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5 Fun Picture Books Parents Won’t Dread Reading

Stop dreading bedtime stories with these fun picture books!

Reading to my kids is one of my favorite things to do as a mom, but that doesn’t mean that I love all books equally. Some picture books are great and others are just plain boring. Let me help you avoid the duds with these fun picture books.

5 Fun Pictures Books Parents Won’t Dread Reading

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Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton

This adorable book is about a school bus in need of rescuing. Can the red tow truck save the day? Well, yes it can. Kids books should always have a happy ending! Don’t be fooled into thinking this book will only appeal to the boys in your family. Grace fell in love with this book when she was two, and it is still a favorite in our house.

Things I Love: a high energy “suspenseful” story, fun sound words (zoom, roar, etc.)

A peek inside the book:

Red Truck 11

Red Truck 1

Red Truck 3

You’ll also like: Yellow Copter and Blue Boat

Pete The Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Pete loves his shoes, but he can’t seem to keep them clean! The shoes keep changing colors as he steps in various messes, but Pete refuses to get bummed out. Instead he sings a song that is repeated throughout the book declaring his love for his shoes no matter which color they are. The book has a fantastic moral that all of us could learn from.

Things I Love: catchy song that will get your kids singing along (You can hear the author reading the book here.)

A peek inside the book:

Pete the Cat 1

Pete the Cat 2

Pete the Cat 3

You’ll also like: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Poor little llama starts to freak out when he is convinced that his mama is never coming back to his bedroom. Parents, haven’t we all seen those moments in our own children? They blow up over something so little, and we want to tell them to chill out a bit? That is exactly what mama llama does.

Things I Love: rhyming text, escalating emotion from little llama that is fun to act out

A peek inside the book:

Llama Llama Red Pajama 1

Llama Llama Red Pajama 2

Llama Llama Red Pajama 3

Katie Loves The Kittens by John Himmelman

The puppy Katie is beyond excited about the new kittens that joined her family, but Katie is a bit too much for those kitten to handle. Katie’s owner, a sweet little girl, scolds Katie over and over as her excitement freaks out the kittens. Don’t worry. They all end up friends in the end.

Things I Love: a variety of emotions from Katie that are fun to act out

A peek inside the book:

Katie Loves the Kittens 1

Katie Loves the Kittens 2

Katie Loves the Kittens 3

You’ll also like: Katie and the Puppy Next Door

There Is A Bird On Your Head by Mo Willems

All of Willems’ books are a joy to read. In this one, Elephant about loses his mind when a bird family builds their nest on top of his head. Piggie, his best friend, is there to help narrate the scene and offer Elephant advice. The two are a hilarious pair.

Things I Love: Willems doesn’t use very many words, a variety of emotions from Elephant & Piggie, the storyline is sure to make your kids giggle

A peek inside the book:

Bird on Your Head 1

Bird on Your Head 2

Bird on Your Head 3

You’ll also like: We Are in a Book, Waiting is Not Easy, and The Thank You Book

What are your favorite fun picture books?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Simply Rebekah. Top image via Pixabay.

8 Comments

  1. Ahh… I wondered if you mentioned Pete the Cat. I got it for the grandkids on your recommendation (last year sometime? On Sorta Awesome podcast maybe?) and they love it! They’re 4 now.

    Another blogger (http://www.cyndispivey.com/) recommended “Pout Pout Fish” so I got it, too. It is adorable and my grandson loves it. He says the Kiss Kiss Fish (the heroine of the story) is the mommy fish. Oh, my heart!

    He also likes the Little Bear series and Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. He has asked for the “Mayanne” book (Maryanne is the name of the steam shovel) since he started talking.

    All these books are a lot of fun to read outloud.

    I have some trouble getting both kids interested in books these days. They are very active but also watch a fair amount of tv. Any tips on luring them BACK to books? We started out with a lot of interest but it seems to have faded and I’m not sure how I can compete with TV!! One thought I had was to read real books in their presence – not just my Kindle books (or obviously my Facebook, etc on phone and tablet). So they see that Big People like to read Real Books, too.

    1. Letting your grandkids see you reading a real book is a great first step. A couple other suggestions:

      1. Make reading part of your regular routine. Read a book or two just before nap time, bedtime, or even during lunch time.

      2. Go to the library with the kids, allow them to pick out some books, come home, and sit together on the couch to read a big stack. My kids are always more excited about reading right after a library trip. My daughter (age 6) is just now really enjoying picking out her own books at the library. Of course, I also pick out books for the kids.

  2. I love to read The Napping House. The illustrations are paintings and are just beautiful. And once you read it, you can go back and find the flea in each picture.

    Pirates Don’t Change Diapers. No words to describe how funny this is, especially if you use a pirate-y voice.

    Click, Clack Moo, Cows that Type – I laughed out loud in the bookstore the first time I read it.

    Grumpy Bird – Fun illustrations and every child can relate to being grumpy. Have to pull out the grumpy voice to read it though.

    And the classic There is a monster at the end of this book (with lovable, furry old Grover). Kids love the anticipation.

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