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50 Fun Summer Books for Kids to Read

June 23, 2020 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Summer reading is a great way to avoid the summer “slide” with your kids.

And there’s no better way to get them into a book than to choose one that’s summer-themed!

Today I’m featuring 50 summer books for kids that feature familiar characters, funny storylines, and gorgeous illustrations.

After all, when a story is engaging, kids are more likely to feel interested in what happens.

Plus, they’re more likely to reread them on their own – which is one of the best ways to build a love of reading.

These children’s books about summer make wonderful choices for an upcoming family road trip, book club, or summer reading program.

Read on to see the full list.

And, don’t miss our printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks too!

50 Summer Books for Kids

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1. To the Beach!

2. Pool

3. Summer Days and Nights

4. Should I Share My Ice Cream?

5. The Night Before Summer Vacation

6. Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag

7. Puppy Pool Party! An Underwater Dogs Adventure

8. Summer

9. Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise

10. Penguin on Vacation

11. Bats at the Beach

12. The Whale in My Swimming Pool

13. I See Summer

14. Ice Cream: The Full Scoop

15. Peppa Pig and the Great Vacation

16. Beach House

17. McElligot’s Pool

18. Let It Shine

19. The Scoop on Ice Cream

20. The Night Before Summer Vacation

21. Daisy Dawson at the Beach

22. Down by the Cool of the Pool

23. Summer is Here

24. Ice Cream Soup

25. Arthur’s Family Vacation: An Arthur Adventure

26. Beach Bungle (Olive & Jay Book 1)

27. The Mystery of the Purple Pool (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #38)

28. A Fabumouse Vacation for Geronimo (Geronimo Stilton)

29. Mouse’s First Summer

30. Froggy Goes to Hawaii

31. Daniel’s Day at the Beach (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)

32. Pool Party Puzzler (Nancy Drew Clue Book)

33. How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer

34. Ice Cream Summer

35. Pictures from Our Vacation

36. Corduroy Goes to the Beach

37. Leo Can Swim

38. One Crazy Summer

39. Summer Wonders

40. Last Day Blues (Mrs. Hartwell’s Classroom Adventures)

41. Dancing Dinos at the Beach

42. First Time at the Pool

43. Summer Treasure (Robin Hill School)

44. Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star

45. How I Spent My Summer Vacation

46. Biscuit’s First Beach Day

47. Martha Speaks: Pool Party

48. The Night Before Summer Camp

49. Mama, Is It Summer Yet?

50. The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation

Get ready for more summer fun with these other learning ideas!

Learn about what sharks eat to live in this fun shark food chain file folder game!

These printable summer reading challenge bookmarks are a fun way to keep kids reading during summer!

20 Fun Lighthouse Books for Kids

May 26, 2020 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

I grew up in Southern Georgia near Savannah, so I’ve been to Tybee Island many times in my life.

The Tybee Island Lighthouse always made me wonder about what it’s like to keep a lighthouse.

As a child, I thought it would be boring and lonely. Now that I’m older, I think I’d love the peace and quiet.

Having kids will do that to you.

But lighthouses are still fascinating structures for children to explore and these lighthouse books for kids are a great way to introduce them to young ones!

These children’s lighthouse books feature non-fiction selections, as well as learning activities and mystery stories that kids will love!

Read below to see the full list. And, for more fun beach reading picks, take a look at our list of beach books for kids too!

These books about lighthouses for kids make wonderful read alouds over the summer. Share some with young readers this year!

20 Fun Books about Lighthouses for Kids

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1. The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge

2. The Lighthouse Family: The Storm

3. The Lighthouse Cat

4. North American Lighthouses Coloring Book

5. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery

6. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch

7. Lighthouse Seeds

8. Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities

9. Safely to Shore: The Story of America’s Lighthouse

10. Abbie Against the Storm: The True Story of a Young Heroine and a Lighthouse

11. Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue

12. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

13. One Lighthouse, One Moon

14. Birdie’s Lighthouse

15. The Lighthouse of Souls

16. Hello Lighthouse

17. Lighthouses of North America

18. The Lost Lighthouse

19. One Lighthouse, One Moon

20. The Lighthouse

Get more ideas to explore beaches with your kids below!

