Incredible Books for Kindergartners

Picture Books

• Amato, Mary. The Chicken of the Family. 2008.
  When her older sisters tease her into believing she is actually a chicken, Henrietta runs off to a farm to be among her own kind.
  
• Barrett, Judi. Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and Other Things Not to Do). 2008.
  A list of things one should not do with various animals, such as "hold hands with a lobster" or "play checkers with a spider."
  
• Bertram, Debbie. The Best Book to Read. 2008.
  A young boy goes to the library with his class and hears about the many kinds of books that can be found there.
  
• Beaumont, Karen. Doggone Dogs! 2008.
  Ten unruly dogs get loose at obedience school, and when they are captured by the dog-catcher, they work together to plan their escape and return home.
  
• Brett, Jan. Gingerbread Friends. 2008.
  Lonely Gingerbread Baby, having set out to find a friend, enters a bakery where he tries to talk to different cookies and other figures, but winds up leading a crowd back to his house on a chase similar to the one in the familiar tale.
  
• Crimi, Carolyn. Where's My Mummy? 2008.
  One deep, dark night, as all of the monsters are preparing for bed, Little Baby Mummy bravely searches for his mother until he sees a truly terrifying creature.
  
• Cronin, Doreen. Thump, Quack, Moo: a Whacky Adventure. 2008.
  The annual Corn Maze Festival is coming and every day the chickens, cows and Duck help Farmer Brown-with a few bribes-to create a special Statue of Liberty corn maze, and every night Duck works hard recreating his own surprise.
  
• Cuyler, Margery. We're Going on a Lion Hunt. 2008.
  A class of kindergarteners sets out bravely in search of a lion, going through mud, long grass and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the lion forces a headlong retreat.
  
• Demarest, Chris. All Aboard! A Traveling Alphabet. 2008.
  Journey from the everyday to the exotic with this alphabet on the move. Cross the B-shaped arches of a bridge, land on the angled L of an airfield and drive over the looped O of an overpass.
  
• Diesen, Deborah. The Pout-Pout Fish. 2008.
  The pout-pout fish believes he only knows how to frown, even though many of his friends suggest ways to change his expression, until one day a fish comes along that shows him otherwise.
  
• Ehlert, Lois. Oodles of Animals. 2008.
  Short, easy to read rhymes reveal what is unique about various animals, from ape to wolf.
  
• Ernst, Lisa. Round Like a Ball! 2008.
  Everyone tries to guess what is round and warm and cold and strong and fragile, until they finally realize it is Earth.
  
• Fleming, Denise. Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp. 2008.
  When Buster the dog's owner goes away for a few days, he sends Buster to Sagebrush Kennels for Cowboy Camp, where Buster is homesick at first.
  
• Foreman, Michael. The Littlest Dinosaur. 2008.
  The littlest dinosaur thinks he is too small to do much of anything, until his family and neighbors are in trouble and need his help.
  
• Himmelman, John. Katie Loves the Kittens. 2008.
  When Sara Ann brings home three little kittens, Katie the dog's enthusiasm frightens the kittens away, until she learns that quiet patience is sometimes needed to begin a friendship.
  
• Kimmel, Eric. Stormy's Hat: Just Right for a Railroad Man. 2008.
  As Stormy, a railroad engineer, searches for the perfect hat, his wife, Ida, becomes increasingly annoyed that he will not let her help.
  
• LaReau, Kara. Rabbit and Squirrel: a Tale of War & Peas. 2008.
  Rabbit and Squirrel are neighbors who never even say hello until someone starts damaging their gardens, and then they blame one another even after they meet the real culprit.
  
• Lies, Brian. Bats at the Library. 2008.
  Bored with another normal, inky evening, bats discover an open library window and fly in to enjoy the photocopier, water fountain and especially the books and stories found there.
  
• Nevius, Carol. Baseball Hour. 2008.
  Learn what to expect at a typical baseball practice. From warm ups to sliding feet first into home plate, up-close illustrations and rhyming text capture the intensity and exuberance of baseball practice.
  
• Rosenstiehl, Agnes. Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons. 2008.
  Lilly is a spunky little girl who delights in the unexpected pleasures of each season. Lilly learns more about the outdoors, and introduces the youngest readers to the colors, words and shapes that arise in nature.
  
• Rosoff, Meg. Jumpy Jack & Googily. 2008.
  Jumpy Jack the snail is terrified that there are monsters around every corner despite the reassurances of his best friend, Googily.
  
• Scotton, Rob. Splat the Cat. 2008.
  It's Splat's first day of school and he's worried. What if he doesn't make any new friends? Just in case, Splat decides to bring along his pet mouse, Seymour, and hides him in his lunchbox. Maybe Cat School is going to be okay after all!
  
• Thomas, Shelley Moore. A Cold Winter's Good Knight. 2008.
  When three little dragons come to the castle on the night of a fancy ball, the Good Knight must remind them to mind their manners.
  

Readers

• Arnold, Tedd. Fly High, Fly Guy! 2008.
  When Buzz, his parents and his pet fly go on a road trip and get lost, Fly Guy comes to the rescue to help them find their way home.
  
• Capucilli, Alyssa. Panda Kisses. 2008. (Step Into Reading Step 1)
  A panda cub tries to find out what kind of kiss is just right for him, with help from his parents.
  
• Haskins, Lori. Too Many Cats. 2008. (Step Into Reading Step 1)
  A woman's cello playing draws all of the neighborhood cats into her yard, where they wreak havoc before starting to make their own kind of music.
  

Non-fiction

• Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy. 2008. [J 629.45 MCC]
  Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Take a ride on the "Vomit Comet" and learn how it feels to be weightless. Have your measurements taken-100 to be exact-for your very own space suit.
  
• Looking Closely Through the Forest by Frank Serafini. 2008. [J 578.73 SER]
  Readers are first challenged to guess the identity of each close-up photograph. The next page reveals the entire photograph of the plant, animal or natural object accompanied by a simple but detailed description of the habitat.
  

revised May 2009