I need more books to read to my preschooler!
September 16, 2015 10:12 PM Subscribe
We read a lot to my son and keep running out of decent books. He likes books about realistic situations with a fair bit of emotional or linguistic complexity. Ideas?
I’m looking for recommendations for books (or better yet, book series or authors) that I can read to my almost-three-year-old son. The books he has especially liked over the past few months are the Peter Rabbit books, some Dr Seuss, Curious George (though he’s kind of getting over this now), the original Winnie the Pooh, and Ramona Quimby.
He tends to favour books with some degree of emotional or linguistic complexity, and narrators that he can identify with. He also is a pretty literal kid who likes to know How Things Are, so he likes books that are about real(istic) kids or situations, rather than books with fantastical elements. The main important thing seems to be actual plots or interesting language that he likes to hear over and over again. He’s not super into typical little-boy things like trucks, superheroes, etc (not against them either but his favourite things are bunnies and other animals, or people doing typical people-ish or little-kid things). Nonfiction is fine especially if it about numbers or systems (we read a lot of books about planets and the human body recently) and most importantly has good photos.
For the sake of my sanity as we read and re-read them, it would also be great if they are books that didn’t drive you, as a parent, crazy: my personal pet peeves include super-bratty children as narrators, books that make very little sense in terms of story arc or plot, or having the text repeat the same things over and over again with only minor variations throughout the book (“We’re going on a bear hunt”, which he was into a year ago, nearly made me lose my mind).
We go through books at an astonishing rate so longer books, or book series or authors that we can work through their oeuvre are especially appreciated because that will hold us for longer. Level ranges from picture books with about a paragraph of text per page up to easy chapter books like the Ramona ones (those are pushing the upper bounds of his comprehension but he loves them for some reason - something on that language level but with slightly more pictures to help with the attention span would probably be perfect).
Also, we’re in Australia. All suggestions are welcome but if anyone has recommendations of books that are popular or easier to find here (or are more likely to be in the library) that would be many levels of awesome.
I’m looking for recommendations for books (or better yet, book series or authors) that I can read to my almost-three-year-old son. The books he has especially liked over the past few months are the Peter Rabbit books, some Dr Seuss, Curious George (though he’s kind of getting over this now), the original Winnie the Pooh, and Ramona Quimby.
He tends to favour books with some degree of emotional or linguistic complexity, and narrators that he can identify with. He also is a pretty literal kid who likes to know How Things Are, so he likes books that are about real(istic) kids or situations, rather than books with fantastical elements. The main important thing seems to be actual plots or interesting language that he likes to hear over and over again. He’s not super into typical little-boy things like trucks, superheroes, etc (not against them either but his favourite things are bunnies and other animals, or people doing typical people-ish or little-kid things). Nonfiction is fine especially if it about numbers or systems (we read a lot of books about planets and the human body recently) and most importantly has good photos.
For the sake of my sanity as we read and re-read them, it would also be great if they are books that didn’t drive you, as a parent, crazy: my personal pet peeves include super-bratty children as narrators, books that make very little sense in terms of story arc or plot, or having the text repeat the same things over and over again with only minor variations throughout the book (“We’re going on a bear hunt”, which he was into a year ago, nearly made me lose my mind).
We go through books at an astonishing rate so longer books, or book series or authors that we can work through their oeuvre are especially appreciated because that will hold us for longer. Level ranges from picture books with about a paragraph of text per page up to easy chapter books like the Ramona ones (those are pushing the upper bounds of his comprehension but he loves them for some reason - something on that language level but with slightly more pictures to help with the attention span would probably be perfect).
Also, we’re in Australia. All suggestions are welcome but if anyone has recommendations of books that are popular or easier to find here (or are more likely to be in the library) that would be many levels of awesome.
I love the "Toys Go Out" books by Emily Jenkins, and I think they might work for your kid -- they're shorter chapter books with lovely illustrations, about the adventures of a stuffed bison, a toy stingray, and a plastic ball, who are dealing with various childhood situations of negotiating friendships and dealing with scary new things (like the washing machine!) (the other two books in the series are "Toy Dance Party" and "Toys Come Home.")
Kevin Henkes' picture books about anthropomorphic mice (especially Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) are emotionally sophisticated and very touching. He has a chapter book called "The Year of Billy Miller" that might also work, and that has gotten some great reviews.
