1000 Books Before Kindergarten

These books are recommended for children ages birth to 5. Are you enrolled in our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Book Club? This is a special book club for children ages birth to 5. Click here for more information: https://sussexcountylibrary.org/1000-books/

Updated June 12, 2024
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Where's my teddy?
Alborough, Jez
Paper Book
Little Eddy loses his toy bear and has to go looking for him in the dark, horrible woods - where he's in for a gigantic surprise.
Goodnight moon
Brown, Margaret Wise
Paper Book
In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day. In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight...
Mr Grumpy's outing
Burningham, John
Paper Book
One day Mr Gumpy went out on his boat. "May we come with you?" said the children. "Yes," said Mr Gumpy, "if you don't squabble." When Mr Gumpy goes on a boat trip, the children, the rabbit, the cat and the pig want to come too! But as more and more friends join, the...
Stellaluna
Cannon, Janell
Paper Book
Stellaluna is a fruit bat, separated from her mother before she can fly. Looked after by birds, she learns about similarities, differences and the essence of friendship.
Biscuit loves the library /
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin,
Paper Book
It is Read to a Pet Day at the library, and Biscuit and his friend the little girl are excited to look at all of the books. And with the help of someone very special, the little yellow puppy finds the perfect book to read and share. Book lovers of all ages will appreciate...
The very hungry caterpillar
Carle, Eric.
Paper Book
THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! A sturdy and beautiful book to give as a gift for new babies, baby showers, birthdays, and other new beginnings! Featuring interactive die-cut pages, this board...
Hair love
Cherry, Matthew A.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and tie-in to Academy-Award Winning Short Film "Hair Love"   "I love that Hair Love is highlighting the relationship between a Black father and daughter. Matthew leads the ranks of new creatives who are telling unique stories of the Black...
Click, clack, moo : cows that type
Cronin, Doreen
Paper Book
The quirky, hilarious farmyard tale that started it all from New York Times bestselling duo of Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin! Now the inspiration for a new Christmas special, CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Christmas on the Farm. Farmer Brown has a problem. ...
Are you my mother? /
Eastman, P. D.
Paper Book
The must-have, heartwarming and hilarious classic about a baby bird in search of his mother! A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird's egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for...
Go away, big green monster!
Emberley, Ed.
Paper Book
OVER 1.3 MILLION COPIES SOLD!   Caldecott winner Ed Emberley's classic interactive story lets children scare away their bedtime frights and is silly fun for Halloween and every other day of the year! As...
Olivia
Falconer, Ian
Paper Book
This Caldecott Honor Book and #1 New York Times bestseller is perfect for pig-loving kids everywhere! It's everyone's favorite pig...it's OLIVIA! Join Olivia as she... -dresses up -sings songs -builds sand castles -naps (maybe) ...
Bark, George
Feiffer, Jules.
Paper Book
Named one of 100 Great Children's Books by The New York Public Library and #9 on School Library Journal's list of the Top 100 Picture Books! From acclaimed author-illustrator Jules Feiffer, Bark, George is a hilarious, subversive story about a dog who can't . . . bark! This...
Where is the green sheep?
Fox, Mem
Paper Book
Little ones are sure to be lulled off to a peaceful, sheep-filled sleep by this cozy book from acclaimed author Mem Fox. There are red sheep and blue sheep, wind sheep and wave sheep, scared sheep and brave sheep, but where is the green sheep? The search is on in this cozy, sheep...
Millions of cats
Gag, Wanda
Paper Book
The original American classic with a refrain that millions of kids love to chant- Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats. Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman who were very lonely. They decided to get a cat, but...
Where's Spot? /
Hill, Eric,
Paper Book
With its bold blue cover, this board book edition of Eric Hill's classic story featuring everyone's favorite puppy is just as iconic as the first lift-the-flap edition.   "Spot is one of the essential experiences of childhood." --Parents magazine
Eyes that kiss in the corners
Ho, Joanna
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller and #1 Indie Bestseller · A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year · A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 · Included in NPR's 2021 Books We Love List · Featured in Forbes, Oprah Daily, The Cut, and Book Riot · Golden Poppy Book Award...
Bread and jam for Frances
Hoban, Russell.
Paper Book
The classic funny I Can Read story about a stubborn little badger with very particular tastes in food. Frances is a fussy eater. In fact, the only thing she likes is bread and jam. She won't touch her squishy soft-boiled egg. She trades away her chicken-salad sandwich at lunch. She turns...
Sleepover party!
Holabird, Katharine
Paper Book
Angelina Ballerina hosts her first sleepover in this tutu-rrific Level 1 Ready-to-Read that's perfect for little ones getting ready to stay over at someone else's house for the first time! Angelina is hosting her very first sleepover for her friends Flora and Felicity!...
Rosie's walk
Hutchins, Pat
Paper Book
The Fox is after Rosie, but Rosie doesn't know it. Unwittingly, she leads him into one disaster after the other, each funnier than the last. To enjoy Rosie's walk as much as Rosie does, just look inside!
Harold and the purple crayon
Johnson, Crockett
Paper Book
From beloved children's book creator Crockett Johnson comes the timeless classic Harold and the Purple Crayon! This imagination-sparking picture book belongs on every child's bookshelf. One evening Harold decides to go for a walk in the moonlight. Armed only with an oversize purple crayon,...
The story of Ferdinand
