Backseat A-B-see by Maria Van Lieshout (Toddler, Preschool)
This fun version of the classic alphabet book uses many different kinds of street signs that your little one may see from their point of view in the backseat. Can you guess what sign would work for L? Hint: it’s the place you can find this book! ▸ Get it at the Library
Once Upon a Banana
by Jennifer Armstrong (All Ages)
This wordless book is told entirely in the illustrations and the street signs. Have you ever forgotten to put something back in its proper place? When a man drops a banana peel on the ground it starts a chain of events including some big slips, spills, and falls. How could one little banana peel cause all this mischief? You’ll have to read it and find out. ▸ Get it at the Library
Send It by Don Carter (Toddler)
Put a letter in the mailbox or take a package to the post office and poof! – it magically appears at its destination, right? Well… not quite. Little ones will be able to satisfy their curiosity on how mail travels from one place to another in this book with a unique illustration style that gives each picture a rich, three-dimensional feel. ▸ Get it at the Library
Bebé Goes Shopping by Susan Middleton Elya (Toddler)
Parents with little ones are probably familiar with the challenges involved when shopping together as a family. Follow along in this charming rhyming text (in both English and Spanish) as one woman tries to do her grocery shopping – with her baby’s help, of course. ▸ Get it at the Library
Sunday Shopping by Sally Derby (Preschool)
It’s Sunday night and time for a young girl and her grandmother to go on their weekly shopping spree. Using pretend money, the girl and her grandmother go through the newspaper advertisements and “buy” whatever catches their eye. ▸ Get it at the Library
Extra! Extra!: Fairy-Tale News from Hidden Forest by Alma Flor Ada (Preschool)
Enjoy a newer twist on classic fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk and the Tortoise and the Hare in this book, where page of this story is presented in newspaper format, including articles, editorials, and advertisements. ▸ Get it at the Library
These resources were recommended by Samantha Blanquart, an Early Literacy Outreach Librarian with Ready to Read Resource Center. Visit their website for more info about early literacy or to check out one of their reading kits for young children.
Imagination Library Picks:
Oh No, Gotta Go! by Ssan Middleton Elya (Toddler, Preschool)
It happens all the time. As soon as the car pulls away, someone needs the bathroom. After racing around town, passing a gushing fountain, and cutting the inevitable line for the ladies’ room, this adorable little girl makes it to the bathroom in the nick of time. And because the bathroom is in a restaurant, the family stays for a wonderful meal-and lots of limonada. . . . Spanish and English. ▸ Get it at the Library
Jack at Gymnastics by Rachel Isadora (Toddler, Preschool)
Jake and his diverse group of friend love their action-packed gymnastics class, where they stretch, tumble, balance, turn somersaults and so much more. This is the perfect book to introduce toddlers to the joy of movement and the fun of gymnastics. ▸ Get it at the Library
Pretend by Jennifer Plecas (Preschool)
What could have been a quiet afternoon at home turns into an adventure for Jimmy and his dad. Their couch turns into a boat! The staircase becomes a mountain! And blankets become a cozy hut, just right to cuddle inside. The one thing they don’t have to pretend is how much they love one another. ▸ Get it at the Library
