Stories To Grow On: Books for Preschoolers

The books listed are a sampling of the titles available. Ask your Children’s Librarian for further suggestions and tell us which are your favorites.

Who Am I? I Am Somebody!

• Big Sister, Little Sister by LeUeyn Pham. Hyperion, 2005.
  (jPS PHAM)
  A heartwarming story of the ups, downs and joys of sisterhood as told by the little sister.
• Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine. Harcourt, 2003.
  (jPS CHOD)
  Despite pressure from her family, a young girl is determined to dress herself in clothes she has chosen.
  Also: Best Best Friends.
• The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Hyperion, 2005.
  (jPS JUST)
  A little girl enjoys a special relationship with her grandparents in this 2006 Caldecott Award winner.
• No, David! by David Shannon. Blue Sky, 1998.
  (jPS Shan)
  A mischievous little boy is repeatedly admonished for misbehaving, but he does earn a reassuring hug at the end of the day. (Also available in Spanish.)
• Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse. Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee. Chronicle, 2005.
  (jPS JOOS)
  An inquisitive Masai boy finds out just how much he is loved.
  Also: Mama, Do You Love Me?
• Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrated by Laura Cornell. HarperCollins, 1996.
  (jPS CURT)
  A little girl, who obviously knows the story by heart, asks her parents to describe once again her birth and adoption. (Also available in Chinese.)
• To Be A Kid by Maya Ajmera. Photos by John D. Ivanko. Charlesbridge, 1999. (jPS AJME)
  Color photographs of children taken around the world provide a playful look at universal childhood activities.
• When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really, Angry… by Molly Bang. Blue Sky, 1999.
  (jPS BANG)
  Sophie finds a peaceful spot to calm herself down after a fit of anger.
• Whistle For Willie by Ezra Jack Keats. Viking, 1964.
  (jPS KEATS)
  A boy practices and practices until at last he can whistle. (Also available in several languages.)
  Also: Peter’s Chair; The Snowy Day.

New and Old Favorites

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• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. Illustrated by Henry Cole. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
  (jPS RICH)
  Inspired by actual events at New York City’s Central Park Zoo, two male penguins become parents to a hatchling named Tango.
• Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. HarperCollins, 1999.
  (jPS FEIF)
  What is a mother to do when her puppy meows, moos, oinks and quacks instead of barking?
• Caps for Sale by Esphry Slobodkina. HarperCollins, 1947.
  (jPS SLOB)
  A peddler takes a nap and loses his wares to some playful monkeys. (Also available in Chinese and Spanish.)
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, 1991.
  (jPS HENK)
  Chrysanthemum loves her name until all the kids at school make fun of it. (Also available in Chinese and Spanish.)
• The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Collection. Knopf, 2004.
  (j398.8 HELE)
  A lively illustrated collection of traditional stories, nursery rhymes and verse.
• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. HarperCollins, 1985.
  (jPS NUME)
  Learn why you should never give a mouse a cookie. (Also available in Chinese and Spanish.)
• A Splendid Friend Indeed by Suzanne Bloom. Boyds Mills, 2005.
  (jPS BLOO)
  An endearing tale of friendship between a talkative goose and pensive polar bear.
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Warne, 1902.
  (jPS POTT)
  The beloved story of a disobedient little rabbit that ventures into Mr. McGregor’s garden. Ask for other books in this series. (Also available in several languages.)
• The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza. Putnam, 1987.
  (jPS KASZ)
  A hungry wolf is outmaneuvered by the chicken he planned to eat. (Also available in Spanish.)

