The 79 Best Books for Kids of All Ages
By Hillary Copsey for BabyFit
As a self-proclaimed bookworm who is passing her love of reading on to her two sons, I compiled a list to help you navigate the library and bookstore easily. After all, who has time to spend hours wandering the aisles looking at books? (In a dream world, with a skim latte in hand while Dad is at home with the little ones?)
We didn't organize the books on our list by age because we don't really like looking at books that way. If you expose children to a wide variety of books, they'll figure out what they like and what they're ready for. Also, as a parent, I was bored by the "baby books" when my babies were the right age for them -- no story line and no kid responding to it -- but find them great now I have a toddler who can use them as sight words to learn to read.
Instead, all the books are appropriate from infancy to elementary school-aged, and they are arranged by category. "Touchy-feely" are books that kids can touch or have some other gimmick. "Good reads" are books that shouldn't make you want to pull your hair out no matter how many times you read them. "Easy reading" are books either designed for early readers or that are repetitive enough to make them easy.
Touchy-feely
1. "That's Not My Monster," by Fiona Watt, Rachel Wells
2. "Pat the Bunny," by Dorothy Kunhardt
3. "Please Do Not Open This Book," by Jon Stone
4. "Tails," by Matthew VanFleet
5. "Oh, Baby! Go, Baby!" by Dr. Seuss
6. "Where Are Maisy's Friends?" by Lucy Cousins
7. "Noisy Kisses," by Barney Saltzberg
8. "Little School of Fish," by Dorothea DePrisco
9. Bright Baby Touch and Feel collection, by Roger Priddy
10. "Peek-a Who?" by Nina Landen
Bedtime
11. "On the Day You Were Born," by Deborah Frasier
12. "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd
13. "Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak
14. "Sleepyhead," by Karma Wilson
15. "Pajama Time," by Sandra Boynton
16. "Monkey and Me," by Emily Gravett
17. "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," by Eileen Christelow
18. "Bedtime for Frances," by Russell Hoban
19. "Llama Llama Red Pajama," by Anna Dewdney
20. "I Need My Monster," by Amanda Noll
Life skills
21. Yes Yes! A Box of Board Books, by Leslie Patricelli
22. Little Critter books, by Mercer Mayer
23. Big brother/sister, by Joanna Cole
24. Berenstain Bears, by Stan Berenstain
25. "Where's the Poop?" by Julie Markes
26. "Elmo's Potty Time" by Sesame Street
27. "Clarabella's Teeth," by An Vrombaut
28. "Bubblebath Pirates," by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
29. "Getting Dressed With Lily and Milo," by Pauline Oud
ABCs and other fun facts
31. "ABC," by Dr. Seuss
32. "The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z," by Steve Martin, Roz Chast
33. "One Was Johnny," by Maurice Sendak
34. "One, Two, Three!" by Sandra Boynton
35. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle
36. "Chicken Soup With Rice," by Maurice Sendak
37. "The Grouchy Ladybug," by Eric Carle
38. "Blue Hat, Green Hat," by Sandra Boynton
39. "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," by Annie Kubler
Good reads
40. "The Story of Ferdinand," by Munro Leaf
41. "If You Give A Cat A Cupcake," by Laura Numeroff
42. "Knufflebunny," by Mo Willems
43. "Pigs Make Me Sneeze," by Mo Willems
44. "Corduroy," by John Stone
45. "Duck for President," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin
46. "Click, Clack, Moo," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin
47. "Olivia," by Ian Falconer
48. Curious George, by H.A. Rey
49. "Scuttle's Big Wish," by Sean Delonas
50. "Harold and the Purple Crayon," by Crockett Johnson
51. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," by Judith Viorst
52. "The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash," by Trinka Hakes Noble
53. "The Little Engine That Could," by Loren Long
54. "Where the Sidewalk Ends," by Shel Silverstein
56. "Clifford the Big Red Dog," by Norman Bridwell
57. Winnie the Pooh, by AA Milne
58. "Elmer," by David McKee
59. "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear," by Don Wood
Special Events
60. "This Is Not A Pumpkin," by Bob Staake
61. "A Grouch's Christmas," by Michaela Munstean
62. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!," by Dr. Seuss
63. "A Birthday for Frances," by Russell Hoban
64. "The Thanksgiving Story," by Alice Dalgliesh
Easy Reading
65. "Hop on Pop," by Dr. Seuss
66. "Polar Bear, Polar Bear," by Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle
67. "Little Bear," by Else Holmelund Minarek/Maurice Sendak
68. "The Cat in the Hat," by Dr. Seuss
69. "Mouse Tales," by Arnold Lobel
70. "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," by Dr. Seuss
71. "Cat the Cat, Who is That?" by Mo Willems
72. "Yes Day!" by Amy Krouse
73. "Morris Goes to School," by B. Wiseman
74. "Oliver," by Syd Hoff
Read Aloud75. "Charlotte's Web" by EB White
76. Paddington Bear, by Michael Bond
77. "The BFG," by Roald Dahl
78. "The Wizard of Oz," by L. Frank Baum
79. "Little House in the Big Woods," by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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