Great Books to Read to Your Young Children

Reading is a vital skill to develop as it remains useful throughout life. If you have young children, teaching them how to read should be a priority. In years to come, they will thank you for encouraging early childhood literacy. Here is a list of great books to read to your young children.

1.  Green Eggs and Ham

This book was written by Dr. Seuss, one of America’s most famous children’s authors. Green Eggs and Ham is an excellent example of a funny book that children enjoy. The simplicity and silliness of the story have appealed to children and adults alike. The book also has interesting artwork, which combined with the story, encourages young children to develop a love for reading. As you read the book to your kids, you’ll find them responding to the rhythm of the language and sound of your voice. This is an excellent pick as it helps young children to develop language.   

2.  The Adventures of Mrs. Pepperpot

Alf Proysen and Hilda Offen do a great job here in nurturing an imaginative mind in the young. Your kids are sure to enjoy the shrinking antics of Mrs. Pepperpot. Whenever she shrinks, Mrs. Pepperpot gets into an awful lot of trouble. One of the most engaging episodes happens when Mrs. Pepperpot goes swimming but shrinks on jumping into the pool. No less than a frog comes to her rescue and gives her swimming lessons as well. With plenty of shrinking episodes in the book, your children will want you to keep turning the pages.

3.  The Snowy Day

Written by Ezra Jack Keats, the beautiful story told in this book is sure to encourage your child to appreciate the wonders of winter. True, snowfall adds to our responsibilities, what with all the shoveling involved. However, Peter, the young lad in the story is determined to experience the wonders of winter. He has loads of fun making footprints in the snow and creating snow angels and snowballs. The Snowy Day is an excellent book for teaching young children how to appreciate good thing, even when they appear to involve hard work.

4.  There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

This picture book by Pam Adams is sure to engage your kids during reading sessions. It tells a funny story of an old lady with a knack for eating animals. Initially, she swallows a fly then proceeds to eat one animal after another, presumably to get at the fly. Each animal she eats happens to be chasing another animal she had eaten earlier. The old lady hopes that each animal eaten will catch previous animal also in her body. Unfortunately, the old woman only gets bigger and bigger. Eventually, the old lady swallows a horse, causing her tragic death. The book has big, bold text and colorful illustrations, which helps to captivate young children.

Reading good books to children helps them to cultivate an appreciation for reading. You can play a role in helping your children to develop an interest in certain careers, at an early age. Who knows, the love for books may encourage the pursuit of a librarian career. Check out www.librariandegree.org for more information on a career as a librarian.

Sources:

Green Eggs and Ham. (2012) Best Books for Kids.
The Adventures of Mrs. Pepperpot. (2012) Waterstones.
The Best Books to Read with Your Kids. (2012) Parenting.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. (2012) Goodreads.