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Below, you’ll find a list of my recommendations for the Top 200 Children’s books. These are the picture books that experts believe all children should read before beginning kindergarten.I refer to these various books in the ABCJLM Curricula, often in the “Book of the Week (BOTW)” selection, Supplemental Books (Sup), or books that are used to learn letters and numbers.
Don’t get overwhelmed by this list. Add books gradually based on your chosen curriculum or on the age of the child. I highly recommend that you own all “Book of the Week” books. Consider the other books optional.
So how do you build your home library from such a comprehensive list? Share it with grandparents, family members, and friends as ideas for birthday and Christmas gifts. Print the list and check off those books you own, those that are available at the library, and the books you want to purchase.
Click to print the Book Checklist or the following list of titles in alphabetical order. Compiled by Sarah
How to Go Beyond the Story When Reading a Book
How to Read to a Child
How to Grow a Reader
How to Read a New Book to a Child for Maximum Learning
How to Read to a Child Video
Purchased |
Book |
Curriculum |
Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Bible | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | ||
| My Little Word Book by Various Authors | 1 | BOTW | |
| Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle | 1, 2 | BOTW | |
| When the Elephant Walks by Keiko Kasza | 1, 2 | BOTW | |
| Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown | 1 | BOTW | |
| Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Various Authors | 1, 2, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt | 1 | BOTW | |
| Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton | 1, 3 | BOTW | |
| Three Little Kittens by Various Author | 1, 3 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle | 1 | BOTW | |
| Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell | 1 | BOTW | |
| Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown | 1, 3 | BOTW | |
| Five Little Ducks by Various Authors | 1, 3 | BOTW | |
| Owl Babies by Martin Waddell | 1 | BOTW | |
| Three Little Pigs by Various Authors | 1, 3 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss | 1, 3 | BOTW | |
| Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton | 1, 2, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney | 1, 4 | BOTW | |
| From Head to Toe by Eric Carle | 1, 2, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle | 1, 2 | BOTW | |
| Five Little Speckled Frogs by Various Authors | 1, 2 | BOTW | |
| How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen | 1 | BOTW | |
| Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae | 1 | BOTW | |
| Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney | 1, 2 | BOTW | |
| The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle | 1 ,3, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss | 2 | BOTW | |
| Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann | 2, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. | 2 | BOTW | |
| My First Body Board Book by DK Publishing | 2 | BOTW | |
| Wheels on the Bus by Various Authors | 2 | BOTW | |
| Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire | 2 | BOTW | |
| I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak | 2 | BOTW | |
| Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood | 2 | BOTW | |
| Foot Book by Dr. Seuss | 2, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Peek-a Who? by Nina Laden | 2 | BOTW | |
| Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt | 2 | BOTW | |
| We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury | 2 | BOTW | |
| That's Not My... by Fiona Watt | 2 | BOTW | |
| Where's Spot? by Eric Hill | 2 | BOTW | |
| The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton | 2 | BOTW | |
| Jamberry by Bruce Degen | 2 | BOTW | |
| How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen | 2 | BOTW | |
| Old Hat New Hat by Stan and Jan Berenstain | 2, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell | 2 | BOTW | |
| Time for Bed by Mem Fox | 2 | BOTW | |
| Gossie by Olivier Dunrea | 2 | BOTW | |
| Who Made the World? by Kathleen Long Bostrom | 3 | Sup | |
| Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino | 3 | BOTW | |
| My First Steps Books by Jane Belk Moncure | 3, 4 | Sup | |
| Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC's to Help You Grow by Kenneth Taylor | 3, 4 | Sup | |
| Three Billy-Goats by Various Authors | 3 | Sup | |
| Three Bears by Various Authors | 3 | Sup | |
| Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman | 3 | BOTW | |
| Miss Spider's Tea Party: The Counting Book by David Kirk | 3, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| All By Myself by Mercer Mayer | 3 | BOTW | |
| The Pumpkin Gospel by Mary Manz Simon | 3 | Sup | |
| Frog, Where Are You? by Mercer Mayer | 3 | BOTW | |
| The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown | 3 | BOTW | |
| Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Various Authors | 3 | BOTW | |
| The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming | 3 | BOTW | |
| Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss | 3 | BOTW | |
| If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff | 3 | Sup | |
| If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff | 3 | BOTW | |
| Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss | 3 | BOTW | |
| Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman | 3, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems | 3 | BOTW | |
| Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss | 3 | BOTW | |
| The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood | 3 | BOTW | |
| Silly Sally by Audrey Wood | 3 | BOTW | |
| Zuzu's Wishing Cake by Linda Michelin | 3, 4 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle | 3 | BOTW | |
| Duck on a Bike by David Shannon | 3, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss | 3 | BOTW | |
| The Little Red Hen by Various Authors | 3, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Sheep in a Jeep by Various Authors | 3 | BOTW | |
