All of these books are favorite reads of the teachers for different reasons. Some address emotions that visit children on a regular basis like frustration, anger, longing, excitement, impatience, social anxiety and more. Other books help involve children with topics not regularly addressed by media and toys like speech patterns, gender fluidity, identity, environmental stewardship, family makeup. All of these books are not ‘direct teaching tactics’ but stories and invitations to think differently that can begin beautiful conversations around the table. Enjoy – and let us know if you have a favorite book of your own.
As a reminder, if you’re not sure you want to add a book to your home library, our Los Angeles Public Libraries have incredible collections to borrow. At this time, you can even reserve books online and arrange for a curbside pick up. Click here to search the huge LA library catalog.
Early Readers
These repeating and suspenseful chapter books help children understand story – it’s predictable beginning, middle, and end. Chapter books can also help with delayed gratification if you end each read at the end of a chapter with a promise to learn more tomorrow!
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne – A series of 33 books about Jack and Annie’s adventures. NSW owns this one
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel – Several ‘early reader’ stories
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – A classic chapter book with an evolving story.
Mana and the City of Stars by Nazanin Mirsadeghi – Persian/Farsi early reader about a girl, Mana, and her magical journey to the stars.
Chapter Books
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown – Chaptered page-turner where a robot finds love among animals.
The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown – The sequel is a delightful storytime to read and engage in imagination and suspense
Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton – Visit strange lands with friends for a memorable and exciting imaginative journey.
Identity
Bronzeville Boys and Girls by Gwendolyn Brooks – Explores the lives and dreams of children who live in an urban neighborhood.
I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel – transgender awareness – gender can’t always be identified from the outside. NSW owns this one
Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah Hoffman – parents and children facing social acceptance that come up around Non-Binary identification in school. NSW owns this one
Juliàn is a Mermaid by Jessica Love – Self acceptance and warmth around gender fluidity NSW owns this one
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi – a new Korean girl in school learns to share her cultural name
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig – a socially isolated boy learns to reach out for connection
Qué Cosas Dice mi Abuela by Ana Galan – A boy relates the common Spanish phrases around manners that he encounters every day with her. This book is 100% in Spanish.
The Little Red Hen: La Gallinita Roja by Carol Ottolenghi – the classic bread making story with lazy friends in both Spanish and English for cross reference!
Red: A Crayon’s Story Michael Hall ages 3 -7
Be Who You Are! Jennifer Carr ages 4 to 8
The Paper Bag Princess Robert Munch Ages 3 to 7
Neither Airlie Anderson ages 3 – 7
And Tango Makes Three Peter Parnell ages 3 to 8
Introducing Teddy Jessica Walton ages 3 – 7
Imogene’s Antlers David Small ages 3 to 7
from the stars in the sky to the fish in the sea Kai Chen Thom ages 3 to 8
A Hullabaloo and a Mouse in a Shoe A Story about Families Beorgina K. Smith Ph.D ages 2 to 7
We’re All Wonders R.J. Palacio ages 3 to 6
Who’s in a Family? Robert Skutch ages 2 to 5
Whoever You Are Mem Fox ages 2 to 5
Meet Danitra Brown Nikki Grimes ages 3 to 8
2 books – One + Zero Kathryn Otoshi ages 3 to 6
2 books – King and King + King and King and Family Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
A Peacock among Pigeons Tyler Curry ages 3 to 6
Jerome by Heart Thomas Scotto ages 3 to 6
A Tale of Two Daddies Vanita Oelschlager ages 2 to 5
A Bad Case of Stripes David Shannon ages 3 to 6
1000 Dresses Marcus Ewert ages 3 tp 6
Moving to a New Home, Starting a New School
Florette by Anna Walker – being resilient and creative while embracing change. NSW owns this one
Little Home Bird by Jo Empson – finding happiness in new surroundings based on your own values.
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson – Finding the courage to connect with others. NSW owns this one
Historical Figures & the power of imagination, creativity and persistence
8 Picture Books About Ordinary Kids’ Everyday Activism
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/20/books/review/picture-books-jillian-tamaki-our-little-kitchen.html?referringSource=articleShare
On a Beam of Light by Jennifer Berne – The story of Albert Einstein and the power of imagination.
