100 Books to Hear Before Starting Kindergarten
Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears : a West African tale
A mosquito's lie sets off a series of reactions in the jungle that results in the owl's refusal to wake the sun and the lion's decision to call a meeting of the animals
Hi! Fly Guy
When Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong.
Thomas the tank engine : the very first stories
The first four Thomas the Tank Engine stories introduces his friends at the Island of Sodor railway station and is complemented by original artwork.
Animalia
A noted artist presents an imaginative, whimsical journey through the letters of the alphabet, in a beautifully illustrated book that introduces a menagerie of familiar and exotic creatures.
Ada Twist, scientist
The best-selling creators of Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer present the story of a little girl who, in the spirit of such visionaries as Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace, diligently applies her fledgling scientific prowess to advance her understanding of the world.
Journey
Using a red marker, a young girl draws a door on her bedroom wall and through it enters another world where she experiences many adventures, including being captured by an evil emperor.
Madeline
Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the twelve little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis.
The bears' picnic
With the forces of nature conspiring against them, Papa Bear perseveres and finds the perfect spot for the Berenstain Bear family picnic.
The going to bed book
An assortment of animals on a boat take a bath, put on their pajamas, brush their teeth, and exercise before going to bed.
The mitten : a Ukrainian folktale
Set in a snowy forest, the fun begins when, one by one, animals crawl into Nicki’s lost white mitten to get warm until the bear sneezes, sending the animals flying up and out of the mitten. On each turn of the page, Jan hints at what animal is coming next in her signature borders, inspired by Ukrainian folk art.
Clifford, the big red dog
Emily Elizabeth loves her huge dog Clifford even though he's far from perfect.
Goodnight moon;
A little bunny bids goodnight to all the objects in his room before falling asleep.
Mr. Gumpy's outing.
When Mr. Gumpy decides to take a ride down the river, all the children and animals beg to join him on his excursion
The little house
A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her.
Stellaluna
After Stellaluna accidently lands in a bird's nest, the birds raise the baby fruit bat as one of their own, and when she is finally reunited with her mother, she appreciates both her differences and her new friendships.
The very hungry caterpillar
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.The beginning reader may watch a hungey caterpillar eat his way to the cocoon stage, when he hibernates for two weeks to emerge as a beautiful butterfly
Miss Rumphius
As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.
Freight train
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
Click, clack, moo : cows that type
When the cows decide that they have had enough, they prepare to go on strike and soon start leaving notes for the farmer demanding better working conditions in this funfilled, illustrated tale for beginning readers.
The day the crayons quit
When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.
Last stop on Market Street
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
Jamberry
A little boy walking in the forest meets a big lovable bear that takes him on a delicious berry-picking adventure in the magical world of Berryland.
Strega Nona : an original tale
When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works.
Are you my mother?
Never having seen his mother, a baby bird makes humorous mistakes trying to find her
Eating the alphabet : fruits and vegetables from A to Z
Young children discover both the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet, in an ingenious concept book that also introduces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from around the world
Go away, big green monster!
A scary green monster begins to disappear, piece by piece and page by page, in a die-cut picture book that lets youngsters take control of the monsters in their lives.
Olivia
Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.
Bark, George
George is a puppy who does not sound like a puppy should, despite the efforts of his mother
In the tall, tall grass
As he inches his way along, a little caterpillar meets the other creatures that are busy in the tall grass.
Where is the green sheep?
Having spotted all the other sheep, such as red sheep and brave sheep, the search begins to find the one missing sheep from the herd, in a simple bedtime tale.
Corduroy
Corduroy, a lonely bear in green overalls, must first find his lost button before he can be Lisa's very own bear
Millions of cats
An old man makes an unwise decision when he brings too many cats home to his wife
Wolves
When a young rabbit checks out a library book about wolves, he learns much more about their behavior than he wanted to know.
Owen
Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy
Bread and jam for Frances
Frances decides she likes to eat only bread and jam at every meal, until to her surprise, her parents grant her wish
Danny and the dinosaur
A little boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him.
Amazing Grace
Although a classmate says that she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because she is black, Grace discovers that she can do anything she sets her mind to do.
Rosie's walk.
A picture book about a hen and the fox who follows her around the farm
Harold and the purple crayon
Harold draws himself into quite an adventure with his purple crayon
The snowy day.
The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
The carrot seed
Despite everyone's dire predictions, a little boy has faith in the carrot seed he plants.
The story of Ferdinand
A gentle Spanish bull would much rather smell flowers than fight
Goodnight, goodnight, construction site
At sunset, when their work is done for the day, a crane truck, a cement mixer, and other pieces of construction equipment make their way to their resting places and go to sleep.
A color of his own
A little chameleon is distressed that he doesn't have his own color like other animals.
Pete the cat : I love my white shoes
As he walks down the street, Pete the cat sings about his brand new white shoes as they change from red to blue to brown to wet.
Frog and Toad are friends
Frog and his best friend Toad enjoy many summer adventures
Froggy gets dressed
Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.
George and Martha
Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippopotamuses.
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them
Chicka chicka boom boom
In a rhythmic alphabet chant, all the letters race one another up the coconut tree.
There's a nightmare in my closet
Barricaded and helmeted, with cannon and infantry at the ready, the young hero awaits his rival, the Nightmare
Guess how much I love you
During a bedtime game, every time Little Nutbrown Hare demonstrates how much he loves his father, Big Nutbrown Hare gently shows him that the love is returned even more.
Sam, Bangs & moonshine
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard proudly return to their home in the Boston Public Garden with their eight offspring.