I think of the "Clementine" books by Sara Pennypacker as the contemporary successor to Ramona Quimby -- they're funny and poignant, and the illustrations are wonderful.
posted by Jeanne at 12:51 AM on September 17, 2015
Kevin Henkes' picture books about anthropomorphic mice (especially Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) are emotionally sophisticated and very touching. He has a chapter book called "The Year of Billy Miller" that might also work, and that has gotten some great reviews.
I think of the "Clementine" books by Sara Pennypacker as the contemporary successor to Ramona Quimby -- they're funny and poignant, and the illustrations are wonderful.
posted by Jeanne at 12:51 AM on September 17, 2015
Books by William Steig are great: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Dr De Soto, Amos & Boris, etc. (just looked and I didn't realize that he created Shrek!)
posted by dawkins_7 at 1:30 AM on September 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by dawkins_7 at 1:30 AM on September 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
My kids were fond of the books by Shirley Hughes: Amazon page link
Does your son have a library card? In your shoes I would take him to the library, read him a dozen short books and then let him choose which ones to take out.
posted by Jane the Brown at 3:45 AM on September 17, 2015
Does your son have a library card? In your shoes I would take him to the library, read him a dozen short books and then let him choose which ones to take out.
posted by Jane the Brown at 3:45 AM on September 17, 2015
Robert McCloskey would fit your bill 100%, my only concern would be that he might be considered a very American author and thus hard to find in Aus (I'd consider the location a secondary character in all his books). Make Way For Ducklings is his most popular one, Blueberries for Sal a close second. They're easiest to find and if your son loves Peter Rabbit he will love the ducks. My son's favorite is One Morning In Maine, about Sal of blueberry fame losing her first tooth, going for a walk, and taking a boat into town--not at all fantastical, lovely illustrations, beautiful words, not annoying to read.
I recommend this every time it seems, but there's a manga called Yotsuba&! that is incredibly charming and realistic. Yotsuba is a four year old girl who finds adventure in going to the grocery store with her dad or building a bookcase.
posted by tchemgrrl at 3:47 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I recommend this every time it seems, but there's a manga called Yotsuba&! that is incredibly charming and realistic. Yotsuba is a four year old girl who finds adventure in going to the grocery store with her dad or building a bookcase.
posted by tchemgrrl at 3:47 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Jane the Brown: we do have a library card, and go there very frequently. Problem is, while in the library my son Loves!All!The!Books! (he's really not discerning at all) but most of them don't have the kind of staying power to last through multiple rereads, which they need to do to last us more than a few days. And while juggling him and the baby I don't have time to read lots of the books while in the library myself. Also the problem is that we go through so many books we are always in a state of needing more.
tchemgrrl: He loves Make Way for Ducklings! (my parents, who live in the US, gave it to him as a gift). I didn't know there were others by the same author. If they don't have them here, I'll ask my parents to ship some others.
Bella Sebastian: What is the title / author of the book of fables? We've been looking for a good one for ages, because along with reading about the planets, he is very interested in our mangled versions of the myths surrounding the gods of the planets (Saturn, Jupiter, etc). He would probably love an actual book with them but I haven't found anything appropriate to his level.
Thank you for all of the other suggestions -- most of them look great, exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Please keep them coming!
posted by forza at 3:57 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
tchemgrrl: He loves Make Way for Ducklings! (my parents, who live in the US, gave it to him as a gift). I didn't know there were others by the same author. If they don't have them here, I'll ask my parents to ship some others.
Bella Sebastian: What is the title / author of the book of fables? We've been looking for a good one for ages, because along with reading about the planets, he is very interested in our mangled versions of the myths surrounding the gods of the planets (Saturn, Jupiter, etc). He would probably love an actual book with them but I haven't found anything appropriate to his level.
Thank you for all of the other suggestions -- most of them look great, exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Please keep them coming!
posted by forza at 3:57 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
What about Charlotte's Web? I think my mother read it to me when I was around that age. It's got animals and emotional complexity. I think it's also on the longer sides as far as kids books are concerned. Also Stuart Little.
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:29 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:29 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, excellent, since we're on the same track me look through the bookcase, here:
Richard Scarry books are plotless and not great on gender equality, but are so rich in detail that they're always fun.
