100 Books You Should Read Aloud with Your Children

The top 100 must-read books for parents to read aloud to their kids.

I can still remember the very first time I read aloud to one of my children.

My very first baby was only a couple of months old, and it was clear that both she and I were getting more than a bit bored holed up in our little house for those long, cold, winter days. She was fussy. I was fussy. So I picked up a board book, the only one we had, and I lay on the floor beside her. I held the book up in the air and began reading and turning the pages — and something magical happened.

Reading aloud gave me a new way to connect to my little girl. And to this exhausted mother’s relief, it didn’t involve me carrying on endless one-sided conversations, shaking toys, or making silly faces in order to keep her happy. I discovered an amazing parenting tool that day that has formed our family culture.

Finding Good Read-Alouds

But that very first board book I read to my oldest all those years ago? It kinda stunk. I’ve had to do a lot of searching over the years to find the good ones — you know, the books that grown-ups don’t mind reading, and kids ask for again and again.

A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”

C. S. Lewis

Several years (and babies!) later, reading aloud to my kids has become one of my most favourite parts of parenting. The snuggles. The stories. The giggles. From those very first board books enjoyed with baby snuggled on my lap, to enjoying action-packed adventures with my older kids while they beg for “one more chapter!” , there isn’t anything like it.

Your public library is probably filled, like mine, with choices. But nobody wants to pick a dud or waste their time on a book that lets them down. That’s why I’m sharing with you this list of 100 must-read books that are sure to be enjoyable for both you AND your children. From picture books to chapter books, classics to living authors, this list is chock full of books to build memories with!

I’ve also included a printable version of this list that you can tuck into your purse, take along with you to the library, or keep on hand for those times when you need a trusty list to help you find your next book.

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100 of the Best Books to Read Aloud to Your Children

Must-Read Picture Books to Read Aloud

These fantastic read-alouds are perfect for younger children, but many are enjoyable even for older kids. Use these selections for snuggling up with your babies, toddlers, preschoolers and big kids too!

1. Moo, Ba, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

2. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle

3. Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman

4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

5. Mucha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming

6 Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens

7. The Napping House by Audrey Wood

8. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

9. The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

10. This is My Home, This is My School by Jonathan Bean

11. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

12. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

13. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

14. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

15. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

16. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

17. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

18. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

19. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

20. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

21. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

22. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

23. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

24. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

25. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

26. Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik

27. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

28. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

29. Curious George by H. A. Rey

30. The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

31. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

32. Brave Irene by William Steig

33. A Chair for My Mother by Vera B Williams

34. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett

35. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

36. Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry G. Allard

37. The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame

38. Something from Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

39. The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Laura Thompson

40. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Must Read Chapter Books to Read Aloud

These are my favourite type of read-aloud by far! There isn’t anything I love more than well-written kid-lit and this list is sure to please parents as much as it does kids!

Start with the shorter books that have lots of pictures once your little ones are showing signs of longer attention spans, and then move on up as their appetites and attention grows.