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You know what they say about readers? They are leaders.
My quest for preschool-kindergarten material has evolved out of the fact that we live in one of the most expensive places in the USA. For us to send our kids to preschool or private school would basically be the equivalent of one of our salaries. Plus I am fundamentally against paying someone to teach my kid to cut and glue.
Now, as an avid reader myself, I can attest that not all children's books are good. Sorry, it's true. These books however are amazing. They expand thinking. They expand creativity. They expand discussion. And my kids have never tired of listening to them and I have never tired of reading them. They are also excellent books to build preschool/ kindergarten curriculum around.
This is a quick summary that highlights the "extra" factor that makes these books superior. They all address teaching the ABCs.
Reason it is awesome: The illustrations are amazing. They are so beautiful that they cause my kids to be fascinated by vegetables like kohlrabi. Never underestimate the power of beautiful imagery to draw kids into learning.
Reason it is awesome: This book is on the longer side. However it very effectively repeats the alphabet in story form over and over again. The book also has this fun exchange with the concept of "naughtiness" that kids really enjoy.
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABC by Eric Carle
Reason it is awesome: Most parents need no introduction to Eric Carle as he wrote the legendary kids book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book follows a simple format with one animal per letter. The animals have an excellent Eric Carle abstraction to them that helps foster curiosity. I like this book in particular as a supplement to creating your own preschool/kindergarten as it offers an animal to study with each letter.
by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault
Reason it is awesome: Simply put, this book is fun to read. The story has a nice build up to all the letters falling out of a tree. This gives the letters a personality and character that most ABC books don't have. I find that this anthropomorphic quality helps younger kids get attached to the letters and remember them better.
Reason it is awesome: There are many many reasons this is a wonderful book. Personally I like it for learning because it offers repetition of the sounds of the letters. For example, "Barber, baby, bubbles and a bumblebee". So if you have kids of multiple ages at home, this book will be intriguing and a teaching resource for all ages. Younger kids can spot the letters while older kids work on sounding out some of the simple words.
Honorable mention:
6. A is for Aloha by Stephanie Feeney
Reason it is awesome: First up, this book is hard to find which is why it is down here under honorable mention. It is a beautiful book filled with pictures that are unique. It also offers a beautiful look into the local Hawaii culture. IF you can find it, it is worth it.
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