One of the most common questions I get from people new to story time is what to read to young children. young children are a complicated group. they can go from being engaged to running across the room in a matter of seconds. I have written before about young children’s language acquisition and how we can support it through our pace. Today I want to share a group of authors whose books meet the language development needs of young children and work well in a story setting. I chose authors who have at least three books that fit these parameters. I hope this post can serve as a guide for those looking to get a feel for what makes a good storybook for young children.
If I missed one of your favorites, let me know in the comments! For more storytime read alouds for toddlers, check out part 1 and part 2 of my storytime series for toddlers and my annual lists of favorite storytime books.
You are reading: Best books for toddler storytime
keith baker
baking books often show an appreciation for nature. also has some nursery rhyme adaptations.
my choices:
- big fat chicken
- no two are alike
- little green one
byron barton
i think i’ve already referred to barton as the king of young children’s books. he just receives them. The books of him present everyday objects.
my choices:
- my house
- my bike
- my bus
karen beaumont
You can sing two of these that little kids love.
my choices:
- I liked it!; illustrated by david catrow
- I won’t paint anymore!; illustrated by david catrow
- who ate all the cookie dough?; illustrated by eugene yelchin
john butler
butler books combine cute animals, animal sounds and guessing games. a classic author to meet.
my choices:
- if you see a kitten
- whose nose and toes?
- whose baby am I?
- ten in the den
jane cabrera
Known for her sing-along books, Cabrera has a variety of children’s songs and classic songs in book format. Her illustrations are so cute.
my choices:
- peek-a-boo zoo!
- the wheels of the bus
- if you’re happy and you know it!
- old macdonald had a farm
eric carle
one of the best-known children’s authors. if you can get a popup version of any of the books from him, it’s worth it!
my choices:
- head to toe
- the very busy spider
- the very hungry caterpillar
- the artist who painted a blue horse
david a. carter
a smart choice for emerging singable books. although his books are smaller, they still captivate an audience of young children. thanks to gina (in the comments) for reminding me of these gems.
my choices:
- if you’re happy and you know it
- if you’re a robot and you know it
- old macdonald had a farm
Marie Torres Cimarusti
your favorite author! fun and full of animal sounds.
my choices:
- peek-a-moo!
- peek-a-pet!
- peek-a-choo choo!
cousins lucy
Best known for its Maisy the Mouse character, these three books have large pages perfect for large groups of young children.
my choices:
- hooray for the birds!
- hooray for the fish!
- maisy’s rainbow dream
linda davik
Its diverse group of round-headed kids are the perfect addition to a toddler storytime.
my choices:
- Say hello!
- We love you, Rosie!
- I love you, I don’t know! I love you, toes!
emma dodd
dodd’s books feature simple sentence structure and unique vocabulary. Many of his books feature common household pets.
my choices:
- I love bugs!
- colorful dog day
- I don’t want a fancy dog!
- I don’t want a cool dog cat!
ed emberley
if you need a monster book that doesn’t scare kids, emberley is your author!
See Also: Carlos Castaneda – Book Series In Order
my choices:
- go away, big green monster!
- good night, little green monster
- if you are a monster and you know it; written with her daughter rebecca emberley
denise fleming
fleming has a distinctive art style and most of his books feature scattered phrases filled with wonderfully unique vocabulary.
my choices:
- five ducklings
- maggie and michael get dressed
- have lunch
- underground
fox mem
fox has many books that focus on babies, but most of them work great for toddlers who are floundering and exploring everything.
my choices:
- time to put the baby to bed; illustrated by emma quay
- hello baby!; illustrated by steve jenkins
- two little monkeys; illustrated by jill barton
emma garcia
garcia’s books are perfect for the transportation or construction enthusiast. repetition and sound effects included.
my choices:
- chugga chugga choo choo
- toot toot beep beep
- tap tap bang bang
- tip tip dig dig
edward gibbs
These books span the toddler/preschool line, but can work really well in a toddler story hour when everyone repeats the phrase “I see with my little eye” all together.
my choices:
- I spy with my little eye
- I see pets
- I see under the sea
- I see the farm
emily gravett
gravett’s books have great rhythm without rhyme. some have unexpected endings that are enjoyed by caregivers and older children.
my choices:
- blue chameleon
- monkey and me
- dogs
kevin henkes
a master of kind nature themed books. ideal for seasonal reading.
my choices:
- when spring comes
- one fine day
- little white rabbit
petr horáček
If you need a great pop-up concept book, look no further. these capture the attention of young children and show a wide variety of animals.