| How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani | 3 | BOTW | |
| Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean | 4 | BOTW | |
| Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type e by Doreen Cronin | 4 | BOTW | |
| Mrs. Rosey Posey and the Fine China Plate by Robin Jones Gunn | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You About Laziness by Susan K. Leigh | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| There's a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss | 4 | BOTW | |
| Remy the Rhino Learns Patience by Andy McGuire | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| Harry, the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion | 4 | BOTW | |
| Inside, Outside, Upside Down by Stan Berenstain | 4 | Sup | |
| God, I Need to Talk to Your About Paying Attention by Dan Carr | 4 | Sup | |
| Tales of Oliver Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble | 4 | BOTW | |
| Charming Opal (Toot & Puddle) by Holly Hobbie | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss | 4 | BOTW | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You About Disrespect by Susan Leigh | 4 | Sup | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You about Hurting Others by Dan Carr | 4 | Sup | |
| Big Bear, Small Bear by Stan Berenstain | 4 | Sup | |
| Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Gingerbread Man by Various Authors | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Stan Berenstain | 4 | Sup | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You About My Bad Temper by Dan Carr | 4 | Sup | |
| Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney | 4, 5 | BOTW, Sup | |
| Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! by Rosetta Stone | 4 | BOTW | |
| Cloudy with a Change of Meatballs by Judi Barrett | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| Dr. Seuss’ Foot Book by Dr. Seuss | 4 | Sup | |
| Opposites by Sandra Boynton | 4 | Sup | |
| Mr. Putter & Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant | 4 | BOTW | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You About Bullying by Susan Leigh | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| Little Bear's Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik | 4 | BOTW | |
| Let's Be Kind by P.K. Hallinan | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| The Hat by Jan Brett | 4 | BOTW | |
| George and Martha by James Marshall | 4 | BOTW | |
| Touch and Feel Books by Various Authors | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You About Whining by Susan Leigh | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| Food for Thought by Saxton Freymann | 4, 5 | Sup | |
| Olivia by Ian Falconer | 4 | BOTW | |
| Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel | 4 | BOTW | |
| Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban | 4 | BOTW | |
| Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco | 4 | BOTW | |
Horton Hatches the Egg  by Dr. Seuss |
4 | Sup | |
| The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter | 4 | BOTW | |
| Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat | 4 | BOTW | |
| God, I Need to Talk to You about Lying by Dan Carr | 4 | Sup | |
| Curious George by H. A. Rey | 4 | BOTW | |
What Do People Do All Day  by Richard Scarry |
4 | BOTW | |
| A Warrior Prince for God by Kelly Chapman | 4 | Sup | |
| Princess with a Purpose by Kelly Chapman | 4 | Sup | |
| The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Tallest of Smalls by Max Lucado | 4 | Sup | |
| Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois | 4 | BOTW | |
| The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn | 4 | BOTW | |
| Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey | 5 | BOTW | |
| Bob Books by Bobby Lynn Maslen | 5 | Sup | |
| I Am Invited to a Party! by Mo Williems | 5 | BOTW | |
| The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton | 5 | BOTW | |
| Poppleton In Winter by Cynthia Rylant | 5 | BOTW | |
| The Berenstain Bears and the Truth by Stan and Jan Berenstain | 5 | BOTW | |
| The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister | 5 | BOTW | |
The Runaway Pumpkin  by Kevin Lewis |
5 | BOTW | |
| Stone Soup by Various Authors | 5 | BOTW | |
| Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett | 5 | BOTW | |
| Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth by Lucy Bate | 5 | BOTW | |
| My Dentist, My Friend by P. K. Hallinan | 5 | Sup | |
| God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren | 5 | BOTW | |
| Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner | 5 | BOTW | |
| Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lesson s by Amy Krouse | 5 | BOTW | |
No Matter What  by Debi Gliori |
5 | BOTW | |
Caps for Sale  by Esphyr Slobodkina |
5 | BOTW | |
| Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo | 5 | BOTW | |
| Going to the Doctor by Anne Civardi | 5 | Sup | |
| My Doctor, My Friend by P. K. Hallinana | 5 | Sup | |
| Doctor De Soto by William Steig | 5 | BOTW | |
| Little Red Riding Hood by Various Authors | 5 | Sup | |
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers  by Stan Berenstain |
5 | Sup | |
| Corduroy by Don Freeman | 5 | BOTW | |
The Tortoise and the Hare  by Janet Stevens |
5 | BOTW | |
| The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper | 5 | BOTW | |
| Enemy Pie by Derek Munson | 5 | BOTW | |
| What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins | 5 | BOTW | |
| Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson | 5 | BOTW | |
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel  by Virginia Lee Burton |
5 | BOTW | |
The Tale of Three Trees  by Angela Elwell Hunt |
5 | BOTW | |
| A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn | 5 | BOTW | |
| Hermie: A Common Caterpillar by Max Lucado | 5 | BOTW | |
| The Three Little Jave by Susan Lowell | 5 | Sup | |
| Whoever You Are by Mem Fox | 5 | Sup | |
| Dodsworth Books by Tim Egan | 5 | Sup | |
| Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw | 5 | Sup |
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