Picture Books for Beginning Readers (Pre K - Grade 1)

Children beginning to read need books that grab their attention and make reading fun. Pick books about topics that interest your child, both fiction and non-fiction are great. Books with simple words, large and clear fonts, rhyming and lots of repetition will help kids begin to recognize words and understand the different sounds that make up language.

Updated May 29, 2025
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Lambton County Library Summer Reading Challenge 2025
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Ahoy!
Blackall, Sophie.
Paper Book
Join a child captain and parent first mate as they embark on a wild high seas adventure...all without leaving the living room! This imaginative romp of a picture book is filled with glorious illustrations from a beloved Caldecott Medalist and New York Times bestselling creator.
Bear came along
Morris, Richard T.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Richard T. Morris and bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham comes a cheerful and action-packed adventure about the importance of friendship and community. Once there was a river flowing through a forest. The river didn't know it was capable of...
Bear snores on
Wilson, Karma.
Paper Book
One by one, a whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. But even after the tea has been brewed and the corn has been popped, Bear just snores on! See what happens when he finally wakes up and finds his cave full of uninvited...
Big truck little island
Van Dusen, Chris.
Paper Book
That big truck is stuck! How will the island residents get where they're going? A tale of community and ingenuity from the celebrated Chris Van Dusen, inspired by a true story. When a big truck and its big load get stuck on a narrow road, traffic on the little island comes to a...
Big words for little paleontologists : the dino dictionary every little explorer needs
Gerry, Lisa.
Paper Book
This stunningly illustrated picture book will inspire every budding paleontologist with the impressive words that dino-crazy little kids love to learn--and show off! Featuring more than 50 wow-worthy words, with definitions and phonetic pronunciation, this info...
Blue Bison needs a haircut
Rothman, Scott.
Paper Book
Blue Bison tries his best to be patient in this humorous picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald. Blue Bison prides himself on always looking clean and neat. But he has a growing problem--his hair. With the barber shops and just about...
Built to last
Le, Minh
Paper Book
Meet two friends who think they're building imaginative worlds with blocks but come to realize they've been building something far greater--a sturdy, solid friendship--in this picturebook by award-winning creators. Two kids build entire worlds out of blocks, cardboard, and...
Chez Bob
Shea, Bob.
Paper Book
"A perfect book." -Sandra Boynton, bestselling author From the hilarious author of Who Wet My Pants?, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great, and the Dinosaur Vs. series comes a kid pleasing favorite about a devious alligator who learns to love! ...
The day the crayons quit
Jeffers Oliver.
Paper Book
The hilarious, colorful #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon that every kid wants! Gift a copy to someone you love today. A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Century Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he...
Dragons love tacos
Rubin, Adam
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, this deliciously funny read-aloud is an unforgettable tale of new friends and the perfect snack that will make you laugh until spicy salsa comes out of your nose. Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big...
Eyes that kiss in the corners
Ho, Joanna.
Ebook
Fry bread : a Native American family story
Maillard, Kevin Noble.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal A 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book Honor Winner "A wonderful and sweet book . . . Lovely stuff." --The New York Times Book Review Told in lively and powerful...
The Great Lakes : our freshwater treasure
Rosenstock, Barb.
Paper Book
A stunning picture book about the five largest lakes in North America - how they formed, the importance of their abundant freshwater, and how they've become a national treasure - in the latest book from the author of Caldecott Honor book The Noisy Paint Box. A SCHOOL...
Knight Owl and Early Bird
Denise, Christopher.
Paper Book
A New York Times and Indie Bestseller * In this exciting adventure and follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor award-winning classic, Knight Owl makes an unlikely friend in the over-zealous Early Bird--who wants to be a brave knight,...
Last stop on Market Street
de la Pena, Matt.
Paper Book
On Sundays, CJ and his nana ride the bus across town to their stop on Market Street. But today, CJ's not happy about it. Today, he's wondering out loud why they have to wait in the rain and why they don't have a car like his other friends. But it's Nana who opens young CJ's eyes and shows him the...
The legend of Rock Paper Scissors
Rex, Adam.
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller! 5 Starred Reviews! "Will have listeners in stitches." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Purely absurd, sidesplitting humor." --Booklist (starred review) "Demands bombastic, full-volume performances." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) ...
The library fish learns to read
Capucilli Alyssa Satin
Paper Book
Library Fish returns in this charming picture book about the unusually literary fish learning to do what everyone around her loves--read! Library Fish is very happy in her bowl on Mr. Hughes the librarian's desk. From there, she listens to story time and watches Mr. Hughes teach...
Little blue truck
McElmurry, Jill.
Paper Book
Beep! Beep! Beep! Meet Blue. A muddy country road is no match for this little pick up--that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get...
The man who didn't like animals
Underwood, Deborah.
Paper Book
*A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year!* *An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of the Year!* Who was Old MacDonald before he had a farm? A New York Times bestselling duo brings us this freshly imagined origin story about the storied farmer...
Orris and Timble : the beginning
DiCamillo, Kate.
Paper Book
From beloved storyteller Kate DiCamillo comes the first book in a warm and funny early-reader trilogy about a misanthropic rat and a naive owl--and the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Orris the rat lives alone in an old barn surrounded by his treasures, until the day his...
Owl moon
Yolen, Jane.
Paper Book
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER * A soothing, poetic picture book that lovingly depicts the relationship of a young child and her father alongside humankind's relationship to the natural world. A verbal and visual treasure for the whole family! I had been waiting to go...
The proudest blue : a story of hijab and family
Muhammad, Ibtihaj
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!   A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school--and two sisters on one's first day of hijab--by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.   With...
The rough patch
Lies, Brian
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A breathtakingly beautiful and luminescent book that is pitch-perfect for anyone of any age who has experienced any type of loss or disappointment, from New York Times-bestselling picture book creator Brian Lies. New York Times...
The slime book
Yeates, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Over 30 delightfully gloopy, gooey, colorful DIY recipes will mesmerize youngsters by showing them how to make slime. Play, poke, push, pull, and pop fabulous easy-to-follow slime recipes. They are all tried and tested by our slime experts, so you don't have to search the vast...
Tomorrow I'll be kind
Hische, Jessica.
Paper Book
The very impatient caterpillar
Burach, Ross.
Paper Book
We are water protectors
Lindstrom, Carole
Paper Book
From author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Michaela Goade comes a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal winning picture book that honors Indigenous-led movements across the world. Powerfully written and gorgeously illustrated, We Are Water Protectors,...
The yellow bus
Long, Loren.
Paper Book
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller A #1 Indie Bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling and beloved creator Loren Long, The Yellow Bus is a tender and hopeful new classic about embracing change and celebrating service to...

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