The 25 Best Books for Preschoolers

I read aloud a lot to my classes. And I love children’s books, so it is only fitting that I compile a list of the 25 best books for preschoolers. While there are so many great books to choose from, a few stand out. Be assured that the list below is not just one teacher’s opinion. Far from it! From an informal survey of over one hundred Preschool and PreK teachers, the following 25 books were said to be favorites of both teachers and children alike.

best-books-for-preschoolers

If your goal is to raise a reader, the following books are a great start to any home library. Similarly, if you just want to make storytime more engaging and fun, these books won’t let you or your class down!

The Best Classic Books for Preschoolers

  • The Mitten By Jan Brett
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? By Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle
  • Where the Wild Things Are By Maurice Sendak
  • We’re Going on a Bear Hunt By Helen Oxenbury
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle

Laugh Out Loud Books for Preschoolers

  • The Book With No Pictures By B.J.Novak
  • The Wonkey Donkey By Craig Smith
  • We are in a Book! By Mo Willems (or any Elephant & Piggie Story)
  • The Very Impatient Caterpillar By Ross Burach
  • Shhh…We Have a Plan By Chris Haughton

Animal Favorites

  • Elmer By David McKee
  • Goodnight Gorilla By Peggy Rathmann
  • Giraffes Can’t Dance By Giles Andreae
  • The Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear By Audrey Wood
  • Bear Says Thanks By Jane Chapman & Karma Wilson (or any of the ‘Bear’ books)

Favorite Character Series

  • Pete The Cat Series By James Dean
  • Llama, Llama Series By Anna Dewdney
  • The Pidgeon Series By Mo Willems
  • If You Give a…..Series By Laura Numeroff

No-Fail, Always Awesome

  • Creepy Carrots By Aaron Reynolds
  • The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson
  • Go Away Big, Green Monster By Ed Emberley
  • Press Here By Herve Tullet
  • Exclamation Mark By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
  • The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats

The books listed above are so special and unique. In my classroom, each one of these books has been brought to me by a child wanting to hear the story again…and again! I hope you enjoy reading all of them!

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Teach PreK

Teach PreK

Preschool/PreK teacher. I create engaging resources for teachers that make students love learning! Visit my Blog and TPT store to learn more!

Teach PreK

5 days ago

Teach PreK
🦃✨ Our Thankfulness Turkey is up and ready to spread gratitude! Each child decorated a feather with their answer to the question, *"What are you thankful for?"* Teachers wrote their sweet answers, and together they created a colorful, heartwarming turkey for everyone to enjoy! 🧡🍂As Thanksgiving gets closer, our turkey friend will even sport some fun disguises! 🎩👓 Watching this board grow is a daily reminder of all the beautiful things we have to be thankful for. Such a cute way to share our gratitude and joy! 🍁🦃✨ #ThankfulnessTurkey #PreschoolFun #GratefulHearts #ThanksgivingVibes#childcare #childhoodunplugged #learningthroughplay #childdevelopment #playmatters ... See MoreSee Less

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6 days ago

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📚🦃 Thanksgiving Bookshelf Fun! 🦃📚⁠⁠Our Thanksgiving bookshelf is all set for little readers to dive into seasonal stories! From old favorites to a few new gems, these books are perfect for bringing Thanksgiving cheer and sparking curiosity in preschool, Pre-K, and kindergarten classrooms. Whether it’s stories of gratitude, family, or fall fun, there’s something for everyone on this cozy shelf! 🍂✨⁠⁠#ThanksgivingBooks #PreschoolReading #EarlyLiteracy #PreKClassroom #KindergartenLibrary #FallStories #ThankfulForBooks ... See MoreSee Less

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7 days ago

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🦃🍂 The *Cutest Hand Turkey Thanksgiving Cards* Ever! 🍂🦃⁠⁠Our little ones made the sweetest Thanksgiving keepsakes this year—hand turkey cards! We painted their palms and thumbs brown, each finger a different color, and pressed down to create the cutest turkeys! Inside, the kids shared what they’re thankful for, and I’ll write their words along with their adorable signatures. These precious cards are a perfect way for preschoolers and Pre-K to spread a little Thanksgiving cheer and gratitude to family and friends! 💛🍁 ⁠⁠#HandTurkeyCards #ThanksgivingCraft #PreschoolKeepsake #PreKActivities #ThankfulHearts #HolidayCrafts #PlayBasedLearning #LittleHandsBigHearts ... See MoreSee Less

