Reading to children during the first five years of life is an important and easy way to contribute to healthy brain development, as well as developing the early literacy skills that help children later learn how to read. One of those early literacy skills, phonological awareness, is the ability to hear and understand that words are made up of smaller sounds. Children who have phonological awareness are more successful at sounding out written words when they start to read. Books that build phonological awareness are especially fun to read aloud to children because they rhyme, have alliteration, or onomatopoeia.
Dancing Feet!, opens a new window by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown
Playful rhymes ask children to guess what animal’s feet are pictured dancing, answered with a turn of the page where the rhyme continues and reveals which animal belongs to those happy feet.
Fire Chief Fran, opens a new window by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
This fire crew is busy all the time: cleaning and inspecting equipment, training, teaching children about safety, putting out brush fires and building fires, and helping people in car accidents. The rhyming, bouncy text keeps a potentially heavy topic light and fun for toddlers and preschoolers. Children who get excited about fire trucks will especially enjoy this one.
It's Corn Picking Time!, opens a new window by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Melissa Crowton
This book follows a farmer from sunrise to sunset on a day filled with the corn harvest. From pulling the combine out of the shed to filling the grain tank, emptying it into the grain wagon, then putting the corn through the dryer and into bins, this story follows each step. The rhyming text is filled with unique vocabulary for the machinery used and the process of the harvest, making it a feast for young ears.
The Littlest Yak, opens a new window by Lu Fraser, illustrated by Kate Hindley
An adorable, tiny, Nordic, hat-wearing yak is the star of this book. Bouncy, playful, rhyming text tells Gertie’s story of wanting to grow up to be a big yak and all the steps she takes to speed her growth. Gertie gains appreciation for her size when a fellow yak gets stuck on a narrow ledge, and only Gertie is small enough to help. As Gertie’s mom tells her, she has bigness inside, and that makes Gertie feel perfectly all right.
Take A Hike, Miles and Spike!, opens a new window by Travis Foster and Ethan Long
Miles and Spike prepare for an adventurous outing, but ignore how their energetic preparations impact their friends. Finally fed up with being ignored, the friends tell them to “take a hike,” causing Miles and Spike to re-think their approach and invite their friends to join the fun. With the text kept to minimal snappy rhymes, this book is a fun phonological feat from start to finish.
There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, opens a new window by Jane Cabrera
The classic nursery rhyme takes some new twists, with a kind old woman who makes the children warm meals, treats them lovingly, and is good with a needle, thread, hammer, and screwdriver. This variation continues the rhyming of the original and lends itself to singing as well. Singing helps children hear the parts of words in a different way, because the rhythm of the song corresponds to the syllables or part of the words. Singing this book is an additional way to help a child develop their phonological awareness.
Towed by Toad, opens a new window by Jashar Awan
Toad is busy helping stranded motorists with his tow truck. But after rescuing Catie Cat, Davey Dog, and Stanley Snout, Toad runs into trouble when his own truck breaks down. The message of this book? Even the helpers sometimes need help. Creative rhymes and alliteration, bright illustrations, and a positive message combine to make this a crowd pleaser.
