8 Early Readers That Will Delight You (And Your Kids)

We Are in a Book!, by Mo Willems
With beloved titles like Knuffle Bunny and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, there’s no doubt that Willems gets kids. But he also gets adults, and when he transitioned from acclaimed picture-book writer to chapter-book writer extraordinaire, the parents of the world said “Thank you!” The Elephant and Piggie books are the epitome of what makes modern readers so much more interesting than Dick and Jane ever were. The characters are endearing and the vocab is simple, but there’s also a surprise at the end of every story, something that makes even adults say “Whoa! Meta!” and then “Again! Again!”

Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach, by James Dean
The characters in beginning readers have the tendency to feel a little saccharine. But the point of reading these books isn’t so kids will act like sweet little angels. The point is to help them learn to read. So when a character as cool as Pete the Cat hits the scene, kids and parents take notice. Wherever he goes, Pete likes groovin’ and movin’. He also rocks a mean pair of sunglasses, rides motorcycles, and plays the guitar. In this book, he learns to surf. Pete’s one cool cat, no?

Bink and Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee, and Tony Fucile
I can totally understand if your first thought when you read that headline was, “It took two people to write this book?” But take a look inside and you’ll understand why two brains are better than one. Of course, the characters are De-Light-FUL. But it’s the way the micro chapters layer and build on each other that will leave you in awe—yes, awe! at the end of these books. This first title in the series is the perfect introduction to two friends who share adventures like the rest of us share jokes. Aspiring childrens-book writers (in disguise as parents), beware! These books will make you swoon with jealousy.

Frog and Toad Are Friends, by Arnold Lobel
Oh, Frog! Oh, Toad! I have a visceral reaction to these illustrations, like my inner five-year-old just rumbled up from the ether and said “Those are my friends!” We all read these books about a hundred times. They’re classics for a reason. Frog and Toad are just two of Lobel’s characters that still stand up to modern eyes, and as your own kids learn to read, you won’t mind rereading these books a hundred more times.

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!, by Grace Lin
With the exclamation point in the title, you can hear Ling and Ting’s powerful voices before you even open the book. The first in the series, this book introduces identical twins Ling and Ting and details all the ways they are different, showing them in all their glory getting their hair cut, learning magic tricks, and making dumplings. Short chapters that are tied together at the end make this a charming title to help young readers understand chapter books and longer stories.

Up, Tall, and High, by Ethan Long
Any book that wins the Geisel award (named after Theodore Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss) is a sure winner with kids and adults, and this one is no exception. Three short stories help readers understand the idea of up, tall, and high with LOL humor and flaps that reveal a surprise ending. Somehow this genius author even manages to slip allusions to teamwork, compassion, and friendship into this slim volume, too.

Murilla Gorilla, Jungle Detective, by Jennifer Lloyd and Jacqui Lee
Most early readers are pretty straightforward stories, set in vague times and places, without much urgency to the plot except whatever spirit the characters bring to the story. But the Murilla Gorilla stories are mysteries for the very young. The artwork is gorgeous. The setting is exotic. And Murilla won’t rest until she solves the case of the missing muffins. Maybe this series should be called “My First Page Turner.”

Rabbit and Robot, by Cece Bell
How is a rabbit friends with a robot? As you read this book, you’ll ask that question a million times, but then you’ll most likely shrug and read on, happy that the brilliant Cece Bell didn’t let a silly question like that stop her from writing an instant classic like this. The crazy part is that these aren’t just characters named Rabbit and Robot. This is a really roboty robot! Rabbit has big plans for their sleepover (including making pizza), but Robot prefers eating nuts and bolts. Rabbit is jumpy. Robot is deeply logical. Kids will love their differences. And you will too, even as you may continue to find yourself asking How, Why, Huh? about this quirky series.
What books do your early readers love?