So many recent titles for sharing across your kindergarten day! Stocking your kindergarten classroom library is an amazing chance to share the world with your young students. You’ve definitely got your reliable favorites, but updating your shelves with fresh picks is fun and important. Here are 36 recent and diverse kindergarten books to pull your students in, make them laugh, and help them learn and grow.
1. Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
Captain Swashby is a reclusive, retired sailor happy with his quiet life by the sea—until an energetic girl and her grandmother move in next door. This delightful book checks all the right boxes for kindergarten books: lovable and diverse characters, heartwarming themes, charming artwork, and discussion-worthy vocabulary. There are even a handful of authentic chances to review phonics skills and sight words as students decipher messages written in the sand.
Buy it: Swashby and the Sea on Amazon
2. Out the Door by Christy Hale
There are so many potential curriculum connections for this story about a girl’s trip to school, which starts with her heading out the door and continues through her urban neighborhood and onto the subway. Use this as a conversation starter about neighborhoods and journeys to school, to introduce activities about prepositions, directions, or mapping, or as a writing mentor text.
Buy it: Out the Door on Amazon
3. Love Is Powerful by Heather Dean Brewer
As Mari and her mother create signs for an upcoming march, Mari isn’t sure their letters are big enough for anyone to read their messages. But read them, people do. By the time you reach the author’s note, with reflections from the real-life six-year-old Mari on her experience attending a Women’s March in 2017, we guarantee you’ll have chills. Share this to kick off an opinion writing unit, or anytime you want to let the children in your life know that love—and their own words—are most definitely powerful.
Buy it: Love Is Powerful on Amazon
4. T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes by Anna Lazowski
You can never have too many kindergarten alphabet books, and this silly one will have kids giggling. Sure, horses can’t play hopscotch, and raccoons definitely can’t ride roller coasters, but trying out new things is still tons of fun!
Buy it: T. Rexes Can’t Tie Their Shoes on Amazon
5. Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
When Omu makes her thick, red stew, the delicious smell attracts many visitors hoping for a taste. Selflessly, she gives every last bit away—but her grateful neighbors have a plan to say thanks. This would be the perfect story to act out with your class.
Buy it: Thank You, Omu! on Amazon
6. Saturday by Oge Mora
In this quiet gem, a mother-daughter pair make the best of a series of mishaps by keeping in mind what’s truly important: being together.
Buy it: Saturday on Amazon
7. All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, illus. by Suzanne Kaufman
Families of every makeup and background walk to school on this first day of school. Teachers greet them with joy and reverence. This is one of our new favorite kindergarten books to set the tone at the start of school and revisit all year long.
Buy it: All Are Welcome on Amazon
8. The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya
We adore this rhyming Spanish and English adaptation of a classic tale! It has lots of familiar details, but in an updated ending, the troll becomes the goats’ newest amiga. Perfect for comparing and contrasting with a traditional version.
Buy it: The Three Billy Goats Buenos on Amazon
9. Fern and Otto: A Story About Two Best Friends by Stephanie Graegin
On the hunt for an exciting story idea, Fern and Otto take a grand tour of fairy tale and nursery rhyme events in the forest. In the end, they find that the best stories can be found closer to home. Add this title to your list for launching a writers workshop!
Buy it: Fern and Otto: A Story About Two Best Friends on Amazon
10. Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules! by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo and Pat Zietlow Miller
Lupe Lopez starts kindergarten with big dreams to become a classroom rock star, but the classroom rules cramp her style. Add this to your kindergarten books for creating classroom rules as a group.
Buy it: Lupe Lopez: Rock Star Rules! on Amazon
11.Pink Is for Everybody! by Ella Russell
Discussions about colors—and who should wear them, use them, or like them—often come up in kindergarten. This wonderfully inclusive book models for kids how everyone has the right to choose just what they like.
Buy it: Pink Is for Everybody! on Amazon
12. The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier
This Little Red Hen retelling stars Ruby, who spies some scrap wood and gets a vision for an amazing fort. Will any of her brothers help her build it?
Buy it: The Little Red Fort on Amazon
13. Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork by Constance Lombardo
Need to grab a book to shift the mood? This competitive rant between baby feeding utensils will have your kiddos laughing hysterically. We also love it for introducing speech bubbles.
Buy it: Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork on Amazon
14. Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty
It’s a race to get through the cleaning to-do list before Grandma comes to visit. But uh-oh! The cat keeps swiping at the magnetic letters on the fridge, jumbling the tasks in hilarious ways. Share this to reinforce print concepts. Plus, add to your kindergarten books that represent two-dad families.
Buy it: Bathe the Cat on Amazon
15. Elmore by Holly Hobbie
It can be hard to make friends when you’re a spiky porcupine! This book encourages students to think about the many ways they can connect with others.
Buy it: Elmore on Amazon
16. The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
Many kids collect rocks, baseball cards, and comic books, but Jerome collects words. Inspire students to notice vocabulary and show them the power that just the right word can hold.
Buy it: The Word Collector on Amazon
17. The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
This tender story reminds kindergartners (and those who teach them) that sometimes just listening is the best way to help.
