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Countdown to Kindergarten

Reading and sharing books together with children excites them, so one day they will want to read on their own. When families read together, children: -expand vocabulary and background knowledge -learn how books and written language work -learn that stories have a beginning, a middle and an end All of these skills are critical for later school success. Be sure to ask many open-ended questions when you read together. You will be amazed at how much you can learn about your child when you share a book together! In the following list, you will find 100 essential picture books that have been hand-selected by Sno-Isle Libraries staff to help children develop reading skills before they enter kindergarten. To easily find these books in the children’s section of your library, look for the “c2k” label or ask a staff member. We have many other book suggestions and early literacy tips to share with families. For more book recommendations and a printable list, visit sno-isle.org/kids/learning

Sno-Isle Libraries

100 items

  • If you could fly, where would you go? What might you see? What could you do? Colors collide and things only imagined take shape and stimulate more things to imagine. Use this title to learn a little Spanish, to count and sort, but…
    BookNew York : Dutton Children's Books, [1991] — E DORROS
  • This book became a classic almost as soon as it was published. The voice of a young boy describing the worst day EVER when everything that could go wrong does? – ends up reassuring readers of all ages that everyone has a bad day sometimes.…
    BookNew York : Atheneum, 1972. — E VIORST
  • Rhyming couplets and luminous illustrations celebrate small details of a child’s world and connects them to the larger world around us. Showing a variety of natural settings and family activities, it leaves plenty of room for encouraging…
    BookNew York : Beach Lane Books, [2009] — E SCANLON
  • You will immediately love Grace and quickly realize just how amazing she is. Her imagination, tenacity, and confidence transport her to new worlds and fantastic adventures, and one particular experience reminds her that if she puts her…
    BookNew York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991. — E HOFFMAN
  • Use this trickster tale to talk about right and wrong. Dig deeper by going through the story again paying close attention to the illustrations. There’s a satisfying “Ka-Pom!” sound made over and over; when read aloud, it will signal to…
    BookNew York : Holiday House, [1988] — E 398.2452 KIMMEL
  • This classic book never ceases to elicit giggles and guffaws from listening children. It's hilarious to imagine what could go wrong if animals wore clothes. The page with the elephant is the best! Extend the story by asking, "What else…
    BookNew York : Macmillan Publishing Company, 1970. — E BARRETT
  • A book countless preschoolers want to hear again and again and again. This classic opens up a question that many young children worry about.Young readers appreciate that while the newly hatched little bird may not be sure what his mother…
    Book[New York] : Beginner Books, [1960] — E EASTMAN
  • Point to the words and encourage children to make the animal sounds along with you and George. Pay special attention to the ending and ask your child, "why do you think George said 'Hello'?" Even very young children find humor in this…
    Book[New York?] : HarperCollins Publishers, 1999. — E FEIFFER
  • Reading books that contain rhyming sounds and then asking your child to guess the next correct rhyming word helps a child become aware of letters, words and sounds of the language around us. Bear Snores On is a charming, winter tale…
    BookNew York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2002] — E WILSON
  • Get ready to be silly! This brilliant book really does not have any pictures; rather, it gets its charm from delivering the words in a playful way, the sillier the better!
    BookNew York, New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2014] — E NOVAK
  • Bill Martin Jr’s classic picture book has been a favorite of children (and adults) for many years. Simple, repeating text makes reading along a breeze while Eric Carle’s big, bright pictures bring excitement with each turn of the page.…
    BookNew York : H. Holt, [1983] — E MARTIN
  • Caps for Sale

    a Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business

    Slobodkina, Esphyr, 1908-2002,
    Kids will love when grown-ups use funny voices and sounds while reading this book. This classic tale is great for acting out, expanding vocabulary, talking about emotions, and so much more!
    BookNew York : HarperCollins Publishers, [1968] — E SLOBODK
  • Sendak believes it to be a perfect picture book "that permanently transformed the face of children's book publishing." A truly minimalist creation, this tale of faith and belief on the part of a child living in his own world is deeply…
    BookNew York : Harper & Row, [1945] — E KRAUSS
  • The Cat and the Hat is full of playful language and lots of rhyming words. After reading, play a rhyming game with your child. Say a word and then have your child name a word that rhymes. Continue trading rhymes back and forth until you…
    Book[New York] : Random House, [1957] — E SEUSS
  • This nonsense verse delights with its deceptively simple narrative and with the repetition of such catchy phrases as "skit skat skoodle doot.'' Ehlert's bold color scheme, complete with hot pink and orange borders, matches the crazy mood…
    BookNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [1989] — E MARTIN
  • Farm-smart cows recycle outdated technology, a manual typewriter, to improve barnyard conditions. Seemingly simple watercolors and fluid, confident black lines supported by careful color choices, dramatic shadows, and dynamic page design…
    BookNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2000] — E CRONIN
  • With expressive, action-based text that explores a variety of moods and feelings, a small bear and a small girl both find what they are looking for. Read the story again and ask your child questions directly related to the story. …
    BookNew York : Viking Press, [1968] — E FREEMAN
  • After reading this book, kids will know what their crayons have been thinking all this time. Red is tired of coloring fire engines, and green is weary of frogs. The whole family will enjoy these humorous letters written by a box of…
    BookNew York : Philomel Books, [2013] — E DAYWALT
  • The author/illustrator crafts a high-volume attention-grabber that will have audiences roaring along enthusiastically. Give children the opportunity to guess what Dinosaur will battle with every turn of the page. Interacting with the…
    BookNew York : Hyperion Books for Children, [2008] — E SHEA
  • Interactive books like this funny tale can get even the squirmiest child’s attention.
    BookNew York : Hyperion Books for Children, [2003] — E WILLEMS