Books for the Kindergartener
Aylesworth, Jim. Little Bitty Mousie.
In this alphabet book, Little Bitty Mousie sneaks into a house one night and discovers many tantalizing new things as well as one very scary thing.*
Beaumont, Karen. I Like Myself!
In rhyming text, a child expresses her self-esteem.*
Binklow, Howard. Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen.
Howard Wigglebottom has a great deal of difficulty listening, which gets him into a great deal of trouble.
Brett, Jan. The Mitten.
Several animals sleep snugly in Nicki’s mitten until the bear sneezes.*
Bridwell, Norman. Clifford’s Busy Week.
Clifford and Emily Elizabeth set out to retrace the big red dog’s week in an attempt to find his lost mouse.
Everyone’s favorite big red dog continues to delight young readers with many new adventures.*
Brown, Marc. D. W. All Wet.
Part of a series about an aardvark family. D.W. announces, “I don’t like the beach and I don’t like to get wet.”*
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. Biscuit Finds a Friend.
A puppy helps a little duck find its way to the pond.*
Carle, Eric. The Grouchy Ladybug.
Hour by hour, a hungry, irritable ladybug challenges everyone she meets to a fight.*
Carlson, Nancy. Get Up and Go!
Author’s signature characters, rabbit and pig speak directly to children to take care of themselves by getting exercise and what fun it can be.*
Catalanotto, Peter. Ivan the Terrible.
Illustrations and simple text tell a story about a terrier named Ivan who keeps interrupting story hour.
Cristolow, Ellen. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.
It’s bedtime at the monkey house, yet the five rambunctious little monkeys keep jumping on their bed until, one by one, each falls off and has to visit the doctor.
Cronin, Doreen. Wiggle.
In rhyming text, a busy, happy dog shows readers the many ways and places to wiggle.*
Curtis, Jamie Lee. I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem.
Traces the day of two children and focuses on everyday occurrences that can build self-esteem.*
Dannenberg, Julie. First Day Jitters.
Sarah is afraid to start at a new school, but both she and the reader are in for a surprise when she gets to class.
Ehlert, Lois. Color Zoo.
Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another.*
Falconer, Ian. Olivia.
Whether getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach or preparing for bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.*
Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George.
George’s mother is in for a big surprise when she takes him to the veterinarian to find out when he doesn’t bark.
Havill, Juanita. Jamaica’s Find.
A little girl finds a stuffed dog in the park and decides to take it home.*
Henkes, Kevin. Wemberly Worried.
A mouse named Wemberly, who worries about everything, finds that he has a whole list of things to worry about when he faces the first day of nursery school.*
Henkes, Kevin. Kitten’s First Full Moon.
Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet and hungry trying to reach it.*
Keller, Holly. Help: A Story of Friendship.
Mouse hears a rumor that Snake does not like mice and while trying to avoid his former friend, he falls into a hole from which neith Hedgehog, Squirrel, nor Rabbit can help him out. This is an engaging tale of friendship and forgiveness.*
Lehman, Barbara. The Red Book.
A wordless story in which a little girl finds a red book in the snow that holds an astonishing surprise.
Lester, Helen. Listen, Buddy.
A lop-eared rabbit named Buddy finds himself in trouble with the Scruffy Varmint because he never listens.
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy.
Swimmy, a small black fish, finds a way to protect a school of red fish from their natural enemies.*
Lionni, Leo. Little Blue and Little Yellow.
Two blobs of paint play together but when they meet and hug, something happens!*
Marshall, James. Red Riding Hood. (retold and illustrated)
A humorous retelling of the story of the little girl who meets a hungry wolf in the forest on her way to grandmother’s house.*
Martin, Bill. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whold alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.*
Munsch, Robert. Thomas’ Snowsuit.
His mother, teacher and principal have a hard time trying to convince Thomas to wear his snowsuit.*
Pierce, Terry. Mother Goose Rhymes. (6 set series)
Illustrations give a fresh take on the traditional Mother Goose nursery rhymes organized by everyday themes. Set contains familiar to lesser known rhymes.*
Reynolds, Peter. The Dot.
Vashti believes that she cannot draw, but her art teacher’s encouragement leas her to change her mind.
Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit.
Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets Rabbit play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.
Sendak. Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are.
Max dreams of a voyage to the island where the wild things are after he is sent to bed without dinner for behaving like a wild thing.*
Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham.
Sam-I-Am wins a campaign to get another character to try a plate of green eggs and ham.*
Shannon, David. No, David!