Elmer
All the elephants of the jungle were gray except Elmer, who was a patchwork of brilliant colors until the day he got tired of being different and making the other elephants laugh
Mango, Abuela, and me
When Mia's Abuela comes to live with Mia and her family, she helps her learn English while Mia learns Spanish, both with the help of a parrot named Mango.
I kissed the baby!
The arrival of a new baby duckling causes a buzz of excitement in the animal world as a fish, bird, squirrel, and frog happily prepare for their first meeting filled with smiles, kisses, and hugs!
The book with no pictures
A silly read-aloud book that combines a deliberately image-free format with wacky nonsense text, goofy song lyrics and more.
If you give a mouse a cookie
A young and very accommodating boy discovers you can never tell where it will stop if you give a lively, but demanding, mouse a cookie
Fancy Nancy
A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.
It's okay to be different
Illustrations and brief text describe all kinds of differences that are "okay," such as "It's okay to be a different color," "It's okay to need some help," "It's okay to be adopted," and "It's okay to have a different nose."
The Kissing Hand
When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.
The rainbow fish
The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship
The three billy goats Gruff
Three billy goats must outwit the big, ugly troll that lives under the bridge they have to cross on their way up the mountain.
The little engine that could
When the other engines refuse, the Little Blue Engine tries to pull a stranded train full of toys and good food over the mountain
The tale of Peter Rabbit
Peter disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost gets caught.
Read-aloud rhymes for the very young
A best-selling, illustrated poetry anthology for preschoolers--contains more than two hundred poems by well-known contemporary poets touching on all of the elements of children's lives.
Good night, Gorilla
An unobservant zookeeper is followed home by all the animals he thinks he has left behind in the zoo.
Wabi Sabi
Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name.
A treasury of curious George
He was a good little monkey and always very curious. This is how H. A. Rey and his wife, Margret, first introduced their now beloved troublemaker-hero to young readers in 1941. In this hefty 192-page hardcover treasury, Curious George fans will find eight stories based on the popular primate, painted in Rey' original watercolor and charcoal style.
Tar Beach
In a story based on a quilt painting by the author, eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family
We're going on a bear hunt
Brave bear hunters go through grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat
Little Pea
Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him have his spinach dessert until he cleans his plate.
Dragons love tacos
Explores the love dragons have for tacos and the dangers of feeding them anything with spicy salsa.
The adventures of Beekle : the unimaginary friend
Born on a faraway island, an imaginary dragon patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child only to be overlooked repeatedly before he embarks on an incredible journey to the city in search of his perfect match.
Richard Scarry's cars and trucks and things that go.
On their way to the beach for a picnic the Pig family encounters almost every kind of transportation vehicle imaginable--and imaginary.
The true story of the 3 little pigs
The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs.
Where the wild things are
Where the Wild Things Are is 50 years old and this gorgeous anniversary edition features color-restored images that bring the classic work to vibrant life as never before.
Green eggs and ham
Sam-I-Am tries to persuade his friend to try green eggs and ham
Richard Scarry's best story book ever
A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on the farm to ride bikes too.
One family
Celebrates families of different sizes, ages, races, and gender orientations in a story that introduces numbered groups from one to ten.
It looked like spilt milk.
A continuously changing white shape silhouetted against a blue background challenges the reader to guess what the shape is
Caps for sale : a tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.
Thanks to the animals
In 1900 during the Passamaquoddy winter migration in Maine, Baby Zoo Sap falls off the family bobsled and the forest animals, hearing his cries, gather to protect him until his father returns to find him.
Sylvester and the magic pebble
The classic tale about shy Sylvester the donkey, his discovery of a magical pebble, and the very special wishes he makes with it. A Caldecott Medal book.
The house in the night
Illustrations and easy-to-read text explore the light that makes a house in the night a home filled with light.
Joseph had a little overcoat
An old Eastern European folk song provides the basis for a tale about a peasant who devises clever uses for his worn-out overcoat.
How do dinosaurs say good night?
Mother and child ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss, in a picture book featuring ten sleepy dinosaurs which includes the names of each dinosaur on the end papers.
The princess and the warrior : a tale of two volcanoes
A reimagining of one of Mexico's most cherished origin legends follows the experiences of a noble princess and a faithful but humble warrior whose devotion forms the volcanoes Iztaccfhuatl and PopocatTpetl.
The Polar Express
The Caldecott Medal-winning classic about a magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
On a day when everything goes wrong for him, Alexander is consoled by the thought that other people have bad days too.
Owl babies
Three baby owls panic when they awaken one night and find their mother gone, worrying about what has happened to her and becoming frightened by all the scary things that surround them in the dark.
Flotsam
While scouring the beach for flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore--a young science enthusiast stumbles upon an old underwater camera that contains secrets from beneath the sea.
Don't let the pigeon drive the bus
When the bus driver decides to take a break from driving, a wild and wacky pigeon pleads and begs to take his place, in a hilarious picture book that perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum.
A chair for my mother
After their house is burned, the love, hope, and dreams of a mother and daughter triumph over the tragedy
Bear snores on
On a cold winter night many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear, who then awakes and protests that he has missed the food and the fun.
The napping house
In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite.
What do you do with an idea?
A young boy comes up with an idea and he keeps it safe until one day he realizes the amazing power it can have.
Owl moon
Distinguished author Jane Yolen has created a gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relationship to the natural world.
Lon Po Po : a Red-Riding Hood story from China
This Eastern variation on the Grimm tale follows the misadventures of three children, left alone by their mother and visited by a wolf posing as their grandmother or Po Po
Harry, the dirty dog
When a white dog with black spots runs away from home, he gets so dirty his family doesn't recognize him as a black dog with white spots.
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