aloud time has opened so many doors for us on our reading journey. We do have to be wise when starting this new adventure though.—->Tips for Reading Chapter Books with Preschoolers
Then, check out this month-by-month list of chapter books to read.—>Chapter Books for Preschoolers
How do I interest my preschooler in books?
If your child doesn’t have his own library card, now is a great time to get him one. Preschoolers thrive on new independence and having their very own library card is a big deal (and great responsibility.)
I think my preschooler is ready to read on her own? What should I do?
There is a big age range when it comes to learning to read.
I know some children as young as 3 who are ready to read and I know many more that aren’t ready until age 6 or 7. If your child is ready, and you are looking for books that are easy but not boring, then this is the list for you.—>Easy But Not Boring Beginning Reader Books
Building a Preschooler’s Library
Ok, now you have oodles of book recommendations to read with your preschoolers, but how do you build a personal library for her?
We are huge fans of the library. Though it doesn’t build your child’s personal permanent library, it’s an excellent way to test out books you may want to purchase. If you find that you are checking out the same book over and over again, then it might be one that you want to consider buying.
I do think that it is important that a child has a set of books that she can call her own too. There is a great pride and ownership that comes from a personal library.
Here are a few tips for building a library.
- Give a special book on birthdays and holidays. Write a note inside the book telling why you selected the book and date it. I guarantee that these will be treasured books down the road.
- Ask grandparents, parents (if you are a teacher), and guests to parties to bring a book instead of a toy as a present.
- Here are some more ideas for getting books for FREE or almost free.—->8 Ways to Get Books for Free
Then, once your preschooler has a starter library, it will be important to teach her how to care for it.—>Teaching Kids to Take Care of Books
Now you have a gazillion more preschool books to read to your budding readers. Start stocking the shelves because soon that little one will be reading to you
P.S. Join our free Growing Book by Book community.—>YES, I WANT TO
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Books for preschoolers, reading for preschoolers, reading to school
All parents want their child to grow up to be kind, versatile, successful.
Let's try to figure out how to get closer to this goal already in preschool age.
Reading at preschool age opens up a magical world
Reading at preschool age opens up a magical world. The young reader easily gets used to the roles of the main characters of the works, faces difficulties together with them and finds a solution. This develops social skills, instills the foundations of morality - the concepts of good and evil, good and bad. Reading books to preschoolers develops the flexibility of the mind, makes the child's speech rich and correct, and, of course, prepares for successful schooling.
The magical world of books
To instill in a child a love of reading means to ignite the perpetual motion machine of curiosity. How else can you feel like a traveler, meet fabulous characters, visit the most amazing places and unfamiliar countries? Book lovers are never bored, the book is their eternal friend and adviser in difficult times. Models of various life situations drawn from literary works will be useful in solving your own problems and achieving your goals.
Books open up a new world and give the keys to all doors
Reading List
It would probably be very arrogant for us to recommend certain books for reading. We refer to a selection of highly experienced educators and teachers who have developed an excellent pre-school reading list. "The program of education and training in kindergarten" edited by M. A. Vasilyeva, V. V. Gerbova, T. S. Komarova is officially approved by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and is widely used in kindergartens. You can get acquainted with the program and even download some works in electronic form here:
Reading Suggestions for Preschoolers
Don't Rush to Prose
From birth until about age 5, toddlers show an exceptional affinity for rhythm, rhyme, and expressive storytelling. Most children like poetry more than prose. Therefore, Russian folklore, which has rhythm and vivid presentation, is very important, as are the verses of the classics of children's poetry.
Since parents have a strong influence on the preferences of the child, there is a temptation to immediately jump to prose, because adults sometimes find children's poems boring and devoid of a plot component. Do not rush to remove songs, poems and nursery rhymes from the children's shelves, let the baby choose the works that interest him. When the child is ready, he himself will show interest in Nosov's adventures and stories.
It is convenient and pleasant to read books in nature
Choose books with good illustrations
A child of preschool age largely relies on visual images, so for reading to preschoolers, choose books that have more bright, understandable illustrations. An excellent book format is thin books containing one work. Usually they are full of drawings. In addition, thin books leave the child with a sense of completion after reading and help to avoid the persistent "Mom, now let's read the next fairy tale!" When it's time to sleep. Thin books are convenient to take on trips, it is easier for a child to hold and flip through them.
