We introduced books to A when he was 4 months old. We started with a touch and feel book and now in the past 5 years our library has grown over 75 books. Here I am sharing his favorite 30 books.
1) A Dino Book- Dinosaurs: Wow Encyclopedia in Augmented Reality by Dreamland Publications
This book is very informative and has some amazing pictures. It talks about different types of dinosaurs, their habitat and the era in which they lived. A very informative read for kids.
2) A book on good Habits- Pepper Eats Green Vegetables
Though A likes eating his veggies on most days this is a good book to talk about what happens when you eat junk food instead of vegetables. This is suitable for age 2 years and above.
3) A Dr Seuss Book- Inside Your Outside!: All about the HUMAN BODY by Tish Rabe, illustrated by Aristides Ruiz
A was not too fond of reading about the human body. However he liked this book because it teaches about human body in a fun and rhyming way. It talks about the various body functions in a fun way. A very good book to learn about the workings of the human body.
4) A Boynton Board Book- Happy Hippo, Angry Duck by Sandra Boynton
This is a wonderful book to talk about emotions right from age 2 plus. What I love about this book that I can read it in different ways. Sometimes in a sing song way and sometimes making the animal sounds. A lovely book for every child.
5) A book that teaches you a lesson- Max Your Health! by Kimberly Mcarthur, published by Scholastic
In this book a boy talks to kids about the importance of being healthy not just by eating good food but also by exercising, drinking lots of water, etc. The perfect book to talk to kids about healthy habits.
6) A lift the flap book- Lift-the-Flap: Computers and Coding by Usborne
With work from home becoming the new norm, A was very fascinated with the laptop and wanted to know about how computers worked. This is an interesting book which tells about how computers work, what all is inside the computer, etc. The flaps make the book all the more interesting.
7) A bedtime story- Time to Sleep, Little Critters by Mercer Mayer
We love Little Critter and our bedtime becomes more fun with Little Critter stories. This is A’s favorite book before going to sleep and he has to read it daily. A totally relatable book with lovely illustrations, simple language and perfect for kids to read on their own.
8) A book by your favorite illustrator- The Whales On The Bus by Katrina Charman and Nick Sharratt
We recently got this book and it instantly became a favorite. Amazing illustrations, a variety of colorful animals on various exciting vehicles. A must have book for all toddlers and preschoolers. This book is suitable for age 1 plus.
9) A book with a quirky cover- The Troll by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts
A tale about what happens when the Troll and the pirates come across each other. The illustrations are amazing but the text is a little long. This one would be suitable for age group 5 plus.
10) A fairytale- Princess Peppa from Peppa Pig: Fairy Tale Little Library
A is a Peppa Pig Fan and though he is not fond of reading fairy tales at all, he simply loved this small board book because it has his favorite characters. This is a lovely small board book with colorful pictures and simple language.
11) A touch and feel book- Touch and Feel Playbook (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
This book talks about shapes, colors, animals, numbers, etc and A loves reading this book to his little sister. This is the perfect board book for toddlers with bright, colorful pictures and many different textures. This book is suitable for age 1 plus.
12) A book that was gifted to you- Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold
This book was gifted to A by a very special person who plays an extremely important role in A’s reading journey. This book talks about different colors and how different animals suggest which color Vincent must paint his house. Simple language and breath taking illustrations makes this a must have book for all toddlers.
13) A book on mythology- Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Hanes
A sweet story about how Ganesha breaks his tusk and is upset about it, and how he meets the poet Vyasa and how he happened to write the Mahabharata. A classic tale written in a simple language and wonderful and colorful illustrations.
14) A rhyming book- Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Sweet little monkey cannot find his mother. He is very sad, but then, a butterfly comes to help him find his mother. Will the butterfly be able to help the monkey find his mother? This is an engaging tale with colorful illustrations and rhyming words.
15) A book on shapes/ numbers/ colors– Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crokett Johnson
This is A’s all time favorite book. An excellent book to let the imagination flow. A must have book for all preschoolers. After reading the book just hand over a purple crayon and let your child’s imagination flow.