Buy it: The Rabbit Listened on Amazon
18. The Bear and the Moon by Matthew Burgess
This gentle tale of a bear and a balloon is what we all need right now. Use it to introduce conversations about loss and disappointment in a reassuring way. We also love this story as a narrative-writing mentor text; the lush, detailed language is perfect for showing students possibilities for “adding more.”
Buy it: The Bear and the Moon on Amazon
19. A Sled for Gabo by Emma Otheguy
Do you love The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats? (Who doesn’t?!) You’ll find Gabo just as adorable as Peter as he learns how to problem-solve, with the help of his community, to stay dry and have fun in the snow. The English version includes lots of Spanish words, and this title is also available fully in Spanish.
Buy it: A Sled for Gabo on Amazon
20.–23. Winter Is Here, In the Middle of Fall, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek
The patterned text, precise language, and cheerful illustrations in these titles are perfect for sharing with kindergartners, no matter the weather! Inspire seasonal artwork and writing all year long.
Buy it: Winter Is Here, In the Middle of Fall, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song on Amazon
24. Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Inside Cat looks at the world through so many different windows—it’s surely seen it all, right? The surprise ending will delight kids. This is a unique addition to your kindergarten books that will definitely get your class noticing and talking (and maybe heading out on a shape hunt!).
Buy it: Inside Cat on Amazon
25. Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes by Hena Khan
This is so much more than a shape book. Explore both 2D and 3D shapes alongside Muslim culture with this unique offering. Students who enjoy artwork will especially appreciate the intricate designs in the illustrations. Also check out others in this series: One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers and Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors.
Buy it: Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes on Amazon
26. Ten Blocks to the Big Wok by Ying-Hwa Hu
Counting stories are awesome kindergarten books! In this bilingual English and Mandarin title, Mia and her Uncle Eddie walk through Chinatown on their way to eat dim sum. On each block, they see more interesting things. Introduce ordinal and cardinal numbers and inspire kids’ own neighborhood counting books.
Buy it: Ten Blocks to the Big Wok on Amazon
27. Ten on a Twig by Lo Cole
You know how you teach ways to make ten for, oh … the entire year? This book makes it so much happier! Ten colorful birds sit on a twig until—snap!—the twig keeps breaking, causing birds to fall off. The illustrations are pleasing yet uncluttered enough to use for math lessons and could inspire the most adorable art projects ever.
Buy it: Ten on a Twig on Amazon
28. 100 Things I Know How To Do by Amy Schwartz
Kids can do so many things! This rhyming list is one of our new favorite kindergarten books to share at the start of the year or anytime we want to celebrate all the things our class can do! It’s a great addition to your 100th Day of School book collection too.
Buy it: 100 Things I Know How To Do on Amazon
29. We All Play by Julie Flett
Who loves to play? All kinds of animals, and kids, of course! We adore this title as an addition to our kindergarten books that celebrate the magic of play. Written in both English and Cree, we love using this title to celebrate native languages and connections to nature too.
Buy it: We All Play on Amazon
30. Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour
We don’t want to shy away from tough topics with our young students, but they have to be tackled in developmentally appropriate ways. This child’s-eye view of a refugee experience is also a touching testament to the power of friendship.
Buy it: Lubna and Pebble on Amazon
31. Pool Party by Amy Duchȇne and Elisa Parhad
Add this to your kindergarten books for helping kids get ideas for their own personal narrative writing. Who doesn’t love a pool party? There are just a few words per page, but there are so many fun details to notice in the pictures. Encourage kids to add small details to their own drawings, right down to wrinkles on pruned fingers!
Buy it: Pool Party on Amazon
32. Jabari Tries by Gaia Cornwall
If you love Jabari Jumps, you’ll be excited about his new chance to shine. This one is for every kid who has big dreams of creating something amazing, only to find it’s harder than they thought. Jabari’s dad wins once again with his spot-on advice about slowing down, breathing, and digging deep for the patience to try, try again.
Buy it: Jabari Tries on Amazon
33. Time for Bed, Old House by Janet Costa Bates
Isaac is happy to be visiting his grandfather’s house but hesitant about actually going to sleep. His grandfather leads him through a sweet routine that makes all the creaks and groans of the old house endearing instead of scary. We love that savvy Grandpop introduces Isaac to “Reading the Pictures” so he can help tell the bedtime stories—a great skill to build for pre-readers in kindergarten!
Buy it: Time for Bed, Old House on Amazon
34. The Fort by Laura Perdew
The lyrical language and expressive artwork in this celebration of friendship and play make for an engaging read-aloud. (Plus, now we want to run right outside and make our own forest fort.) Whether you’re playing pirates, castles, astronauts, or something else, pretending is more fun with a buddy!
Buy it: The Fort on Amazon
35. It’s a Sign! by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey
The Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! the collection never lets us down! Colorful creatures make signs for their new club. Add this one to your kindergarten books for talking about using letter-sound knowledge to write decodable words.
Buy it: It’s a Sign! on Amazon
36. Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
If you share Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes every year, you’ll love adding this to your mix of kindergarten books about names! When Vanessa starts school, she wants her classmates to know she’s special, but it feels like her efforts miss the mark. Plus, her name takes so long to write (and those two s’s are hard!). When her family teaches her what her name means, everything feels right.
Buy it: Becoming Vanessa on Amazon
