Reading List for Preschool and Kindergarten

8.21.10

A Classical Education and Charlotte Mason inspired book list for pre-school and kindergarten level children.

A list of forgotten classics, and older books that still have a story to tell.  In this day of tv inspired junk books (Charlotte Mason “twaddle” is there ever was) and cotton candy books – it is important and sometimes challenging to seek out good books for our kids.  Books that are well written, books that have something to teach but do not beat the child about the head with the moral.   Books, stories, that stand the test of time; stories that inspire and entertain and make am impact.

This list contains both books to “read” (picture books) and for family read-a-loud time (novels or longer collections).   Many can, and will be, read over as the children mature.  Currently there are 449 books on the list!!!  🙂  A noble endeavor for anyone.

Included are many old titles that are out of print, and there are also many amazing titles I have never encountered before.   Some offer a window into another time, in to the lives of children so unlike our’s or even ourselves as children.  Some, like The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby by the Reverend Charles Kingsley (published in 1863) are the very foundations of Children’s Literature.  There are some, not many, (like Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk 2007) that are new and not anything I like for our family — I can find better simple board books for the boys.  But none of them are offensive or poorly written or done.  We have not read them all, and maybe we never will – but I am loving reading them, looking for them, and adding to our family collection.

I personally have this printed (20 pages) and in a binder.  I cross off what we have, and note what we have read.  I have this list as a document and can e-mail it to anyone who’d also like to print it out, just let me know.

This list has been gathered from:

1. Ambleside Online & the Ambleside Zero Year Yahoo group
2. http://www.angelicum.net
3. simplycharlottemason.com
4. materamabilis.org

another resource worth looking at, but not added to this list, is 1000 Good Books (Classical Christian Education) many of the same books will be found on this collection as on that list.

The lists have been combined, the duplicated removed and the remaining books put in alphabetical order:

A  Apple Pie by Kate Greenaway

A Bear Called Paddington (Michael Bond)

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Child’s Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

A is for Africa (Ifeoma Onyefulu) – Africa

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Llama in the Family by Hurwitz

A New Coat for Anna

A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno

A Pocket for Corduroy

A Pocketful of Cricket – Rebecca Caudill

A Year at Maple Hill Farm and others by Alice and Martin Provensen

ABC Bunny, The by Wanda Gag

Aesop for Children, The by Aesop

Albert by Donna Jo Napoli

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alfie and Annie Rose, Dogger and others by Shirley Hughes

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

All the Places To Love by Patricia MacLachlan

All Those Secrets of the World by Jane Yolen

Along Came a Dog and others by Meindert Dejong

Always Room For One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas

Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston

Amie and Anika Terry Stafford

Amish Christmas by Richard Ammon

Amos and Boris and others by William Steig

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street! by Dr. Seuss

Anderson’s Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson

Andy and the Circus by Ellis Credle

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

Angus Lost (Marjorie Flack)

Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett

Anna of Green Gables series

Another Celebrated Dancing Bear by Gladys Scheffrin-Falk

Apple Pie by Kate Greenaway

Apricot ABC by Miska Miles

Arabella by Wendy Orr

Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

B is for Besty by Haywood

B is for Brazil (Maria de Fatima Campos)

Babar stories (original ones) Laurent De Brunhoff

Babar, To Duet or Not to Duet based on characters by DeBrunhoff

Bambi’s Children by Felix Salten

Beatrix Potter

Bee Tree, The  by Patricia Polacco

Beetle Bush by Beverly Keller

Berlioz the Bear (Jan Brett) – Germany

Betsy & Tracy Go Over the Big Hill by Lovelace

Big Book of Brambly Hedge and others by Jill Barklem

Big Green Pocketbook, The  by Candice Ransom

Big Red Barn, The by Margaret Wise Brown,

Big Snow by Berta Hader

Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward

Biggest House in the World and others by Leo Lionni

Billy and Blaze books by C.W. Anderson

Billy’s Picture

Blue Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Blueberries for Sal (Robert McCloskey)