There's a series of books about Otis the tractor and his animal friends on the farm I bet he'd love; they're by Loren Long.
We have a few books of myths etc published by DK. My son hasn't been interested but I think they will be good later.
Jan Brett books are all about animals and beautifully illustrated.
City Cat, Carousel Cat, Kindergarten Cat, Mousetronaut, Petropolis, Roberto The Insect Architect, the Library Lion, are all nice animal-centric books that might be worth a trip out of the library. About half are in the "animals hanging out with people" genre, about half are "animals are people", but they're not magical, per se. All of those are ones we took out from the library often enough to buy.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:46 AM on September 17, 2015
Richard Scarry books are plotless and not great on gender equality, but are so rich in detail that they're always fun.
There's a series of books about Otis the tractor and his animal friends on the farm I bet he'd love; they're by Loren Long.
We have a few books of myths etc published by DK. My son hasn't been interested but I think they will be good later.
Jan Brett books are all about animals and beautifully illustrated.
City Cat, Carousel Cat, Kindergarten Cat, Mousetronaut, Petropolis, Roberto The Insect Architect, the Library Lion, are all nice animal-centric books that might be worth a trip out of the library. About half are in the "animals hanging out with people" genre, about half are "animals are people", but they're not magical, per se. All of those are ones we took out from the library often enough to buy.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:46 AM on September 17, 2015
You are looking for Frog and Toad. Though I would say these are more emotionally than linguistically complex.
posted by escabeche at 4:59 AM on September 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 4:59 AM on September 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
The Mercy Watson books are entertaining.
posted by belladonna at 5:16 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by belladonna at 5:16 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Stellaluna was a good one for us. I over-pronounced the name, making the children giggle, and I had them try to find it while I was reading so that they could say it silly too.
It's okay to go off road while reading with children. I read a chapter out of The Grapes of Wrath many times. I think it's chapter 3? It's the one with the turtle crossing the road. They always wanted the turtle story. I would have them close their eyes and imagine the turtle.
posted by myselfasme at 5:26 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's okay to go off road while reading with children. I read a chapter out of The Grapes of Wrath many times. I think it's chapter 3? It's the one with the turtle crossing the road. They always wanted the turtle story. I would have them close their eyes and imagine the turtle.
posted by myselfasme at 5:26 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
My mom used to read to me while I ate lunch (we lived close to my elementary school so I walked home for lunch.) Some of the titles we read over a span of about four years, include:
Rascal
The Snow Goose
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
Thomasina
We read many more, but these are the ones I can name off the top of my head 35 years later.
posted by workerant at 5:49 AM on September 17, 2015
Rascal
The Snow Goose
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
Thomasina
We read many more, but these are the ones I can name off the top of my head 35 years later.
posted by workerant at 5:49 AM on September 17, 2015
I started reading D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths to my kids when they were about 4.
posted by belladonna at 5:52 AM on September 17, 2015
posted by belladonna at 5:52 AM on September 17, 2015
I really like Peggy Rathman's books. There's The Day the Babies Crawled Away-- while the grown ups aren't paying attention, the babies go off on adventures with only a Very Responsible Toddler to watch them. Officer Buckle and Gloria us about a police officer officer who gives really dull safety presentations at school until he gets Gloria, a dog, who livens things up. Lots of emotional complexity there.
Do you have Click Clack Moo yet?
Chester, by Melanie Watt, is about a cat who changes the story's illustrations to make the story about him. So well done.
posted by bibliotropic at 6:42 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Do you have Click Clack Moo yet?
Chester, by Melanie Watt, is about a cat who changes the story's illustrations to make the story about him. So well done.
posted by bibliotropic at 6:42 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
My son is of a similar age and seems to like the same kinds of books: I agree with posters who recommended the Mercy Watson series, and anything at all by Kevin Henkes.
Frog and Toad are the classic "not much going on" sweet and endearing books for beginning readers, I think. Some parents find them irritating, so ymmv, but my kid loves them.
You said he prefers realism to fantasy, so this is going out on a limb a bit here, but I've been reading my son Tove Jansson's Moomin books lately, and he adores them. The world itself is fantastical, but the focus is on the everyday lives and interactions of the Moomins.
