Raising Readers
Books Every Preschooler Should Know
Bedtime for Frances
Russell Hoban
LIS
Frances has trouble going to sleep because of frightening sounds and objects that might be trying to get her. One in a series.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You
See?
Bill Martin
E/M
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them. First in a small series.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin
E/M
An alphabet/rhyme that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree. There are a few sequels.
Corduroy
Don Freeman
E/F
A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of all. The first in a series.
Curious George
H.A. Rey
X Rey
The curiosity of a newly-captured monkey gets him into continual trouble. First in a large series.
Fish Eyes
Lois Ehlert
E/E
A counting book depicting the colorful fish a child might see if they turned into a fish themselves. All books by this author are great for Preschoolers!
Freight Train
Donald Crews
E/C
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles. Another great author for PreSchoolers.
Froggy Gets Dressed
Jonathan London
E/l
Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing. First in a series.
Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown
E/B
Say goodnight to each of the objects in the great green room: goodnight chair, goodnight comb, goodnight air.
Guess How Much I Love You
Sam McBratney
E/M
During a bedtime game, every time Little Nutbrown Hare demonstrates how much he loves his Big Nutbrown Hare gently shows him that his love is returned even more.
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Deborah Guarino
E/G
A young llama asks his friend if their mamas are llamas and finds out, in rhyme, that their mothers that their mothers are other types of animals.
Koala Lou
Mem Fox
E/F
A young koala, longing to hear her mother speak lovingly to her as she did before other children came along, plans to win her distracted parent's attention.
Leo the Late Bloomer
Robert Kraus
BB
Leo, a young tiger, finally blooms under the anxious eyes of his parents.
The Little Engine That Could
Watty Piper
E/P
A very determined little engine that, despite its tiny size, makes it over a big mountain.
The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe
Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
Don & Audrey Wood
E/W
Little mouse worries that the big, hungry bear will take his freshly picked, ripe, red strawberry for himself.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Bernard Waber
E/W
Lyle is perfectly happy living with the Primms on East 88th Street until irritable Mr. Grumps next door changes all that.
Owen
Kevin Henkes
E/H
Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.
Richard Scarry's Find Your ABC's
Richard Scarry
E/S
With the help of the reader, two detectives search for the letters of the alphabet.
Rainbow Fish
Marcus Pfister
E/P
The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.
Skippyjon Jones
Judy Schachner
E/S
Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat with an overactive imagination who would rather be El Skippito, his Zorro-like alter ego.
The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats
LIS
The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
Stellaluna
Janell Cannon
E/C
After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
The Story of Babar, the Little
Elephant
Jean de Brunoff
E/B
An orphaned baby elephant goes to live in the city with an old lady who gives him everything he wants, but eventually returns to the forest where he is crowned king of the elephants. First in a series.
Swimmy
Leo Lionni
E/L
A little black fish in a school of red fish figures out a way of protecting them all from their natural enemies.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
BB
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. A great author for kids of all ages!