These are my own opinions (after reading about a million different books) about which books are the best overall picture books that are fun for children to read with parents or teachers.
This post contains affiliate links – see disclosure page for full details. Clicking the picture of each book will take you straight to Amazon if you’re interested in purchasing the book. I receive a small commission should you decide to invest in these classics 🙂
1. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont
This book is full of rhythm and rhyme. The sing-song pattern makes for a book that kids love to read again and again, and just a PSA – it might end up memorized and stuck in your head!
2. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
This book is great for all younger ages because there is not too much text on each page, so the pages keep moving along, but the pages also point out alphabet letters and rhymes. It’s a silly book that all kids love.
3. Press Here by Herve Tullet
Both Press Here and Mix it Up made it on this list because they are considered “MAGIC” by all younger kids, and even 1st -4th graders are still mesmerized by the cause and effect pages that make you feel like you’re having a magical effect on the book. I looked for this book at the thrift store for over a year and finally ordered it on Amazon. People who have it won’t ever donate it because it’s going to be loved so hard.
4. Mix it Up by Herve Tullet
Just like Press Here, this is an interactive book that has kids push, clap, press, etc. on pages and then turn to see what happened. This one focuses on color mixing.
5. The Monster at the End of this Book
This book has been around since I was little. Now, reading it to my kids I think it is so silly and funny and I thought maybe they wouldn’t love it after they already know how it ends, but not so– they want to read it a thousand times because it is so fun.
6. Mouse Paint by Ellen Still Walsh
I love this whole series: Mouse Count (focus on counting up and down from 10) and Mouse Shapes (using shapes to create) and Mouse Paint (color mixing) all feature adorable mice and teach skills in a playful manner.
7. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
This book didn’t seem amazing to me at first, but the more we read it the more we loved it. The story can be intense and fun the more you get into it and read with enthusiasm.
8. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
This book is particularly wonderful for younger children and bilingual education because of it’s repetition. I read this book to the children in Chinese and they follow along just marvelously because it is has predictable text and simple vocabulary. A classic.
9. Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
Everyone loves a silly farm animal book. This one features witty cows and chickens who barter with their farmer until the duck gets involved… You’ll have to read the end to find out how the duck played his cards just right.
10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Another colorful classic with fun flap pages that show counting and addition/sequencing of numbers as the caterpillar eats more and more food through the week. This is another bilingual book I love to read in Chinese.
11. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
This book teaches a great lesson and also is fun for kids to read again and again. The illustrations are beautiful and captivating and it lends to great discussions on kindness, acceptance, and perseverance.
12. No, David! by David Shannon
I own this one in Chinese as well and it has very little text, but the illustrations tell the story and David makes some choices that create giggles and quality discussions about behavior and love.
14. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
This book has a great rhythm and rhyme, a very clever mouse, and a mix of imaginary Gruffalo with an aspect of information about food chains. It causes children to think and they understand more and more of the intelligence and quick wit of the mouse with each additional read.
15. Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony
I own this whole series as well and think each book is silly and fun in it’s own way. They have simple text on each page that keeps things moving right along for those quick page turns. The humor of the Panda is less obvious but still appreciated by all who read it. I’ve read them all in Chinese as well and the kiddos still love it.
16. Parts by Tedd Arnold
I assumed this book was above the level a preschooler would enjoy, but boy was I wrong. Once the kids heard this book one time they chose it again and again. The illustrations and ickiness and silliness of it just draws them in. They’ll be laughing each time.