Quality illustrations can be as impressive as the story itself
Consider the context of the work
This may seem obvious, but it is necessary to take into account the seasonality of the works, removing books about snowmen in time when the leaves are already blooming on the street. It is very useful to link books to events that take place in the life of a child, this increases their relevance and interest in the eyes of a young reader by an order of magnitude. For example, before going to the zoo, read V. Bianchi, and take a book with you. Go to the "Nutcracker", get acquainted with the history of the fairy tale in abbreviation. Children really like to draw parallels between various events in their still small life.
Explore fantasy worlds discovered by books
Reading, develop!
Reading books will help preschoolers make friends with the world by building a model of life from the building blocks of goodness and justice.
Becoming happy is not easy, but only in the joy of perceiving each situation can you appreciate peace and gain a vision of the shortest path to your goal. Books will help you with this. They not only beckon us with ideals, but also indicate the ways to achieve them. Books teach a child to think, analyze and express their opinion about what is happening in the world. Books magnetize the needle of the inner compass of principles and morality, self-confidence and purposefulness. Read to develop your mind and soul.
An excellent selection of children's books of various formats, from thin books to readers,
you can find in White Rabbit stores. Develop with us!
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how and what to read so that the child loves reading
How can you teach a child to read? We have compiled lists of fiction books for children of all ages that will help them fall in love with reading.
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Books for babies (0-2 years old)
Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.
At such a young age, a child can only judge how tasty and convenient a book is to use—in other words, whether it fits in the mouth. However, reading aloud to unintelligent babies is not at all as pointless as it seems at first glance. Firstly, this is a kind of communication with the child, and secondly, listening to you, the baby learns to speak. Starting from birth, children easily perceive folklore works, learn to listen carefully and memorize. Poems and songs are especially useful: even very tiny babies perceive the rhythm well and are able to distinguish between parental intonations.
How to read?
- In a quiet environment.
Remove toys that can distract the child and turn off the computer with the TV. - Declaim expressively and emotionally, carefully pronouncing all sounds. Speak lower, higher, faster and slower - in general, conscientiously entertain the baby.
- Show your baby pictures: it's good if you have different versions of images of the same creatures.
- Demonstrate to your child the actions that are spoken about in verses and nursery rhymes. Butt heads for a horned goat, stomp for a clubfoot bear and growl for a tiger.
- As soon as the baby gets bored with the book, stop reading and set it aside for a day.
What to read?
- Short correctly rhymed poems about animals, toys and the world around.
- Poems with onomatopoeia.
What to buy?
- Sturdy, indestructible and safe toy books that can be chewed on, crushed and even bathed in the bath with pleasure.
- Books with vivid illustrations: furry animals, croaking frogs, etc.
- Books from 0 years old with simple, bright and realistic pictures.
References
1. Aleksandrova Z. "Dandelion", "New Snow"
2. Aronzon L. "Who is dreaming"
3. Barto A. "Toys"
4. Bergelson A. "Hurrah for Mosquito"
5. Berestov V. "About the car", "Merry summer"
6. Blaginina E. "Poems for children"
7. Zakhoder B. "Songs of Winnie the Pooh"
8. Kozlov S. "I'm lying in the sun", "Panda"
9. Lagzdyn G. "Cockerel", "Bunny, bunny, dance!"
10. Mayer N. "Forest laughter"
11. Marshak S. "Children in a Cage"
12. Moshkovskaya E.E. "Zoo" 13. Pikuleva N. "Poems for the smallest"
14. Russian folk rhymes. "Magpie-white-sided", "Jingles, bells", "Ladushki", "I'm going, I'm going to my grandmother, to my grandfather", "Bayu-bayushki-bayu", "Ladybug"
15. "Rhymes of Mother Goose", children's English poetry translated by S.
Marshak and K. Chukovsky
16. Stepanov V.A. “How do you live? What are you chewing?
17. Serova E. "Glorious family", "Who lives in the forest"
18. Tokmakova I. "Summer rain", "Seasons"
19. Chebyshev A. "Hedgehog visiting a giraffe"
20. Chukovsky K. “Hedgehogs are laughing”, “A bunny came out for a walk”
Books for children from 2 to 4 years old
Now the child already understands the words that adults say, shows interest in everything around and tries his best to imitate mom and dad. One fine day, you may find that the baby is very intently "reading" aloud to his plush zoo (a book from 0 to 7 years old, of course). In general, it's time to start more serious and meaningful reading, and the list of books for children from 2 to 4 years old will help you conquer new heights of knowledge!
