Preschool Books

Z is for Moose

Michelle — Sun, 25 Dec 2022 05:11:25 +0000

We have checked this book out from the library multiple times and it has not lost its appeal. Whether you have a child who is learning their letters or not, your kids are sure to enjoy this alphabet presentation featuring an interrupting moose.

Z is for Moose Details

Title: Z is for Moose
Author: Kelly Bingham
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Publication Year: 2012
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

This book starts out like many other alphabet books. However, by the time you get to D is for Moose, you know something is awry. The poor moose wants to be in the story so badly that he can’t wait for the letter M. My kids thought it was hysterical when the book finally gets to the letter M, and find out that M is for mouse. The Zebra organizing the parade of characters basically tells the moose, “we decided to go in a different direction.” What follows is anger, pettiness, grief, and ultimately a satisying conclusion for the poor moose.

My oldest thinks this would be a terrible book to introduce kids to the alphabet. He may be right, but it doesn’t matter. This book is so clever and humorous that the chaos is well worth the confusion. Honestly, if a child is just starting to recognize the alphabet and letter sounds, this would be the perfect book to read. The unexpected and incorrect pairings will keep them on their toes!

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The Very Impatient Caterpillar

Michelle — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 04:57:49 +0000

All of my children laughed along with this very impatient caterpillar’s journey through metamorphosis. Honestly, I think it is because all of them can relate to the “are we there yet” mentality. We parents on the other hand will feel solidarity with this impatient caterpillar’s friends.

The Very Impatient Caterpillar Details

Title: The Very Impatient Caterpillar
Author/Illustrator: Ross Burach
Publication Year: 2019
Website: www.rossburach.com
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

Hilarious science books are hard to come by, but this one fits the bill. This educational picture book will teach your kids a lot about metamorphosis. However, your child will not even realize they are being presented with scientific information. They will be too busy enjoying the story of this impatient caterpillar. The story is written entirely in dialogue format which is engaging even to the youngest reader, especially those who have a lot to say and trouble waiting!

A long time ago our family did one of those butterfly gardens where we raised caterpillars and watched them go through this metamorphosis process. This would be the perfect book to accompany that activity! By giving the caterpillar in the story such a strong, distinctive personality, the kids will better attach to the insects they are raising and enjoy imagining them being as impatient as the insect in this tale.

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Be Quiet!

Michelle — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:41:02 +0000

This clever, unique picture book lets us imagine that we are getting to see behind the scenes of a picture book being made. The main character has a vision that it will be a wordless pictures book, but his friends unintentionally mess up all his plans. I don’t know what it is about my children, but they get a big kick out of plans gone awry.

Be Quiet! Details

Title: Be Quiet!
Author/Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins
Publication Year: 2017
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

The premise of this amusing book had everyone in our family smiling along. That poor mouse just wants to make an artsy wordless picture book. The book is presented as if it were filming him as he stars in this story walking through beautiful scenery. However, his two friends are completely unable to keep quiet even when they try their best. I’m sure a lot of young readers will be able to relate. The hilarious climax of the book comes when the protagonist finally can’t take it anymore and snaps. He fills his story up with a frustrated eruption of words until they are running off the page.

Adding to the humor is the fact that the two talkative characters in this book have a lot of comical misunderstandings such as interpreting “onomatopoeia” (sound words) as “Imma-gonna-pee-a.” Even my oldest was laughing out loud. This book also features a cute, cuddly, deadly kitten, a cucumber with googly eyes, and the phrase “lettuce sweater.” What more can you ask for?

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Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great

Michelle — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 05:45:44 +0000

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great is a hilarious tale for anyone who has ever felt a little envious. The story is told from the point of view of a goat who is repeatedly outdone by the magical unicorn. In the end, the two learn to appreciate their differences. Hilarity ensues throughout the entire evolution of their developing friendship.

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great Details

Title: Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
Author/Illustrator: Bob Shea
Publication Year: 2013
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

One of the things I love most about books is that they reflect back to us emotions that we all feel which helps us to become more aware of what we are feeling. In this story, the main character, a goat, is a school-age child who thinks he has a lot of confidence until a unicorn comes to town. The goat is envious of all of the unicorn’s magical abilities. However, later on, the unicorn smells the goat’s amazing goat cheese pizza and we find out the unicorn has some insecurities as well.