Tells the adventures of young David doing all kinds of things he isn’t supposed to do.*
Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale.
Trixie becomes very unhappy when she accompanies her daddy to the Laundromat and realizes she has lost her stuffed bunny.*
Willems, Mo. Can I Play Too?
Elephant and Piggie’s adventure starts out smoothly but when Snake shows up and wants to play, it causes concern since he is different. This story offers guidance to children on friendship among peers and differences.
In the Elephant and Piggie series the characters continue to learn many of life’s lessons through their adventures.*
Wilson, Karma. Hilda Must Be Dancing.
Hilda Hippo tries other, quieter, activities when her jungle friends are disturbed by her dancing. Nothing else makes her happy until Water Buffalo suggests swimming and she finds a new way to express herself.*
Books for the First Grader
Adler, David. Bones and the Cupcake
Mystery. (Viking easy-to-read series)
Detective Jeffery Bones finds he does not need fancy equipment to solve the school-lunch mystery of “Not Me” Amy’s missing cupcake.
Allard, Harry. Miss Nelson Is Missing.
The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher’s good nature until she disappears and they are faced
with a vile substitute.
Arnold, Tedd. I Spy Fly Guy!
While playing hide-and-seek with Buzz, Fly Guy is taken away by a garbage man.
Bang, Molly. When Sophie Gets Angry —
Really, Really Angry.
When Sophie gets angry she goes outside and runs, cries, climbs her favorite tree – and then, calmed by the breeze, she is soon ready to go back home.
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline.
Madeline, smallest and naughtiest of the twelve little charges of Miss Clavel, wakes up one night with an attack of appendicitis.
Brett, Jan. Honey-Honey-Lion!: A Story from Africa.
After working together to obtain honey, the African badger always shares it with his partner, the honeyguide bird, until one day when the honey badger becomes greedy and his feathered friend decides to teach him a lesson.
Brown, Marc. Arthur and the True
Francine.
Francine and Muffy are good friends until Muffy lets Francine take blame for cheating on a test.
Bunting, Eve. Picnic in October.
A boy finally comes to understand why his grandmother insists that the family come to Ellis Island each year to celebrate Lady Liberty’s birthday.
Burton, Virginia Lee. The Little House.
A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic grows up around her.
Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
Although Mike Mulligan’s steam shovel is too old fashioned to compete with newer models, the people of Popperville find a way to keep it working.
Chaconas, Dori, Cork & Fuzz : Best Friends.
A possum and a muskrat become friends despite their many differences.
(Cork & Fuzz series)
Clements, Andrew. Dogku.
Tells a story through haiku about a dog named Mooch and the many things it does, such as riding in a car, barking at the neighbors, and chewing on dirty socks.
Cronin, Doreen. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows
That Type.
When Farmer Brown’s cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the
farmer refuses to give them what they want.
DePaola, Tomie. 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.
Finchler, Judy. Miss Malarkey Doesn't Live in Room 10.
A first-grade boy is shocked, then pleased, when he finds out that his teacher has a live away from school.
Fleming, Denise. Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp.
When Buster the dog's owner goes away for a few days, he sends Buster to Sagebrush Kennels for Cowboy Camp, where Buster is homesick at first, but then has fun herding
balls into the corral, gathering sticks for a campfire, and making wanted posters with his pawprints.
Frazee, Marla. A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever.
Friends James and Eamon enjoy a wonderful week at the home of Eamon's grandparents during summer vacation.
Henkes, Kevin. Chester’s Way.
Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good.
Herriges, Ann. Dolphins.
Simple text and supportive images introduce beginning readers to dolphins.
(Blastoff! Readers series)
Holabird, Katharine. Angelina and the
Princess.
Angelina is too sick to dance well during the tryouts for the lead for the “Princess of Mouseland” ballet, but when the leading ballerina sprains her foot, Angelina is ready
to prove she is still the best dancer of all.
Johnson, Crockett. Harold and the Purple
Crayon.
Harold uses his fantastic purple crayon to draw himself some wonderful adventures.
Joose, Barbara M. Mama, Do You Love Me?
An Inuit child learns that her mother’s love is
unconditional when she disobeys and journeys across the Arctic from village to ice floe, in search of her puppy.
Katz, Alan. Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs.
Well-known songs, including “Oh Susannah” and “Row, Row, RowYour Boat” are presented with new words and titles, such as “I’m So Carsick” and “Go, Go, Go to Bed”.