How to read?
- Turn reading into a pleasant ritual for your baby.
For example, do this before going to bed - always at the same time. - If you started reading a fairy tale to your baby, and he fell asleep or got distracted, then next time you will have to start from the first page. It is still difficult for such young children to remember and combine different episodes of the same story in their heads.
- Do not be lazy to read the same thing over and over if your little conservative asks for it. Use children's love of repetition to memorize poems and stories.
- Do not be afraid to take on texts with words unfamiliar to the child. First, most likely he understands much more than you think. And secondly, the expansion of vocabulary will greatly spur the development of speech.
What to read?
- Short fairy tales. Let them cover one event or several, but occurring linearly, that is, one after the other.
- Small poems (4−12 lines).
- Poetic riddles.
- Animals and toys from 0 years old are still at the peak of popularity. But now the kid is no longer enough of a cheerful story that “ko” are grazing in the meadow - now he needs some kind of relationship, interaction between the characters.
What to buy?
- Books with large and very simple illustrations that match the text.
- Look for books that allow your child to do something on their own - stick stickers, color pictures.
- Prefer durable and inexpensive editions, the time for reading rare books will come later.
References
1. Rotraut Suzanne Berner "Summer Book", "Winter Book", "Autumn Book", "Spring Book", "Night Book"
2. Goebel, Knorr Once Upon a Time in the City, Outside the City, At the Circus
3. D. Donaldson "The Gruffalo", "The Gruffalo's Daughter", "If It's Crowded in the House", "The Snail and the Whale"
4.
Brothers Grimm "The Bremen town musicians", "Little men"
5. Hans Christian Andersen "The Princess and the Pea", "Thumbelina", "Tin and Fire", "The Tale of the Steadfast Tin Soldier"
6. A. Preisen "About a kid who could count to ten"
7. L. Muur "Little Raccoon and the one who sits in the pond"
8. L. Clinting "Castor"
9. Z. Miller, E. Petishka, G. Doskochilova “Krotik. The Big Book" and "The Mole. Stories in pictures»
10. D. Kulot "Little crocodile and big love"
11. Chisato Tashiro "Mouse House"
12. R. Guishu "The Best Dad"
13. A series of books "Relive the fairy tale" (publishing house "Ranok")
14. R. Mukha, V. Levin, V. Lunin "Polite Elephant"
15. Z. Alexandrova "Poems"
16. "The White House and the Black Cat" in B. Zakhoder's retelling
17. I. Tokmakova "Where the fish sleeps", "The sun walks in a circle"
18. G. Sapgir "Wonder Forests"
19. I. Surikov "Childhood"
20. S. Mikhalkov "The most beloved fairy tales and poems for kids"
21.
Ch. Perro Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty
22. Richard Scarry "From morning to evening in the city of good deeds"
23. D. Koldina “Education by examples. Life situations»
24. K. Hovsepyan "I'm going to kindergarten"
25. O. Gromova “The bunny goes to the kindergarten.
Books for children from 4 to 6 years old
If a child has not yet learned and loved to read, this is such a tragedy that even the death of Pompeii fades next to it. At least, this is what everyone around you will begin to convince you of! In no case do not succumb to these provocations and do not panic: everything will be fine - and he will read, and love, and even ask you to write him down in the library. In the list of children's books from 4 to 6 years old, there may already be more complex fairy tales, novels, adventure stories, in the plot of which the stake is placed on exciting and vivid events, instructive stories and fables, teaching aids for preparing for school.
How to read?
- The child perceives quite well the text read in a normal parental voice. But, of course, a slight intonation will not hurt.
- Children no longer get hung up on one fairy tale as much as they used to, but for better perception it still makes sense to read books several times - it's easier to remember the details.
- Read chapter by chapter if they are small, otherwise divide the text into separate semantic pieces by yourself. Such a "fractional approach" will help arouse in the child the desire to learn to read independently. Stop literally “at the most interesting place”, and then feel free to start doing your own business: if you want to know what will happen next, let him take the book himself.
- If your child's questions confuse you, then together with him look for answers to them in paper encyclopedias and reference books. The Internet in teaching reading is a bad helper, there are too many temptations.
What to read?
