Top 18 Kids Books

Reading to, and eventually with, our children has always been a priority to me. Cuddling up with them in bed with a story is my favourite time of the day. Here are my top kids books to build your own libraries, or for the perfect gift for that little someone.

Benefits of Reading with Kids

Beyond the irreplaceable bonding time, there are many benefits to reading with your kids. Establishing the habit and love of reading is powerful. I attended a lecture with a leadership teacher for highschools, and he stated that if he walks in a classroom and sees a kid reading on his/her own accord, he knows that kid will be just fine. Reading with your children helps improve their language, comprehension, focus, and creativity among other things.

Gift a Book Instead of a Card

I really feel that greeting cards are a waste of money: honestly, $6-$10 for something that will be thrown out almost immediately? No thanks. Why not gift a book instead of a card: it’s half the cost anyway! Write something sentimental or inspiring in the front of the book for a gift that will keep giving and be remembered for years. We recently did this at a baby shower where everyone brought their favourite kids book and it was a lovely way to build up a library for the little guy.

We have read a lot of books over the years. Here are 18 of the best that we have read!

Dragons Love Tacos (and the sequel) by Rubin Salmieri. This is one of our favourites! We love tacos in our house: I mean, who doesn’t?
The Smart Cookie by John Oswald (and the whole series like The Cool Bean etc). Really clever and entertaining, I love the writing style.
ET The Extra-Terrestrial by Mathison/Spielberg/Smith. As an 80’s kid, I just loved ET so this book has been a lot of fun to read to my boys.
The Sky is the Limit by Swerling/Lazar. Such an inspiring and uplifting book for kids.
Ferdinand by Munro Leaf. I remember learning about this book from the movie the Blind Side with Sandra Bullock.
Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers. Just beautiful.
The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak. Who would have thought that a book with no pictures could be entertaining? But it is, trust me.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. An oldie but goodie. It helps for us that the main character’s name is Max (my youngest’s name).
Aaron Slater Illustrator, Iggy Peck Architect (the whole series is great) by Andrea Beaty. Loved these books to show the different routes people can take in life and how our differences are what makes each of us unique and shine.
Little People, BIG DREAMS (I love Dolly Parton, The Rock, Muhammad Ali but the whole series is incredible and inspiring, great for prompting questions and discussion)
The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros. This is a touching book about a grandpa with Alzheimer’s and is such a beautiful way to help explain the memory loss that loved ones experience with the disease. My dad has Alzheimer’s disease: I cry every time I read it.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers (they have a few sequels). Very clever and witty we have loved this book.
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (the whole series). Super cute stories about a squirrel who is afraid of everything and how he overcomes those fears.
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion. Adorable little old-fashioned book about a little dog and his adventures for a day. Nothing profound here, just cute.
Potty by Leslie Patricelli. Toilet humour will never get old in our house (boy mom over here), and Potty (there are other books in the series) is a great book to get kids when they are potty training. We still read it regularly – and thankfully my boys are now fully trained at 8 and 12 years old haha!
Sir Simon Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson. Written by a local author here in Kelowna, I just love this (the little ghost bum on the back makes Max giggle every time).
The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt. On repeat through the years, my kids never get tired of it. After all, who doesn’t love a game of rock, paper, scissors?
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Such a classic, and a really great underlying lesson about the environment and consumerism.