$Learn about the science of beaches plus get fun math, language, and geography practice in this printable beach unit study!$

Get more ideas for learning about lighthouses from these educators!

Visiting the Point Arena Lighthouse with Children from Crafty Mama in ME

Lighthouse Printable Number Sequencing Puzzle for Preschool from Schooling a Monkey

Cupcake Liner Lighthouse Craft from Play Dough & Popsicles

Marblehead Lighthouse Marblehead, OH from Something 2 Offer

Lighthouse Word Search from Tales of Education at Home

20 Kid-Friendly Lighthouse Hikes around the World from FrogMom

20 Super Fun Activity Books for Kids

April 21, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was in second grade or so, I loved school so much I didn’t want the school year to end.

The assistant principal took me aside and gave me a stack of activity books to work on over the summer.

Best. Summer. Ever.

I liked playing outside and all, but I always loved spending time doing puzzles and brain teasers and mazes as a kid.

My kids love to play with workbooks too, so I thought I’d share this list of 20 super fun activity books for kids!

There are several different kinds of activity books in this list, so there’s something for everyone.

Read on to see the full list! And, don’t miss our list of 20 fun indoor activities for kids to do as well!

Keep the kids occupied and learning with these super fun activity books for kids! Perfect for quiet time at home!

How to Use Activity Books for Kids at Home

In our home, we tend to use activity books for quiet play.

When we’re finished with our specific lessons for the day (usually around 11:30 a.m.), we have lunch and then set aside 45 minutes or so for quiet time.

Generally, the kids need a break from each other at this point. And I desperately need the house to be silent for a bit.

I let them choose an activity book from a stack and hand out the necessary supplies. And off they go!

Here’s what I usually have available for my kids: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

By the way, if you’re searching for an all-in-one set that has everything at once, this Crayola Inspiration Set looks perfect.

20 Super Fun Activity Books for Kids

Here’s our list of 20 super fun activity books for kids!

If you try any of these, I’d love to know which ones your kids liked the best!

1. Sticker by Number: Ocean Animals

2. Spiroglyphics: Animals

3. Ultimate Dot to Dot: Extreme Challenges

4. STEM Starters for Kids: Math Activity Book

5. Paint by Sticker: Masterpieces

6. Rainbowku: Fun and Colorful Sudoku for Kids

7. Highlights: Ultimate Puzzle Challenge

8. Super Colossal Book of Word Search: 365 Great Puzzles

9. Notebook Doodles Go Girl!: Coloring & Activity Book

10. My Secret Book of Scribblings and Sketches: Sketch Book for Kids

11. Pixel Pictures: 104 Pictures to Color by Squares

12. The Everything Kids’: Math Puzzles Book

13. Sticker by Letter: Robots

14. Cute and Colorful Patterns: Coloring Book

15. Mindware: Multiplication Mosaics

16. Totally Awesome Mazes and Puzzles: Over 200 Brain-Bending Challenges

17. Highlights Hidden Pictures: Playtime Puzzles

18. Picture Puzzles: How Many Differences Can You Find?

19. Perfectly Logical! Challenging Fun Brain Teasers and Logic Puzzles for Kids

20. Color Counts: Animals

Still in need of fun ways to spend time with the kids? Stop by to see these ideas!

Make the most of time at home with these easy boredom busters for kids! Great for school breaks, summer vacation, and more!

This printable Roll the Dice indoor exercise game is a fun and easy way to keep kids moving at home or during indoor recess!

This easy DIY kinetic sand is such a fun way to play indoors with little ones! Perfect for sensory input too!

20 Community Helpers Books for Kids to Read

November 12, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Community helpers are such an important theme in early childhood education.

After all, it’s important for children to learn how their local community works and who provides the services we all rely on each day.

So when you’re ready to teach a community helper theme in class, make sure to use some of these community helpers books for kids as part of your read aloud time!

These community helpers picture books are excellent sections!

