5 Chapter Books To Read With Your Toddler or Preschooler
The first chapter book I read to my daughter was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. I’d snuggle her 7 pound body into me while she nursed and read page after page over her head. Edward was a book that made me sob more times than I could count and I wanted it to be the first story my daughter heard. My husband worked long hours, and I was home alone with a newborn in a new apartment, in a state halfway across the country. If I’m being honest, I haven’t read Edward since those precious newborn days.
““You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next.”
― Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane”
The day’s after my son came home, I was sent a book in the mail by a friend. Abel’s Island by William Steig. I asked on Instagram if anyone remembers the name of a book about a mouse who was shipwrecked on an island alone. She messaged me the title and a couple of weeks later I was holding a new book and a new baby.
If the days following EJ’s homecoming, I’d snuggle my 6 pound mighty guy and read a story over his sweet head to his big sister.
““Abel also kept busy taking it easy. Only when taking it easy, he’d learned, could one properly do one’s wondering.”
― William Steig, Abel’s Island”
There’s an amazing era of time in homeschooling where you find yourself reading to a toddler. This phase is especially wonderful because you’re building the habit of attention and you’re able to choose books with little to no pressure of meeting the needs of a curriculum or the necessity of a book report or narration.
During this time you can choose books that you and your child enjoy. The snuggles are an added perk.
I’ve compiled a list of our favorite chapter books to read with toddlers or preschoolers.
Winnie the Pooh: If I could give any advice to a mom of a preschooler, it would be to read any of the Winnie the Pooh books. Pooh is, quite simply, hilarious. The books are witty with a clever sense of humor. The sounds of 3-year-old giggles while Pooh bear tries to become a rain cloud will remain in my mind when I’m old and grey. Pooh Bear is also a wonderful book to listen to on audio. If possible, find one that does all the voices.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins: I’ve yet to meet an animal-obsessed toddler that doesn’t love penguins. Mr. Popper is such an adorable book. The idea of having a pet penguin is ridiculously silly to a preschooler. Add in a family of preforming penguins and you have giggles galore. In our home, Mr. Popper leads to many pretend arctic adventures.
Paddington Bear: Can you imagine finding a marmalade loving bear on a train platform and you take him home? Paddington gets into so much trouble. My son adored the scene where Paddington floods the bathroom during his bath.
My Father’s Dragon: When Elmer finds a cat, he’s led on a grand adventure to the Island of Tangerina to rescue a baby dragon. We’ve always found this book to be witty and enjoyable with engaging tales of Elmer’s encounters with different animals. Some families don’t enjoy the disobedience aspect of the book or the fact that Elmer runs away, but it’s never inspired either of my children to sneak stray cats into the house or run away to save dragons.
Mr. Cleghorn’s Seal: What does one do when you find an abandoned baby seal while on holiday? You take it home to your apartment. This is exactly what Mr. Cleghorn does when he finds a baby seal and names him Charlie. This book does have a sensitive nature of the mother seal possibly being poached. It’s a quick read that helps build the habit of reading longer books.
There’s probably a million and one books you can read to your preschooler and toddler, these are just a handful of our favorites.
In these quiet growing years, it’s important to build habits that will lead to easier school days ahead. Reading longer stretches of chapter book can help prepare littles for the long reading lessons and naration tasks ahead.
