Reading is so important for littles ones. We try to start and finish our days with great big piles of books.
For our letter of the week, I will usually find a small stack of books and read them at breakfast time and try to emphasize the “Cc” at the beginning of words. We cycle through the small stack throughout the week.
In the evenings, we snuggle on the couch for some bedtime books, and then the children read individually with one (or both!) parents. This time of early literacy exposure is short and will go by so quickly. I often want to just put them to bed, but I must remember how important our reading together is to their emotional and cognitive development.
Reading themed, or “lettered” books as I’m suggesting here, is a great way for children for children to be introduced to new characters and genres. Sometimes we get stuck with the same books in our little baskets, and it’s nice to mix things up a bit — for the child and parent!
Reading benefits a child’s mind, a child’s speech, a child’s life. You can read more about why reading is one of the most important things you can do with your baby or child at 10 reasons to read to your child.
I am making a preschool list for all of our favorite books from A to Z. And here is our preschool book list for the Letter C!! {You can see a detailed explanation for our preschool plans here : next round of the alphabet, for our preschool.}
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Our list for the Best Preschool Books for the Letter C
Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey is a beloved classic. The first book was written in the 1940s (and George even smokes a pipe which I just think is hilarious!), but now the series has developed into more inspired books and beloved movies, blessed by Margaret Rey. This curious little monkey is a favorite in our household — he always gets into the most innocent of trouble, and I find myself thinking that these books were really a precursor written about my son :)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is the classic among classics. I remember putting my fingers in the holes when I was little, do you? This little lesson in biology and metamorphosis has the most beautiful paper collage art that is only signature to the talented Eric Carle.
Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day. Oh that sweet rottweiler Carl. He is a beloved and huge dog that is often doing the parents job of taking care of the baby. This is a sweet series with beautiful painting illustrations that can be appreciated by young and old alike.
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell is another classic series that has been around for over 50 years. This big red dog gets into so many adventures with his pal, Emily Elizabeth. I love the gentle-hearted nature of these children’s books and always feel great about reading them to my children.
Corduroy by Don Freeman and Pocket for Corduroy are very well-loved in our house. We made a Corduroy sensory bin for Letter C Tot School last year and we continue to read this favorite about a stuffed bear who has adventures in real life. It reminds me of my own childhood, when my animals all had names and their own adventures.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina is a hilarious battle of man versus animal. This book be a wonderful read aloud book with props if you are reading in front of a preschool or elementary class. Counting the caps can also be a wonderful hands on math lesson to directly correlate literature and number sense.
The Little Cloud by Eric Carle is a sweet little book about an innocent little cloud. A great story for building a child’s imagination. And it could be used for a lesson about the weather too.
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss is simply the best rhyming book for children. My son loves it and has many parts memorized. This book just mesmorizes children as they watch the adventures of the crazy Cat, two children, and two Things.
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, a Newbery Honor winner in 1929, is a classic for all children. An old man and woman are off to find the perfect cat to welcome into their home.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss is a sweet lesson in gardening for any child. This book, written in 1945, shows the power of perseverance and patience while taking great care in planting. You can see more gardening book selections here.
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson are classic comic books. Though I don’t like some of Calvin’s attitudes, he is hilarious and adorable, and the adventures of this little boy and his stuffed/real tiger are a great way to introduce your child to comic books.
Make sure to check out:
Our growing collection of free printables
10 reasons to read to your child
I love the C – themed book idea. Have you thought about creating a downloadable spreadsheet or word doc with the complete alphabet (as your create it)? It would be a really useful list to print and take to the library. :)
That’s a great idea, Lorrie, I will do that, will be a long time coming though :)
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina was one of my favourite books as a kid. Thanks for the memory.
Ray