Bongani’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a South African City (Gisele Wulfsohn)

Bosby Twins, The

Boushra’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in an Egyptian City (Khaled Eldash

Boxcar Children, The by Warner

Brambly Hedge books (Jill Barklem)

Brer Rabbit books by Joel Chandler Harris

Brown Angels Walter Dean Myers

Brown Fairy Book, The  by Andrew Lang

Burt Down, Deep-Water Man

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Cassio’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Brazilian Village (Maria de Fatima Campos)

Catch Me and Kiss Me and Say It Again Clyde and Wendy Watson

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlotte’s Web (E.B.White)

Chester the Worldly Pig

Chidi Only Likes Blue (Ifeoma Onyefulu) – central Africa

Children Just Like Me (Annabel and Barnabas Kindersley)

Children of Noisy Village, The

Children’s Book of Virtues, The (William Bennet)

Christine’s Picture Book by Hans Christian Anderson

Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojchiechowski
.
Church Mouse and others by Graham Oakley

Climbing Kansas Mountains by George Shannon

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Clown of God and others by Tomie de Paola

Cock, the Mouse, and the Little Red Hen by Felicite LeFevre

Color Kittens, The by Margaret Wise Brown

Complete Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault

Complete Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales

Complete Nonsense Poems by Edward Lear

Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Corduroy (Don Freeman)

Cowboy Charlie by Jeanette Winter

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin

Crane Maiden by Miyoko Matsutani

Crane Maiden, The by Miyoko, Matsutani

Cricket in Times Square, The by Seldon

Crictor by Tomi Ungerer

Crimson Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

Cross Country Cat by Mary Calhoun

Curious George & others by Hans A. Rey

Dandelion (Don Freeman)

Dandelion Hill by Clyde Robert Bulla

Daniel’s Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla

Day at the Fair by Arleta Richardson

Day of Ahmed’s Secret, The  (Florence H.Parry) – Egypt

Deer at the Brook and others by Jim Arnosky

Doctor Dan the Bandadge Man by Helen Gaspard,

Doctor Desoto (the best dentist story ever)          William Steig

Dogger by Shirley Hughes

Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle

Dr. Dolittle series by Hugh Lofting

Duchess Bakes a Cake, The by Virginia Kahl

Each Peach Pear Plum  Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Edward Lear Alphabet by Edward Lear, illustrated by Carol Newsom

Emily by Michael Bedard

Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Cleary

Emperor’s New Clothes and others by Hans Christian Anderson

Empty Pot by Demi

English Fairy Tales and more by Joseph Jacobs

Enrique’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Peruvian Village (Sara Andrea Fajardo)

Fairy Caravan by Beatrix Potter

Faster Sooner Hound by Ama Bontemps

Favorite Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Finest Horse in Town, The by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Fiona’s Flea by Beverly Keller

Fireflies for Nathan by Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit

Five Chinese Brothers (Claire H.Bishop) – China

Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney

Five True Dog Stories – Margaret Davidson

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown

Flip by Wesley Dennis

Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack

Follow My Leader by James Garfield

Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter

Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Ransome/Shulevitz

For the Children’s Hour by Carolyn S. Bailey

Four Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright

Frindle – Clements

Frog Band and the Onion Seller by Jim Smith

Frog, Frog, Frog by Robert Welber

Geeta’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in an Indian Village (Prodeepta Das) – India

Gift for Grandpa by Angela Hunt

Gift for Tia Rosa by Karen Taha

Ginger Pye by Estes

Giraffe That Walked to Paris by Nancy Milton

Giving Tree, The

Glorious Flight, The by Alice and Martin Provensen

God’s Wisdom for Little Boys

God’s Wisdom for Little Girls

Good Night Moon Margaret Wise Brown

Gramma’s Walk by Anna Grossnickle Hines

Grandfather’s Journey (Allen Say) – Japan

Grandma’s Attic series by Arleta Richardson

Grass Sandals by Dawnine Spivak

Green Fairy, The Book by Andrew Lang

Gregory’s Shadow

Grey Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Grumpy Shepherd by Paddie Devon