my choices:
- butterfly, butterfly: a color book
- a spotted giraffe: a counting popup book
- opposite animals: a popup book
eric litwin
Litwin’s books feature predictable text patterns interspersed with short songs. great for preschoolers too, the key to getting them working with young children is to have caregivers sing along with you. They also make great felt stories.
my choices:
- pete the cat: I love my white shoes; illustrated by james dean
- pete the cat: my four wonderful buttons; illustrated by james dean
- groovy joe: ice cream and dinosaurs; illustrated by tom lichtenheld
jonathan london
Known for its frog books, London also has a collection of transportation-themed picture books perfect for young children. And don’t forget her walking animal sound book!
my choices:
- a train makes clicking noises; illustrated by denis roche
- a truck rattles; illustrated by denis roche
- a plane goes ka-zoom!; illustrated by denis roche
- wiggle waggle; illustrated by michael rex
bill martin jr.
You may recognize them from your own childhood. the repetitive structure is perfect for young children. bonus tip: you can sing them to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star.
my choices:
- brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?; illustrated by eric carle
- polar bear, polar bear, what do you hear?; illustrated by eric carle
- baby bear, baby bear, what do you see?; illustrated by eric carle
- panda bear, panda bear, what do you see?; illustrated by eric carle
flora mcdonnell
Simple text and large pages make these books perfect for young children. these may be out of stock, so grab a copy if you see one!
my choices:
- I love animals
- splash!
- amazing! let’s ride!
mary murphy
Murphy’s books are excellent for promoting a loving and positive relationship between a young child and their caregiver. they also have cool animal sounds.
See Also: St. Louis’ Best Bookstores: A Complete Guide | City Guide | St. Louis | St. Louis Riverfront Times
my choices:
- say hello like this!
- a kiss like this
- good night like this
il sung na
Dreamy illustrations fill these wonderful books about animals.
my choices:
- welcome home bear
- the zoo across the street
- a baby book
leslie patricelli
patriceclli, known for her adorable board books, also has some picture books that are perfect for young children.
my choices:
- the tallest birthday box
- ! higher!
- faster! faster!
michael rosen
rosen has all kinds of different stories for the little ones. try reading one of her poems to bring out the poetry even for young children.
my choices:
- the bus is for us!; illustrated by gillian tyler
- little fly; Illustrated by Kevin Waldron
- A Big Big Hug: Poems for the Youngest; illustrated by chris riddell
ellie sandals
sandall only has two gems of toddler stories so far, but I’m including it here because I know she’ll have another one soon. her third book, Every Bunny Counts! it comes out this year, so I’ll update this page after reading it.
my choices:
- all the bunnies dance!
- follow me!
april pulley sayre
Sayre is a prolific writer and has plenty of story gems. His non-fiction works are top notch, featuring wonderful vocabulary and stunning nature photography.
my choices:
- full of fall
- best in snow
- raindrops roll down
- if you have hops; Illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic
shea bob
shea’s dinosaur series is great for little ones who just need to roar!
my choices:
- dinosaur in front of bedtime
- dinosaur in front of the library
- dinosaur in front of the potty
nicola smee
Join smee’s group of animal friends for different adventures. You can act out these books or have a toddler jump on a lap to bounce or rock while reading. thanks to gina (in the comments) for reminding me!
my choices:
- clip-clop
- splish-splash
- jingle-jingle
filemon riot
sturges books are great for celebrating a child’s love of different things. short, simple sentences paired with brightly colored illustrations are a great combination.
my choices:
- I love bugs!; illustrated by shari halpern
- I love trains!; illustrated by shari halpern
- I love trucks!; illustrated by shari halpern
sim refund
In the tabback series, readers guess the animals hiding behind the flaps. folding pages are a delightful surprise for young children.
my choices:
- the animals of simms taback town
- the farm animals of simms taback
- the dinosaurs of simms taback
nancy tafuri
Tafuri books feature repetition, short sentences, and lots of farm animals.
my choices:
- all kinds of kisses
- the busy little squirrel
- spots, feathers and curly tails
- this is the farmer
janus thomas
Thomas has a great sense of humor and even if young children don’t fully get the jokes, the caregivers will.
my choices:
- is everyone ready to have some fun?
- pumpkin trouble
- rhyming dust bunnies
those are my picks for young children’s story authors to know. Did I miss one of your favorites? let me know in the comments!
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