Lester, Helen. Tacky the Penguin.
Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.
Marshall, James. George and Martha.
Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippopotamuses.
Munsch, Robert. Stephanie’s Ponytail.
When all the kids in Stephanie’s class keep copying her hairstyle by making ponytails of their own, she threatens to shave off her hair.
Murray, Julie. Iguanas.
An introduction to the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycle of iguanas, lizards that range in length from a few inches to many feet.
(Animal Kingdom series)
Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
A young boy, having given a cookie to a bossy mouse, is run ragged by the energetic rodent's subsequent requests.
O'Connor, Jane. Fancy Nancy.
A young girl who loves fancy things helps her family to be fancy for one special night.
Park, Linda Sue. Bee-bim Bop!
Newbery Award winner about a young Korean girl who helps her mother with shopping, food preparation, and table setting for her favorite meal. Presented in rhyming verse.
Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse.
In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures are capable of great deeds when he rescues the King of the Jungle.
Prelutsky, Jack. There's No Place Like School: Classroom Poems.
A collection of eighteen illustrated lassroom poems
Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria.
The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle’s safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches.
Rey, H. A. Curious George.
The curiosity of a newly-captured monkey gets him into continual trouble.
Rylant, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the
Big Sleepover.
Henry and Mudge are going to a sleepover at Patrick's house! There's pizza and popcorn, games and monster movies...and
Mudge even has his own sleeping bag (he's too big to share Henry's). But will anyone at this sleepover ever get to sleep?
(Henry and Mudge series)
Scanlon, Elizabeth Garton. All the World.
Follows a group of family members and friends through the course of a day as they learn the importance of all things great and small
Scarborough, Sheryl. About Bugs. Describes the life cycle, colors, senses, defense mechanisms, sizes, and shapes of bugs.
(We Both Read series)
Sharmat, Marjorie. Nate the Great and the Owl Express.
Nate investigates when an owl named Hoot disappears on board the Owl Express.
(Nate the Great series)
Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa.
Cowgirl Kate and her always-hungry horse Cocoa, count cows, share a story, and help each other fall asleep.
(Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa series)
Stead, Philip Christian. A Sick Day for Amos McGee.
Zookeeper Amos McGee, who is adored by all the animals, gets some unexpected guests while home sick one day.
Stevenson, James. Candy Corn: Poems.
A collection of short poems with titles such as “The Morning After Halloween”, “Dumpsters”, and “What Frogs Say to Each Other”.
Tarpley, Natasha. I Love My Hair.
A young African-American girl describes the different, wonderful ways she can wear her hair.
Van Leeuwen, Jean. Chicken Soup.
When they hear that Mrs. Farmer is making soup, all the frightenened chickens run for their lives, but Mr. Farmer finds Little Chickie, who has a bad cold, and he takes her to the kitchen for some nice hot vegetable soup.
Waber, Bernard. The House on East 88th
Street.
A family moving into a new house discovers in their bathtub a talented crocodile named Lyle, who soon becomes an important part of the family.
Waber, Bernard. Ira Sleeps Over.
A little boy is excited at the prospect of spending the night at his friend’s house but worries how he’ll get along without his teddy bear.
Watt, Melanie. Scaredy Squirrel.
Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to leave his nut tree, but when he is finally one day forced out of his home, he discovers some interesting things about the great unknown.
Wilson, Karma. 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 fun.
Winters, Kay. This School Year will be the Best!
When a teacher asks her students on the first day of school what they wish for in the coming year, the answers range from having a good school picture to receiving a perfect report card.
Yee, Wong Herbert. Mouse and Mole: a Winter Wonderland.
Best friends Mouse and Mole enjoy playing in the snow with Sno-Mouse and Sno-Mole, two more best friends.
(Mouse and Mole series)
Yolen, Jane. 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.
Books for the Second Grader
Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln. A brief biography of the sixteenth president from his childhood on the frontier to his assassination after the Civil War.
(Picture Book Biographies series.)
Andreae, Giles. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs. Flinn’s imagination send him on a high seas adventure when he enters the art room closet.
Auch, Mary Jane. Chickerella. A humorous banyard version of Cinderella.
Baker, Keith. Meet Mr. & Mrs. Green. A loving alligator couple enjoy going camping, eating pancakes and visiting the county fair.
Bang, Molly. Paper Crane. A mysterious man enters a restaurant and pays for his dinner with a paper crane that magically comes alive and dances.