Gullywasher, The  by Joyce Rossi

Hanna’s Cold Winter by Trish Marx

Hans Christian Andrson’s Tales

Happy Little Family (Rebecca Caudill)

Happy Times in Noisy Village (Astrid Lindgren)

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Harry and the Lady Next Door (Gene Zion)

Harry by the Sea

Harry the Dirty Dog (Gene Zion)

Hat, The Jan Brett

Hatmaker’s Sign, The Retold by Candace Fleming

Heidi by Joanna Spyri

Henry Huggins / Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary

Henry the Castaway by Mark Taylor

Hickory Chair, The by Lisa Rose Fraustino

Higgins Bend Song and Dance by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Hilda the Hen Who Wouldn’t Give Up by Jill Tomlinson

Hole is to Dig by Ruth Krauss

Home for a Bunny

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Honey … Honey … Lion (Jan Brett) – Africa

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss

House at Pooh Corner, The A. A. Milne

House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

House that Jack Built by Antonio Frasconi

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Hundred Dress, The Eleanor Estes

Huy and Vinh’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Vietnamese Village (Jim Holmes) –

I Am an Artist by Pat L. Collins

I is for India (Prodeepta Das) – India

I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M. Joosse

I Saw the Sea Come In by Alvin Tresselt

I’m Listening God (Psalm 19 for children) Elspeth Campbell Murphy

If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas

If You Give A Moose A Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Iina Marja’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Lapp Village (Jaako Alatalo) – Lapland

I’m Listening, God, Psalm 19 for Children by Elspeth Campbell Murphy,

In the Forest and others by Marie Hall Ets

Indian in the Cupboard

Ivy Cottage and sequels by E. J. Taylor

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book (Muriel L.Feelings) – southern Africa

Jamela books (Niki Daly) – South Africa

James & the Rain by Karla Kuskin

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot

Jenny’s Surprise Summer by Eugenie

Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny

Jesse Bear What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom

Johnny Crow’s Garden by L. Leslie Brooke

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

Jumblies and Other Nonsense Verses, The       Edward Lear
Jump series by Van Dyke Parks, Malcolm Jones (adaptations of Brer Rabbit)

Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Katie and the Mona Lisa

Katie and the Sunflowers

Katie Meets the Impressionists

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne

Kildee House by Montgomery

King at the Door by Cole Brock

King of the Golden River by John Ruskin

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

King with Six Friends, The by Jay Williams

Kitty’s New Doll

Language of Flowers, The by Kate Greenaway

Laurie and the Yellow Curtains (an early reader)          Sara Asheron

Least of All by Carol Purdy

Lentil

Lilac Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Lillie at Ballet by Rachel Isadora

Little Bear (Else Minarik)

Little Book of Poems (poetry)

Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

Little Fur Family, The by Margaret Wise Brown

Little Grey Rabbit books (Alison Uttley)

Little House and others by Virginia Burton

Little House in the Big Woods

Little House on Rocky Ridge by MacBride –

Little House, The – Virginia Lee Burton

Little Nino’s Pizzeria by Karen Barbour

Little Old Mrs Pepperpot (Alf Proysen)

Little Pear by Lattimore
Little Rabbit, The by Judy Dunn
Little Red Hen and others by Paul Galdone

Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain (and others in the series) Edward Ardizzone

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky

Little White Horse, The by Elizabeth Goudge

Lonely Doll series by Dare Wright

Lost in the Woods

Luckiest One of All by Bill Peet

Lumber Camp Library by Kinsey-Warnock

Madeline

Maggie and the Pirate – Ezra Jack Keats

Maggie B, The. – Irene Haas

Magic Hill, The

Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell

Make Way for Ducklings (Robert McCloskey)

