Discover 20 of our all-time favorite children’s books that are fun to read over and over to your children + a list of our holiday favorites!
We love to read in our home and know you do too so we have put together a bunch of our favorite books that we love to read to our children. This list would be great for toddlers as well as school-age children. There is a combination of award-winning books, books that make sounds plus short story books. This day and age it is easy to hand your kids an iPad and keep them busy but I believe a love for books will take them much farther in the long run. These books will be enjoyed by your children and you as well. In my case, I enjoy reading to my children much more when the books are interesting and provide a good message as well.
We have been reading to our children since they were babies and I believe it is how they continue to develop their great sense of imagination. It is easy to say “no” to their request of getting a new toy but it’s hard to resist a new good book for them to read. Several of these books are ones they would call their favorites but I also kept a few of their favorites out because after a few times of reading them they get rather boring. Therefore, this list is a group of books that are interesting, have great pictures, and send a great message to talk about with your child or children.
Jump to the bottom for our list of HOLIDAY FAVORITES!
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#20 Peep and Ducky
I like to call this book a favorite bedtime book because it’s short, to the point, and still cute every time I read it. It’s my daughter’s favorite book to read and she is now 5. We have made it a habit to read a book before bedtime but we have not made it a habit to get them to bed on time every night. That’s where this book saves the day because it’s short but also a very cute book. And we all know after the book gets read, there is still the drink of water, the 138 I love you’s, and complaints that they aren’t tired. In those instances you gotta have a book like Peep and Ducky to pull out and read to your child!
It may be time to get a couple of the other Peep and Ducky books just to switch things up a bit! Do you guys have a saving grace book like Peep and Ducky that helps get your children to sleep?! You definitely need one!
#19 I Wish that I Had Duck Feet
We actually love all of the Dr. Seuss books so it was not easy just picking a couple. However, this one is a favorite because of the message it sends to kids. This book helps you to appreciate everything you have right now just the way you are.
I think an important trait that many kids are without today is confidence. Our kids need more confidence not to be confused with arrogance. Our kids need to feel comfortable in their own skin regardless of how others treat them. This book hints at that in a subtle and yet amusing way.
#18 No, David
My kids love these books! Despite David being a little ornery, he is loved just the same. David is usually getting into some kind of mischief and his mother has to constantly get his attention. But at the end of the book, David knows he is still loved.
The book is really cute and the pictures are pretty amusing so the kids just love it. The picture of David walking down the sidewalk without any clothes on makes them laugh every time.
#17 Disney Bedtime Favorites
My kids love all things Disney and they absolutely love these short versions of a few of their favorite movies. It’s a win-win because I love reading these to them as well. We got this book when my first son was born (almost 8 years ago) and we are still reading from it on a regular basis. We love this book!
I especially love that it includes Ratatouille because that is one of my favorite movies ever, go figure!
#16 Beautiful Moon
This book is a lovely reminder to stop and appreciate everything we have. Never stop praying for those in need of your prayers. There are few words per page but they are powerful and the illustrations are amazing.
We pray with our kids every night and this book emphasizes why we should be grateful for what we have. You might just stop and gaze up at the moon a little more often after reading this book.
#15 The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles
This book is a little more unusual than your typical children’s book which is exactly why I love it. It is the story of a man who finds ocean bottles and delivers the notes inside to whom they are written for. However, he never expects that one of the notes who be intended for him.
The illustrations in this book are my favorite part. They look penciled in like someone just decided to doodle one day and pull out their favorite colored pencils. It also makes you wish you lived by the water so you could attend the party along the beach at the end. I love the story behind this book in comparison to the regular Pete the Cat books our children love to read over and over.
#14 Where the Wild Things Are
This book doesn’t need much explanation. It is about a boy, Max who is sent to his room after getting into a little bit of trouble with his mom. His imagination goes wild and he travels by boat to a land full of wild things. Although he is having fun out in the wild he realizes he misses home, where he is truly loved. The pictures are great and it is a Caldecott Medal winner, which awards illustrators for their brilliant work.
#13 The Kissing Hand
This book is a must read for children heading off to Kindergarten but also any child facing a difficult situation for that matter. It provides reassurance and encourages them to take that leap of faith and trust that everything will be okay. New situations can be scary for children but also new and exciting if they are given a good explanation of what to expect. Most of all, they want to know that those they love are close by if they need them.
The preschool all my of my children have attended has had them do the kissing hand project so they come home with a picture of their own hand stamped onto a page with the poem attached. It makes me smile every time I see it. Every child should be read this book before preschool or Kindergarten.
#12 Nibbles the Dinosaur
We own an insane number of dinosaur books in our home. Our second son, Parker, is all about dinosaurs. He is 6 and he knows far more about dinosaurs than me or my husband. That being said we read a LOT of dinosaur books to him. Most of them are informative and while they may be interesting, after about 30 times of reading them they get a little old.
