12 Favorite Rhyming Books for Preschoolers

Inside: Here are our favorite rhyming books for preschoolers that are not only fun to read-aloud, but also build cognitive and language skills!

We love books are read a variety during our day. Our toddlers and preschoolers especially love rhyming books and request them often. I thought I’d share 12 favorite rhyming books that young children love. They are fun, they have nice illustrations, and they are meaningful.

Rhyming books are fun for grown-ups to read aloud to young children, too. The change in their voices as they repeat similar sounds helps children focus on the sounds in words. They have a powerful effect on children’s cognitive skills and help build language skills. The repetition in rhyming books helps children remember.

Whenever we read a rhyming book in our preschool, the children light up, wanting to finish the sentences themselves. We could read these books over and over again and they’d love them even more each time.

12 Favorite Rhyming Books for Preschoolers

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

Our preschoolers love recognizing the letters as they are going up the coconut tree! There are so many fun extensions to this book. You can see one activity that we did here.

Chimps Don’t Wear Glasses by Laura Numeroff

We laugh and laugh as we read about zebras who can’t cook and llamas who don’t shop. The illustrations are funny, too!

Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough

When duck’s truck gets stuck in the muck, his friends try to get him out. I have complete attention from my preschoolers as we wait and see if duck’s friends can get him out of the muck!

Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

As Lloyd is trying to find his mama, his friends describe their mama in rhyme. This is a sweet story that we often read towards the beginning of the year, when we are learning to separate from our mommies.

Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney

Our children love all the Llama Llama books, but because we are always working on sharing, this is a favorite.

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

We love to watch Gerald as he starts off as a very bad dance but then turns out to be a  great dancer. A fun book that also helps build self-esteem.

Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks

This is truly a book that gives us the giggles! Mrs. Mc Nosh not only hangs up her laundry, but also the newspaper, her dog, and other objects. It’s guaranteed to bring giggles every time it is read!

My Truck is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis

This book is especially loved by our truck-loving children. Lots of hauling, beeping and repairing!

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

The sheep are in a jeep on a hill that’s steep! What a silly adventure that we love to laugh through.

Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox

As we turn each page, we meet the red sheep and blue sheep, wind sheep and wave sheep, scared sheep and brave sheep. But where is the green sheep?

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.

This is one of our favorites year after year. As I slowly turn the page, the children can’t wait to call out the next animal before they even see it. It features a Brown Bear, Red Bird, Yellow Duck, Blue Horse, Green Frog, Purple Cat, White Dog, Black Sheep, a Goldfish, a Teacher or a Mother, and Students or Children.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

The sun is setting behind the big construction site and all the trucks are getting ready to say goodnight. Truck lovers will enjoy this construction book!

What are your favorite picture books? Pop on by my Facebook page and let us know!

More to read:

Favorite Books for the Preschool Classroom

The Best Books for Busy Toddlers

15 Activities Based on Picture Books

Looking for more picture book recommendations?

I was given a copy of Recommended Picture Books for Children to review for free.  The author, D.M. Pearson, created this book  for busy parents who love to read to their child but do not have time to continually locate exceptional books.  Some parents do not know where to find great books, do not have time to continuously search for what to read next, or become overwhelmed when arriving at their public library children’s area. The books I mentioned above are part of this collection.

Song and Rhyme Props!

Keep your toddlers and preschoolers engaged with props to favorite songs and rhymes!