110 Best Picture Books to Read in Kindergarten

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If you want the best books to read in kindergarten, I have a huge exhaustive list for you!  I was planning to keep it to just 100 books, but I just have too many favorites, so there are 110 of them for you to choose from. You can’t go wrong with any of them!

My kids are growing up and beginning to outgrow many of these favorites. But, I am not ready to let them go yet!  I have tried cleaning out our picture books a few times, but it brings back so many memories, that I decided to hang on to them a while longer.  I love my little babies and miss them snuggling up to me for bedtime stories. As I wrote this, I asked each of my kids what their favorite picture books were. We all had fun remembering those special stories. 

When choosing books to read in kindergarten, you need to find stories that engage young minds, spark a child’s imagination, and help develop a love for reading. Kids love to laugh, they love repetition, and they love heart warming stories.  These books include all of those aspects. 

Following is a selection of classic and popular books that are well loved by parents, teachers and by young kids including preschool, kindergarten and elementary school aged kids.  These are all picture books that make great read-alouds. Many of them have beloved characters that you will recognize. Many are Caldecott Medal winners. These books would be a great addition to any homeschool or kindergarten classroom. 

The books on this list cover various themes, from friendship and imagination to colors, abc’s, numbers, and animals, providing a diverse range of reading experiences for young learners. They include colorful illustrations that will spark a child’s imagination.

110 of the Best Books to Read in Kindergarten

1. Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty
2. Aesop’s Fables by Aesop
3. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
4. Alice the Fairy by David Shannon
5. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
6. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
7. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
8. The Berenstain Bears Story Collection by Stan and Jan Berenstain
9. Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
10. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
11. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak
12. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
13. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
14. The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
15. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
16. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
17. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
18. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
19. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
20. Corduroy by Don Freeman
21. Curious George by H.A. Rey
22. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
23. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
24. The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins
25. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
26. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
27. Elmer by David McKee
28. Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
29. Freight Train by Donald Crews
30. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
31. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
32. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
33. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
34. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
35. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
36. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
37. Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
38. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
39. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
40. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
41. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen
42. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
43. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
44. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
45. If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
46. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
47. Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
48. Jamberry by Bruce Degen
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
50. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
51. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
52. Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by Jacky Davis
53. Little Bear by Elsa Holemlund Minarik
54. Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
55. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
56. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
57. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
58. The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter
59. The Little Red Hen by Jerry Pinkney
60. Llama Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
61. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
62. Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber
63. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
64. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
65. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
66. The Mitten by Jan Brett
67. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
68. Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
69. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
70. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
71. No, David! by David Shannon
72. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
73. Olivia by Ian Falconer
74. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
75. Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
76. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
77. Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann
78. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
79. Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
80. Press Here by Hervé Tullet
81. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
82. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
83. Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
84. Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
85. Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton
86. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
87. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
88. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
89. Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
90. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
91. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
92. The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
93. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
94. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
95. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
96. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
97. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
98. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
99. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
100. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
101. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
102. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
103. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
104. The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
105. Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss
106. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen
107. Weslandia by Paul Fleischman
108. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
109. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
110. Winnie the Pooh: The Classic Edition by A. A. Milne

These books offer engaging stories, captivating illustrations, and valuable lessons that will entertain and educate young readers in kindergarten and beyond. Pull some of these out for the first day of school.  These are truly the best books to read in kindergarten. At least in my book! Which of your favorites did I miss?

See More of My Book Lists for Kids:

List of Dr. Seuss Books by Reading Level

Teacher Recommended: First Grade Books

Teacher Recommended: Second Grade Books

50 Must Read Classic Books for Kids