They’re all beautifully illustrated and they feature simple explanations of each helper’s role in town.

Read on to check out the selections below! And, for more ways to study community helpers, check our our Spanish community helpers printable lesson!

20 Community Helpers Books for Kids to Read

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If you decide to read any of these with your students, I’d love to hear which ones were your favorite!

1. Helpers in My Community by Bobbie Kalman

2. Whose Hands Are These? by Miranda Paul

3. Whose Hat Is This? by Sharon Katz Cooper

4. Look for the Helpers (adapted) by Alexandra Cassel

5. Career Day by Anne Rockwell

6. Jobs Around Town by Stan and Jan Berenstain

7. Let’s Meet a Police Officer by Gina Bellisario

8. Let’s Meet a Doctor by Bridget Heos

9. Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

10. When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

11. Whose Tools Are These? by Sharon Katz Cooper

12. Delivering Your Mail by Ann Owen

13. Night Night, Sleepytown by Amy Parker

14. Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip with Kindergarten by Joseph Slate

15. Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

16. Busy People: Construction Worker by Lucy M. George

17. My Visit to the Dentist by David Lee

18. Teachers in My Community by Bridget Heos

19. Let’s Meet a Firefighter by Gina Bellisario

20. When I Grow Up by Mercer Mayer

Did you love these community helpers books for kids? Take a look at these other booklists for young readers!

See more great books for children on my Must Read Books for Kids Pinterest board!

25 Awesome Books about the Solar System

June 17, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We just posted a fun solar system unit study a couple of weeks back, so while there are a few weeks of summer left, I thought I’d share some wonderful books about the solar system for kids of all ages!

I love videos and technology, but there is just nothing like turning the pages of a book with your child. It’s indescribable. 🙂

So, when it comes to learning, I will always come back to books, which is why I love these solar system books for kids.

These solar system stories are filled with gorgeous illustrations, fun facts, and awesome activities that kids will love! They’d make a wonderful addition to a space or solar system unit.

Read on to get the full list. And for more ways to learn about outer space, take a look at All About the Solar System – a printable science unit for elementary grades!

25 Awesome Books about the Solar System for Kids

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1. National Geographic Kids: First Big Book of Space

2. There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System (The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)

3. Space Encyclopedia: A Tour of Our Solar System and Beyond (National Geographic Kids)

4. Hello, World!: Solar System

5. Smithsonian: The Planets (DK Books)

6. Solar System Scratch and Sketch: An Activity Book for Inquisitive Artists and Astronauts of All Ages

7. Chasing Space: Young Readers’ Edition

8. Let’s Explore the Solar System (Planets)

9. The Planets in Our Solar System (Let’s Read and Find Out Science)

10. What’s Out There?: A Book about Space

11. The Magic School Bus 3-D: A Journey Through the Solar System

12. The Everything Kids’ Astronomy Book: Blast Into Outer Space with Stellar Facts

13. Astronomy: The Solar System (Super Smart Science)

14. A Journey Through Space

15. Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities

16. 13 Planets: The Latest View of the Solar System (National Geographic Kids)

17. Scholastic Reader Level 2: Solar System

18. Our Solar System: Revised Edition

19. Smart Kids Space: For Kids Who Really Love Space!

20. Let’s Explore the Solar System (Planets)

21. Astronomy for Kids: How to Explore Outer Space with Binoculars, a Telescope, or Just Your Eyes!

22. A Trip Into Space: An Adventure to the International Space Station

23. Basher Basics: Space Exploration

24. First Space Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to Our Galaxy and Beyond

25. Space Kids: An Introduction for Young Explorers

After sharing these amazing books about the solar system with your family, don’t miss these other planetary posts!

Want more great book lists for kids? Check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

20 Fun Books about Ice Cream for Kids

May 8, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been featuring a lot of summer fun lately – and what says “Summer” better than ice cream?

Nothing.

Nothing says “Summer” better than ice cream.

It’s true that ice cream is a favorite with kids everywhere, but it’s also an opportunity to learn! It’s just a super fun subject to learn about.

