18 of the best children’s books about the letter b
We are putting together a list of books for each letter of the alphabet. you can refer to these books to pay more attention to a particular letter you are learning if you are doing the letter of the week. Or you can just use these lists as a resource for some of the best children’s books!
You are reading: Books about the letter b
paul meets bernadette, by rosy lamb
I’m so glad I found this newly released book just before I put together this book list. it is an absolute treasure! Paul the goldfish used to have a very simple life going around in circles, from side to side and up and down; until the day bernardette arrived!
bernadette helps paul see that there is a whole world outside the fishbowl. We loved the perspective of him! the banana, she says, is a ship. the blue teapot is an elephant. As the two fish watch the kettle filling their teacups, Bernadette notes, “She’s not too dangerous. but you must not disturb her when she is feeding her babies. we laugh the whole time, and I love the sweet ending. this would make a great gift book!
otto the book bear, by katie cleminson
How can you walk past this book and not pick it up? It’s as adorable as the cover. Otto is a book bear that he loves when people read his book. but when no one is looking, he comes to life and explores the house. One day, when Otto is exploring, the book is taken from him. little bear explores the city until he finds a new home… the library. and otto makes a wonderful discovery: the library is full of book creatures just like him!
a bug, a bear and a boy, by david mcphail
This simple book is an early read for beginning readers, but it also works great as a cozy read aloud. children will enjoy learning how the bug, the bear and a boy, friends of such different sizes, can do things together. when they eat, the bear eats from a bucket, the boy from a bowl, and the bug from a bottle cap. the bear sleeps on a rug on the floor, the child on a bed, and the insect on a peanut shell. sweet book!
the berenstains book b, by stan and jan berenstain
I wouldn’t say this book is a great work of children’s literature, but it is fun and creative, and children continue to love it more than forty years after its publication. The fun cumulative story features the letter B everywhere.
butterfly, by susan canizares
I’m including this book so you can take a look at some of the easiest nonfiction for toddlers and preschoolers. I love canizares books because they have bright pictures and just a little bit of text. see if your library has more of your titles.
grumpy bird, by jeremy tankard
See Also: 10 Easy, Enjoyable Childrens Books That English Learners Will Love | FluentU English
This book is perfect to read when your toddler wakes up cranky! It is about a little bird that is so grumpy that nothing seems right. Fortunately, his animal friends help him get out of his bad mood with some exercise and companionship. fun!
grizzly bear, grizzly bear, what do you see? by eric carle
In our house, our young children enjoy this book so much that our children get bored with it in preschool. but I couldn’t leave this classic out. once they get the hang of it, young children will enjoy “reading” and it’s also a great book for teaching colors.
brontorine, by james howe
poor brontoria! How can she achieve her dream of being a dancer when she’s too old for the studio? Fortunately, her teacher realizes that the Brontorine is not too big. the studio is too small! this is a fun story that also teaches a good lesson: find a way to include everyone, even those who are a little different.
nate dancer, by kimberly brubaker bradley
I’m not a dancer and I’m not particularly sensitive to gender issues. but i love this book because it is about a little boy who perseveres even when he is ridiculed by his brother. Nate loves to dance and wants to be a dancer. when his mother enrolls him in a class, his brother makes fun of him. “Children cannot be dancers. you will have to wear a dress. You will have to wear pink. everyone else will be girls.”
nate is horrified; He hates dresses! he doesn’t like pink! Turns out Nate’s brother is right about one thing: boys can’t be ballerinas. They’re dancers!
little bear, by else homelund minarik
These stories about a little bear and his mother are true classics. he loved them as a kid, and my kids love them too. just be careful not to get the books based on the tv series. they will have a different author and illustrator and will not have any of the magic of the original series.
baby brains, by simon james
I loved this book so much that I had to show it to my husband. Mr. and madam the brains want her baby to be smart so they read the newspaper out loud and play classical music for madam. the expectant womb of brains. when the baby is born, everything seems normal, until the next morning, when she comes downstairs and starts reading the newspaper! she announces that she wants to go to school, but after one day of kindergarten she leaves for medical school. we had a lot of laughs with this one, and so will you, especially if you can see a bit of yourself in mr. o madam brain!
three bears in a boat, by david soman
This is quite a long book, but it captured the imagination of my four, who requested it many times. Three bear brothers, Charlie, Dash, and Theo, have cracked open their mother’s special seashell. without telling him, they set sail to find a replacement. stunning illustrations capture the journey of the bears. you’ll appreciate the subtle references that only adults will get. there’s also a nice little lesson about accepting responsibility.
See Also: 10 Childrens Books About Blended Families – Feminist Books for Kids
I like bugs, by margaret wise brown
We own these simple rhyming books, and it’s been a favorite in our house for quite a few years. quick read, with fun illustrations. recommended!
goldilocks and a single bear, by leigh hodgkinson
All four of my loved this fun twist on the classic goldilocks story. little bear is lost in the city. he finds a fancy apartment, where he tries out the porridge, the beds, and the chairs… only to be surprised by the family returning home. I’m sure you can guess who the golden-haired mother is!
that’s good! that’s bad! by margery cuyler
This was one of my favorites to read aloud in my classroom and it’s also one of my favorites to read at home. A little boy at the zoo is on a series of wild animal adventures when his balloon takes him away from his parents. Is the situation good or bad? things are never what they seem!
Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis
Do you have a child who likes to play with boxes? sometimes I go a little crazy with the stacks of boxes that my four like to collect. rabbit also likes to play with boxes. but it’s not a box, it’s a plane. It’s not a box, it’s a robot. no, it’s… a non-box!
the pigeon needs a bath, by mo willems
have you seen this latest addition to the mo willems pigeon series? the books, which began with don’t let the pigeon drive the bus, are big favorites in our house. It’s impossible to read these books without laughing, and they’re so much fun to read aloud. Both children and parents may notice that the pigeon’s cry sounds very familiar…
blueberries for sal, by robert mccloskey
I end my list with a classic book that should be on every kid’s listening list. Sal and a baby bear mingle as they forage for blueberries with their moms on Blueberry Hill. this book is still popular, almost seventy years after its original publication!
Be sure to check out our other ideas for learning about the letter b!
