As a former teacher, reading aloud to kids was one of my favorite parts of the day and, might I add, THE most important part. Tired of reading the same old books (me, not my kids) I was searching for some books to add into our own personal collection. I figured I would share some of my favorites in the event you are gifting “something to read” and want something that you can stomach as well. There are so so so so many good books out there right now, but here are a few outstanding options that are either personal favorites or books we will be adding to our collection this holiday season. All of the books here are kid AND adult friendly – the authors are witty and funny and lessons about life are woven throughout. Here are my top 10 picture books to read with your kids, and a few bonus books because I couldn’t help myself 😉 As always, you can click on the book to direct you to shopping link.

Dragons Love Tacos – This book is for laugh out loud fun. Just read the reviews – a winner all around. A bit ridiculous, but whatever it takes to get kids who are uninterested in books to fall in love with reading.

The Day the Crayons Quit – One of my personal favorites (yes, adults love this book too). A hilarious tale that personifies crayons and their feelings of hurt and neglect. Yellow and Orange fight over who is the true color of the sun, Black wants a job other than outlining, Red is tired – being popular is SO hard. This book is clever and extremely well-written as is the sequel (you should buy both), The Day the Crayons Came Home.

The Rechargeables – Written by co-author of How Full is Your Bucket (another great one), this book tells the story of how two kids discover how what they do and what they eat affects their bodies and levels of energy. Highly entertaining story with important lessons about health.

Giraffes Can’t Dance – Highly rated board book for the 8 and under crowd. Teaches kids that they can do anything they put their minds, an inspiring tale of greatness.

The Book with No Pictures – No really, there are NO pictures, but my kids LOVE this book because the reader (that’s you) has to say completely ridiculous words that will have everyone laughing. It’s different, innovative, and unlike any other children’s book – but it’s the spark that every drib drab story time needs. Oh, and it’s written by B.J. Novak, writer and actor in The Office…. need I say more?

Beautiful Oops! – A must have read for all the kids out there who are hard on themselves. From tears to rips to smudges, this is a story with the lesson that it is OKAY to make mistakes. Appropriate for all ages who need some help finding the beauty in a little “oops”.

What do You Do With an Idea? – An inspiring tale of what can happen when you nurture an idea instead of brush it under the carpet. The earlier kids learn this lesson, the better! (Would be a great gift for an adult who needs some encouragement to take that plunge!)

The Most Magnificent Thing – A beautiful story that captures many of the tough emotions kids deal with as they go through childhood – anger, frustration, defeat which then turns into renewed hope, determination and perseverance (with a little help from a friend). This book has amazing illustrations to boot.

Stick and Stone – Short and sweet and adorable. A simple story with a powerful message about anti-bullying. And it rhymes – so there’s that 🙂

Waiting Is Not Easy – A quality that all kids need some work on – PATIENCE! Witty and funny tale of Elephant and Piggy who learn that waiting is not easy, but worth it! Try to find a review that is less than 5 stars….go ahead, I dare you.

A few more favorites….

What books would you add to this list?!! Share with a friend if you found this helpful!