You’ve heard the benefits of reading with young children before (including from us). Now that it’s National Book Month, it seems like a great time to share a few of our favorite books. Grab one of these and spend some quality time reading with your favorite preschooler. We’ll be doing the same thing over at The Learning Tree in Livermore! Many of these great stories have stood the test of time, and some are newer entries. Check out some of our favorites:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! By Mo Willems
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
• Books by Dr. Seuss, such as Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax
• Pete the Cat books by James Dean and Eric Litwin, such as I Love My White Shoes
• Corduroy by Don Freeman
• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
• Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney, such as Llama Llama Red Pajama
• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
• The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

So how do you choose a good book for your child? The best way is to follow your child’s lead. Does he or she love trains or princesses? Or is he or she wild about animals? Choosing a subject that sparks their interest will help capture their attention and imagination. It’s even better when the stories have great imagery and exciting storylines. All these things—not to mention spending time with you—set kids up to enjoy reading for the rest of their lives. Want some more suggestions? Here is a great list of the 100 Best Children’s Books from Time as well as some recommended preschool books via Goodreads. Happy reading!