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!