Make Good Impressions: Try to choose stories that are positive and can be used to teach valuable lessons. Children imitate some of the actions and personality traits of their favorite main characters so why not take advantage of this valuable learning tool. Characters that demonstrate values such as kindness, cooperation or determination can leave a lasting impression. Learn a lesson from books and characters like:
The Berenstain Bears and the Truth (First Time Books(R))(series)
Clifford the Big Red Dog: Clifford’s Manners (series)
The Empty Pot (A Lesson In Truth)
The Rainbow Fish (A Lesson in Sharing)(series)
Stone Soup(A Lesson in Cooperation)
Amazing Grace (Reading Rainbow Book) (A Lesson in Determination)
Laugh It Up: Keep your sense of humor about book selections… literally speaking that is. Look for humorous books which are a sure fire way to please them. You might even find yourself laughing along! Why not try…
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs(series)
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give…) (series)
A Treasury of Curious George (series)
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! (series)
Giggle, Giggle, Quack (series)
There Is a Bird On Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (series)
Froggy Gets Dressed (series)
Green Eggs and Ham (series)
Fairy Tales & Folktales: Ever since your child has heard "once upon a time," chances are that she has enjoyed fairy tales. Stick with success and expand upon the fairy tale repertoire. Here are just a few ideas….
The Mitten
The Ugly Duckling (Caldecott Honor Book)
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti (An Owlet Book)(series)
Mirror the Classroom: Reinforce learning by reading books about basic preschool topics such as weather, animals,, holidays, the 5 senses and occupations to name just a few. If you are unsure, ask your preschool teacher about current and upcoming units of study.
Caps, Hats, Socks And Mittens (4 seasons)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (life cycle of the butterfly)
Magic School Bus Flies from the Nest (The Magic School Bus)
(science curriculum topics)
Follow the TV Series: Popular too are books based on characters from educational TV series. Young children enjoy seeing those familiar and friendly faces on screen as well as off screen. Catch their interest with well-known characters such as:
Arthur’s Pet Business (An Arthur Adventure) (series)
Show Me Your Smile!: A Visit to the Dentist (Dora the Explorer)
Max and Ruby Play School: A Picture Reader with 24 Flash Cards (All Aboard Reading)
Diego’s Wolf Pup Rescue (Go, Diego, Go!)
Sleep Tight! (Sesame Street) (series)
Favorite Toys: Is your child attached to a favorite character doll such as Curious George, Madeline or Winnie the Pooh? If so, why not choose books from the character’s series to entice your young reader. Children love to read about their favorite buddy. A character doll or stuffed animal along with corresponding books also makes a unique literary gift for children. Some famous literary characters include:
Angelina Ballerina
The Complete Adventures of Curious George
The Story of Babar (Babar Books (Random House))
Madeline
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh
Bravo! You can’t go wrong with award winners. In this case you can judge a book by its cover. Just look for the award winning seal on the front cover and it is highly likely that your child, like many others, will enjoy this book. Specific awards given to young readers’ books are:
Caldecott Award Winners:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type(series)
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (series)
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
Also try these great story books loved by both children and grownups!
Author! Author! If your child finds a favorite author, stick with it. Chances are that if she really enjoys the writer’s style and sense of humor, your child will be more likely to read other books by the same or similar type authors. Some favorites among preschoolers are:
Marc Brown
Eric Carle
Laura Numeroff
Marcus Pfister
H.A. Rey
Dr. Seuss
Shel Silverstein
Library Bound: Your preschooler is now ready for more variety, so you may wish to attempt weekly visits to your local library. Many libraries have wonderful story times for young children and have very knowledgeable and helpful children’s librarians who can also recommend interesting and age appropriate books for your child.
