Over the years, we have read tons of wonderful picture books. The ones I find myself recommending to other parents the most are the ones that my own children requested the most often. My kids love read-alouds, but when they repeatedly pick the same book off our shelves, I know we have a winner.
In no particular order, these are books that kept us coming back for more smiles, laughs, discussions and snuggles. Interests will vary across families and children, but this list contains read-alouds your kids will surely love. Even my fourth grader still joins us on the couch for these fun picture books.
1. Lion Lessons by Jon Agee
Find out what it takes to become a lion in seven hilarious steps. Some of the steps include roaring, choosing your meal, and pouncing. We love to act out all of the steps on our way to number seven. The last step may surprise you and is the most important of all!
2. The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
When a circus ship sinks, the animals are abandoned by the circus boss and shipwrecked on a nearby island. Find out how the villagers react to an animal invasion! And, what happens when Mr. Paine comes back to collect his circus? Our favorite illustration always has my kids racing to find the cleverly hidden animals.
Chris Van Dusen also wrote and illustrated some of our favorite STEM themed picture books from the If I Built series. Plus, he illustrates Kate Dicamillo’s series, Mercy Watson!
3. Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems
Reginald is a logical child who knows, without a doubt, that dinosaurs are extinct. He goes to great lengths to convince his class and the rest of the town, including Edwina, who just so happens to be a dinosaur. Will anyone listen to him?
We are big fans of Mo Willems, who wrote both the Elephant & Piggie and Pigeon series, which is how we stumbled upon this gem!
4. It’s Mine! by Leo Lionni
This book introduces us to three frogs who seem to fight over everything and share nothing. That is, until they lose everything they thought belonged to them, revealing what matters most of all.
We stumbled upon this book during a season of life where “it’s mine” was a phrase commonly exchanged between my own children. We often revisited the story for a gentle reminder.
5. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
A mouse, all alone in the deep dark wood, successfully scares off the predators he encounters by telling them about his monstrous friend. Discover what happens when he confronts the scariest predator of all. If you love books that rhyme and flow, you will love reading The Gruffalo!
6. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Even when Papa repeatedly asks Chicken not to interrupt during story-time, Chicken just can’t help himself.
Sound like any child you know? Chicken definitely reminds me of my own kids!
7. Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud, Illustrated by David Messing
A reminder of the importance of kindness, this book gives an important lesson in human connection and lasting happiness. This self-help book for kids, a favorite for my kindergartener, is unique from the other books chosen for this list but worth reading with the whole family.
8. Land Shark by Beth Ferry, Illustrated by Ben Mantle
An amusing story of one very creative and determined kid who only wants one thing for his birthday… A pet shark. Initially, he is disappointed with the gift he gets instead, but with a little time and a whole lot of imagination, he learns to love his new best friend.
9. Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
What happens when the neighborhood lion discovers the local library? First, he falls in love with story time, and then, he learns that the library has rules! The rules seem easy enough to follow, until an unexpected situation leads the lion to break every rule… For a good reason.
10. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Getting teased about your name in school is never fun… Kids with long or unique names will resonate with this story. In fact, Chrysanthemum can teach us all to love and appreciate our names a little more.
More Read-Alouds Your Kids Will Love
These are just a handful of fun favorites from our home library. You can also take a look at our favorite STEM and science themed picture books to read-aloud together! And, if you need some extra inspiration to make read-alouds more enjoyable, check out my list of tips to make reading more fun for your kids.
