These small people may be new to books, but they love bright colors, repetitive text, and stories that focus on familiar things.
Carle, Eric.
The Very Hungry Catrpillar. xz
The preschool favorite about the caterpillar who eats his way through a week of goodies before becoming a butterfly.
Ehlert, Lois.
Growing Vegetable Soup. xz
From seeds to vegetable soup-in bright, bold pictures and just enough words for small children.
Fleming, Denise.
In The Tall, Tall Grass. xz
A toddler's eye view of the creatures who live in the tall, tall grass.
Hoban, Tana.
Pand, Panda. xz
Babies love the color photos of panda bears in this sturdy board book.
Polushkin, Maria.
Kitten In Trouble. xz
When kitten pounces, kitten's in trouble!
Serfozo, Mary.
Rain Talk. xz
Enjoy a rainy day with the little girl in this story.
Steptoe, John.
Baby Says. xz
Big brother says, "no no" when baby knocks down his blocks; baby just says, "uh oh."
Wells, Rosemary.
First Tomato. xz
When everything goes wrong, it's time for a trip to the Bunny Planet.
Zelinsky, Paul.
The Wheels On The Bus. xz
A favorite song in a hook with movable parts-and this bus goes to the library!
These children are learning about the world outside their home.
They are ready for folktales, longer stories, and fact-filled books about interesting things.
Aardema, Verna.
Borreguita and The Coyote. x398 A113-7
The little lamb outwits the coyote in this Mexican folktale.
Aliki.
I'm Growing. x612 A411
A fascinating story about how children grow.
Ata, Te.
Baby Rattlesnake. x398 A862
Baby Rattlesnake makes mischief with his new rattle in this Navajo story.
Brown, Marc.
Arthur Meets The President. xz
Arthur's essay wins the prize; now he has to read it in front of the President!
Crews, Donald.
Big Mama's. xz
A story about an African-American family reunion.
Goode, Diane.
Where's Our Mama? xz
It's Paris in 1920, and two children have lost their mother at the Gare d'Orsay train station.
Hogrogian, Nonny.
One Fine Day. xz
In this Armenian folktale, a fox must make many exchanges before he gets his lost tail back.
Kimmel, Eric.
Anansi and The Moss-Covered Rock. x398 K494
When Anansi the spider tries to trick the other animals, Bush Deer decides to teach him a lesson.
Lee, Joanne.
Silent Lotus. xz
Long ago in Kampuchea, a baby girl was born who could not hear or speak-but how she could dance!
These older children have good listening and problem solving skills.
They are looking for heroes, friends, information about the world, and their own identity.
Adoff, Arnold.
Chocolate Dreams. x811 A239-9
Delectable poems about a favorite food.
Hooks, William H.
The Ballad of Belle Dorcas. x398 H784-2
A poignant love story from slavery times.
Jones, Charlotte Foltz.
Mistakes That Worked. x608 J76
Stories behind things that were invented by accident-aspirin, x-rays, frisbees, silly putty, and more.
Osborne, Mary Pope.
American Tall Tales. x398 0815-1
Irresistible stories about American folk heroes such as Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, Pecos Bill, and John Henry.
Say, Allen.
El Chino. x92 E37Sa
The true story of Bill Wong, a Chinese-American who followed his dream and became a bullfighter in Spain.
Schwartz, Howard.
The Diamond Tree: Jewish Tales From Around The World. x398 S3994-1
Funny, haunting, romantic stories from many lands.
Soto, Gary.
Baseball In April And Other Stories. x
Short stories about baseball, Barbie dolls, bicycles, and other items of importance in the lives of some Mexican-American children.
Van Allsburg, Chris.
Jumanji. xz
An ordinary-looking board game turns out to be quite extraordinary!
Winthrop, Elizabeth.
Vasilissa The Beautiful: A Russian Folktale. x398 W791
Vasilissa uses her doll to help her escape from Baba Yaga the witch.
When reading to a group of varying ages, you need stories that are visual and simple enough for the youngest children and subtle enough to keep the attention of the oldest listeners. Here are some read aloud choices that appeal to a wide range of ages.
Base, Graeme.
Eleventh Hour: A Courious Mystery. xy
Who stole the elephant's birthday feast? All children will want to find out.
Greenfield, Eloise.
Night On Neighborhood Street. x811 6812-4
Readable poems and evocative paintings present life in an African-American community.
Henkes, Kevin.
Chrysanthemum. xz
A mouse loves her unusual name until her classmates start to tease her about it.
Kuskin, Karla.
The Dallas Titans Get Ready For Bed. xz
Follow a make-believe football team off the field, into the locker room, and home to bed.
Mahy, Margaret.
17 Kings And 42 Elephants. xz
A rhythmic text and beautiful batik illustrations take you along on a wild jungle journey.
Marshall, James.
The Cut-Ups. xz
Kids are never too old to crack up at the antics of Spud and Joe.
Parsons, Alexandra.
Amazing Spiders. x595 P267
There is plenty to look at and talk about in this book in the Eyewitness juniors series.
Schwartz, Alvin.
And The Green Grass Grew All Around: Folk Poetry From Everyone. x811.08S399
Chants and teases, wishes and warnings, jokes and riddles, rhymes and stories, fun and games.
Young, Ed.
Seven Blind Mice. xz
Little children will respond to the bright, bold graphics, while older children will understand the moral of the story.