Favorite Read-Aloud Books for Preschoolers

The titles below are wonderful book to read aloud to your child again and again! They include many timeless classics for young children, as well as some newer works that we thought were well written. And of course, some titles are just for fun. You can also search our free CM Bookfinder for books others have added for the Early Years.

Picture Books

Note: Many of these picture books may be included in Our Preschool Life subscription boxes. Find many of these and other favorites from past Our Preschool Life boxes in our store!

• A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting
• A Kiss for Little Bear by Else H. Minarik
• A Little More Beautiful by Sarah Mackenzie
• A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert
• A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
• A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Alfie and the Birthday Surprise by Shirley Hughes
• Alfie Gets in First by Shirley Hughes
• An Evening at Alfie’s by Shirley Hughes
• Alfie’s Feet by Shirley Hughes
• All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins
• Amos and Boris by William Steig
• Anatole by Eve Titus
• Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty
• Angus and the Ducks by Marjorie Flack
• Anna Carries Water by Olive Senior
• Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble
• April’s Kittens by Clare Turlay Newberry
• Bearymore by Don Freeman
• Billy and Blaze by C. W. Anderson
• Billy’s Picture by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
• Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming
• Brave Irene by William Steig
• Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
• Bunny in the Middle by Anika A. Denise
• Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man by Robert McCloskey
• Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
• Chester the Worldly Pig by Bill Peet
• Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
• Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray
• Come Over to My House by Dr. Seuss
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Curious George Flies a Kite by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Curious George Rides a Bike by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Curious George Takes a Job by Margret and H. A. Rey
• Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner
• Dandelion by Don Freeman
• Dear Juno by Soyung Pak
• Dogger by Shirley Hughes
• Earl the Squirrel by Don Freeman
• Fire on the Mountain by Jane Kurtz
• Follow Carl! by Alexandra Day
• Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett
• From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
• Gilberto and the Wind by Marie Hall
• Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
• Goran’s Great Escape by Astrid Lindgren
• Gramma’s Walk by Anna Grossnickle Hines
• Gregory’s Shadow by Don Freeman
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
• Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion
• Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
• Hello, Red Fox by Eric Carle
• Henry the Explorer by Mark Taylor
• Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt and Roger Duvoisin
• Hiking Day by Anne Rockwell
• Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
• Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
• How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
• Hubert’s Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet
• I’ll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca
• Imogene’s Antlers by David Small
• In November by Cynthia Rylant
• Inky’s Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery
• Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom
• Katie and the Impressionists by James Mayhew
• Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
• Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew
• Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
• Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne
• Kermit the Hermit by Bill Peet
• King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub by Audrey and Dan Wood
• King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently
• Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning
• Kitty’s New Doll by Dorothy Kunhardt
• Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
• Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story by Fran Manushkin
• Lentil by Robert McCloskey
• Let It Snow (Toot & Puddle) by Holly Hobbie
• Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky
• Lost in the Woods by Jean Stoick and Carl R. Sams
• Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry
• Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper
• McDuff and the Baby by Rosemary Wells
• McDuff Comes Home by Rosemary Wells
• McDuff Moves In by Rosemary Wells
• McDuff’s Wild Romp by Rosemary Wells
• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
• Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
• Miss Suzy by Miriam Young
• Mum, Me, and the Mulberry Tree by Tanya Rosie
• No Roses for Harry by Gene Zion
• Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman
• One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall
• Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle
• Pet of the Met by Don Freeman
• Petunia by Roger Duvoisin
• Polite Elephant by Richard Scarry
• Poppy’s House by Karla Courtney
• Pretzel by Margret Rey
• Princess Furball by Charlotte S. Huck
• Raccoon on His Own by Jim Arnosky
• Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
• Sing a Season Song by Jane Yolen
• Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
• Step Gently Out by Helen Frost
• Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
• Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
• Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz
• Stranger in the Woods by Jean Stoick and Carl R. Sams
• Swimmy by Leo Lionni
• Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
• The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gág
• The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet
• The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
• The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook by Shirley Hughes
• The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
• The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet
• The Empty Pot by Demi
• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio
• The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Weber
• The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams
• The King’s Stilts by Dr. Seuss
• The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
• The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
• The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
• The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift
• The Magic Hill by A. A. Milne
• The Mitten by Jan Brett
• The Obvious Elephant by Bruce Robinson
• The Poky Little Puppy Janette Sebring Lowrey
• The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
• The Raft by Jim LaMarche
• The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
• The Saggy, Baggy Elephant by Kathryn Jackson
• The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
• The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry
• The Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Schurr
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow
• The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
• The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman
• The Taxi That Hurried by Irma Simonton Black
• The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh
• The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen
• The Very Best Home for Me by Jane Werner Watson
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• The Water Hole by Graeme Base
• The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston
• This Is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore
• Thy Friend, Obadiah by Brinton Turkle
• Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
• Too Many Mittens by Florence and Louis Slobodkin
• Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie
• Tootle by Gertrude Crampton
• Violet Comes to Stay by Jan Karon
• Violet Goes to the Country by Jan Karon
• Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf
• Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
• White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt
• You Are My Sunshine (Toot & Puddle) by Holly Hobbie

Chapter Books

Chapter books are longer stories with chapters that should be read in more than one sitting. Some of these recommendations are books of poetry or other fun books that take longer to read.

• A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
• A Child’s Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa
• A Day on Skates by Hilda van Stockum
• A Long Road on a Short Day by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney
• A Mouse Called Wolf by Dick King-Smith
• A Toad for Tuesday by Russell E. Erickson
• Beside the Pond by James D. Witmer
• Christina’s Carol by Tommie DePaola
• Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill
• Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
• James Herriot’s Treasury for Children
• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Logan Pryce Makes a Mess by Grace Gilmore
• Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Brisley
• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
• Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne
• Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo
• Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies
• Patches and Scratches by Phyllis Naylor
• Penny and Peter by Carolyn Haywood
• Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen (a fun preschool cookbook)
• The Adventures of Peter Cottontail by Thornton Burgess
• The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
• The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler
• The Cat Who Wanted to Go Home by Jill Tomlinson
• The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Catling
• The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
• The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West
• The King’s Equal by Katherine Paterson
• The Littles by John Peterson
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
• The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
• The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willem
• The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting
• The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-El
• Thimbleberry Stories by Cynthia Rylant
• Tippy Lemmey by Patricia C. McKissack
• Two and Two Are Four by Carolyn Haywood
• Walter the Lazy Mouse by Marjorie Flack
• When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne
• Yours Sincerely, Giraffe by Megumi Iwasa