These books can be read to your infant/pre-schooler and all have really catchy rhythms to them. They are books that your children would want to keep going back as they learn to read.
One more thought - there are some Five little monkeys books by Eileen Christelow, we have Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed and Five Little Monkeys sitting in a tree. I'm not sure if they come in board books, but they have that wonderful repetitive rhyme to them that makes them tons of fun!
For the very youngest readers, I recommend "board books," which are small-sized books with stiff pages that cannot be bent or torn. Some good board book titles and authors are:
Margaret Wise Brown: Goodnight Moon
Sandra Boynton: The Going to Bed Book
But not the hippopotamus
Barnyard dance
Moo, baa, la la la
Oh my, oh my oh dinosaurs
Sam McBratney: Guess how much I love you
Nadine Bernard Wescott: The Lady with the Alligator purse
Eric Carle: The very hungry catepillar
Do you want to be my friend?
Brown bear, brown bear what do you see?
"Little Spot" Board books by Eric Hill, such as the following titles:
"Spot at Play"
"Spot in the Garden
"Spot Looks at Colors"
"Spot's First Words"
Different books about farm animals by Lucy Cousins, such as:
"Country Animals,"
"Farm Animals,"
"Pet Animals".
Board books by Rosemary Wells, such as:
"Max's Bath,"
"Max's Breakfast,"
"Max's Bedtime".
Helen Oxenbury's books about the senses, such as
"I See,"
"I Touch,"
"I Hear"
"Playing,"
"Working,"
"Dressing,"
"Family".
I think that it is wonderful to introduce books to children at an early age. Make sure that someone reads aloud to the baby as often as possible. This is one of the best ways to give a child a lifelong love of books.
Peekaboo Baby Books: Play delightful guessing games by peeking beneath the flaps to find the answers! Each book is 6 1/2" x 9 3/4" and contains 10 study pages espcially for little fingers. What books are best?
Even the youngest children can be connoisseurs of books. They do enjoy a wide variety of literature. It is the sound of the reader's voice that gets the young child's attention even before he can focus on the pictures. The warmth and security of being held and the melodic, soothing sound of the reader's voice make for a very pleasurable combination. Rhythmical-language books: Books with rhythmical language may be the first books that children encounter. Very young children focusing on the comforting voice of the reader enjoy "Mother Goose" rhymes and lullabies, which allow even the youngest child to explore the rhythm and music of language. Point-and-Say books: As the name implies, these books are best used with children as they begin to focus on pictures. This happens around the ages of four to six months an continues into toddlerhood. Touch-and-smell books: These books give young children the opportunity to use their senses and invite them to participate in the reading experience as they learn about their world. Board books: This type of book is designed to take the abuse of the youngest reader and last through teething, when everything is put into a child's mouth, as well as the exploration and testing of new-found skills of grabbing, tearing, and throwing. Early picture books: As children approach their first birthday, many become interested in looking at pictures and listening to
short, simple stories. These selections should have few words per page and simple illustrations.
GOODNIGHT MOON by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd - illustrator. This timeless children's classic is a soothing addition to any bedtime routine. Children love the opportunity to say 'goodnight' as they come to the end of their day.
TEN, NINE, EIGHT by Molly Bang. Count backwards from ten to one as this little girl gets ready for bed. The beautiful illustrations captivate children as the rhyming verse lulls them to sleep.
FAMILY by Helen Oxenbury. Simple illustrations show baby with each member of the family. One word names each family member. This board book is extremely durable and can withstand much love from multiple children.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak. Travel to the land of the Wild Things and have a wild rumpus with Max. This timeless tale captures the imaginations of both young and old. You will enjoy roaring your terrible roar as much as your child.
THE MOON JUMPERS by Janice May Udry, Maurice Sendak - illustrator Four siblings play outside in the night air and discover the wonders of nature and their
imaginations. The lovely images alternate between soft colors and black and white sketches.
WE HAVE A BABY by Catherine Falwell. This is the perfect book for any young child awaiting the birth of a new sibling. It shows all of the wonderful things that a child can do with a new baby - bathing, holding, loving.
ON MOTHER'S LAP by Ann Herbert Scott, Glo Coalson - illustrator. A mother rocks her young son as he repeatedly climbs down to get his favorite toys and brings them back up into her lap with him. But when baby cries will there be any room left? Of course! There is always room on Mother's lap!
GROWING VEGETABLE SOUP by Lois Ehlert. A child and father make their own soup- starting with planting seeds and tending the garden. When they harvest the vegetables they make them into a big pot of soup. Includes a recipe for vegetable soup on the last page.
CONTEMPLATING YOUR BELLYBUTTON by Jun Nanao. Tomoko Hasegawa - illustrator This exploration of the wonders of the bellybutton also includes an age appropriate explanation of where babies come from.