Man Who Loved Books, The by Jean Fritz

Marshmallow by Clare T. Newberry

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry

May I Bring a Friend? by Beatrice S. De Regniers

McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm by Fleichma

Midnight Adventures of Kelly, Dot, and Esmerelda by John S. Goodall

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton)

Millions of Cats (Wanda Gag)

Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook, The  (Joyce Lankaster Brisley)

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

Miss Fannie’s Hat    Jan Karon

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

Miss Spider’s Tea Party      David Kirk

Miss Suzy by Miriam Young

Misty of Chincoteague series by Henry

Mitten, The (Jan Brett) – Ukraine

Modestita’s Gift, El Regalo de Modestita by Inez Torres Davis

Morning Has Broken           Eleanor Farjeon

Mountain Born by Yates

Mr. Brown and Mr. Gray by William Wondriska

Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car by John Burningham

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (John Steptoe) – Zimbabwe

My Blue Boat by Chris L. Demarest

My Father’s Dragon (Ruth Stiles Gannett) and the other two too

My First Oxford Book of Stories (Geraldine MacCaughrean)

My Island Grandma by Kathryn Lasky

My Little Book About God illustrated by Eloise Wilkin

My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Becky Reyher

My Naughty Little Sister (Dorothy Edwards)

My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand

Mysterious Tadpole, The

N. C. Wyeth’s Pilgrims by N. C. Wyeth and Robert San Souci

Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha

Nii Kwei’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Ghanaian City (Francis Provencal)

Nim’s Island

No More Singing by Norman Bonner

No Roses for Harry

Noah’s Ark by Peter Spier

Norman the Doorman

Now We Are Six       A. A. Milne

Nursery Tales Told to Children by Amy Steedman

Old Mother West Wind and others by Thornton W. Burgess

Old Rosie, the Horse Nobody Understood by Lilian Moore & Leone Adelson

Olive Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

On Market Street by Arnold Lobel

On Mother’s Lap by Ann Herbert Scott

One Morning in Maine (Robert McCloskey)

Orange Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Orchard Book of Nursery Stories, The (Sophie Windham)

Outside Over There; In the Night Kitchen (slight nudity), (and others)  Maurice Sendak (not for everyone)

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Owl Moon by Jane Yolan

Ox-Cart Man by Barbara Cooney

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Oxford Book of Children’s Verse edited by Peter Opie

Papa Piccolo (Carol Talley) – Italy

Paper Crane by Molly Bang

Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ill. by Ted Rand

Pelle’s New Suit by Elsa Beskow

Penny Wise – Fun Foolish by Judy Delton

Pet of the Met

Peter Pan by James M. Barrie

Peter Spier’s Christmas by Peter Spier

Petunia (Roger Duvoisin)

Pied Piper of Hamlin by Robert Browning

Pimm’s Place by Beverly Keller

Pink Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Pippi Longstocking

Plain Princess, The by Phyllis McGinley

Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young by Martha Alexander

Poems for Young Children compiled by Caroline Royds

Poems to Read to the Very Young pictures by Eloise Wilkin

Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowry, illus. by Gustaf Tenggren

Polina’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Russian Village (Andrey Ilyin) – Russia

Polite Elephant

Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field

Pretzel

Princess and the Admiral, The      Charlotte Pomerantz

Pumpkin Runner, The by Marsha Diane Arnol

Quiet Way Home, The by Bonny Becker

Raft, The by Jim LaMarche

Rag Coat, The by Lauren Mills

Raggedy Andy Stories

Raggedy Ann Stories

Rain, Rain Rivers by Uri Shulevitz

Rainbabies, The by Laura Krauss Melmed

Ralph S. Mouse by Cleary

Ramona books

Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall

Real Pretend, The (illustrated by Tasha Tudor) Joan Donaldson

Red Carpet, The by Rex Parkin

Red Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Relatives Came, The by Cynthia Rylant