This book however is a little more light-hearted. It’s about Nibbles, the critter eating his way through the book before he gets eaten by any dinosaurs. It’s super cute and is one of Parker’s favorites.
#11 The Man Made of Stars
We love this book for the beautiful illustrations but also we, too, love staring at the stars at night. There are many kids’ books that make you think you could have written them. However, this books is not one of those books.
My kids love when the little boy throws his own star up into the sky at the end and they try to find the man made of stars throughout the entire book. This is a must-have in any home!
#10 Secrets of the Rain Forest
This is a shine-a-light book just in case you aren’t familiar with them. Each page can be held up to the light and expose other images onto the page. My kids love using a flashlight instead, of course and it makes the book more of an activity rather than a book to read. I say whatever works if it means they love to pull out a book rather than asking for an iPad!
These shine-a-light books are sold by Usborne books and for good reason. They teach children about a certain subject but do so in a fun and engaging way. I keep our Usborne books in a separate cabinet and it doesn’t matter what day or hour I pull them out they always sit down and look at them.
#9 Green Eggs and Ham
This book is a classic and every young child should have this book in their home. If you’re lucky your child will get to try green eggs and ham at preschool so you don’t get coerced into making them. But you never know, maybe you will like them too! Ha!
#8 Usborne Noisy Orchestra
In many instances, noisy books are just plain annoying but I beg to differ with this one. In fact, for months after we first got it (4 years ago) I often grabbed this book first to read because I loved it so much. The sounds of the different sections of the orchestra are almost soothing to hear over and over. Oh, and the kids love it too!
If you are looking for a sound book that doesn’t get annoying then this is definitely your book!! Usborne books are always worth the money in my opinion.
#7 If You Give a Pig a Pancake
We love this series of books that include If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. They are so real to us and I can relate to them pretty well! The illustrations are adorable and the kids can’t wait to hear what the pig is going to do next. If you don’t already have this series, get them! This one is our favorite!!
#6 Usborne 10 Ten-Minute Stories
This book includes some of my favorite short stories to read to the kids. They are stories that keep their attention and they look forward to them every time I pull this book out. A few favorites short stories include The King’s Pudding, The Magic Gifts, and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice but they are all pretty great.
There is also a 10 More Ten-Minute Stories if you get through the first one and want to buy the second volume.
#5 Otis and the Puppy
This book is a keeper for its cute pictures and adorable story of Otis, the tractor, who becomes best friends with the little puppy who gets lost one evening. I often find my kids on the floor looking through this book because they love it soo much.
We need to get ahold of Otis and the Tornado and Otis Loves to Play as well because this book is one we will have around forever.
#4 Mighty Mighty Construction Site
This one is a perfect book for any young boy or girl that loves playing with trucks. It talks about what each kind of truck is in charge of at the construction site and how they all work together to get the job done. My two boys love looking at the pictures long after we are done reading this one.
The trucks certainly come to life with their different facial expressions. This one easily made it to our top 5 favorites!
#3 Animally
My kids love animals so any book with animals in it is a win but this one stands out because of its adorable rhyming. My kids make me stop and explain each adverb to make sure they understand everything.
We purchased this book through an Usborne party I hosted a few years ago and it is kept in our Usborne cabinet just to make sure it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of books downstairs. We love it!
#2 Giraffes Can’t Dance
This book made number two for a couple reasons: 1) I love the message it sends that we can do anything we set our minds to even if others tell us we can’t and 2) seeing Gerald, the giraffe dance in this manner just makes my kids laugh and laugh and hearing that from reading a children’s book is so darn cute in my mind.
This is a top favorite in our house because it teaches them to love themselves for who they are and kids today need that more than ever.
#1 Olivia
This book made #1 because I literally LOL every time I read it. Olivia is a spunky little pig who reminds me of my own children. I also can relate to the mom because after having 3 kids in 3 years I often feel worn out but I would be lost without them. This book is a #1 New York Times Bestseller and for good reason.
We love the little joys in life. Whatever our kids do, they do it until they can do it no longer because they never run out of energy and for that they remind me a lot of sweet little Olivia!
I hope you have enjoyed looking through our list of favorite children’s books! They make life more interesting and have greatly helped to build our children’s vocabulary. So don’t be afraid to invest in a few good books in your own home. There’s nothing better than sitting on the couch reading to your little ones especially when they are good books worth reading over and over.
Here is a quick go-to list of holiday favorites that I think are worth the money!!
Halloween:
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Hallmark lighted pop-up book)
The Bake Shop Ghost
Christmas:
The Nutcracker
Georgie the Gingerbread Fairy
The Snowman’s Song
Santa’s Magic Key
An Invisible Thread
Katie the Candy Cane Fairy
Easter:
Tiny the Easter Bunny
God Gave Us Easter
