We love books! That being said, I wanted to share some of favorite books! We spend time reading each night before bed and these are the most common repeat offenders. Not only are they her favorites, but Grant and I also really enjoy them. So if you're wondering, what should I buy for a 3 or 4 old? Or if you need to fill up your personal library, here are our recs.
Piggie & Elephant and Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus keep Kenzie very actively involved. You really can't go wrong with any Mo Willems books. He's brilliant! Both Grant and I enjoy them and Kenzie is enthralled by them. Piggie & Elephant always make her giggle and we feel like they teach such good life lessons about sharing, making new friends, including new friends, reality, etc. Seriously, I can't say enough good things!
There is a Monster at the end of this Book
Now this book is hilarious! Mackenzie literally gets in this book's face and talks to it! She also very quickly started reading it on her own. It brings a lot of laughs and interactions. "Did you know that you are very strong?" and Kenzie yells, "YES!".
The Giving Tree
Oh, my heartstrings. I imagine you've heard of this book and if you don't have it, buy it! You'll keep it your entire life. You might even cry when you read it. Life lesson included? Yes. This was gifted to me by a dear friend, Melissa, and I always think of her when we read it.
Ten Little Ladybugs
If your preschooler loves practicing their counting, this book is perfect! She counts them forward. She counts them backward. She counts them in spanish. And then at the end she yells, "HOME!".
The Carrot Seed
This is one of my personal favorites. What a great story about perseverance even when you're not receiving any support (from his family in this book). Kenzie also started to read this book by memory pretty quickly and she gets so excited at the end when the carrot comes up!
Goodnight, Gorilla
I love the narrative this book creates. We talk about the lovies that the animals have. We talk about how everyone is feeling. We talk about how the gorilla was a stinker. We repeatedly shhh each other.
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
We like the drum on the book and read this to a beat. We even end up "singing" this book randomly while at target or at the park. It does stick with you and it makes you want to go back and read it again.
There's a Wocket in my Pocket
What! My 3 year old is so in to rhyming. She's also SO in to rhyming real words with made up words. I have no idea where she got that?! 😂. This book is so silly and it teaches your kiddos about rhyming in a fun way.
Wacky Wednesday
Caution. Read this book if you have an extra 15 minutes before bed. This book has fun activities that you can do together and talk through. Kenz loves pointing out what is "wacky" about each scene and she fees extremely proud when she finds details that can easily missed. "Oh my goodness, you're so smart! I didn't even see that, girlfriend!"
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Oh the imagination. Definitely a staple.
I Love You, A Storybook Collection
Here are the books contained in this collection:
I Love You Because You're You
I Love You, Too
I Love You, Stinky Face
I Love You Through and Through
Mama Loves You
Truly, my personal favorite. This is the one book that I always pack for bedtime reading when we travel. The first love story is my absolute favorite. And it contains Kenzie's favorite love story, "I love you stinky face".
I love You, Stinkyface
If you don't want to buy the above storybook collection, my 3 year old would highly recommend this book. She wants to read it at least 3 nights a week.
Little Blue Truck
We were gifted this book on Kenzie's 2nd birthday by a neighbor and it was been treasured. Reading it out loud has a fun beat and more importantly it contains fabulous life lessons that we talk through. For instance, team work, getting too busy and feeling too important and how it hurts you & your relationships, kindness, etc.
Everybody Poops
Well. The title says it all. A one hump camel makes a one hump poop and a two hump camel makes a two hump poop. JUST KIDDING. No, but really, this book was helpful during potty training and it has helped my 3 year old feel more comfortable popping in public knowing that, literally, everybody poops.
Dinosaur's Binkit
This is a fun one. Kenzie interacts with it and has most of it memorized. The lift flaps and touchy feely parts are fun too. I found this at an estate sale and it has been on a regular rotation since.
Blue Hat, Green Hat
This is the first book that made Mackenzie laugh out loud. I even found her reading it out loud to herself and then laughing at the punchline. It's pretty good if you want to see your small human with a sense of humor.
When I'm feeling Scared
We have the "When I'm feeling... " collection. These have sincerely helped our 3 year old verbalize her emotions and use her words better. "Hmph, I feel angry!". This particular book has also helped with some nighttime fear. I highly recommend the collection. She often picks a few of these for our bedtime reading.
Knuffle Bunny
Mo Willems again, what can I say?