For longer picture books, try anything by Brian Floca. We started with Locomotive, but have also enjoyed Lightship and Moonshot. All three are about the day to day workings of people and machines in extraordinary places (19th century train; contemporary lightship; the Apollo 11 mission): he's a wonderful illustrator, and the books are written in a lovely style that's lots of fun to read aloud, especially for a kid with a longer attention span who doesn't need a lot of spectacular action to hold their attention.
For slightly shorter picture books (these are great for bedtime, I think) we've loved Lena Landstrom's Hippo books (start with A Hippo's Tale. They're sweet and fairly boring, about a community of hippos. Pretty pictures, not much happens, and I couldn't tell you why he loves them, but I've come to find them all very endearing, especially the introverted Mrs. Hippopotamus who is so handy and helpful with her toolbelt, but really just wants to be left alone so she can have a bath and a glass of wine in peace.
posted by libraritarian at 7:28 AM on September 17, 2015
Frog and Toad are the classic "not much going on" sweet and endearing books for beginning readers, I think. Some parents find them irritating, so ymmv, but my kid loves them.
You said he prefers realism to fantasy, so this is going out on a limb a bit here, but I've been reading my son Tove Jansson's Moomin books lately, and he adores them. The world itself is fantastical, but the focus is on the everyday lives and interactions of the Moomins.
For longer picture books, try anything by Brian Floca. We started with Locomotive, but have also enjoyed Lightship and Moonshot. All three are about the day to day workings of people and machines in extraordinary places (19th century train; contemporary lightship; the Apollo 11 mission): he's a wonderful illustrator, and the books are written in a lovely style that's lots of fun to read aloud, especially for a kid with a longer attention span who doesn't need a lot of spectacular action to hold their attention.
For slightly shorter picture books (these are great for bedtime, I think) we've loved Lena Landstrom's Hippo books (start with A Hippo's Tale. They're sweet and fairly boring, about a community of hippos. Pretty pictures, not much happens, and I couldn't tell you why he loves them, but I've come to find them all very endearing, especially the introverted Mrs. Hippopotamus who is so handy and helpful with her toolbelt, but really just wants to be left alone so she can have a bath and a glass of wine in peace.
posted by libraritarian at 7:28 AM on September 17, 2015
Ezra Jack Keats' picture books are pretty great in the "real life, not a lot happening" genre.
posted by mskyle at 7:39 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mskyle at 7:39 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Cricket in Times Square might be good as a read aloud. There are several others by the same author with the same characters.
And my favorite beginning reader books of recent years are the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. He also has the Pigeon books and the Knuffle Bunny books, all of which are wonderful and fun for parents as well.
posted by wsquared at 7:58 AM on September 17, 2015
And my favorite beginning reader books of recent years are the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. He also has the Pigeon books and the Knuffle Bunny books, all of which are wonderful and fun for parents as well.
posted by wsquared at 7:58 AM on September 17, 2015
If you like Ramona Quimby, how about the Fudge series? Judy Blume writes about a boy not getting along with a much younger sibling.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:35 AM on September 17, 2015
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:35 AM on September 17, 2015
I asked a similar question recently, though my Nebblings are a bit older than your son. Lots of great suggestions there.
posted by MuChao at 8:45 AM on September 17, 2015
posted by MuChao at 8:45 AM on September 17, 2015
I tried looking up some of our favorites on the Australian Amazon site, with limited success. One I did find there is Eloise by Kay Thompson.
Another one my kids and I loved is My Farm by Alison Lester (an Australian author.)
Some other recommendations you may or may not be able to get your hands on:
Picture books
Russell Hoban's Frances books (Bedtime for Frances, etc.)
Anything else by Russell Hoban you can find. Some of them may have too many fantastical elements for your son, but he might like The Sorely Trying Day. They Came from Aargh! is absolutely wonderful and seems to be available for a reasonable price although it's out of print. (There are other equally wonderful books with the same characters that are more expensive.)
Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill
the original Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole (not the ones based on the TV show)
Chapter books
The Jamie and Angus Stories by Anne Fine
Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill
Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charley by Rebecca Caudill
posted by Redstart at 9:41 AM on September 17, 2015
Another one my kids and I loved is My Farm by Alison Lester (an Australian author.)
