Great Read-Aloud Children's Books with Reviews and Sample Lesson Plans

I was the library storytime presenter at my local library in a small town in western Arizona for three years. Here is my list of read-aloud children's books. I specifically recommend most of these books because they have textual and visual elements that can keep a group of young children engaged in the story.

The first section, Recommended Reading, includes a Book Title, Author, and ISBN number. You can use the ISBN number to search for the book on Amazon.com, The Library of Congress, and some children's literature web sites.

I will be adding book reviews for each recommended book with lesson plan helps. This will be a work in progress. Please become a member of my fan club if you would like to be notified when I add new book reviews.

• Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton, ISBN 1563054426
• Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson, ISBN 068984509X
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Eric Carle, ISBN 0805047905
• Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells, ISBN 0140566678
• Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina, ISBN 0061474533
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. (Author), John Archambault (Author), Lois Ehlert (Illustrator), ISBN 0439806968
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, ISBN 0061119741
• Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, ISBN 0439622778
• Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelo, ISBN 0618836829
• Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat (Author), Jose Aruego (Illustrator), ISBN 0590433504
• The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, ISBN 0064434508
• Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb, by Al Perkins (Author), Eric Gurney (Illustrator), ISBN 0394810767
• Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gachenbach, ISBN 0899192238
• Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson, ISBN 1416950834
• Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback, ISBN 0670878553
• The King With Six Friends Jay Williams (Author), Imero Gobbato (Illustrator), ISBN 0819303429
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff (Author) and Felicia Bond (Illustrator), ISBN 0061128562
• Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes, ISBN 0688128971
• The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges, ISBN 0142301892
• "More More More," Said the Baby by Vera B. Wlliams, ISBN 0688091733
• No David! by David Shannon, ISBN 0590930028
• Olivia by Ian Falconer, ISBN 0689860889
• One Tiny Turtle: Read and Wonder by Nicola Davies (Author), Jane Chapman (Illustrator), ISBN 0763623113

• The Rainbow Fish by by Marcus Pfister and J. Alison James, ISBN 1558580093
• Snowballs by Lois Ehlert (Author), ISBN 0152020950
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, ISBN 0670654000
• So Much! by Trish Cooke (Author), Helen Oxenbury (Illustrator), ISBN 0763602965
• There's an Alligator Under My Bed by Mercer Mayer (Author), ISBN 0803703740
• To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss, ISBN 0007169922
• Too Many Pumpkins, by Linda White (Author), ISBN 1591128315
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, ISBN 0399247459
• Where Once There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming (Illustrator), ISBN 0805064826
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, ISBN 0060254920

Click on each book title below to see a short summary of the story, book themes, and a recommended lesson plan. This also will include tips from my own experience reading these books in a library story time setting. I welcome your suggestions and comments, and am looking forward to hearing how they worked for you.