This book would be adorable and sweet if it were just a book about realizing that everyone has their own unique strengths. However, this book has the added advantage that it is hilarious. I was not familiar with the author Bob Shea before this book, but now I think we are going to have to check out more of his books. Any book that includes lines like “Taste my cloven justice!” and “I can only eat glitter and rainbows. Darn my sensitive stomach!” is a winner in my book. Just as a warning, this book does include the phrase, “Stupid regular hooves!” Be prepped to change that word or warn your kids that this book has some language not to be repeated if you choose!

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Falling For Rapunzel

Michelle — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 21:54:22 +0000

My 9-year-old daughter thought this book was so hysterical, she read it multiple times. You know a book is funny when even an 11-year-old boy is laughing at a story about Rapunzel. This fractured tale involves a lot of comical understandings which even my 5 year old enjoyed.

Falling for Rapunzel Details

Title: Falling for Rapunzel
Author: Leah Wilcox
Illustrator: Lydia Monks
Publication Year: 2003
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten
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Comments

This book is pretty old, but we stumbled across it by accident at the library. I am a huge fan of fractured fairy tales to begin with. I love the idea of taking a classic story and switching up some aspect of it. This particular version of Rapunzel is set in modern times. The illustrations include elements such as cars, computers, and blow dryers. The primary comical vehicle in this story is that Rapunzel cannot understand the prince who is trying to convince her to let down her hair. My kids think it is hysterical when she throws down her underwear instead. In the end, Rapunzel’s maid rides off with the prince rather than Rapunzel. There is an added element of humor when she walks out her back door to leave the tower.

Another aspect of this picture book that I appreciate is the illustrations. While most of it is drawn, many of the trees are created using photographs of the leaves and branches of real trees. This adds visual interest that draws the audience in. There are also many details that are not necessarily relevant to the plotline but add humor as well, such as Rapunzel’s messy room and her crayon-drawn decorations. This attention to detail makes this a book that kids will want to revisit.

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The Bear Who Wasn’t There

Michelle — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 04:17:45 +0000

This story starring a missing bear had wide appeal among my kids. The humor was simple and straightforward enough that my 5 year old was laughing out loud. The clever way the characters are talking directly to the reader and the author even made an appearance was amusing even for my 11 year old. (Not to mention the brief and harmless potty humor that had my 9 year old practically rolling on the floor.)

The Bear Who Wasn’t There Details

Title: The Bear Who Wasn’t There
Author/Illustrator: LeUyen Pham
Publication Year: 2016
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

This is such a sweet and clever story. My kids always enjoy it when a picture book lets them feel like they are part of an inside joke. This entire book feels as if it is a picture book gone wrong. The bear is supposed to be the star of the book, but the bear just, well, isn’t there. Instead, a duck tries to steal the spotlight as all the other animals (and even the author) try to locate the missing bear. The dialogue bubbles intermixed with the story text is engaging. My kids enjoyed the way the characters talk to each other from one page to the next as they fold down the corners. My kids’ favorite part is when a mouse plays a prank on the audience and tricks us into walking in on a giraffe trying to go potty.

This book would also be a good way to introduce kids to the idea of a fourth wall and how sometimes the fourth wall can be broken for humor’s sake. This entire story is one big example of the fourth wall being missing. We, the audience, are a part of the story and my kids loved going along for the ride! (P.S. Don’t forget to pay attention to the back cover and the book flaps for some bonus giggles.)

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I Am Not a Chair!

Michelle — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:53:54 +0000

Any picture book featuring an indignant giraffe is pretty much guaranteed to be a winner. This book about a giraffe who comically keeps getting confused for a chair in more and more absurd circumstances does not disappoint. All of my kids from ages 5 to 11 thought this story was hysterical.

I Am Not a Chair Details

Title: I Am Not a Chair!
Author/Illustrator: Ross Burach
Publication Year: 2017
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

This book is simultaneously completely ridiculous and laugh-out-loud funny. All of the forest animals think that the giraffe is a chair despite all of his attempts to set them straight. This story might be funny if that were the extent of the plotline, but there are actually a few twists that make you think the story is going one way when it takes an unexpected turn. For example, the giraffe runs into a human who we were sure was going to recognize the animal, but nope. He was still mistaken for furniture. His interaction with a lion was delightful.

I appreciate humorous books that all of my kids can enjoy. Many of them go over my 5 year old’s head, but not this one. It turns out that absurdity is appealing to children of all ages. Add to that the fact that towards the end of the story the giraffe has to pee and this book is a surefire winner among those that enjoy a little potty humor (which definitely includes all four of my children).

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Guess Again!

