Great Booklists for Young Listeners

Booklists for Young Listeners:

• Best Books for Babies: An annual list of great books for the youngest children, selected by Beginning with Books. http://www.beginningwithbooks.org/books
  

• Brooklyn Public Library: Lists for each age group, grouped by age-appropriate features.

Books for Babies: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/first5years/read/baby/books.jsp
Books for Toddlers: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/first5years/read/toddler/books.jsp
Books for Preschoolers: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/first5years/read/preschooler/books.jsp

• Hennipin County Library: Search their Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange (ELSIE) to find books that emphasize a particular early literacy skill. Newest titles appear first. www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/ELSIE.cfm

• King County Library System: Printable Booklists for each age group.

Books for Babies:www.kcls.org/kids/whattoread/booklists/Booklist Babies.pdf
Books for Toddlers: www.kcls.org/kids/whattoread/booklists/Booklist Toddlers.pdf
Books for Preschoolers: www.kcls.org/kids/whattoread/booklists/Booklist Preschoolers.pdf

• Multnomah County Library: Lists for each age group.

Favorites for Babies: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bkbabies.html
Favorites for Toddlers: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bktoddlers.html
Favorites for Preschoolers: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bkpreschoolers.html

What Preschoolers Like In Books

What Preschoolers Like In Books (4 - 5 Years of Age)

• Books that tell stories

• Books that make them laugh

• Books with simple text they can memorize

• Books about kids that are like them - also books that introduce children who are different from them

• Books about going to school and books about making friends

• Books that have playful or rhyming language

• Alphabet books, counting books, and vocabulary books

• Books about the real world - trucks, dinosaurs, insects

For Print Motivation:

• Non-Fiction Books can follow a preschooler's fascination about the world around them. Let them know the things they love can be found in books!

• Repeated Phrases and Patterned Texts Books make it easy for preschoolers to jump in and participate.

• Read an old favorite of yours. Your enthusiasm will be contagious!

For Phonological Awareness:

• Song Books are a great way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words. Preschoolers will enjoy song collections that keep everyone singing!

• Rhyming Books can have a good rhythm to the language, even if they are not written in formal "poem" stanzas. They are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness skills.
  

• Preschoolers are ready for longer rhyming collections.

For Vocabulary:

• Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation.

• Books that incorporate questions to the reader are great conversation starters. The more we talk with our children, the larger their vocabularies will be.

• ABC Books often are full of objects to name and things to discuss.

For Narrative Skills:

• Stories that explore daily events, the passing seasons, or steps involved in making something, help children understand sequence.

• Hearing different versions of familiar folktales help make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

• Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

• Books about reading and writing are great ways to help build a child's interest in and awareness of books and print.

For Letter Knowledge:

• Preschoolers are starting to learn letter sounds as well as letter shapes. You can use I Spy Books to look for objects that start with a certain sound.

• Preschoolers are also ready for more sophisticated alphabet books that play with letter shapes, letter sounds, and vocabulary.

Search-and-Find Books give preschoolers a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not to easy.

What Toddlers Like In Books

What Toddlers Like In Books ( 2 - 3 Years of Age)

• Small books to fit small hands

• Books with simple rhymes

• Books with familiar items - shoes, toys, pets

• Books with familiar routines - bedtime, bath time, meals

• Lift the flap books

• Books with very few words or with repeating words - books little ones can learn by heart

• Goodnight books for bedtime

For Print Motivation:

• Lift-the-Flap Books are very engaging!

• Silly Books appeal to a young reader's developing sense of humor and help them create positive associations with books.

• Sharing books about a toddler's favorite things is a great way to keep them motivated about books.

For Phonological Awareness:

• Song Books that contain simple, familiar songs are good choices and toddlers will appreciate songs with multiple verses.

• Noise Books are a great way for toddlers to practice imitating animal noises and making language sounds.

• Rhyming Books like Mother Goose and sharing poetry with children are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness. One rhyme per page works well for toddlers.

For Vocabulary:

• Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation. For instance, the nappers in the "Napping House" are not just sleeping; they are dozing, cozy, snoring, and dreaming.

• Non-Fiction Books are amazing vocabulary builders!

• ABC Books are often full of objects to name and tings to discuss. Younger children will need simpler pictures to be successful.

For Narrative Skills:

• Repetitive Books help children practice predicting what comes next in a story.

• Different versions of familiar folktales helps make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

• Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

• Labeled Picture Books help children make the connection between the words they know and the print on the page.

• Heavy Cardstock Books help toddlers transition form board books.

• Large Print and Simple Text Books that are surrounded by white space help children see the words being read.

For Letter Knowledge:

• ABC Books that are clean and simple so toddler can focus on the letter shape helps build letter knowledge skills.

Search-and-find Books give children a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not too tough.

What Babies Like In Books

What Babies Like In Books (0 - 2 Years of Age)

• Board books with photos of babies

• Books with bold, clear pictures of familiar items in baby's world

• Books with rhythm and repetition

• Books with textures or touch-and-feel books

• Books with animal sounds

• Lullaby books

For Print Motivation:

• Touch-and-Feel Books engage multiple senses, making read-aloud time more interactive and more fun!

• Photo Books with large clear images of baby faces because babies love to look at other babies! This is a great way to help them focus on the page.

• Activity or Object Books that are primarily lists make it easy to read as many or as few pages as hold a baby's interest, keeping storytime a positive experience.

For Phonological Awareness:

• Song Books that contain simple, familiar songs are a great way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words.

• Noise Books that celebrate noises all around give babies practice in listening to the sounds of our spoken language.

• Rhyming Books with one rhyme per book are best for babies. Reading Mother Goose books and sharing poetry with children are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness skills.

For Vocabulary:

• Word Books offer great opportunities for describing objects to babies adding more words to their vocabularies.

• Hearing Words Repeated in context is one way babies learn new words.

• Song Books that list or name objects (Head Shoulders Knees and Toes or Old MacDonald Had a Farm) are one way to introduce new words to babies.

For Narrative Skills:

• Short and Simple stories about daily routines begin to introduce young listeners to how stories work.

• Photo Books of objects surrounded by plenty of white space allow children to focus on one item while you describe it.

• Question and Answer Books help introduce babies into the patterns of spoken language.
  

For Print Awareness:

• Cloth Books allow even the youngest babies to explore books and learn how they work.

• Large Print Books make it easy to point to the text on the page as you read, which helps babies begin to learn that print carries meaning.

• Repeated Words, Word Bubbles, or Words Incorporated into the Illustrations also make it easy to point to the text on the page as you read.

For Letter Knowledge:

• ABC Books for babies and young toddlers should have very simple letter shapes to minimize distractions.

• Shape Books will help young toddlers establish a strong foundation in shape recognition.

• Opposite Books will start building their ability to tell shapes and later letters apart.