Suggested reading for Pre-K through K

Fiction

Alexie, Sherman. Thunder Boy Jr. 2016
Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that’s all his own. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he’s done, like Touch the Clouds, Not Afraid of Ten Thousand Teeth, or Full or Wonder. Sherman Alexie’s lyrical text and Yuyi Morales’s striking illustrations celebrate the special relationship between father and son. E ALEXIE

Angleberger, Tom. McToad Mows Tiny Island. 2015
Every Thursday, as a break from mowing Big Island, McToad and his tractor make their way to Tiny Island, using various modes of transportation and types of machinery to get there and back. E ANGLEBERGER, eBook

Beaton, Kate. The Princess and the Pony. 2015
Princess Pinecone would like a real war horse for her birthday, but instead she gets a plump, cute pony, with a vacant expression and incurable flatulence! However, the cute little pony proves to be a surprising asset on the day of her great battle. E BEATON, eBook

Beaumont, Karen. Wild About Us. 2015
From Elephant’s long nose to Kangaroo’s huge feet to Monkey’s stick-out ears, everyone is worth celebrating, no matter what they look like. E BEAUMONT, eBook

Blecha, AaronGoodnight, Grizzle Grump! 2015
Poor bear Grizzle Grump is looking for a nice quiet place to hibernate, but he keeps being interrupted by the sounds of the other woodland creatures. Repetition and sound effects make this a fun shared read. E BLECHA

Bloom, Suzanne. Bear Can Dance. 2015
Goose, Bear, and Fox are back in their seventh picture book. More than anything, Bear wants to fly, swoop and glide and feel the wind in his fur. Perseverance pays off, as he learns that dancing can capture that feeling. E BLOOM (series)

Bruchac, Joseph. Turtle’s Race with Beaver: A Traditional Seneca story. 2003
When Beaver challenges Turtle to a swimming race for ownership of the pond, Turtle outsmarts Beaver, and Beaver learns to share. E BRUCHAC

Capucilli, Alyssa. Biscuit Feeds the Pets. 2016
Helping Mrs. Gray feed her numerous pets, little Biscuit enjoys playing with hamsters, fish, kittens, puppies, and other animals. READER CAPUCILLI (series), eAudiobook

Carle, Eric. The Nonsense Show. 2015
Nonsense and surrealism combine to spark creativity and imagination in this book. What’s true? What’s impossible? What’s absolutely absurd? From Eric Carle, creator of the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, comes a book to make children laugh and think. E CARLE

Chernesky, Felicia. From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! 2015
Told in crisp, action-driven rhymes from a young child’s point of view, this picture book is a realistic account of how apple cider is pressed. E CHERNESKY, eBook

Clayton, Dallas. Lily the Unicorn. 2014
Lily the Unicorn is an exuberant extrovert who loves to try new things. Curmudgeonly Roger the Penguin mopes around imagining everything that could go wrong. Then something amazing happens: Lily teaches her new friend Roger that trying new things can be fun. E CLAYTON

Daywalt, Drew. The Day the Crayons Came Home. 2015
This is the highly anticipated follow up to Daywalt’s picture book The Day the Crayons Quit. One day, Duncan is happily coloring with his crayons when a stack of postcards arrives in the mail from his former crayons, each of whom has run away or been left behind, and wants to come home. E DAYWALT; eBook

De La Pena, Matt. Last Stop on Market Street. 2015
Winner of the Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor. Every question C.J. asks is met with an encouraging answer from his grandma, who helps him see the beauty and fun in their daily routine and the bustling city around them. E DE LA PENA; eBook

Diesen, Debora. The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School. 2014
Fish is nervously awaiting his first day of school, and he frets about not knowing how to write his name, how to draw shapes, and how to do math –  until he’s reassured that school is the perfect place to learn how to master all of these new skills. E DIESEN, eBook

Eastman, Peter. Fred and Ted’s Road Trip. 2011
When dogs Fred and Ted pack up their cars and go on a road trip, their different ways of doing things have interesting results. These amusing Fred and Ted books have simple, limited vocabulary that is great for boosting the confidence of early readers. Also try Fred and Ted Go Camping and Fred and Ted Like to Fly.  READER EASTMAN (series); eBook

Fleming, Denise, and Rohmann, Eric. Bulldozer’s Big Day. 2015
Bulldozer wants to invite all of his coworkers to a party to celebrate his special day, but to them its just another day for scooping, sifting, stirring, and more. E FLEMING, eBook

Freedman, Deborah. By Mouse & Frog. 2015
Mouse has one idea about how to tell a story. Free-spirited Frog has another. What happens when Frog crashes into Mouse’s story with some wild ideas? Chaos! … followed by the discovery that working together means being willing to compromise and that listening to one another can lead to beautiful stories. E FREEDMAN; eBook

Gehl, Laura. One Big Pair of Underwear. 2014
Progressively larger groups of animals try to share a limited number of scooters, cookbooks, nap mats, and underwear. This seriously silly picture book with artwork by Tom Lichtenheld combines the concepts of counting and sharing. E GEHL, eBook