To make your summer reading a blast, check out our list of books about ice cream for kids to find some great ice cream-themed stories to read with your children!

These are so fun for summer reading!

Turn ice cream into an educational opportunity with our printable ice cream shape sorting activity!

And for more ways to make this summer an awesome one with the kids, try this list of 50 summer crafts you can make!

20 Fun Books about Ice Cream for Kids

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1.Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons

2.Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis

3.Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream by Rob Scotton

4.Should I Share My Ice Cream? (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

5.Stick Dog Dreams of Ice Cream by Tom Watson

6.Curious George and the Ice Cream Surprise by H.A. Rey

7.The Ice Cream King by Steve Metzger

8.Ice Cream for Breakfast (Richard Scarry’s Great Big Schoolhouse) by Erica Farber and Huck Scarry

9.Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

10.Curious About Ice Cream by Smithsonian

11. Isaac’s Ice Cream Tree by Angela Henderson

12. Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

13. Milk to Ice Cream (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington

14. The Scoop About Ice Cream (History of Fun Stuff) by Bonnie Williams

15. The Ice Cream Shop: A Steve and Wessley Reader by Jennifer E. Morris

16. Ice Cream Cones for Sale by Elaine Greenstein

17. The Ice Cream Mystery (The Boxcar Children Mysteries) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

18. Gorilla Loves Vanilla! by Chae Strathie

19. Is It Warm Enough for Ice Cream? by DK Publishing/a>

20. Dragons Love Ice Cream by Brett Fowler

Did you love these fun books about ice cream for kids? Don’t miss these other ice cream activities!

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

Children’s Books about Composers

November 28, 2017 by Selena Robinson 16 Comments

We’re getting into our study of classical music in our homeschool lessons, so we’re sharing children’s books about composers! These are perfect for circle time stories or unit study resources, especially if you want your kids to learn more about the music and the lives of these musicians.

While there are classical composers in this list, there are also kids’ books about modern composers, including the great Duke Ellington! If you enjoy these stories, be sure to check out the Duke Ellington unit in our ebook “We Got Jazz”!

Children’s Books about Composers

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One of the most interesting things about many classical composers is that they often began their musical careers while they were still children. Mozart began composing at the age of five. Five! That’s some serious inspiration for kids who are interested in music. 🙂

Some of the activity books include coloring books and unit studies about composers. In fact, Stories of the Great Composers is one of the resources we’re using in our homeschool curriculum this year!

Picture Books about Composers

The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous American Composer – Joanne Stanbridge

George Frederic Handel – Mildred Clary

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – Anna Harwell Celenza

Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince And His Orchestra – Andrea Davis Pinkney

Secret Lives of Great Composers: What Your Teachers Never Told You about the World’s Musical Masters – Elizabeth Lunday

Sebastian: A Book About Bach – Jeanette Winter

The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George – Hugh Brewster

Becoming Bach – Tom Leonard

The Story of the Orchestra: Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, Music, and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! – Robert Levine

Why Beethoven Threw the Stew (And Lots More Stories About the Lives of Great Composers) – Steven Isserlis

Nonfiction and Activity Books about Composers

Stories of the Great Composers – June Montgomery & Maurice Hinson

Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers: Ludwig Von Beethoven – Mike Venezia

Great Composers Coloring Book – John Green & Paul Negri

Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? – Yona Zeldis McDonough & Carrie Robbins

Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz – Stephanie Stein Crease

World of Composers: Verdi – Greta Cencetti

Peter Tchaikovsky: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Anna Harwell Celenza

18th Century Superstar: Mozart (Time for Kids Nonfiction Series) – Georgia Beth

Johannes Brahms: Getting to Know the World’s Great Composers – Mike Venezia

Do you have any favorite resources for introducing classical composers to kids? Do you have any suggestions for great children’s books about composers? Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoy these stories, check out our other ideas for teaching music and art to homeschoolers!

And don’t miss your chance to learn more about introducing kids to jazz with our We Got Jazz unit study ebook! It’s packed with over 120 pages of music history and activities about jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

For more tips to make your kids into readers, check out my Reading for Kids board on Pinterest!