Leaf, Munro
Paper Book
Beloved all over the world for its timeless message of peace, tolerance and the courage to be yourself. This is a true classic.
Frog and toad are friends
Lobel, Arnold
Paper Book
This beautiful commemorative picture book edition of the Caldecott Honor title Frog and Toad Are Friends is the perfect way to celebrate Frog and Toad's 50th anniversary! This handsome edition features matte paper, remastered artwork, and a green ribbon book marker. It makes a lovely...
Froggy gets dressed
London, Jonathan
Paper Book
Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.
Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
Martin, Bill
CD
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? beginning readers: These beloved children's stories are now available in beginning reader format. With the important pre-reading concepts of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, these...
Guess how much I love you
McBratney, Sam.
Paper Book
Guess How Much I Love You has sold over 43 million copies worldwide! A beloved classic lets children "love you right up to the moon -- and back." "Guess how much I love you," says Little Nutbrown Hare. Little Nutbrown Hare shows his daddy how much he loves him...
Make way for ducklings
McCloskey, Robert
CD
Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live. The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston. But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack,...
I stink!
McMullan, Kate
Paper Book
Now a streaming animated series! For fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train comes a noisy addition to the hilarious read-aloud series from Kate and Jim McMullan, the popular creators of I'm Bad! and I'm Dirty! "Know what I do at night while you...
Pigs aplenty, pigs galore!
McPhail, David
Paper Book
One minute, the narrator of this cleverly rhyming romp is quietly reading. The next minute, pigs descend upon his house in every imaginable getup, by every available means, from every possible place-even "Pigs from France" and "Pigs just in their underpants." What results is lovable porcine mayhem...
If you give a mouse a cookie /
Numeroff, Laura Joffe
Ebook
Nancy la elegante
O'Connor, Jane
Paper Book
This high-quality Spanish-language book can be enjoyed by fluent Spanish speakers as well as those learning the language, whether at home or in a classroom. Te presentamos a Nancy, quien cree que más, siempre, es mejor cuando se trata de ser elegante. Ella no se pierde un detalle, desde la...
The kissing hand
Penn, Audrey
Paper Book
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Since its first publication in 1993, this heartwarming...
The little engine that could
Piper, Watty
Paper Book
"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."Discover the inspiring story of the Little Blue Engine as shemakesher way over the mountain in this belovedclassic-the perfect gift to celebrate thespecial milestones in your life, from graduations to birthdays and more! The...
Good night, Gorilla
Rathmann, Peggy.
Paper Book
"Good night, Gorilla," says the zookeeper. But mischievous Gorilla isn't quite ready to go to sleep. He'd rather follow the zookeeper on his rounds and let all of the other animals out of their cages. Little night owls can sneak along with Gorilla and see who gets the last laugh in this riotous...
My friend Rabbit
Rohmann, Eric
Paper Book
Rabbit saves the day in a most ingeneous way. When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind. From Caldecott Honor award winner Eric Rohmann comes a brand-new picture book about friends and toys and trouble, illustrated in robust,...
We're going on a bear hunt
Rosen, Michael
Paper Book
Go on a bear hunt and do the actions with this award-winning picture book classic. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the...
I love you through and through
Rossetti-Shustak, Bernadette.
Ebook
A rhyming story of unconditional love with adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare "I love you through and through!"I love your hair and eyes,Your giggles and cries...A toddler and his teddy bear illustrate a young child's happy side, sad side, silly side, mad...
Richard Scarry's cars and trucks and things that go
Scarry, Richard
Paper Book
Celebrate 50 years of planes, trains, and pickle cars with this anniversary edition of the beloved classic, complete with never-before-seen sketches! Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go celebrates 50 years in 2024! This humorous hardcover storybook...
The cat in the hat
Seuss, Dr.
Paper Book
The classic picture book that introduced the world to the iconic, mischievous Cat in the Hat and the beloved characters Thing One and Thing Two! Dr. Seuss makes reading fun for kids of all ages. "I know some new tricks," said the Cat in the Hat. "A lot of good tricks. I will...
Green eggs and ham /
Seuss,
Paper Book
Join in the fun with Sam-I-Am in this iconic Dr. Seuss classic about the joy of trying new things. And don't miss the Netflix series adaptation! I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. With unforgettable characters and...
It looked like spilt milk
Shaw, Charles Green
Paper Book
A beautiful and engaging classic that inspires creativity and imagination The white shape silhouetted against a blue background changes on every page. Is it a rabbit, a bird, an ice-cream cone, or just spilt milk In this childhood classic, kids are kept guessing until the surprise ending,...
Come along, Daisy!
Simmons, Jane.
Paper Book
This award winning beautifully made picture book is by Jane Simmons.It is the story of a duckling who is too busy chasing dragonflies and bouncing on lily pads to stay caught up with Mama Duck.It perfectly captures a little one's thrill of exploration in this gentle cautionary tale.
Caps for sale : a tale of a peddler, some monkeys and their monkey business
Slobodkina, Esphyr
Paper Book
Caps for Sale is a timeless classic beloved by millions...one of the most popular picture books ever published! This picture book is an excellent choice to share at home or in the classroom, as children love chanting along with the naughty monkeys. Children will delight...

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