Jim Trelease, the author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, says, “What we teach children to love and desire will always outweigh what we make them learn.” Furthermore, he says, “The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” With a sometimes overwhelming selection of good books available, it can be difficult to choose appropriate books. These read-aloud books capture the attention of kindergarten students, engaging them in the story and, in some cases, allowing them to interact directly with the books, as well.
Everyone Poops, by Taro Gorni
This fun book presents poop as part of a natural body function for both animals and humans. In addition to bringing a little fun to a sometimes embarrassing topic, sharing this book may help alleviate “poop anxiety,” which can have serious health effects. It’s also great for helping students with new babies in the house understand all those dirty diapers.
The Children Who Loved Books, by Peter Carnavas
This 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist, also one of the Best Books of the Year (Under 5 years) of Bank Street Centre for Children’s Literature, is a non-preachy celebration of books, libraries, and families. Angus and Lucy’s family don’t have a fancy house or a lot of possessions, but they do have books — lots and lots of books. When things begin to go wrong after they give away all of those tomes, the family discovers the library and reading together. Peter Carnavas whimsical watercolors are the perfect match for a sweet story.
The Big Book of Big Bugs, by Emily Bone
Budding entomologists will love the life-like illustrations in this beautiful book, and the four fold-out pages, with actual-size pictures, will captivate listeners. Because the facts in the book are presented in manageable “chunks” that allow teachers to pick and choose which parts to read in a sitting, it’s easy to go back to this one again and again. As a bonus, there are several other books in the Big Book of Big… series, including dinosaurs and sea creatures, and they are all as spectacular as this one.
Jessica’s Box, by Peter Carnavas
Once again, Carnavas scores with the story of the new girl at school. Shy Jessica worries about finding friends, so she brings something different in her box every day, until she finally realizes that she only needs to share herself. Carnavas also presents Jessica’s wheelchair as a fact that has little to do with the challenges she faces — challenges that most children can relate to.
Luna Loves Library Day, by Joseph Coehlo and Fiona Lumbers
With its place on Imagination Soup’s 60 Multicultural Children’s Picture Books With Diverse Main Characters list, this story takes on a common fact of life for many families. Luna’s mixed-race family doesn’t live together. Luna lives with her mom, but every week, on library day, she spends time with her dad. The authors focus on the time the two spend together, rather than their separation, while the book-in-a-book, The Troll King and the Mermaid Princess, gently reinforces the idea that, although they don’t live together, both of Luna’s parents love her deeply.
On the Farm: A Shine-a-Light Book, by Susie Bahar and Essi Kimmpimaki
Shine a light through the see-through pages to learn about life on the farm, from planting seeds, feeding animals through the winter, and harvesting crops in the fall. This whole series allows students to practice predicting skills as they try to answer the posed questions before peeking through the pages to learn new facts. Check out other volumes, including Secrets of the Seashore, Secrets of the Vegetable Garden, Secrets of the Rain Forest, Secrets of Animal Camouflage, and Secrets of Winter, among others.
Peek Inside Animal Homes, by Anna Milbourne
Learn about hives, dens, warrens, trees, burrows, and even underwater homes. Keep listeners engaged as they peek through cut-outs in the beautiful illustrations and lift flaps to find hidden fun facts. The short sentences make the content accessible to young learners, but the story also helps introduce them to more advanced vocabulary.
Too Many Tomatoes, by Eric Ode
The energetic, rhyming text will have feet tapping as listeners explore a summer garden, tracing it from spring planting to seeing the young sprouts peeking through the soil to sharing an overabundance with neighbors and friends. Kent Culotta’s illustrations share the same exuberant energy as the text, creating a delightful picture book.
The River, by Patricia Hegarty
A hologram little fish travels through die-cut holes in the stunning illustrations that help readers follow the fish’s journey downriver. The rhyming text flows as smoothly as the water as the fish travels down from the mountains, through the forest and plains.