Gerstein, Mordecai. Night World. 2015
Sylvie the cat persuades her boy to go into the darkness very late at night, where they are greeted by the shadows of roses and other flowers, and by nocturnal animals who whisper, “It’s almost here.” Black and white pictures develop shades of gray, until the sunrise brings a burst of color to the last pages. E GERSTEIN

Higgins, Ryan T. Mother Bruce. 2015
Bruce is a grumpy bear who likes no one and nothing but cooked eggs, but when some eggs he was planning to boil hatch and the goslings believe he is their mother, he must try to make the best of the situation. E HIGGINS

John, Jory. I Will Chomp You. 2015
A monster tries to chomp any reader who wants to go past the first page of the book in order to keep his cakes safe. Illustrated by Bob Shea of Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great fame. E JORY, eBook

Kang, Anna. That’s (Not) Mine. 2015
With expressive illustrations and simple text, this giggle-inducing tale about (not) sharing and (not) being a good friend features the endearing characters from Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small. E KANG

Kang, Anna. Can I Tell You a Secret? 2016
Monty, a little frog, has a secret: he is afraid of water and cannot swim! He engages the reader in conversation, and with his or her support, Monty musters the courage to tell his parents. Accompanied by his parents (and a snorkel), Monty finally makes a victorious leap into the pond. E KANG

Kann, Victoria. Aqualicious. 2015
Pinkalicious and her family go on a trip to the beach for a day of sun, fun, and sand castles. The day gets even more exciting when Pinkalicious finds a mini-mermaid named Aqua!  E KANN; eAudiobook

London, Jonathan. Froggy Goes to the Library. 2016
When Froggy and mom set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow. There are so many to choose from: Dinosaur books! Books about Space Frog! Froggy is so excited that he forgets to use his indoor voice! E LONDON

Long, Ethan. In, Over, and On! (the Farm). 2015
In this follow up to his award-winning Up, Tall, and High! Long takes a humorous look at yet more language concepts – prepositions. It’s so funny that your children will not even realize you are engaging them in an important discussion about these concepts! E LONG, eBook

Mack, Jeff. Who Needs a Bath? 2015
Bear has a plan to throw Skunk a surprise birthday party, but (shhh!) it’s a secret! There’s just one problem: Who wants to party with a stinky skunk? If only Bear could convince Skunk that baths are fun! Also try Who Needs a Hug? Bear and Skunk’s first funny adventure. E MACK

Matheson, Christie. Touch the Brightest Star. 2015
This book uses the same interactive elements as Matheson’s acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree. You can touch, tap, blink, whisper, and more, to make magic happen in the nighttime sky, from sunset to sunrise. E MATHESON

May, Eleanor. A Beach for Albert. 2013
Check out the Mouse Math series for cute picture books that explore mathematical concepts. This book uses the concept of volume: Albert the mouse decides to make a beach of his own in the backyard sandbox, but first he must figure out how fill a big bowl with water for swimming. E MAY (series), eBook

McDonnell, Patrick. A Perfectly Messed-Up Story. 2014
This interactive and engaging picture book is an almost perfect story about embracing life’s messes. Little Louie’s story keeps getting messed up and he’s not happy about it! What’s the point of telling his tale if he can’t tell it perfectly? But when he stops and takes a deep breath, he realizes that everything is actually just fine, and his story is a good one – imperfections and all. E MCDONNELL

McIntyre, Sarah. Jampires. 2015
When Sam catches the Jampires who’ve been sucking his jelly doughnuts dry, they invite him to fly with them to their dessert-filled faraway land. E MCINTYRE, eBook

McMullan, Kate. I’m Brave. 2014
It’s no secret that librarians and children alike love pictures books by Kate and Jim McMullan. Here’s their newest character: a fire truck! This raucous and boldly illustrated book is perfect for fans of fire trucks, tools, and making noise. E MCMULLAN

Miles, David. Book. 2015
A child explores the imagination, adventure, and beauty of books. This is truly an ode to books and the magic of the imagination, with detailed illustrations. E MILES

Nelson, Kadir. If You Plant a Seed. 2015
While planting seeds in their garden, two animals learn the value of kindness. Gorgeously illustrated in rich oil paintings. E NELSON

Oxley, Jennifer, and Aronson, Billy. The Pizza Problem. 2015
The newest Peg + Cat book, based on the popular PBS Kids problem-solving series, explores the concepts of whole and half. E OXLEY

Panec, D.J. How Many?: A Counting Book. 2016

We Both Read Level PreK-K books are designed to be read by a caregiver to a child or as an opportunity for engagement where the child and caregiver alternate reading pages. Ask the librarian how to find other We Both Read books in the Readers section of the Children’s Place. READER PANEC

