Reading books together is a favorite activity at our house, and we want to pass on some of our favorites we’ve loved! Delight your kids and foster quality time together with these favorite picture books for kids.
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Did you know that kids who are read to at least three times a week at home are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading than kids who are read to less than 3 times a week? (National Center for Education Statistics)
Not only does reading to kids benefit their literacy and academic development, it also fosters a sense of intimacy, builds relational bonds, supports their emotional well-being, sparks imagination and creativity, and exposes them to new experiences and concepts in the world around them. For these reasons and more, reading to our kids is one of the best things we can do for them.
Looking for recommendations of books to read to your kids? When it comes to picture book selections, it’s hard to get it wrong! One of the best things about kids is how easily delighted and entertained they are by stories, especially when trained from an early age.
Related Post: 9 Practical Tips for Reading to Your Kids
For my own kids, I aim for lots of variety. We choose books of varied lengths, a mixture of silly stories and quality literature, both fiction and nonfiction, and a combination of subject matters that align with their interests and expose them to new things.
To guide you in your selections and help you find something everyone will love, here are some of our top favorite picture books for kids.
Our Favorite Picture Books for Kids
Reading books together is a favorite activity at our house, and we want to pass on some of our favorites we’ve loved! From hippos with hiccups to potatoes wearing pants, there’s something for everyone in this list. Delight your kids and foster quality time together with these favorite picture books for kids.
- If I Built… series — Chris Van Dusen
- Dragons Love Tacos — Adam Rubin
- The Cool Bean — Jory John & Pete Oswald
- The Day the Crayons Quit — Drew Daywalt
- How to Catch a Unicorn (and the entire “How to Catch” series)
- Diggersaurs — Michael Whaite
- The Wonky Donkey — Craig Smith
- Hiccupopotamus — Aaron Zenz
- The Little Engine That Could — Watty Piper
- What Should Danny Do? — Ganit & Adir Levy
- Lexie the Word Wrangler — Rebecca Van Slyke
- Pete the Cat books
- Potato Pants — Laurie Keller
- Jamberry — Bruce Degen
- Caps For Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business — Esphyr Slobodkina
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt — Michael Rosen
- Purple, Green, and Yellow — Robert Munsch
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site —Sherri Duskey Rinker
- Llama Llama Red Pajama — Anna Dewdney
- The Book With No Pictures — B.J. Novak
- Duck on a Bike — David Shannon
- Arnie the Donut — Laurie Keller
- Ordinary People Change the World series — Brad Meltzer
- Who Would Win series — Jerry Pallotta
- Paper Bag Princess — Robert Munsch
- Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast — Josh Funk
- The Rainbow Fish — Marcus Pfister
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble — William Steig
- Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library — Julie Gassman
- Nerdycorn — Andrew Root
- Come Home Already! — Jory John
- Books Aren’t For Eating! — Carlie Sorosiak
SHARE WITH US: What are some of YOUR favorite picture books? Tell us in the comments below!
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Share your thoughts!