Rembrandt: The Christmas Story published by Thomas Nelson

Richard Scarry’s Please and Thank You Book by Richard Scarry

Rose in My Garden by Arnold Lobel

Roxaboxen by Barbara Cooney

Runaway Bunny, The (Margaret Wise Brown)

Saggy, Baggy Elephant, The

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda

Salamander Room, The by Anne Mazer

Sambo, The Helen Bannerman

Saturdays, The by Elizabeth Enright

Scuffy the Tugboat by Golden Books

Secret Garden, The

Seven Little Rabbits by John Becker

Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Schurr, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

Shy Little Kitten, The

Silent Night by Susan Jeffers

Smartest Bear and His Brother Oliver by Alice Bach

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Snowy Day and others by Ezra Jack Keats

Snuggle Bunny by Nancy Jewell

Sophie & Rose by Kathryn Lasky

Stone Soup (and other folk tale retellings)         Marcia Brown

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Stories by Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston

Storm in the Night by Mary Stoltz

Story About Ping (Marjorie Flack) – China

Story of Babar and others by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff

Story of Christmas: Words from the Gospels of Matthew & Luke by Jane Ray

Story of Ferdinand (Munro Leaf)

Story of Holly and Ivy and others by Rumer Godden

Story of Little Babaji,

Story of the Creation: Words from Genesis by Jane Ray

Stranger in the Woods

Stuart Little

Sugar Mouse Cake, The by Gene Zion

Sugar Mouse Cake, The Gene Zion

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Swimmy

Swimmy (Leo Lionni)

Tale of Three Trees illustrated by Angela Elwell Hunt

Taxi That Hurried, The

The Story of Little Babaji (Helen Bannerman) – India

Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright

They Were Strong and Good by Alice and Robert Lawson

Thomas the Tank Engine books (Rev.W.Awtrey)

Three Little Horses by Piet Worm

Three Little Kittens, The (illustrated by Paul Galdone)

Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

Thy Friend, Obadiah

Time of Wonder

Toad for Tuesday by Russell Erickson

Tootle

Tove Jansson’s Moomin books

Treasury of Mother Goose

Truman’s Aunt Farm by Jama Kim Rattigan

Turn of the Century: Eleven Centuries of Children and Change by Ellen Jackson

Two by Two by Barbara Reid

Two Roman Mice by Horace, retold by Marilynne K. Roach

Ugly Duckling, The

Umbrella (about a little Japanese girl in New York City)          Taro Yashima

Uncle Wiggly Book by Howard R. Garis

Understood Besty by Fisher

Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Veronica by Roger Duvoisin

Very Best Home for Me, The

Very Hungry Caterpillar and others by Eric Carle

Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews

Violet Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

W is for World: A Round the World ABC (Kathryn Cave)

Warm as Wool by Scott Russell Sanders

Water Babies, The by Charles Kingsley

Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

What Do You Do, Dear, and What Do You Say, Dear by Sesyle Joslin–comical

Wheel on the Chimney (Margaret Wise Brown)

Wheel on the School, The by Meindert De Jong

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains? by May Garelick

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Whistle for Willie

Who Is Coming to Our House by Joseph Slate

Who Owns the Sun? by Stacy Chbosky

Wild Horses of Sweetbriar, The by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Winnie the Pooh

With You All the Way by Max Lucado

Wonderful Wizard, The of Oz

Wynken, Blynken and Nod

Year at Maple Hill Farm (and others) Alice and Martin Provensen

Year of Mrs. Ages, The by Hill

Yellow and Pink (a good argument for creationism) William Steig

Yellow Ball by Molly Bang

Yellow Fairy Book, The by Andrew Lang

Yikang’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in a Chinese Village (Sungwan So) – China

You Are Special by Max Lucado