need some good children’s books that rhyme? We’ve put together a list of books to help youngsters learn to play with the sounds of words. click to see our recommended teacher & kid-approved list of picture books with nursery rhymes.
This Resource Works Well With
You are reading: Children’s books that rhyme
Most kindergartners enjoy playing with rhymes, and books that incorporate rhymes quickly become their favorites. Of course, playing with rhymes is a great way to develop phonological awareness.
phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate phenomena (the individual sounds in any language). Simply put, children with good phonemic awareness skills tend to be more successful in learning to read and write. that’s why rhyming is often an important part of any literacy program.
To learn more about phonological awareness and why it’s so important, click here.
The rhyme invites children to listen to the sounds of the words. for example, they may hear that the words jar, car, bar, and star all end with the sound ar. At first, they will hear and recognize sounds that rhyme. as they progress, they will be able to produce their own rhymes.
Frequent exposure to rhyming also helps children develop thinking vocabulary and comprehension skills. Rhyming picture books are one of the easiest ways to bring rhymes into the classroom. And as a bonus, they’re so much fun to read – most of them have silly stories that kids love, and the rhymes make them easy to read aloud.
20 books recommended by teachers that rhyme
green eggs and ham by dr seuss
Green Eggs and Ham is a wonderful story about a quirky character named Sam I Am, who spends the story persuading an unbeliever to try some of his Green Eggs and Ham. Kids love this story and it’s full of silly rhymes that make everyone laugh.
chicka chicka boom boom by bill martin
In this fun book, the letters of the alphabet compete to see who can reach the coconut tree first. kids love the bright illustrations and fun rhymes.
giraffes can’t dance by giles andreae
gerald just wants to dance, but all the other animals scoff at his efforts at the annual jungle dance. Gerald bows his head and leaves. luckily a wise cricket appears with a word of encouragement that makes gerald dance again. And what a dancer he turns out to be!
aliens love claire freedman’s underpants
a book of wacky rhymes that will make your students laugh out loud, because… well, underpants. aliens have come to earth with sinister motives. They want to steal everyone’s underpants!
See Also: Best books for dads-to-be and new fathers for 2022 UK | MadeForMums
rhyming dust bunnies by jan thomas
We just couldn’t keep this book on the library shelf. is a great favourite. the rhyming dust bunnies love to rhyme and one named bob who doesn’t seem to get it at all. but in the end bob saves them all from a terrible fate.
anna dewdney red llama pajama
This is a sweet story about a young llama who has trouble falling asleep at night and calls his mom. but her mother is busy and she can’t come back right away. then, the baby llama has a hissing fit and all kinds of drama ensues.
julia donaldson’s gruffalo
This is the story of a mouse and a monster called a gruffalo. the mouse invents a terrible sounding creature to save himself from being eaten as he walks through the forest. imagine the surprise when the little mouse meets the real gruffalo.
goodnight goodnight construction site by sherri duskey rinker
The sun is setting behind the big construction site and one by one the big machines are getting ready to say goodnight. this book is beautifully illustrated and the rhymes are delightful.
parts of ted arnold
The parts will make the whole class laugh. Follow along as the young narrator notices all sorts of strange tendencies in his body. things like belly button lint and something gross falling out of her nose. then his tooth starts to move and that is confirmation that his body is falling apart. a delight to read!
my truck is stuck! by kevin lewis
A truck carrying a shipment of bones gets stuck in a hole and nothing moves it. a whole series of ever larger vehicles try to help move the truck, but nothing works. until a mechanic shows up with a tow truck to take the unfortunate vehicle away. meanwhile, in a cunning subplot, some moles are slowly making off with all the bones.
zin zin a violin by lloyd moss
a fabulous book of rhymes that introduces readers to the different instruments of an orchestra as they take their place on the stage. the illustrations are fabulous and contain many details. the rhymes are beautiful and I love how this book introduces the language of music. It’s also a refreshing change from the usual themes found in children’s picture books.
big red barn by margaret wise brown
the story of a day on the farm. This book is primarily aimed at preschoolers, but it’s still a great introduction to rhyming books for those just starting kindergarten.
See Also: 20 Cowboy Books for Little Learners – Mrs. Jones Creation Station
don’t forget the pat hutchins bacon
A forgetful boy is sent to the store and every time he recites his shopping list, it changes slightly. but at least you won’t forget the bacon.
every peach pear plum by allan ahlberg
a timeless rhyming classic that combines folklore with a game of see, see, all while rhyming in a way kids will love.
frogs and toads sang by arnold lobel
A new collection of rhyming stories about frogs and toads from award-winning author Arnold Lobel, the creator of the Frogs and Toads series of books.
frog on a log? by kes grey
every animal in the animal kingdom sits on a seat that rhymes with their name. cats sit on mats and hares on chairs, but the frog doesn’t want to sit on a log.
get on the dr seuss pop
another dr. Favourite. seuss book Silly rhymes and simple words make this a perfect book for young readers. your kids will love it, it’s not the cheesiest.
Is your mom a llama? by deborah guarino
the animals help lloyd the llama discover what kind of animal his mother is through a series of rhymes.
i saw an ant on the train tracks by joshua prince
the story of a hungry ant on the train tracks and the gentle giant who helps save it from being crushed by an oncoming train.
bruce degen’s jamberry
a bestselling story about a boy who loves berries and a rhyming bear goes on a berry-picking adventure.
have fun with rhyming books
Kids never seem to get tired of rhyming books, so they’re fun to read over and over again. try some of these activities once your class is familiar with the text.
- encourage students to clap when they hear a rhyming word. if you want to make this a little more active, ask them to jump.
- invite students to help you write the rhyming words on the sticky notes and then arrange them by spelling pattern
- read the book and pause before saying the rhyming word. the kids will be happy to shout out the word for you.
- have fun with the rhymes by rewriting some of the pages using different rhyming words. kids think this is funny and sometimes it really is!
do you need more rhyming activities?
- printable rhyming puzzles
- rhyming bingo
- more rhyming puzzles
- look for some rhyming apps
- fold & read animal rhyme books
your turn
How many of these books do you read with your students? Did we miss any of your favorites? leave a comment below?
See Also: Top 8 Must-Read Negotiation Books for Real Estate Agents