16) A yellow coloured book- The Sweetest Mango By Malvika Shetty by Tulika Publishers (English)
This is an amazing book on sharing among friends. It talks about how a little girl loves mangoes and how she waits for a mango on the tree to ripe. The amazing illustrations remind me of my visits to my native place and the yummy mangoes we would have there. This book is available in lots of different languages and we have the Marathi version of it.
17) A funny book- The Grand Chapati Contest by Asha Nehemiah and illustrated by Chetan Sharma
The King is looking for someone to make chapatis and he holds a contest for the same. Many people gather for the contest. But who will win and make those fluffy puffy chapatis? Simple and funny story line and amazing illustrations makes it a wonderful read.
18) A book by an Indian Author- Gajapati Kulapati Kalicha Kulicha by Ashok Rajagopalan
This is our favorite series. What happens when our adorable Gajapati Kulapati jumps up and down in muddy puddles (you understand what I mean If you are also a peppa fan like us). A wonderful book to read aloud and have fun. This book is suitable for age 2 plus.
19) An informative book- General Knowledge Genius!: A Quiz Encyclopedia to Boost Your Brain by DK Publications
This is an amazing book which has covered various topics in a very informative way. The book has amazing pictures and a quiz which can be really engaging as a family. This book is perfect for 5 years plus however the younger ones may need help to read it.
20) A book on transport/vehicles- Hello, Fire Truck! by Marjorie Blain Parker, Illustrated by Bob Kolar (Scholastic Reader level 1)
This is a good book to start self reading. Attractive and colourful pictures, simple text, big font and short sentences. It is very simple for kids to understand. We got this when A had just started reading and till date he enjoys reading it.
21) A sound book- Peppa Pig: Beep Beep Brrrm!
A must have book for all peppa pig lovers and also vehicle lovers. When Peppa and her family go on a picnic they encounter the noises of various vehicles on the way. This is a sturdy board book even for toddlers.
22) A one word title book- Raindrops by Vaishali Shroff, illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane, published by Tulika
I just cannot talk enough about the wonderful illustrations in this book. A typical rainy day is presented so beautifully in this book.
23) A book on any festival- Festivals of India by Om Books
This book covers the festivals celebrated in India from various regions and cultures. Large font size, simple language, the story behind each festival makes it an interesting read for kids.
24) A book that has siblings- Little Critter’s Little Sister by Mercer Mayer
A very relatable book where little sister will not be left behind while her big brother is doing anything. An amazing book to celebrate this wonderful bond between siblings.
25) A book about animals/birds- Animals: Wow Encyclopedia in Augmented Reality by Dreamland Publications
An informative book about animals, reptiles, birds, etc, with beautiful pictures. Recently A has taken a lot of interest in reading encyclopedias and the entire series of the Augmented Reality Encyclopedias is amazing.
26) A book on space/solar system- Solar System with Zayn & Zoey
We love these adorable twins and have almost the entire collection. In this book, Dad talks to Zayn and Zoey about the planets, their orbits and other celestial bodies. The solar system is explained in very simple language which is easy for kids to understand, with colourful illustratrrions.
27) A picture book- My First 1000 Words by Wonder House
This is an excellent picture book which can be used as a picture dictionary for preschoolers. Realistic pictures, wide range of topics and a word list in the end that helps in building vocabulary.
28) A sea creatures book- Secrets of the Oceans: Wow Encyclopedia in Augmented Reality by Dreamland Publications
A book which will take you in the beautiful underwater world and introduce you to various sea creatures. The book has breathtaking pictures. Perfect for kids above 5 years.
29) A monster book- Monster Garden: A Draw-it-Yourself Picture Book by Jerry Pinto and illustrated by Priya Kurian
This is a draw-it-yourself book where you can draw various kinds of monsters after entering the monster garden. A lovely book to encourage kids to use their imagination.
30) A book with magic- The Magic Feather by Roma Singh (Tulika Publishers)
An owl dropped a magic feather into the forest. A little girl found it and then began her journey in a magical land. This book has amazing illustrations and simple language. Perfect for kids who have started to read by themselves.
So this is A’s list of favorite books. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as A and me enjoyed talking about and writing this.
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the book titles & images have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
