Now that I am back in the classroom teaching I see firsthand how useful blogs like mine and so many others are for early childhood educators who are planning lessons. With that in mind, I decided to bring together my top books every preschool class must have. I would have loved for this list to be a perfect catchy number like 50 or 75 but my list ended at 58 when I published this in 2015, and I have since added 8 more great preschool books. It was hard to break it down to such a small list of my personal must-have books. I know that you will have many titles to add so feel free to leave a comment with the titles you use in your preschool class.
Alphabet Books
Animalia
Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z
Alphabet Under Construction
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition
Learn The Alphabet with Northwest Coast Native Art
Awesome Read Aloud Books
Whoever You Are
Something From Nothing 
Lovely by Jess Hong
Zoom!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
I Love You Stinky Face
Mortimer by Robert Munsch
A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary
Mary Had A Little Glam by Tammi Sauer
Where the Wild Things Are
Press Here
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Books About Colors
Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
Planting a Rainbow
Little Blue and Little Yellow
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Pink Is For Boys by Robb Pearlman
Mouse Paint
Counting Books
Big Fat Hen
Granny Went to Market
Goodnight Moon 123
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On
Mouse Count
Books About Emotions, Separation Anxiety and Social Learning
The Way I Feel
Keisha Ann Can! By Daniel Kirk
It’s Mine!
Elmer
It’s Okay To Be Different
The Kissing Hand
No, David! by David Shannon
Dinosaur vs. the Potty 
Owl Babies 
Rhyming Books
(many other books included in other sections also rhyme)
I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
How Big Is a Pig?
My Truck is Stuck!
One Duck Stuck
Shape Books
City Shapes by Diana Murray
My Heart Is Like a Zoo
Perfect Square
Mouse Shapes
Thematic Books
(There are so many more books but these are my favorites)
On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs
The Mitten by Jan Brett (winter)
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown (farm)
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle (sea life/months of the year)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Is Your Mama a Llama?
The Snowy Day
Lola at the Library
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee (families)
The Family Book
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer (spring/pond life/life cycles)
Our Stars
Dinosaur Roar! Board Book by Paul and Henrietta Stickland (dinosaurs/opposites)
Leaves
I Love Bugs!
Firefighter Frank by Monica Wellington (fire safety/community helpers)
Big Earth, Little Me
Not Norman! by Kelly Bennet ( Pets/ Friendship)
Trashy Town
If you teach preschool you will LOVE my preschool lesson plans! Click here to see the whole library
JOANN ROUTH says
Could you please publish a children’s book list, so I can download it? I would appreciate it.
Catherine says
We love My First Words – Let’s Get Counting for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Caroline says
The Pout Pout Fish was a great one for my son, especially because it deals with the management of negative feelings. We have also read If I Built a House enough that I can recite it in my sleep. I don’t think I saw Harry The Dirty Dog either. That’s a classic! So is Leo the Late Bloomer! I love that book! It’s a great one for helping kids and parents alike have respect for the learning process of each kid. It’s okay not to be the first to read– just enjoy the process until you make it.
Cait Fitz @ My Little Poppies says
This is a fantastic list, including oodles of our family’s favorites. I’ll be pinning and sharing. Thank you!
Laurie Mattaliano says
It is so exciting to see two Barefoot Books titles make this wonderful list! How Big is Pig is the sweetest “farmyard rhyme” I know. My Granny Went to Market – also a wonderful counting & geography rhyme – the first time I read it to my kids I remember being so thrilled with all the new vocabulary!
Barefoot Books are no longer supplied to Amazon so to explore the very broad line (all could make this list!) contact an Ambassador to learn about them all!
Niccola says
What a great list. A favourite in my class is The Bears Lunch. Thanks for sharing.
Niccola
Lynda Foote says
chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Jennifer says
I love The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. It’s a must for teaching about imagination!
Rhianna Kropf says
My 3 year old classroom really loves “Tuesday” because they can make up the story
Sherry says
Mo Willems Elephant and Pig stories (Should I Share My Icecream, and Happy Pig Day and I Am A Frog) are favorites in my class
Pete the Cat :I Love My White Shoes, Four Groovy Buttons, Magic Sunglasses and Rockin in My School Shoes are all my 3-year-old preschoolers favorites
Brandi says
I would love to have this in a printable format for easy use at the library. Is there one available?
Allison McDonald says
This comment got lost – that is a great idea – let me see what I can conjure up.
Kelly R. says
My guys are currently loving “The Prince Won’t Go to Bed” by Dayle Ann Dodds. 🙂 We also love Barefoot Books and Mo Willems! “My Friend is Sad” is currently in rotation!
Mira @ Children's Book Academy says
This is a fabulous list! So many great books and it is so important to have our children excited for reading at a young age.
Lauren says
Hi! I would also love this in list form for use at the library thanks!
tonya says
“Llama, llama red pajama”, “skippyjon jones”, “the colors of us”, “knuffle bunny”, “planting a tree”, “Harold and the purple crayon” are some of my class favorites for 3 year olds
Christy Guitard says
Love this list!! Thank you! My 2’s & 3’a all time favorite (and mine, because their reactions are the BEST!) is The Monster at the End of This Book!
Julie says
Book “Where the Wild Things Are” — Loved it. Period. Previewing for my 5-year old I ended up reading to this story twice and loving it both times.
Recommended.
Marie A. Rocheleau-Demers says
I too would love the books in list form so I could copy/download. Thanks so much – and just sent you an email about that!
Ashley S Johnson says
These are wonderful books to read, my kids loved them. Thank so much for having other titles on the list. I did wrote down some of them from this list.
You should have put down also the Preschool Clues (https://amzn.to/2I8ajPf) written by Angela Santomero which is also shown on Kids Bookstore Club (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbBtV4A2BKs).
My kids love this book because of Blues Clues, Daniel Tiger Neighborhood and Super Why creator. Thanks for the content.