Recommended Reading for English Learners

Age 0-3

This list includes fiction picture books that children can look at with parents or caregivers. These titles are suitable for reading aloud. They help children learn the names of letters, numbers, colours, animals and everyday objects. These books are also useful for introducing the rhythm of English.

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle
  Introduces basic colours and animals.
• But not the hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton
  A silly rhyming story about a hippo that finally joins in the fun.
• Chicka Chicka 1,2,3 by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson
  Memorable rhymes and bright colours for counting up to 101.
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
  A catchy rhyme for learning the letters of the alphabet.
• Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  A classic goodnight story about familiar objects in a young child's world.
• Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney
  A little rabbit explains to his dad how much he loves him.
• Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins
  Playful rhymes about adorable, bright underwater creatures.
• Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
  Lloyd the llama finds lots of other animals before his own mama.
• Mother Goose Collections of Nursery Rhymes
  A collection of traditional fairy tales and nursery rhymes.
• Mouse Paint by Ellen Walsh
  Three wise mice outsmart a cat and mix primary paint colours.
• Peek-a Who? by Nina Laden
  Children guess which animal is peeking through the window.
• Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
  A story about preferences from the perspective of a child.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  A classic story about a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. Reviews quantities and food.
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
  A mouse takes a walk through the woods and outsmarts animals that want to eat him.