Michelle — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 04:55:56 +0000

This surprising book delighted my kids and had them giggling the whole way through. On each page their is a rhyming passage with the last word left out. The lines read like a clue and the illustrations show a grayed out shadow with the outline of the character the child is supposed to guess. However when you turn the page, the character and the illustration are entirely unexpected. All of my kid wanted to look at this book again on their own after I was done reading it to them.

Guess Again! Details

Title: Guess Again!
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Publication Year: 2009
Website: www.macbarnett.com
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

You have to actually hold this book in your hands to appreciate how funny it is. For example, the first page is a little poem that clearly points to the missing word at the end being “bunny.” The images shows a carrot patch with the a black outline of what obviously appears to be a rabbit. However, when you turn the page, it just says “Grandpa Ned” and shows a picture of a man standing on his hand with his socks hanging down from his feet like rabbit ears.

The entire book is like this. My kids could not wait for me to turn each page and reveal the hilarious, non-sensical answer. The book also has occasional interesting features in it. One of the pages has a flap to reveal the answer. One of the pages has a cutaway that lets you peer through a mousehole to try to see the answer. While that page clearly directs you to an answer of mouse, when you turn the page, the answer is Viking. The Viking’s furry toe does bear a resemblance to a mouse.

All in all, this book is delightful in the most literal sense of the word. My kids were filled with delight, their eyes sparkling an anticipation, as we turned the pages of this book.

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Noodleheads See the Future

Michelle — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 03:27:13 +0000

My kids were recently enrolled in a storytelling class called Telling Tales through Brave Writer. One of their assignments suggested using the book Noodlehead Stories: World Stories Kids Can Tell and Retell. Although that book does not have any pictures, all of my kids thought the stories about foolish people doing silly things were hilarious. While searching for that book at the library, I discovered that there is a Noodlehead picture book series as well. It turns out, my kids are just big fans of Noodleheads in general.

Noodleheads See the Future Details

Title: Noodleheads See the Future
Author: Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton, and Mitch Weiss
Illustrator: Tedd Arnold
Publication Year: 2018
Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/NHD/noodleheads
Age Group: Kindergarten, Early Elementary, Mid Elementary
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Comments

Since my kids aren’t allowed to use what they call the “stu word,” they would tell you that these Noodleheads are….not so smart. I’ll be honest, I thought the original anthology, Noodlehead Stories, linked to above is even more hilarious than these illustrated versions. It is packed full of ridiculous people doing ridiculous things. However, my kids really seem to enjoy these picture books as well.

Even my 4 year old seems to understand the humor in these books as the activities these Noodleheads engage in are beyond belief even to a preschooler. For example, in both versions of these stories there is a tale about Noodleheads cutting off the branch of a tree they are sitting on. When someone tells them they are going to fall if they don’t stop, and then the prediction comes true, they assume that the wise person must be able to see the future.

While I wouldn’t add these picture books to our permanent collection, they are definitely worth a laugh if you can get them from the library!

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The Gruffalo

Michelle — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 05:24:20 +0000

All of my kids laughed out loud at the clever mouse’s tricks in this charming story. It’s rare to find a book that appeals equally to my four and ten year olds, but The Gruffalo was definitely a winner. Combine the clever plot with the colorful illustrations and the lyrical rhyming text and you have a perfect family read aloud.

The Gruffalo Details

Title: The Gruffalo
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Alex Scheffler
Publication Year: 2012
Website: https://www.gruffalo.com/
Age Group: Preschool, Kindergarten, Early Elementary
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Comments

I think what makes this book so appealing to the young kids is the parallel structure of the story. A mouse encounters a variety of animals and tricks each one into not eating him using the same ploy each time. My preschooler loved being able to anticipate what was going to happen and having knowledge that the characters in the story were missing.

What made this book appealing to my older child was the trick that the mouse plays at the end to avoid getting eaten by the Gruffalo. Again, there is a repetition in this section that the younger kids find humorous. All and all, it is a very simple storyline that any child can follow. The weakest character triumphing at the end using his superior wits is a message that anyone can get behind.

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Preschool Books

Z is for Moose

Z is for Moose Details

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The Very Impatient Caterpillar

The Very Impatient Caterpillar Details

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Be Quiet!

Be Quiet! Details

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Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great Details

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Falling For Rapunzel

Falling for Rapunzel Details

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The Bear Who Wasn’t There

The Bear Who Wasn’t There Details

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I Am Not a Chair!

I Am Not a Chair Details

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Guess Again!

Guess Again! Details

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Noodleheads See the Future

Noodleheads See the Future Details

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The Gruffalo

The Gruffalo Details

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