Want to get more ideas for making homeschooling fun? Sign up for our email newsletter to get plenty of homeschool tips and resources in your inbox!

This post is part of The Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists by iHomeschool Network! Click over to read tons of awesome booklists shared by my fellow homeschooling bloggers!

20 Beautiful Owl Books for Kids

October 17, 2017 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

We’ve had fun studying about nocturnal animals and one of those animals is…the owl! There are owls here in Georgia, but we hardly ever see them because they’re up when we’re asleep. 🙂

Since we’ve been talking about animals that are night “owls” (get it?), I rounded up some beautiful owl books for kids that we can share together. If you’re studying owls this fall, check out these storybooks and nonfiction books for some awesome owl facts!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of bear books for kids as well! And for a fun craft project, see how to make a cute coffee filter owl craft with the kids!

Owl Books for Kids:

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1. Owls by Gail Gibbons

2. Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan

3. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

4. National Geographic Readers: Owls by Laura Marsh

5. Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

6. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

7. Exploring the World of Owls by Tracy Read

8. The Barn Owls by Tony Johnston

9. Owl at Home (I Can Read Level 2) by Arnold Lobel

10. Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

See the rest of the list on page 2!

Pages: 1 2

Must-Read Black History Books for Kids

January 10, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

In our family, black history is history. We teach it along with every other topic. We’ve covered African history, civil rights, and even jazz history with our children over the years. But we’ve also enjoyed sharing African-American storybooks that help them “see” themselves in stories.

As part of learning about history, we’ve read some wonderful black history books for kids over the years. Today I’m sharing some of the selections that I consider “must-read” books! If I missed any of your favorites, feel free to share your suggestions in the comments!

Image c/o: Brainsil / depositphotos

Must-Read Black History Books for Kids

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1. 100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History by Chrisanne Beckner (If you only get one, make it this one.)

2. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

3. When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip-Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

4. My Name is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth by Ann Turner

5. Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America

6. Fly High: The Story of Bessie Coleman by Louise Borden

7. Firebird by Misty Copeland

8. Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan

9. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

10. A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by Aliki

11. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

12. Black Cowboys by Ryan P. Randolph

13. Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim

14. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles (Check out our Ruby Bridges unit study!)

15. Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney

16. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell

17. 28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

18. Fort Mose: And the Story of the Man Who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America by Glennette Tiley Turner

19. Molly, By Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter

20. Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson (Don’t miss our Nelson Mandela unit!)

21. Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull

22. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney

23. Tommy Traveler in the World of Black History by Tom Feelings (This is a tough one to find, but it is so worth it.)

24. The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton

25. What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

26. Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her by Amy Novesky

27. Jump Back, Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar by Sally Derby

28. Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz

29. Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney

30. Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg

31. When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Munoz Ryan

32. Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher

33. Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford

34. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Check out these other black history posts!

Plus, grab our ebook “We Got Jazz” for 120 pages of unit studies and activities about jazz greats, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

Follow my Living History for Kids board on Pinterest for more history teaching ideas!

This post is part of the “Must-Read Books” linkup from iHomeschool Network! Stop by to read more awesome book lists from my fellow bloggers!

100 of the Very Best Picture Books for Preschoolers

November 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I’ve been a parent for nearly 13 years and we have four children. So I can tell you that it’s easy to get into the “routine” of parenting – just kind of going from day to day trying to keep your head above the water.

But something happens when your last child begins preschool. Personally, that snapped me out of the routine mindset and into the “treasure every moment” way of thinking. The thought that this is my last child to teach at home was a real jolt.

Piglet started PreK this fall, so we’re officially teaching our very last preschooler. And, since she already has a good grasp on letters, numbers, colors, counting, and shapes, I want to spend a lot of her preschool year exploring wonderful children’s books.

So I thought I’d make an ultimate list of the very best picture books for preschoolers. There are 100 of the best children’s picture books on this list, including modern stories and classic picture books that preschool-aged kids will love to read! But be warned, parents: Expect to read a lot of these over and over again.

If you love these selections, don’t miss our preschool homeschool reading list for this year!