The Best Books To Read Before Your Child Goes to Kindergarten

A young widow and her eight children find a rundown shack in the woods and take shelter at the start of summer. We follow the family through the seasons as they make the most of the money their mother earns. They grow a garden and put up preserves in the fall. During winter, they hunker down and sew a patchwork quilt from fabric scraps. Once spring arrives, they trade jam and bread for eggs and milk with a neighboring farmer. Throughout the seasons, they relish in the simple beauties of nature and grow together through their year of hardship. This heartwarming tale is told from the author’s family history.

Penelope Rex is anxious to start her first day of school. With her new pony backpack and 300 tuna fish sandwiches, she heads off to school. However, when she discovers that all her classmates are children, the temptation to eat them is too difficult to resist. Thankfully, Penelope’s teacher firmly tells her to spit out her classmates. When Walter, the class goldfish, gives Penelope a taste of her own medicine, that’s enough to dissuade the dinosaur from devouring her classmates ever again.

Once a year, a family loads up the car and drives from the big city to the rolling, fog-covered mountains of West Virginia to visit their grandparents. Mamaw’s morning kitchen is bright, with sizzling sausage and jam on toast while Daddy drinks his coffee next to his daddy. Three days later, the family drives south to Florida to visit the other set of grandparents. Inside this house, the tile is cool, the family is boisterous, and they eat tostones and slurp flan. Two grandmas, two kitchens, and two unique memories. Detailed endpapers and a universal message of family, food, and connection make this an appealing year-round read.

Ruben wants a bike so he can ride to school with his friend Sergio, but his family can’t afford one. When a woman drops a dollar bill at the grocery store, Ruben scoops it up. At home, he discovers it’s a hundred-dollar bill. He imagines the bike he could buy with the money, and zips it safely in his backpack. The next day, after school, the stolen money is nowhere to be found. Will Ruben find the money? Will he do the right thing and return it? This book is an excellent conversation starter about choices and finances.

One evening, a boy goes with his parents to their janitorial jobs at a corporate building. In the boardroom, his parents tidy up papers, telling their son that the King sits at the head of the table. In another room, they dust and clean the Queen’s quarters. They move on to the bathroom and kitchen, where dragons have also made a mess. Soon, the boy questions why his parents must clean other people’s messes. Told with heart and humanity, this look at working-class families is worth seeking out.

Some people are tall, short, fat, skinny, old, or young. Bodies are powerful tools that are constantly changing. Only you are in charge of your body. With simple language and photographs of real children, this body positivity book exudes acceptance and love for all body sizes and shapes. It’s an excellent book to give as a gift to your child’s new kindergarten teacher.

Sulwe dislikes her dark skin and wishes she were as fair-skinned as her sister. One morning, she tells her mother how she feels, crying about how she sees herself. With her mother’s words of encouragement, Sulwe ponders how her beauty comes from her mind and heart. One night, a star shows her how Night and Day, portrayed by two luminous female forms, were created, separated, then reunited, each needing the other to make the world beautiful and complete. This is a truly poignant audiobook for children.

This oversized collection of jokes is phenomenal for young comedians. It’s filled with kid-appropriate jokes like, “What musical instrument is in your bathroom? A tuba toothpaste!” The back matter includes a section for kids to record the reactions they get when telling different jokes. It makes an excellent back-to-school gift for your child’s kindergarten teacher, too!

Unhei (Yoon-hye) recently moved from Korea to America. When the teacher and other students struggle to pronounce her name, Unhei asks her mother for an American name. Her mother explains how beautiful and unique her name is. At the corner Korean market, Mr. Kim compliments Unhei’s name. Back at school, the students start a name jar, each adding scraps of paper with potential names for Unhei. At last, Unhei decides to keep her name. This delightful picture book encourages children to embrace cultural differences.

Carlitos lives in Cataño, Puerto Rico, with his mother, abuela, and cat. He’s happy with his family, but wonders where his Papi is. His mother tells him that sometimes things don’t work out, and Papi lives across the bay. Carlitos grabs some money and an old picture of his Papi and boards the ferry. He spends the entire day searching the city of Old San Juan, hoping he’ll find his Papi. This heartfelt and vibrant story about family is based on the author’s childhood.