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1 week ago

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🍂🦃 Thanksgiving Sensory Fun! 🍂🦃 We’ve got a festive sensory bin perfect for little explorers! Filled with colorful rice, pinecones, autumn leaves, magnifying glasses, and a few sensory surprises, this bin is designed to spark curiosity and engage little hands and minds. Preschoolers will love scooping, pouring, and discovering textures, colors, and shapes inspired by the season. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate fall and Thanksgiving while building fine motor skills, sensory awareness, and a sense of wonder!👉 Set this up as an independent play station or join in the fun and explore together!#ThanksgivingSensoryBin #PreschoolFun #FallActivities #PlayToLearn #SensoryPlay #PreschoolTeacher #PlayBasedLearning #AutumnExploration ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

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🍂🦃 Thanksgiving Lesson Plan Extravaganza! 🦃🍂 Get ready for a full week of Thanksgiving-themed fun and learning with this comprehensive lesson plan for preschool and Pre-K! Packed with engaging activities across *math, literacy, art, and science*, this plan has everything you need to keep little learners engaged and excited. We’ve included easy-to-use assessment tools, classroom posters, and materials to make planning a breeze. From counting and sorting activities to festive art projects and simple science experiments, this 5-day lesson plan is designed to support development in a fun, seasonal way. Perfect for helping young learners get into the Thanksgiving spirit while building foundational skills!www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Theme-Activities-for-Preschool-Pre-K-Lesson-Plan...#ThanksgivingLessonPlans #PreschoolActivities #PreKLearning #ThanksgivingFun #MathAndLiteracy #EarlyChildhoodEducation #CreativeClassrooms #HolidayLearning ... See MoreSee Less

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Take a peek into my week at preschool as we dive into our Thanksgiving theme! 🧡🦃 I’ll show you my classroom setup, including: ✨ Dramatic Play: An airport ready for holiday travels ✈️ ✨ Block Table: Farms, Little People, and a Thanksgiving feast ✨ Library: Filled with Thanksgiving books to spark curiosity 📚 ✨ Sensory Bin: Packed with fall textures and Thanksgiving food fun 🍂 ✨ Writing Center: Tracing, vocabulary, and Thanksgiving coloring sheets ✨ Magnet Board: Featuring festive Thanksgiving magnets Plus, I’ll give you a sneak peek at all the fun, educational activities we’ll be doing over the next week and a half: 🦃 Shape tracing 🦃 Turkey hunt with numbers 🦃 Letter game to find the turkey in the straw 🦃 Handprint Thanksgiving card keepsakes 🦃 Counting, graphing, fine motor, letters, and writing centers Join me for a week full of festive learning and fun fall decorations in our cozy classroom. Perfect for teachers looking for Thanksgiving-themed ideas! 🍁 These activities can be found in my Thanksgiving Lesson plan in my TPT store-link below: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-Theme-Activities-for-Preschool-Pre-K-Lesson-Plans-2833922 The Airport can also be found in my TPT store! Link below: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Airport-Travel-Dramatic-Play-Center-Printables-Labels-Signs-for-Pretend-Play-3230611
✈️🧳 Ready for takeoff! Our Airport Dramatic Play Set is ready to whisk little travelers away on a Thanksgiving adventure to Grandma’s! From check-in counters to boarding passes, this setup has everything they need to play, imagine, and explore the journey of air travel. 🌍💺 Perfect for building social skills, language development, and a whole lot of fun! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Airport-Travel-Dramatic-Play-Center-Printables-Labels-Signs-for-Pretend-Play-3230611 #PreschoolPlay #DramaticPlay #AirportPretendPlay #ThanksgivingFun #PlayToLearn #PreschoolTeacher #ImaginationStation #EarlyChildhoodEducation
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A lot is expected...for so little!
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