I had several friends ask for a list of the 1,000 books we read before kindergarten. However, I decided to break it down into smaller posts instead for several reasons:
- I wouldn’t recommend ALL of the books we read. Some of them weren’t great, and I don’t want you to pick up a poorly written book if I can help it.
- Do you really want to scroll through a list of 1,000 books and try to find them at the library? The answer is no. You don’t. I also don’t want you to print off a list of 1,000 books and roam the shelves in confusion.
- You could easily plow through 10 picture books in a week. Breaking it down makes reading to your child more manageable, because you absolutely could read one or two books to your child each day.
I am really picky when it comes to picture books. If the rhyme scheme is off or it’s trying too hard to be goofy/funny/different, it’s off the table. Here’s my list of books I enjoyed reading aloud to my kids — and it’s in alphabetical order by author’s last name, just in case you do want to search the shelves while you’re waiting for your library holds to come in.
- No Sleep for the Sheep by Karen Beaumont. I immediately bought this book online when we read it the first time, which says a lot. Poor Sheep just wants to sleep, but the other farm animals keep coming to the barn and making noise. You’ll be able to quote this book when your kids won’t go to sleep, and everyone in the house will be laughing while you read it.
- Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney. This is currently my son’s favorite book. Written by the author of the popular Llama Llama books (which I also recommend), this story has the same rhythm and easy-to-read rhyme scheme, and the pictures are darling. Who doesn’t love a tale about an underdog that saves the day?
- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. To protect himself from being eaten, a mouse tells all the creatures he meets about a scary “gruffalo” he’s about to have lunch with. This book is SO fun to read aloud, and I adore the illustrations.
- You Don’t Want a Unicorn by Ame Dyckman. This one is on the weirder side, all about the hazards of owning a unicorn you don’t know about (they poop cupcakes, for example). Yet its goofiness is endearing, and the pictures (and the fact that it directly addresses the reader) make it even better.
- The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman. I count this as one of my top 10 favorite children’s books. Easily. Any mother whose kids won’t eat what she makes will relate to this book about Mrs. Peters, who has to make different foods for each of her seven children every day. One of them only eats applesauce, for example, while another only likes milk. Marla Frazee is also one of the BEST illustrators, in my opinion, and her pictures make this story pop.
- The Bad Seed by Jory John. I admit that when I first picked this book up after seeing it everywhere, I skimmed through it and went What? When I actually took the time to read it, I loved the subtle message about how everyone can change and no one should be stuck being a “bad seed.” It’s an interesting book to discuss with your kids, and the illustrations make it fun.
- Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen. Even though this was published 13 years ago, I just discovered it this year when a blogger posted a picture of her reading it to her daughter’s class. This sweet story is about a lion who comes to the library but gets in trouble for roaring when they’ve told him to be quiet. There’s a gentle message about how sometimes you need to break the rules to help someone (and that libraries don’t always need to be quiet).
- I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll. My mom actually gave us this book years ago, and it’s been well-loved and read many times. In a fun twist, the boy in this story realizes he needs the monster who normally lives under his bed to help him go to sleep. When his monster leaves unexpectedly for the night, other monsters audition for the role — but they’re just not the same.
- Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin. I loved this book so much I actually used it as a theme for my kids’ fourth birthday. The dragons love tacos and eat boatloads of them (seriously — the illustrations even show this), but if they have any spicy salsa, it gives them the tummy troubles and they breathe fire. You can probably guess where this is going. I laugh every time I read this with my kids.
- Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. This funny book won the Caldecott medal, and it absolutely deserves it. The illustrations only include varying shades of grey, white, and orange and perfectly complement the story about a bunny being pursued by creepy carrots. My kids often ask for this one (and the companion book, Creepy Pair of Underwear, is just as good).
Have you read these? Share your favorites in the comments!
