We use a lot of board books at our school, not only for our preschoolers, but also for some of our students in our PEC, Program for Extraordinary Children (formerly known as SDC), which runs from Pre-k all the way through the fifth grade.  These books also make fantastic baby gifts if you’re in the market for baby gifts as I often am.  I’m a big proponent of reading from the very first day of life.

Here are some of our students’ and my favorite board books:

Freight Train, by Donald Crews: This book has wonderful soothing words and great colors.  Read about the parts of a freight train.  One of my favorites.

Goodnight, Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann: This book is so loved in our library that I own three copies.  A funny wordless book about a gorilla who steals a zookeepers keys and lets out all the animals. You’ll read it so many times that your students/or children will read it to you.  They still wear out every year!

Pajama Time!, by Sandra Boynton: This is one of my absolute favorites.  It has great rhymes and is very, very cute.  I’ve had entire pre-school classes saying “Hush, Hush. It’s Pajama Time!”

Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown: Again, soothing words about animals on a farm

Dear Zoo! by Rod Campbell: This is a sweet “lift the flap” book.  “I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet, they sent me…”  This is a real favorite.  Children love the rhymes and lifting the flaps to see what animal the zoo sent.

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown: Before you say this book is a cliche, there is a reason.  It is a peaceful, calming book that never fails to please the child I’m reading it to.  It also allows a child to look for the little mouse on each page!

Stay tuned for more board book favorites!