Pinkwater, Daniel. Bear and Bunny. 2015
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Best friends Bear and Bunny wander through the woods looking for food, singing songs, and talking about what kind of pet they might like to adopt. E PINKWATER

Pizzoli, Greg. Good Night Owl. 2016
A laugh-out-loud for elementary school kids from the Geisel Award-winning writer/illustrator Greg Pizzoli. Owl is ready for bed, but what is that noise? He’ll never sleep until he figures out what is going on. Sharp-eyed readers will see what’s making the noise, even as it drives Owl to ever more desperate measure. E PIZZOLI, eBook

Santat, Dan. The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. 2014
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and – at long last – is given his special name: Beekle. Caldecott Medal.  E SANTAT

Santat, Dan. Are We There Yet? 2016
Every parent has been asked this classic question on a long car ride. After reading this book, you’ll never look at being bored the same way again! Is time passing so slowly it’s going backwards?! E SANTAT

Savage, Stephen. Supertruck. 2015

When the city is struck by a huge snowstorm, what will happen? Who will save the day and clear the snow away? Check out this funny tale of a super truck and discover his mild-mannered alter ego in this 2016 Theodor Seuss Geisel honor book. E SAVAGE

Schwartz, Corey Rosen. What About Moose? 2015
Fox and her friends are building a playhouse. Everything goes smoothly until bossy Moose tromps in and tries to be in charge of everything. When Moose’s bossing causes the project to go awry, can the friends work as a team to come up with a solution? E SCHWARTZ

Scotton, Rob. Splat the Cat and the Late Library Book. 2016
When Splat the Cat discovers that he has an overdue library book, he fears that he will be locked up in jail! He does whatever he can to avoid the library, but when he has to go there with his family, he’s in for a happy surprise. E SCOTTON

Stoeke, Janet. Loopy Coop Hens series. 2015

The Loopy Coop hens have lots of problems and only one rooster to help solve them. In the first book, the hens want to learn to fly like a rooster, but flight just isn’t as easy as it looks. For readers who like a little more suspense, book four’s Oh No! A Fox is a great read about problem solving, but still has the sense of ridiculousness that is present in Stoeke’s work.  E STOEKE; eBook
Tarpley, Todd. Beep! Beep! Go To Sleep! 2015
Three reluctant robots fight off sleep while their young caretaker does his best to get them to calm down. E TARPLEY

Young, Timothy. Do Not Open the Box! 2016
When Benny spots a big cardboard box with a note taped to it saying, “Do Not Open,” his imagination runs wild! All sorts of things, good and bad, could be inside that box. Does he open it? E YOUNG

Nonfiction *

Ehlert, Lois. Lots of Spots. 2010
This book introduces the different types of camouflage animals use to help blend in with their surroundings, including spots on flounder, colorful spots on poisonous frogs, and large spots on butterflies. J 591.472 EHLERT, eBook

Leaf, Christina. Baby Ducks. 2014
Blastoff! Readers, Level One, are perfect for emerging readers. They are developed by literacy experts and combine leveled text with related photos. Baby Ducks is part of the Blastoff! Readers: Super Cute series. J 598.4113 LEAF, eBook

Loewen, Nancy. People of the World. 2016
Aligned with the Common Core, this book combines simple rhyming text with colorful photos of people from all over the world. Other titles in the set include Clothing of the World and Homes of the World. J 320.561 LOEWEN

Nuchi, Natan. Curious George Discovers the Senses. 2015
It’s Curious George on another great adventure, this time discovering what the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) are all about. This book has lots of great facts and real science experiments to help your little one explore the topic. There are more books in the Curious George Discovers series, too! J 612.8 REY

Page, Robin. A Chicken Followed Me Home!: Questions and Answers About a Familiar Fowl. 2015
What would you do if a chicken followed you home? This insightful and slightly humorous book answers just that question and it covers everything else you can think of about chickens. J 636.5 PAGE, eBook

London, Jonathan. Hippos are Huge! 2015
Did you know that hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa? Learn about these fierce creatures with razor-sharp teeth that can weigh as much as 50 men and run up to 25 miles per hour. This book is filled with lots of fascinating facts sure to amaze about these dangerous but sometimes playful animals. J 599.635 LONDON

Guiberson, Brenda Z. The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea. 2015
Is it the greatest diver, the one with rotating eyes, the master of disguise, the one with the most slime, or the most eggs? Filled with intriguing facts and illustrations this book invites you to decide, “Who is the most amazing creature in the sea?” J 591.77 GUIBERSON, eBook

Paul, Miranda. Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle. 2015
This book offers a simple and poetic but informative look at the water cycle as two children experience it throughout the seasons. It includes easily understood introductions to concepts such as evaporation and condensation. J 551.48 PAUL, eBook

*Ask the librarian for help finding Pebble Plus books and Blastoff Readers (Level One) in the juvenile nonfiction section. These books are great for preschoolers and kindergarteners! A Pebble Plus book has a star on its spine and a Blastoff Reader has – you guessed it! – a little rocket.

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