“Goodnight Moon! Goodnight Moon!” That is me and my sister in the 1980’s telling our dad we want to read Goodnight Moon…again. While Goodnight Moon is a wonderful classic, my dad recently admitted…”If I had to read Goodnight Moon ONE more time…”
It’s true- kids know what they love and repeating picture books is not a bad thing. Goodnight Moon was the first book I memorized and it helped build a foundation for reading because that memorization created confidence in both me and my sister.
Many years later, as I read books for our daily storytime at The Reading Bug, I still find myself repeating books that I love because the kids love them too. And if you’re going to pay $20 for picture book, you had better WANT to read it more than once! Here are some of my old and new favorites for every home library. You can find these and many more under Lauren’s Storytime Books at thereadinbug.com. We update this list frequently!
Ding-dong! All the animals want LouAnn’s delicious doughnuts but LouAnn begins to realized that she might not have enough food to get her through the winter months! Repetition and and rhyme and a surprise at the door on each page make this book a fun read aloud with empathy and friendship themes for ages 2-5 years!
Not your ordinary princess book…Princess Susan does not want sparkles and frills. She has more serious matters to contend with like saving her entire kingdom! Filled with girl power, this entrepreneurial princess has a plan and she won’t let anyone stand in her way! Recommended for ages 5-7 years
Rabbit does NOT want to go to sleep! If it doesn’t get dark, he doesn’t have to! Read as rabbit tries to outsmart the dark (personified perfectly in this adorable tale- pun intended!). A little bit of science and a gorgeous fold out of the night sky at the end always leaves my storytime audiences “oo-ing” and “ah-ing.” Recommended for ages 2-6 years.
Rachel Bright and Jim Field create bright and bold rhyming picture books with great messages. Kevin the koala just can’t “let go” literally and figuratively. Being brave and trying new things are just too much. But when his branch finally breaks, will Kevin realize how great it can be to just let loose? Of course he can! For readers who are ready to be brave ages 3-6 years. Also by this duo: The Lion Inside (courage) and The Squirrels Who Squabbled (sharing).
This E B White read aloud winner in about 10 years old and still a favorite. The voices of duck and bear are pitch perfect and so fun to read loud. Try reading bear in a low voice and duck in a high pitched voice! Bear just wants to sleep! Duck just wants to play! This bear is ready to lose it and duck’s antics just keep getting sillier! Recommended for ages 3-7 years
The newest rhyming book on our list is just pure fun. An octopus comes to live on top of us! A nod to inclusion (an octopus is great for so many things! 8 arms are so much better than 2!) and silly things to find on every page including an “octo-tastic Christmas tree!” And wait til you get to the last page… Recommended for ages 2-5 years
Counting books are always a hit but when a dragon hatches on every page, it’s even better! Cheer along for mama dragon as each of her 10 hatchlings appear. “Shim shimmy shout! Baby dragon please come out!” is repeated on each page and so much fun for our storytime audiences to engage and read along. Recommended for ages 2-4 years
Ella is a special fairy with delicate wings. She can’t go out in the sunlight but she helps her animal friends find their “night light” to get them through the night time. Ella’s greatest wish is to see the sunrise. Ella’s friends show their appreciation for all she has done for them with a sweet surprise. Recommended for ages 3-5 years
From the author of another storytime favorite, Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups, One Chicken Nugget is a hilarious story about a monster who just loves chicken nuggets. He can’t get enough! Inspired by the folk tale “One Grain of Rice,” let’s see just how many nuggets one monster can eat! And will he stop scaring the customers from the nugget stand away? Recommended for ages 4-6 years
The oldest book on the list has the best use of repetition. “I’m a pout pout fish with a pout pout face, so I spread the dreary wearies all over the place…”
There is now a whole series of these adorable books but the original is still the storytime favorite.
Recommended for ages 2-5 years
Troy Cummings is also on our holiday list this year with his new book, Otto the Ornament. It all began though with Can I Be Your Dog?. Arfy is a dog who is just looking for his forever home. Written in the form of letters from Arfy to various characters such as the butcher where he is very convincing, each letter is a heart tugging, hilarious and sweet story in itself. Recommended for dog lovers and ages 3-6 years
Bear and Squirrel are amazing magicians! Well, sort of…they can make ice cream disappear (when it is left outside in the hot sun)! From the creator of The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, this book is hilarious because the reader knows exactly what is going on when that ice cream disappears and what will happen when they try to make it disappear again? You’ll read this over and over. Recommended for age 4-6 years
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