October is the second month of Richmond Public Library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, a nationwide initiative to encourage reading to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. To learn more about how to start the program, visit the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten page on our website. It can be daunting to try to find books that your child will love. The following book recommendations are meant to highlight newer and seasonal books in the collection that are high interest and appropriate for different developmental ages. For more book recommendations, check out RPL’s Bookologist service and our Storytime at Home blog series.
Babies (0-18 months)
Booook! A Spooky High-Contrast Book by Jannie Ho
Introduce your baby to fun Halloween vocabulary with this high-contrast book made for new eyes. Prop the book up during tummy time and teach your little one about pumpkins, owls, skeletons, and more!
The I Can Say Mama Book by Stephanie Cohen
The I Can Say Dada Book by Stephanie Cohen
This delightful board book series is written by a Speech-Language Pathologist. Each page shows a real picture of a caregiver with a child and a simple phrase to go along with the picture (such as “Up, mama!” or “Done, dada!”).
Toddlers (18 months-3 years)
Fire Chief Fran by Linda Ashman
Follow Fire Chief Fran as she completes a full day as a busy firefighter. There are dogs to rescue, fires to douse, and trees to clear off the road. This is the perfect book to read for National Fire Prevention Week October 6th-12th. You can also meet firefighters at the library in October at West End’s Toddler Storytime or Main’s Preschool Storytime!
I Am Happy by Michael Rosen
An energetic puppy describes all the ways he expresses his happiness: swinging on swings, being outside, performing on stage, and more!
Little Red: Autumn on the Farm by Will Hillenbrand
It’s a busy morning in Shady Acre as the community prepares for the harvest festival. Little Red and driver Katie drive around town to help their neighbor vehicles solve problems. Any truck loving toddler will love this story, with elements similar to the “Little Blue Truck” series.
The Wrong Book by Drew Daywalt
This is possibly the silliest book published this year. Does a elephant say “Ding-dong”? NO! Does a flower say “cock-a-doodle-doo”? NO! Your toddler will love correcting this book as it narrates all of the WRONG things!
Preschoolers (3-5)
Mole is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa
Rabbit invites Mole to his birthday party, but Mole isn’t sure he wants to go. Will Mole have fun? Will he know other people at the party? Mole has doubts on the entire journey to Rabbit’s house. The surprising ending will delight any child with a shy or quiet personality.
Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis
Little Ghost is very good at haunting his house but he is too afraid to make friends with the neighbors. He doesn’t want to scare anyone away. But when a new girl moves in next door, he decides to use his favorite holiday (Halloween) to reach out and make a friend.
Sour Apple by Linda Liu
Apple feels rejected when it is not picked from the tree–are they not worthy enough of being in someone’s pie or in someone’s picnic lunch? Little do they know, there is much more in store for them. This story teaches a valuable lesson about being patient and going through hard seasons.
What Can a Mess Make? by Bee Johnson
Two sisters spend a cozy day making a mess: crafting, baking, exploring, creating. A reminder to embrace the mess and all it can offer.
