Families Read Together

Families Read Together workshops are open to adult learners who are caregivers to children ages 0-17. Those who take part will learn how to help children with literacy skills. There are also lots of great gifts like books and tickets to local cultural spots. Talk to the literacy coordinator at your nearest literacy center for more information.

Picture Books for Everyone

Picture books aren’t just for the littlest children. Picture books can be shared at almost any age. The books shown here explore themes of helping, working on projects, kindness, morals, and more. You’ll also find an older version of the modern day scammer…the trickster. Reading books like these with your children will help you to talk about these important issues and help you guide your child along the path of life.

Book cover for The Lion and the Mouse
The Lion and the Mouse
Pinkney, Jerry

Book cover for The little red hen
The little red hen
Galdone, Paul

Book cover for There's a wolf at the door
There's a wolf at the door
Alley, Zoe B.

Guessing Game

Books that encourage guessing help children imagine and predict. This helps children’s brains develop. While reading books like the ones below, ask your child to guess what they think will happen on the next page. Try not to focus too much on whether the guess is “right” or “wrong”. Just have fun and sharpen your guessing skills!

Book cover for Dancing feet!
Dancing feet!
Craig, Lindsey

Book cover for Dear zoo
Dear zoo
Campbell, Rod

Book cover for I spy with my little eye
I spy with my little eye
Gibbs, Edward

Book cover for Peek-a-moo!
Peek-a-moo!
Cimarusti, Marie Torres

I Love You So Much

Little Gorilla is a classic story of love for a child. It can be fun to sing “Happy Birthday” to Little Gorilla and practice counting. How old is Little Gorilla? How old is the child being read to? How old are you?! This list includes books about growing up and being loved. Reading them is a great way for caregivers and children to show how much they care about each other no matter what. Don’t forget to tell your child that you love them more each day!

Book cover for Guess how much I love you
Guess how much I love you
McBratney, Sam

Book cover for Little Bear's little boat
Little Bear's little boat
Bunting, Eve

Book cover for Little Gorilla
Little Gorilla
Bornstein, Ruth

Book cover for The runaway bunny
The runaway bunny
Brown, Margaret Wise

Pop Up and Read

Pop-up books are a great choice to read to children. Pictures explode from every page making kids want to explore the whole book, even kids who have a hard time with reading. Here are some of our favorite pop-up books available at the library that you will want to share over and over again with the child in your life!

Book cover for Cookie count : a tasty pop-up
Cookie count : a tasty pop-up
Sabuda, Robert.

Book cover for The wheels on the bus
The wheels on the bus
Zelinsky, Paul O.

Book cover for Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? : fun flaps and pop-surprises
Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? : fun flaps and pop-surprises
Carter, David A.

Book cover for The wide-mouthed frog : a pop-up book
The wide-mouthed frog : a pop-up book
Faulkner, Keith.

Snow and Cold

Brrr! Books about cold and snow make us think about winter in colder climates. Reading these books, we can learn how people dress in winter and how people play in the snow. Has your child ever seen snow? Have you? Talk about what that is like or what you both think it would be like. Look for the items below at your local library, and get ready to chill out with a good book.

Book cover for Red sled
Red sled
Judge, Lita.

Book cover for Snow
Snow
Shulevitz, Uri

Book cover for Snowballs
Snowballs
Ehlert, Lois.

Rhyme Time

There are many reasons to read rhyming books with babies and toddlers. It helps them to hear rhythms in speech and practice patterns. The sound of your voice as you read in a “sing-song” way can also make story time more fun for a young child. Here are some of our favorite children’s books that focus on rhyming.

Book cover for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Martin, Bill

Book cover for Jamberry
Jamberry
Degen, Bruce

Book cover for Sheep in a jeep
Sheep in a jeep
Shaw, Nancy

Book cover for Ten little fingers and ten little toes
Ten little fingers and ten little toes
Fox, Mem

Fun With Animals

Children love animals, and they love to read about them too! When you choose books from this list, have fun naming the animals and making animal sounds. Ask questions like “What’s your favorite animal?” and “If you could be any animal, what would it be?” This is a great way to bond and get to know your child better.

Book cover for Bark George
Bark George
Feiffer, Jules

Book cover for Big red barn
Big red barn
Brown, Margaret Wise

Book cover for Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
Martin, Bill

Book cover for Dear zoo
Dear zoo
Campbell, Rod

Books Come Alive

Make a book come to life. Copy, trace, or draw items from any book. Have your child color the items. Using children’s scissors, they can practice (with your help) to cut the items out. When you read the book, they can hold up the items they made as the story goes on and each item appears. This will help your child learn story order and fine motor skills while having fun! Here are some of our favorite books with common colorful items that are fun to name and make.

Book cover for Caps for sale : a tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business
Caps for sale : a tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business
Slobodkina, Esphyr

Book cover for Siesta
Siesta
Gibson, Ginger Foglesong

Book cover for The three bears
The three bears
Barton, Byron

Book cover for The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Carle, Eric

Yummy Reads

A fun way to help your child learn is to point out and name the fruits and vegetables you see when you go to a grocery store. You can talk about colors, shapes, sizes, and what they might taste like. The books on this list will give you lots of foods to talk about. They are also very colorful and promote healthy eating.

Book cover for Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables From A to Z
Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables From A to Z
Ehlert, Lois

Book cover for Go, go, grapes! : a fruit chant
Go, go, grapes! : a fruit chant
Sayre, April Pulley

Book cover for Growing vegetable soup
Growing vegetable soup
Ehlert, Lois

Book cover for The Vegetables We Eat
The Vegetables We Eat
Gibbons, Gail

As she has done with countless other nonfiction subjects, Gail Gibbons expertly uses vibrant watercolors and limited text to teach the younger set all about the wonderful world of vegetables—how vegetables grow, get to stores, and more. 


Sleep Tight

Bedtime can be hard for both kids and caregivers. That’s why there are so many great books about it! Our picks for bedtime books are gentle and calm. They will help you set up a pattern to stick to. Learning good sleep habits now will be good for both you and your kids in the future.

Book cover for Goodnight, good dog
Goodnight, good dog
Ray, Mary Lyn

Book cover for Goodnight moon
Goodnight moon
Brown, Margaret Wise

Book cover for How do Dinosaurs say good night?
How do Dinosaurs say good night?
Yolen, Jane

Book cover for In a blue room
In a blue room
Averbeck, Jim

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