Look, Listen and Imagine

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• The Amazing Adventures of Bathman by Andrew Pelletier. Illustrated by Peter Elwell. Dutton, 2005.
  (jPS PELL)
  Comic-style, action-packed illustrations portray a bathtime superhero and his battle with the evil Cap’n Squeegee.
• Baby Rattlesnake by Te Atat. Adapted by Lynn Moroney. Illustrated by Mira Reisburg. Children’s Book Press, 1989.
  (j398.2 & j398.2452 ATA)
  In this Chickasaw Indian tale, a determined young rattlesnake whines relentlessly and gets his rattle before he is ready. (Also available in Spanish.)
• Duck and Goose by Tad Hills. Schwartz & Wade, 2006.
  (jPS HILL)
  Duck and Goose begin as adversaries but end as playmates in a story of discovery, ownership, negotiation and cooperation.
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney. Viking, 2005.
  (jPS DEWD)
  A humorous, rhythmic tale of Baby Llama’s bedtime fears and how his Mama soothes them.
• The Magic Hat by Mem Fox. Illustrated by Tricia Tusa. Harcourt, 2002.
  (jPS FOX)
  A magical rollicking read-aloud featuring a wizard and his amazing hat.
• Nursery Tales Around the World Selected and retold by Judy Sierra. Illustrated by Stefano Vitale. Clarion, 1996.
  (j398.21 NURS)
  A sumptuous collection of eighteen international folktales full of rhyme, rhythm and repetition.
• Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone. Illustrated by Clare Beaton. Barefoot Books, 2004. (jPS BLAC)
  A rhyming hide-and-seek story about an elusive seahorse, with felt collage art.
• The Squiggle by Carole Lexa Schaefer. Illustrated Pierr Morgan. Crown, 1996.
  (jPS SCHA)
  A scrap of red string and a vivid imagination transport a young Chinese American girl to faraway places.
• Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. HarperCollins, 1963.
  (jPS SEND)
  When naughty Max is sent to bed without his supper, he imagines himself leading a wild rumpus. (Also available in several languages.)

The World around Me

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• Abuela by Arthur Dorros. Illustrated by Elisa Kleven. Dutton, 2001.
  (jPS DORR)
  While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky above New York City. (Also available in Spanish.)
• The Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma. Arthur A. Levine, 2005.
  (j582.16 DEPA)
  A simple story of the life cycle of a tree told through the seasons.
• Look Book by Tana Hoban. Greenwillow, 1997.
  (jPS HOBA)
  A wordless book invites readers to look through the peek holes and guess what will be revealed when they turn the page.
• Mama Elizabeti by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen. Illustrated by Christy Hale. Lee & Low, 2000.
  (jPS STUV)
  An African girl discovers the difficulties of caring for her impish younger brother.
  Also: Elizabeti’s Doll.
• My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki. HarperCollins, 1993.
  (j597.0074 ALIK)
  A young boy narrates his visit to a busy aquarium.
  Also: My Visit to the Zoo; My Visit to the Dinosaurs.
• The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews. Greenwillow, 2004.
  (j398.8 NEIG)
  Forty-one familiar nursery rhymes are updated using jazzy photos of multicultural families in an urban setting.
• The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Holt, 2000.
  (jPS HORT)
  Seals, tigers, geese, monkeys and others make their own sounds as they take a bus ride all around the town.
• What Do Wheels Do All Day? by April Jones Prince. Illustrated by Giles Laroche. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
  (jPS PRIN)
  Striking paper collage illustrations show all kinds of wheels in action.

ABC’s, 123’s, and Concepts

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• Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald. Bradbury, 1986.
  (jPS MACD)
  An energetic journey through the alphabet in which each letter creatively changes into an object related to it.
• Alphabet House by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. Marshall Cavendish, 2005.
  (jPS WALL)
  A clever alphabet book with an I Spy element.
• City 1 2 3 by Zoran Milich. Kids Can Press, 2005.
  (jPS MILI)
  A playful urban counting book with thought-provoking color photography.
• An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Aston. Illustrated by Sylvia Long. Chronicle, 2005.
  (j591.469 ASTO)
  More than sixty different eggs are beautifully depicted and accompanied by brief facts.
• Food For Thought: The Complete Book Of Concepts For Growing Minds by Saxton Freymann. Arthur A. Levine, 2005.
  (jPS FREY)
  Shapes, colors, numbers, letters, and opposites are boldly represented in photos of humorously carved fruits and vegetables.
• Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert. Harcourt, 1987.
  (jPS EHLE)
  A father and child plant a vegetable garden and make a delicious homemade soup.
  Also: Eating the Alphabet.
• Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Rosanne Thong. Illustrated by Grace Lin. Chronicle, 2000.
  (jPS THON)
  A Chinese American girl celebrates her culture as she sees different shapes in her home and neighborhood.
  Also: Red is a Dragon: A Book of Colors and One is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers.
• Spicy Hot Colors (Colores Picantes) by Sherry Shahan. Illustrated by Paula Barragán. August House, 2004.
  (jPS SHAH)
  Bold colors and rhyming text introduce basic colors in English and Spanish.
  Also: Cool Cats Counting.

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