I Dissent by Debbie Levy – The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the power of her vision
Taking Perspective for flexible thinking
Home by Carson Ellis – a story of types of homes for all types of living NSW owns this one
Seeds and Trees by Brandon Walden – the effect words can have on feelings told through the growth of 2 seeds.
The Dinner that Cooked Itself by J.C. Hsyu – a beautiful blend of magic and realism in this Chinese fairytale
Drawn Together by Minh Lê – intergenerational and cross-cultural bond between grandson and grandfather NSW owns this one
A Different Pond by Bao Phi – a father and son story about different childhoods told through a fishing story NSW owns this one
Family Structure
And Tango Makes 3 by Justin Richardson – Gay parent penguins – a true zoo story NSW owns this one
The Family Book by Todd Parr – All kinds of families are loving families.
The Different Dragon by Jennifer Bryan – Lesbian parent subtext and a bedtime story
New Siblings
Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats – a sweet and gentle story about sibling rivalry (new baby girl) NSW owns this one
Little Miss Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal – the joy in anticipating a new baby
Babies Don’t Eat Pizza by Dianne Danzig – biological information on pregnancy included, very wordy at points but good illustrations in anticipation of a sibling and relating to the first born’s experience.
Made for Me by Zack Brush – a dad’s point of view on a new baby (not necessarily a sibling)
Common childhood challenges (sleep, moving, new siblings, death, emotional regulation)
Sleep like a Tiger by Mary Logue – a rhyming imaginary conversation about how everything sleeps
Peter’s Chair By Ezra Jack – sibling rivalry when a new baby sister arrives. NSW owns this one
Tough Boris by Mem Fox – a very tough pirate gently handles the death of his parrot NSW owns this one
Miss Tizzy by Libba Moore Gray – when a dear older friend gets sick, and maybe dies but it’s not said explicitly, how memories can comfort and guide us. NSW owns this one
I’m Sad by Michael Ian Black – everyone gets sad, even flamingoes. Pre-read for sarcasm – it’s not something preschoolers understand yet so you’ll need to explore the one joke that slightly cheers him up. Also authored: I’m bored & I’m worried
Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme – when a loved one leaves
Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna – The useful and restrictive emotion and how to live with it NSW owns this one
Empathy
Everyone by Christopher Silas Neal – how we feel what we feel observed in others in simple language and illustration
Over and Under by Kate Messner – revealing the natural lives you don’t normally see as the characters float on top of a mountain lake.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner – natural lives underground offer basic preschool science awareness and empathy for those critters children love to observe.
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner – Winter hibernation under those fields of snow offers a new view winter vacation escapes
Creativity
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman – She loves stories and her imagination carries her away – playful thinking abounds. NSW owns this one
A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdi Salas – fun fanciful ideas around a single object, great creative exercise. Also gives exposure to Fs at the end of a word (hard sound to make in preschool)
Doodle’s Diary Vol. 1 by Mr. Jay – you don’t have to know how to draw to illustrate a story. Fun invitation to doodle and imagine.
Words by Christoph Niemann – Playing with words! Beautifully descriptive illustrations illuminate the many meanings of words like ‘duck’.
Speech – the hardest words to sound when you’re in preschool are the initial and final F, L, P
Read aloud with your child and have them ‘read’ along too to practice lots of Fs in the beginning of words.
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss – great F rhymes
The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone – repeats ‘fast’
The Fire Station by Robert Munsch – repeats fire in all its variations (truck, fighter etc…)
Fs in the end of a word
When the Leaf Blew by Steve Metzger
Fluff and Billy by Nicole Killen – sometimes friends don’t agree – repeating Fluff (fs).
Give me Half by Stuart J. Murphy – pizza math including fractions! – repeating half (f)
Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme – when a loved one leaves – repeating wolf (f)
L books
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino (all Llama books)
Quick as a Cricket by Don Wood
The Wee Little Woman by Byron Barton
Ps in the beginning of the word
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Pickles in my Soup by Mary Pearson
P at the end of a word
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw