Four of the Best Books for a Preschooler

Parents today are more aware that reading to your child not only promotes good reading and listening skills but instills in them a love for it. As my daughter has grown, her attention span has increased tremendously. So as your child grows out of the short board books, here are some favorites for longer stories. (Click the titles for more information.)

Miss Twiggley's Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox

I had this book when I was growing up and could not wait to share it with my daughter. The story is about Miss Twiggley, a shy lady who lives with her dog in a tree. The townspeople make fun of her but when a storm comes and washes the town away, they sing a different tune. Miss Twiggley and her house in the tree save the day. The story is in poem format, rhyming stanzas of four lines each. The lyrical quality moves the story along delightfully. The talking bears and the dog that does the shopping draws even young listeners in. The quality of the pictures is excellent. There is just enough detail to hold a child's attention without being too busy. This is a classic and is still in print.

Tawny Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson

Tawny Scrawny Lion is a Little Golden Book classic. Tawny Scrawny is a feared lion and though he eats a lot, he's never satisfied. That is, until he runs into a rabbit and his famous carrot stew. This is an enjoyable read primarily due to the illustrations. My daughter is delighted with the drawings of Tawny and the fat little rabbits. The story is cute and has a good moral.

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

This is another book from my childhood. I remember hearing our school librarian read this aloud one afternoon. It is a memorable book due to the title character's name. Firstborn son, Tikki Tikki Tembo has a great, long, honorable name and his brother, who is second born, has a short name. Thanks to mischief the boys wind up in the well and have to be fished out. Tikki Tikki Tembo's brother has a very difficult time convincing his mother that Tikki is in trouble due to stumbling over the great long name. In the end, we understand why the Chinese give all their children short names now. This is a fun book to read but beware; it is a bit of a tongue twister. The illustrations are simple and fun and there are a couple pages of just drawings. These are nice because my daughter likes to take over telling the story by using the pictures as a guide.

The Hat by Tomi Ungerer

A silk top hat with a magenta sash is the main character in this fantasy story. The hat finds a penniless veteran soldier and enables him to gain wealth, fame and love, all while doing public service. It is great moral story with interesting character names. The story takes place in Italy so some of the names and phrases are a little more difficult to pronounce, but my daughter loves to hear me stumble over it! The story does end on a mysterious note which opened the door for conversations as to what the hat will do next. I love books that promote discussions. However, I do have one warning: this book was written when social smoking was very accepted. There are pictures of men smoking cigars in a few of the frames. Also, this book is out of print but you can find it used in online stores such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.