2025 Summer Reading Program: Pre-Readers

Updated January 22, 2025
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I'm going to build a snowman
Awan, Jashar
Paper Book
In this sparkling picture book celebration of winter and creativity, a boy's snow day efforts show that perfection is relative and what's important is taking pride in what you do! When a little boy wakes up to see a blanket of snow covering the world outside, there's only one...
My bus
Barton, Byron
Paper Book
The busy bus driver in Byron Barton's preschool tour-de-force has a job to do. He drives his bus along his route, picks up the passengers waiting at the bus stops, and delivers them to their destinations--which in this case include the airport, the harbor, and the train station....
Mr. Gumpy's outing
Burningham, John.
Paper Book
On Baba's back
Dubuc, Marianne
Paper Book
Baby koala Koko takes his first step toward independence in this endearing board book made for reading together. Koko and Baba are a very close koala family, so close that Koko does everything on Baba's back--eats, plays, you name it! Until one day, when Koko wants to do...
Calling all cars
Fliess, Sue
Paper Book
Big cars, small cars, let's call ALL cars! This bouncy text explores the wonderful world of cars zipping up, down, fast, and slow. A perfect basic concept books for eager young learners from the author of Tons of Trucks. Then cruise into bedtime! Rest cars, Hush cars No more rush,...
Honk honk woo woo
Garcia, Emma
Paper Book
Oh no! It's an emergency!! Call the emergency vehicles and see them speed along to help save the day. A fun look at police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and other rescue vehicles that fascinate preschoolers, with sounds they can join in with.
Tap tap bang bang
Garcia, Emma
Paper Book
Cree craw with the saw, bang bang with the hammer, and twizzle, twist, twirl, and spin with the screwdriver, bolts, and nuts. What fun! Its tool time for children as they delight in colorful chisels, clamps, drills, pliers, and mallets at work. What could they be making? Kids will love...
Kitten's first full moon
Henkes, Kevin.
Paper Book
This nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal. From one of the most celebrated and beloved picture book creators working in the field today comes a...
Bread and jam for Frances
Hoban, Russell.
Paper Book
The classic funny 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 up her nose...
Sumo colors
Ishida, Sanae
Paper Book
Perfect for early learning, this fun board book in the Little Sumo series, from the creator of the Little Kunoichi series, features adorable sumo wrestlers that introduce children to colors and shares elements of Japanese culture that will enrich readers of all ages. Take a peek...
Eidtale : an Eid al-Fitr adventure
Jaleel, Aaliya
Paper Book
The Abrams Trail Tale series takes readers on unforgettable holiday-themed adventures. This new tale, written and illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel, follows a brother and sister as they make their way through their neighborhood delivering gifts to uncles sipping cha'i, favorite neighbors, and friends...
My body and me : my first body positivity book
Kelley, Ceece
Paper Book
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best BooksI love my body. It's special to me. It's exactly the way it's meant to be.An empowering celebration of bodies, promoting body positivity such as gratitude for our puffy cheeks that help us eat; strength in our round bellies that help store our food; pride...
Eat together
Ordóñez, Miguel
Paper Book
The geometry of food is explored in New York Times bestselling illustrator Miguel Ord nez's newest board book on shapes! Various parts of a meal are formed one by one, piece by piece, in this visual play on the interaction between shapes. If just three simple shapes can...
Let's be brave
Osakwe, Leah
Paper Book
Explore different ways to be brave! From chasing your dreams to standing up for yourself, this inspiring book empowers children to look within to find courage and confidence. Each one of us has the power to be exactly who we want to be. This inspiring board book empowers children...
The relatives came
Rylant, Cynthia.
Paper Book
The relatives' station wagon: it smelled like a real car, looked like a rainbow, and was roomy enough for a crowd. Lucky! Because a big crowd in all shapes and sizes piled into that old wagon at four o'clock one summer morning and piled out of it the next day at their relatives' place on the...
All the world
Scanlon, Elizabeth Garton.
Paper Book
All the world is here. It is there. It is everywhere. All the world is right where you are. Now. Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all...
Cinnamon bun, I love you 1
Schwartz, Amy
Paper Book
From award-winning author-illustrator Amy Schwartz comes a counting book full of sweet treats, playful moments, and lots of toddler love. Cinnamon bun, I love you one. Peek-a-boo, I love you two... This charming, rhyming picture book counts out the love...
Green
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro.
Paper Book
Die cut pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book from the "Queen of the concept book"--an intricate and satisfying homage to green, the color of all creation. How many kinds of green are there? There's the lush green of a forest on a late spring day, the fresh,...
Clip-clop
Smee, Nicola.
Paper Book
Every child adores getting twirled and tossed by Mommy and Daddy. Again! Again, they squeal. That’s...
Counting to calm : my first self-regulation book
Sooful, Prasha
Paper Book
"One--Deep breath in, nice and slow. Two--Now breathe out . . . there you go."Introduce self-regulation to the youngest readers early on by allowing them to model breathing, stretching, and movement with a parent or educator in 10 action-packed steps.This board book allows children to refocus their...
Interrupting chicken
Stein, David Ezra.
Paper Book
Awarded a 2011 Caldecott Honor! A favorite joke inspires this New York Times best-selling tale, in which a little chicken's habit of interrupting bedtime stories is gleefully turned on its head. It's time for the little red chicken's bedtime story--and a reminder from Papa...
When sunlight tiptoes
Sze, Gillian
Paper Book
Key Selling Points The story is a celebration of morning and follows a family along a city street as they run errands, enjoying the rich urban sounds and sights of a new day. The text is written in pantoum form (Malayan in origin). Similar to the villanelle, the pantoum is a...
Farmer duck
Waddell, Martin.
Paper Book
Farmer Duck is no ordinary duck--and this is no ordinary picture book. A glorious and utterly satisfying modern fable illustrated with that special blend of humor and pathos unique to bestselling artist Helen Oxenbury. Full color.
That's not my cow-- : its nose is too rough
Watt, Fiona
Paper Book
Meet five friendly cows in this charming addition to the much-loved That's not my. series. Babies love the best-selling That's not my. books with their bold illustrations, patches to stroke, and a mouse to spot on every page, all designed to develop sensory and language awareness.
Hello hello
Wenzel, Brendan
Paper Book
Named a Best Children's Book of the Year bythe Washington Post, Amazon, Working Mother, and more! Now available in a board book edition for the very youngest readers to enjoy, Hello Hello explores all aspects of seeing...
Cat nap
Yuly, Toni
Paper Book
Cat loves to nap. If only he could find a good resting place to hide from playful (and wide awake) Kitten! Opposites and hide-and-seek make this a fun story for naptime -- or anytime. In this book filled with opposites (big and little, black and white, sleepy and...

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