Some other recommendations you may or may not be able to get your hands on:
Picture books
Russell Hoban's Frances books (Bedtime for Frances, etc.)
Anything else by Russell Hoban you can find. Some of them may have too many fantastical elements for your son, but he might like The Sorely Trying Day. They Came from Aargh! is absolutely wonderful and seems to be available for a reasonable price although it's out of print. (There are other equally wonderful books with the same characters that are more expensive.)
Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill
the original Magic School Bus books by Joanna Cole (not the ones based on the TV show)
Chapter books
The Jamie and Angus Stories by Anne Fine
Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill
Did You Carry the Flag Today, Charley by Rebecca Caudill
posted by Redstart at 9:41 AM on September 17, 2015
I am in the midst of raising a six year old and a two year old. I have read a ton to them over the years. We average 1.5 trips to the library per week and typically go through about 15 checkouts/week. Here are four books that I actually own that have stood the test of reading over and over again. I still look forward to them.
13 Words by Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman
Quiet Bunny by Lisa McCue
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
Dogger by Shirley Hughes
There are some great recommendations on this thread already. We've enjoyed the Frog and Toad series and Robert McCloskey's books quite a bit. Thanks for asking this question! I'll be chasing down the titles myself.
posted by eelgrassman at 10:25 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
13 Words by Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman
Quiet Bunny by Lisa McCue
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
Dogger by Shirley Hughes
There are some great recommendations on this thread already. We've enjoyed the Frog and Toad series and Robert McCloskey's books quite a bit. Thanks for asking this question! I'll be chasing down the titles myself.
posted by eelgrassman at 10:25 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I feel like I always say this, but the Lets Read and Find Out About Science series is great for non-fiction loving preschoolers.
I'm a children's librarian, and I know picking things off the shelves can be a crapshoot, so I'm always happy to get to know a youngster and help find books that work for them. I'm sure your local librarian would love to chat about their collection.
posted by Biblio at 1:06 PM on September 17, 2015
I'm a children's librarian, and I know picking things off the shelves can be a crapshoot, so I'm always happy to get to know a youngster and help find books that work for them. I'm sure your local librarian would love to chat about their collection.
posted by Biblio at 1:06 PM on September 17, 2015
Author Aliki's books might be a great fit. Great fiction and non-fiction and super rich in visual and textual detail. And there are a lot of them!
posted by JuliaJellicoe at 3:59 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by JuliaJellicoe at 3:59 PM on September 17, 2015
The other Beverly Cleary books would be an obvious place to start. The mouse and the motorcycle I remember fondly.
If he likes word play, have you considered poetry? I don't know much, but "The owl and the pussycat" comes to mind, as does T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
posted by kjs4 at 4:34 PM on September 17, 2015
If he likes word play, have you considered poetry? I don't know much, but "The owl and the pussycat" comes to mind, as does T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
posted by kjs4 at 4:34 PM on September 17, 2015
Response by poster: Wow, these look great! Working our way through these should take a while... thanks so much, everyone!
posted by forza at 5:20 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by forza at 5:20 PM on September 17, 2015
Quite American, but he might like having the first few books from the Little House on the Prarie series read to him. if you're not already familiar with it, it's a fairly realistic memior of a little girl named Laura and her family growing up in the 1860s. They are chapter books with charming illustrations. There are some very slightly scary situations (Pa goes hunting and sees panther tracks!) but everyone is safe and it's mostly fun stuff. Lots of practical descriptions of making candy, butter, and pioneer life that might appeal to his "how stuff works" side. It's a great series because you can grow with it - my parents read them to us as bedtime stories when we were too little to read, the early part of the series is easy enough for a 7 year old to read alone, and by 10 you're ready to read the later books that deal with more complicated themes. You can buy them in Australia.
posted by Concordia at 5:22 AM on September 19, 2015
posted by Concordia at 5:22 AM on September 19, 2015
Ooh, you really want My Father's Dragon, and the other two books in the trilogy. It's about a boy who runs away from home and rescues a dragon, and then they have to trick a lot of animals to escape. I'm impatiently waiting until my newly-two-year-old is old enough for it.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 4:46 AM on September 21, 2015
posted by lollymccatburglar at 4:46 AM on September 21, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 12:06 AM on September 17, 2015 [2 favorites]