- Take your child to the children's library. Show and let them look through a variety of publications: miniature books and huge atlases or photo albums.
- Adventure stories, novels and short stories full of exciting events.
- Stories in the spirit of “a lesson for good fellows” are moderately moralizing and by no means boring.
- Encyclopedias for preschoolers and younger students.
- Educational aids to prepare for school.
- Books related to the events taking place around the child. For example, before the New Year, you can read stories about Grandfather Frost, and before May 9 - military stories.
- Books with complex illustrations designed for long study.
- Children's magazines and comics.
References
1. Bazhov V. "Silver Hoof"
2. Burnett F. "Little Princess"
3.
Bianchi V. "Stories about animals"
4. Volkov A. "The Wizard of the Emerald City"
5. Voronkova L.F. "Girl from the city"
6. Gaidar A. "Chuk and Gek", "Blue Cup"
7. Gauf V. "Dwarf Nose", "The Tale of the Caliph Stork", "The Tale of Little Flour"
8. Gallico P. "Thomasina"
9. Dr. Seuss "Tales"
10. Zoshchenko M. "Stories about Lele and Minka"
11. Kozlov S. "Hedgehog in the fog", "In the native forest"
12. Krylov I.A. "Elephant and Pug", "Crow and Fox"
13. Lagerlöf S. "Niels' wonderful journey with wild geese"
14. Lindgren A. "Emil from Lönneberga", "Kid and Carlson"
15. Miln A.A. "Winnie the Pooh and all-all-all"
16. Tales of the peoples of the world
17. Nosov N.N. "Dunno and His Friends", "The Adventures of Kolya and Misha", "Entertainers", "Dreamers"
18. Oseeva V. "Blue leaves", "Magic word", "What is easier"
19. Oster G. B. "A Kitten Named Woof and Other Stories"
20. Prishvin M.
"Forest Master"
21. Pushkin A.S. "Tales"
22. Raspe R.E. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"
23. Rodari J. Blue Arrow Journey
24. Romanova N. "Ant Red Dot"
25. Russian folk epics
26. Tolstoy A.N. "The Adventures of Pinocchio"
27. Wild O. "Star Boy"
28. Uspensky E. "Crocodile Gena and his friends", "Vacation in Prostokvashino"
29. Chandler H.J. Uncle Remus Tales
30. Chaplina V. “Kinuli”
Books for children 7 years old
Now not only you, but also his class teacher will determine the reading circle of your child. Conclude an agreement with a young student: every month you go to a bookstore and buy two books there - you choose one, he chooses the second. And before the trip, make a list of those books that take into account the interests of your child, and take with you the list of books prepared by us for children of 7 years old.
How to read
- It's time to finish reading aloud, maybe for five to ten minutes at night to sleep better.
It's time for your child to start reading on their own. - Read fairy tales and fables by roles.
- Teach your little one how to write poetry or how to write stories that follow up on favorite books.
- Watch a young bibliophile read aloud. Does he get confused in words, swallows syllables, puts stress correctly, etc. Carefully correct all mistakes, and if the baby suddenly has problems with pronunciation and reading comprehension, be sure to contact the doctors.
- Almost every day a first-grader receives homework “to read a text from such and such to such and such a page” — as a result, a previously pleasant activity turns into a burdensome obligation for him. Do not forget to praise the student so that he does not lose motivation at all.
What to read
- Non-adapted children's works with a full plot and complex sentences.
- That "everyone reads". At this age, it is very important for children to feel "their own" in a group of peers, so you have to be a little patient.
- Electronic books. There is no escape from technology, so it is better to use it for good.
- Books from the school curriculum.
- Books about the child's hobbies. If the kid loves cats, choose a zoological encyclopedia (or a cat detective), if he is fond of hockey - sports, etc. Even for cartoons and computer games that often distract children from reading, you can pick up the appropriate novelizations or art books.
References
1. Adams R. Hill Dwellers
2. Barry J. "Peter Pan"
3. Hoffman E.T.A. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
4. Graham K. The Wind in the Willows
5. Dahl R. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
6. Darrell J. My Family and Other Animals
7. Dickens D. "Stories for Children"
8. Dragunsky V. "Deniska's stories"
9. Konopnitskaya M. "About the gnomes and the orphan Mary"
10. Crews J. “My great-grandfather, heroes and me”, “Tim Thaler or Sold Laughter”
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