Books to Read Before Kindergarten

We asked our Children’s Librarians to select three books every child should know about before kindergarten. Here are their picks.

Freight Train by Donald Crews
Who doesn’t love a train book? Simple images and text make this a classic. The movement of the train across each page mimics the direction that text is read—from left to right. Children love helping identify the colorful train cars and watch as they travel through cities and across trestles.

I Can Do It Too! by Karen Baicker
A brightly colored story in which a young girl proudly shows off all the things that she can do now that she is grownup. It introduces various family members as well as every day activities. Great for children’s self-confidence.

My Car by Byron Barton
This book introduces readers to the many parts of the car as well as pedestrian safety, street signs and community helpers. Children will no doubt add their own observations to each page. This is a popular read aloud and we were thrilled when the author came out with My Bus.

—Louise Lareau, Children’s Center at 42nd Street

Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
Originally published in 1932, I can see why this has stood the test of time. Young Danny meets a menagerie of farmyard animals, each willing to give him something for his mother’s birthday gift, all of which she already possesses. Recognition of animals and their respective sounds, sequencing, autonomy, and generosity are all themes in this brightly engaging cumulative tale. And surprisingly, the kids are reciting parts of it to you by tale’s end.

Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
In my opinion, Caps For Sale is a masterpiece! The story is great. And the art! Let me just say, that Slobodkina really knew what she was doing with the layout—especially the scenes leading up to when we finally get to meet those mischievous monkeys. Cause and effect, sequencing (darn if I can quite remember which caps go on the top, but the kids do), frustration tolerance and emotions all come into play. The conflict is believably real, and it’s eventual resolution quietly satisfying—another classic that is a heavy hitter in a subtle way.

Corduroy by Don Freeman
I haven’t met a person yet who has not developed an affinity for this inquisitive and adorable teddy bear. Corduroy possesses all the qualities of a preschooler—a sense of adventure and wonder, emerging independence, and curiosity, which is maybe why he continues to be a hit generation after generation. Other hidden themes include using one’s imagination, a sense of accomplishment, problem solving, and of course, friendship. What four year old, or adult, can’t help but identify with all that?

—Rebecca Gueorguiev, Great Kills

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Rhythm, colors and a catchy chorus that kids can pick up the first time through! This brilliant book with an upbeat message wins is a surefire read-aloud favorite!

Hi, Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter
Waiting for pizza has never been so much fun! Youngsters get to figure out what animal sounds to use as they imagine a variety of different pizza delivery characters. Guessing what to say and who will be on the next page keeps kids entertained and thinking, while enjoying the wild and wacky illustrations.

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Explore colors, clothing and repetition in this simple book that nevertheless has all the familiar comic silliness the author is known for. This is one your toddlers will be anticipating the “oops!” every time.

—Stephanie Whelan, Seward Park

Mr. Cookie Baker by Monica Wellington
A day in the life of Mr. Cookie Baker, a city baker who rises early to make cookies to sell in his shop. Take simple text, add a dash of colorful illustrations, mix well, and voila—a happy baby/toddler reader! There are four cookie recipes at the end of this story too. Yum.

Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar (and illustrated by her daughter Polly Dunbar)
A whimsical rhyming story with charming illustrations by a mother-daughter team. My favorite part is making the “boo hoo hoo” sound of the giant at the end. :)

Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha
Join Mr. Gilly in his trash truck as he collects the garbage around Trashy Town. This one will have everyone chanting, “dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town!”

—Susie Tucker Heimbach, Mulberry Street

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins
I’m sort of cheating with this one because it’s a collection containing many folktales all retold for preschool listeners with Cousin’s bright and colorful illustrations. I chose this because a lot of teachers assume children come in knowing or have been exposed to the European folktales and a child from a different cultural background who doesn’t know them may be at a disadvantage. Folktales are also simple but repetitive so children can anticipate what will come next and make predictions. Warning: Cousins has the original endings on these tales—the wolf gets decapitated (Red Riding Hood) and boiled (Three Little Pigs).

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
This is an old (originally published in 1955) but timeless classic exploring the power of your imagination. All you need is a crayon and you can go anywhere and do anything. Kids will want their own purple crayon to draw their adventures.

Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler
I love the rhythm of this book that begs to be read aloud. Some kids do join in but the majority just like to sway to the beat. It also introduces some musical terms such as: “sings scat,” “toe taps,” “soft shoes,” “hip hop,” “bebop,” and “tempo.” The text fit perfectly with the rhythm as it swings up or down and wraps around the illustrations.

—Sue Yee, Children’s Center at 42nd Street

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
With its humorous black and white illustrations this is a story that all parents can relate to and comfort all children. Ferdinand, a little bull, has a mother that understands him and lets him grow to be a gentle creature instead of a bull that wants to fight. But when Ferdinand accidentally sits on a BEE—the young reader sees the funny consequences. This classic book has been a favorite for many generations and is one I really love.

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet & Allan Ahlberg
With Tom Thumb leading the way, fairy tale characters come together for a picnic with a delicious plum pie. The illustrations and full of detail and the “I spy” feature makes finding the character very satisfying. Listening to a rhyming story and looking for the hidden characters make for a book to be read over and over.

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Learning the names of colors and what primary colors mix together to make other colors is the job of three curious white mice. After they have fun playing and dancing in found paint they leave some of the paper white because of the cat. Not only does the reader get to anticipate the color change but they can enjoy the humor of a story about 3 sly mice.

—Peggy Salwen, St. Agnes