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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The adventures of Beekle : the unimaginary friend
Santat, Dan
Paper Book
Winner of the Caldecott Medal #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning creator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art in an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in...
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.
Amazing oceans
Roth, Annie.
Paper Book
A thrilling guide to the weirdest wildlife, most incredible places, and most surprising science in our oceans. This fascinating book will take you beyond the seaweed, sharks, and shells that you have seen many times before, and show you the secret world that lies in and around...
Because
Willems, Mo.
Paper Book
Mo Willems, a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, composes a powerful symphony of chance, discovery, persistence, and magic in this moving tale of a young girl's journey to center stage. Illustrator Amber Ren brings Willems' music to life, conducting a...
Beneath
Doerrfeld, Cori
Paper Book
In this stunning story from the creator of The Rabbit Listened, a child and their grandfather take a walk in the woods and discover more about themselves. Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn't want to talk about it,...
The big book of nature art
Zommer, Yuval.
Paper Book
Featuring twenty-two easy craft projects using natural and recycled materials, The Big Book of Nature Art is a fun and eco-friendly way for young children to connect creatively with nature. From best-selling author Yuval Zommer, The Big Book of Nature Art is...
Big truck little island
Van Dusen, Chris
Paper Book
Blue Bison needs a haircut
Rothman, Scott
Paper Book
A day for sandcastles
Lawson, JonArno
Paper Book
The day the crayons quit
Daywalt, Drew
Paper Book
The Number One New York Times Bestseller! Included in BookTrust's 100 Best Books for Children Debut author Drew Daywalt and international bestseller Oliver Jeffers team up to create a colourful solution to a crayon-based crisis in this playful, imaginative story that will have...
Dragons love tacos
Rubin, Adam
Paper Book
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...
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 girl with a mind for math : the story of Raye Montague
Mosca, Julia Finley.
Paper Book
NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book 2019 Selection NSTA Best STEM Trade Books for Students K-12 2019 Selection 2019 Amelia Bloomer List Selection 2019 Mathical Honor Book Meet Raye Montague - a "hidden figure" who made waves in the U.S. Navy! After touring a...
Have you seen my invisible dinosaur?
Yoon, Helen.
Paper Book
The creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I'm a Unicorn brings her original whimsy to the tale of a child's special friend who goes missing after a bath--or does he? Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He's a dinosaur (not the...
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
The man who didn't like animals
Underwood, Deborah.
Paper Book
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 and his animal friends. Brilliantly illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist LeUyen Pham.  There once was a man who loved his...
Mr. S
Arnaldo, Monica.
Paper Book
Prepare for plenty of giggles as a kindergarten class arrives for their first day of school, but can't find their teacher--only a delicious-looking sandwich and the words "Mr. S" scribbled on the chalkboard. Chaos ensues as the kids argue whether or not the sandwich must be their...
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...
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...
The slime book
Paper Book
Over 30 delightfully gloopy, gooey, colourful DIY recipes will mesmerise 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...
Taylor Swift: Wildest Dreams, a Biography
Wainer, Erica.
Paper Book
A dazzling must-have picture book biography for the rabid Taylor Swift lover. Features illustrations of the pop icon, from childhood to fearless stardom, and the story of how she broke out to share her sparkle with the rest of the world. Since the release of her self-titled...
Tomorrow I'll be kind
Hische, Jessica.
Paper Book
In a follow-up to Tomorrow I'll Be Brave, award-winning illustrator Jessica Hische brings to life another series of inspirational words and scenes with her lovely hand-lettering and adorable illustrations. This uplifting and positive book encourages kids to promise that tomorrow, they will be...
The tree and the river
Becker, Aaron
Paper Book
Where to hide a star
Jeffers Oliver.
Paper Book
Celebrate twenty years of The Boy in this highly anticipated new adventure from the internationally bestselling picture book creator of Lost and Found Oliver Jeffers! "Jeffers has not lost his lovely knack for weaving fantastical elements into depictions of everyday life ......

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