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Books for Ages 2-4

This reading list is for children ages 2-4.

Books for Ages 2-4

Agapanthus Hum and Major Bark, by Jennifer Plecas
When she loses a tooth, Agapanthus discovers that she can make an angel hoot by blowing through the hole in her smile.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a mother looking at them.

Bedtime for Frances, by Russell Hoban
It may be bedtime for Frances, but that doesn't mean Frances is ready to go to bed -- not by a long shot. Kids will enjoy the antics of Francis as she thinks up new diversions to keep her from going to bed.

Clifford the Big Red Dog, by Norman Bridwell
Clifford the Big Red Dog Board Book celebrates Clifford's 35th anniversary. The giant dog -- whose house is bigger than his owners', who bathes in the swimming pool, and occasionally catches the cars he chases --is now as remarkable for his longevity as he is for his size.

Color Zoo, by Lois Ehlert
Nine animals, 9 shapes, and 16 shades of color make this glorious zoo a visual treat for little ones to explore. As readers turn each die-cut page, they can watch the pictures change: a lion turns into a goat; an ox into a monkey; a tiger into a mouse, and more.

Corduroy, by Don Freeman
Corduroy the stuffed bear has always wanted a home. Lisa wants to buy him, but her mother points out that the little bear's green overalls are missing a button! Corduroy tries to pull a button off a mattress, but the noise he makes alerts a night guard who puts Corduroy back on his shelf. The next day Lisa buys Corduroy, takes him to her room, and sews a new button on his pants. Now Corduroy has a home and a friend!

Everything to Spend the Night From A to Z, by Ann Whitford Paul
Rollicking rhymes and illustrations packed with funny details reflect this exuberant narrator's delight as she pulls one thing after another out of her overnight bag and invites her grandpa to join in the fun.

Go, Dog, Go, by P.D. Eastman
Dogs in all shapes, sizes, and colors -- black, white, yellow, green, blue, pink, and red--star in this wonderfully goofy book. Floppy-eared canines zooming around in cars, riding a Ferris wheel, and generally having a marvelous time illustrate simple concepts in short vignettes. A recurring disagreement about hats is finally resolved at the great dog party high in the tree-tops.

Guess How Much I Love You, by Sam McBratney
How much can you love someone? Little Brown Hare wants to show Big Nutbrown Hare how very much he loves him - but a love as big as his is very hard to measure!

Freight Train, by Donald Crews
Chugga, chugga. Chugga, chugga. Whoo, whooooo!!
Is it an airplane? Is it a car? Is it a bicycle? It's a freight train, rushing through the countryside, through the city, through the day, and through the night to bring things to you.

Hamster Chase, by Anastasia Suen
The class hamster gets loose and it's up to Peter, Amy, and Archie to find him and lure him back into his cage.

How many? How much? (Get Set for Kindergarten series), by Rosemary Wells
Timothy and his kindergarten classmates learn about counting, measuring, money, and other math concepts. Includes activities on directionality, spatial relations, and the days of the week.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff
If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim... .

The Little Red Hen, by Byron Barton
The little red hen finds none of her lazy friends willing to help her plant, harvest, or grind wheat into flour, but all are eager to eat the bread she makes from it.

Mouse Count, by Ellen Stoll Walsh
A hungry snake finds ten little mice and counts them into a jar for dinner. But the clever mice soon outwit the snake and "uncount" themselves--until they've all gotten away.

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell
Never has the plight of young ones who miss their mother been so simply told or so beautifully rendered as in this tale of three baby owls who awaken one night to find their mother gone. Where is she? When will she return? What scary things move in the night around them?

Ring! Yo?, by Chris Raschka
RING! YO? gives young readers only one side of the conversation -- and asks them to use their imaginations to fill in the other half.

Runaway Bunny,by Margaret Wise Brown
A little rabbit who wants to run away tells his mother how he will escape, but she's always right behind him.

Time for Bed, by Mem Fox
Day is done. Darkness is falling everywhere, and little ones are getting sleepy. This gentle book, with its rhythmic verse and peaceful, loving illustrations, will lull toddlers whether it's bedtime, nap time, or simply time for a snuggle.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
This is the delightful story of one very small and very hungry caterpillar who grows into a beautiful butterfly as he nibbles his way through the pages of the book.

Where's Spot?, by Eric Hill
A mother dog finds eight other animals hiding around the house before finding her lost puppy, Spot.

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