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My three-year-old daughter (Callie) and I love to read. I have been reading to her since she was just a few weeks old, and I don't know if that has anything to do with her bookworm status, but I'd like to think it does! Having a collection of great books on the shelf at home doesn't hurt either! Below are just some of her (and my!) top picks.
1.) Room on the Broom
by Julia Donaldson
This one is our absolute favourite right now. Callie pretty much has it memorized cover to cover. It is a super fun, and catchy read. It rhymes too which is always good! She loves to "read" along with me, and on most pages she can read the whole thing. She is so proud when she can read it by herself, and it makes my heart swell seeing her love of reading grow. It has been her bedtime story choice every night for quite some time now. I think all books are educational, regardless of the topic, but this one also touches on topics of friendship, helping, and bravery. Bonus!
2.) There's a Stegosaurus on the Stairs
by Aleksei Bitskoff and Ruth Symons
This one was Callie's favourite library book from our most recent library haul. It has great big, bright illustrations and is an easy read with tons of interesting facts. It keeps little ones engaged by using relatable scenarios such as, going to school, having a nap, playing at the playground etc. We read it almost every evening while eating dinner (one of the ways I bribe her to eat! #noshame) She loved it so much she cried when I told her we were returning it, and asked for the Stegosaurus book almost two weeks later when she saw a dinosaur on TV. The next time we went to the library she asked the librarian for more special dinosaur books. Lucky for us, there happen to be a few more in the series, so we had the librarian put a hold on There's a Triceratops in the Treehouse for our next library trip! You can add the whole series to your bookshelf with the links below. We plan to collect them all!
3.) Bear Snores On
by Karma Wilson
We are a family of nature lovers, and happen to live in the woods so this one is special to us! Callie loves all the woodland creatures, and I just love the writing. It is filled with onomatopoeia, sweet rhymes, and it's a lot of fun to read. I have said on more than one occasion that I wish I had written this book, because it just feels like my style! Why didn't I think of it?! I took a diploma program on writing for children and teenagers way back when, so it brings me back to my pre-parenthood days. It is on Mommy's favourite list for sure. There are a lot of other Bear books by Karma Wilson too that we can't wait to get our hands on.
4.) Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney
A very cute, and lovable book that happens to have a pop-up version! We have the mini version and the pop-up version because we are hardcore bookies. It is the sweetest story about a little hare and his daddy who take turns describing how much they love each other. How much more heart-warming can a book get?! The pop-up version obviously makes it even cooler, especially for little ones!
5.) Giraffes Can't Dance
by Giles Andreae
Another fun rhyming book that teaches children to be proud of who they are and to never give up. It has seriously saved our butts on so many car trips when Callie was younger. Whenever she would get fussy I would read this book to her, or recite it from memory if we didn't have the book with us (yes I have it memorized!). It always worked like a charm to make her smile or at least to stop her from crying. Two years later it is still a favourite in our house!
6.) If You Give a Moose a Muffin
by Laura Numeroff
I adore this book. It was my childhood favourite and I still have the same copy I had as a kid
thanks to my Mom! She kept so many of our treasured books and they are all in mint condition. I'm so glad she did because now my kids get to enjoy the same books I did. It makes it extra special knowing I read these exact pages once upon a time! It is about a boy befriending a moose, and the shenanigans they get up to as one thing leads to another. Laura Numeroff has several other books in this series which are all great; If You Take a Mouse to School, If You Give a Dog a Donut, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, to name a few!
7.) Hungry Bunny
by Margaret Wang
A very educational and beautifully illustrated book (with lots of shiny pictures!) that introduces shapes, a variety of fruits and veggies, and a ton of counting practice. Callie learned about some new vegetables from this book (rutabagas and artichokes to be specific) and wanted to try them after reading this. It is pretty cool when a book can make your kid try new foods! I also think this book is what sparked her interest in counting. Oh, and it's super cute too :)
8.) Mr.Brown Can Moo! Can You?
by Dr.Seuss
Who doesn't love Dr.Seuss? You've probably already come across this one, but if you haven't we recommend you get your hands on it. As the cover states, it is a book of wonderful noises, and it keeps the little ones giggling from start to finish. It's also really fun to read, and hard not to get rather animated while reading it! Get your copy below and embrace your inner child :)
9.) Bigger Digger
by Steve Webb
A true tongue-twister that puts a smile on my face every time I read it. It is catchy and gets stuck in your head, but it's a fun, quick read. It's a must-have especially if your little one(s) are into trucks and diggers, and playing in the mud! My little girl loved it when she was just learning to talk, but she seems to be reaching for it less and less now. Thankfully I have a baby boy on the way so this book will hopefully be sticking around our bookshelf for at least another few years!
10.) Here We Go 'Round The Year
by Jane Belk Moncure
Do you remember Magic Castle Readers? I'm pretty sure I had the entire collection as a child, so when I came across this one I had to get it for my daughter. This book single-handedly taught my girl the months of the year. I literally did nothing to teach her about it, other than read this book of course. She had them memorized after half a dozen reads. I was so surprised when we opened this book one day and she started reciting the months like an old pro. Now she can point out which of our loved ones have birthdays in each month and she is much more aware of the seasons and holidays as well. Just today she said "it sure is a lovely February day." Thank you, Magic Castle Readers!
11.) The Very Helpful Monster
Author unknown, Published by Hinkler Books
I found this series of layered tab board books at the dollar store of all places, and they are so cute and perfect for little ones who are still a little rough with paper backs! They rhyme and they teach your little ones about different fruits and vegetables. This book even got my girl to eat broccoli during her vegetable strike once upon a time! She loved them when she was just learning to talk, and she still reads them today. The big, bright pictures are pretty irresistible! The other books in the series are The Very Hungry Monster, The Very Sleepy Monster and The Very Giving Monster.
12.) Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That
by Victoria Allenby & Tara Anderson
Who doesn't love a rhyming book about cats? This one is about a big old cat who can sleep through anything and everything, but comes to life as soon as the lights go out. Sounds like most cats actually, but Nat the Cat and his little nameless buddy are particularly adorable and have all kinds of adventures while their owners snooze. It is a fun, quick read, and a perfect bedtime story.
13.) The Baby That Roared
by Simon Puttock
This book cracks me up, and my daughter loves it too. It is about a mischievous little monster who disguises himself as a baby so that a family of deer will adopt him. It is a clever book that will teach your child about caring for a baby, but also have them giggling while they witness all of Mr. & Mrs. Deer's friends attempt to soothe a very peculiar roaring "baby".
14.) Hello In There! A Big Sister's Book of Waiting
by Jo Witek
There could not have been a more perfect book to help our daughter get excited about the arrival of her baby brother. This is a lift the flap book that gives a big sister a sneak peak inside Mommy's tummy as the baby grows. It is so sweet, and fits our family perfectly. If your little girl is waiting for a baby brother or sister I highly recommend it! It is one that will definitely make you say "awww"
15.) Max the Minnow
by William Boniface
I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but it's pretty hard not to pick this one up based on looks alone. The big googly fish eyes on the cover leave you wanting more, and the book certainly doesn't disappoint! Callie was intrigued by this one from the start, probably for the same reason I was! It also has a great rhyme scheme and gives your kids a look at life under the sea through the googly eyes of Max and his sea creature pals.
Happy reading!
-A