These tried and true titles are parent favorites during local storytime events, and the perfect titles to try during your 21 Day Challenge.
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean! by Kevin Sherry (Preschool)
The giant squid is very proud of himself: after all, he’s the biggest thing in the ocean… or is he? Using simple, repetitive text and clear illustrations, this book is a favorite of many during storytime, even among adults. ▸ Get it at the Library
I Spy series by Jean Marzollo (Toddler, Preschool)
Grownups may fondly remember these books from their own childhood. Books like these encourage caregivers and children to interact and to search through the scenes together to find the hidden objects. Children can also start to see that printed text carries meaning, as the rhyming couplets help tell us which objects we are searching for. This skill is called “print awareness” and is an important foundation component of early literacy. ▸ Get it at the Library
Hi Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter (Toddler, Preschool)
When a little girl is hungrily waiting for dinner, her mom keeps her busy using her imagination, wondering what she will say when the pizza man arrives. This book has unexpected illustrations that will delight both children and adults while simultaneously it encourages back-and-forth conversation between adult caregivers and their children, which is important for modeling language. ▸ Get it at the Library
Hello Hello by Brendan Wenzel (Toddler)
This book is a joyful celebration of all the diverse animals that live on the Earth. The illustrations are brightly-colored and will appeal to both children and adults. Little ones can learn new vocabulary, like their colors and parts of the body (e.g., tongue, ears, hands, nose), while grownups can look in the back of the book to learn the names of the many vulnerable or endangered animals featured in the book. ▸ Get it at the Library
Black Bird Yellow Sun by Steve Light (Infant)
Beautifully simple, bold illustrations and sparse text make this a clear winner for the youngest among us. Black bird goes about their day exploring nature and the many colors around us. Can you help your child find the orange worm on every page? ▸ Get it at the Library
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg (Infant, Toddler)
When young children are just starting to explore books, they use their hands and their mouths, and sometimes, they’re a little rougher on books than we might expect. Beautiful Oops! Has sturdy pages, something between a board book and a picture book, so it can stand up to little hands, while the text itself reassures children that it’s okay to make a mistake. Sometimes a spill doesn’t ruin a drawing, but transforms it into something else and a torn page can become something else (though we still encourage you to be very nice to your library books). ▸ 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:
Read to Tiger
by S.J. Fore (Preschool)
In this delightful role-reversal story, all the serious little boy wants is to settle down quietly and read his book. But that’s not so easy when there’s an imaginative tiger with an excess of energy behind the couch, wanting attention and someone to play with. Repetitive refrains and sound effects make this a perfect read-aloud, and the sweet and cozy ending will delight the heart of any book-lover. ▸ Get it at the Library
Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora (Infant, Toddler)
A toddler plays a game of peekaboo, and you’re invited to play too. First there’s Mommy to find, with Daddy not far behind. Join this sweet toddler in the morning fun, sharing words your baby can repeat and pictures your baby will recognize. Then find out what this toddler sees next. It could be you! ▸ Get it at the Library
