I am often asked which books are the best for building a home library. There are so many amazing books out there, that narrowing it down to the “best” is nearly impossible! So I decided to share a list of our top 10 favorite books for a family library, as well as categories that I recommend filling.

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Bedtime Books

Reading before bed is a great way to wind down at the end of the day. So I definitely believe that it’s important to have a couple of great bedtime books in your home library. There are so many amazing bedtime stories that can help soothe kids to sleep, and these are two of our favorites.

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney

This popular book not only features a soothing rhyme and adorable, textured illustrations, but also addresses a common bedtime issue that families face. When the adorable Llama Llama goes to bed, he is suddenly overcome with worry and calls for his mama – over and over. She comes running upstairs when he starts yelling, only to discover that nothing is wrong. The mother is stern but loving, reminding him that she is always nearby, even when he can’t see her. We have definitely used this book as a reminder on nights that my daughter doesn’t want me to leave the room.

Bear Snore On

Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman

This adorable book introduces the reader to Bear and his animal friends. While Bear sleeps in his den, a group of animals hide in his cave to avoid the storm outside. When Bear finally wakes up, he is more upset that he missed out on the fun than the intrusion into his home. The rhyming text has a melodious flow to it, and the illustrations are soft and gentle. There is a repeating refrain throughout the book, and a sweet ending to the story, all adding up to a gentle bedtime story that will lull little ones to sleep.

Related Post: New Bedtime Books for Kids

Touch and Feel Books

When children are first learning about books, they are in a tactile stage of life. They don’t just want to look at something. They want to feel it, hear it, and yes, taste it. Touch and feel books are a great way to encourage very young kids to interact with books and engage their senses. (Although teaching them not to eat books is still important!).

Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings

Written by Matthew Van Fleet

This fun book uses simple text and adorable animal illustrations to introduce young kids to colors, shapes, animals, and textures. Each two page spread starts with a colorful shape with a different texture. When the flap on the page opens, the shape becomes part of a picture of animals. The text is simple, describing the texture and the shape, as well as the group of animals under the flap. Kids will love touching the various textures which are all very well done.

Ten Little Ladybugs

Written by Melanie Gerth

This counting book uses raised ladybugs and simple rhyming text to teach kids to count from ten to one. At the beginning of the book, there are ten ladybugs on the page. At the turn of each page, one more ladybug leaves on an adventure. In the end, all of the ladybugs are pictured back together again. The text is simple and has a pleasant rhyme, and a large colorful number and the raised bugs on each page helps kids to count along.

Interactive Books

Interactive books are a fun way to get kids engaged in reading. By breaking the wall, the characters in the story can pull kids in and give them the power to play a part in the book. There are lots of benefits to reading an interactive story with kids, plus they are lots of fun!

The Monster at the End of this Book

Written by Jon Stone and illustrated by Michael Smollin

This fun story features the lovable Grover from Sesame Street. Grover is scared of the titular monster at the end of the story. So on each page, he begs the reader to stop turning pages. He builds walls, ties up the pages, and tries anything he can think of to stop the reader from getting to the end of the book. As the story continues on, the turning of pages creates a bigger and bigger mess. My daughter loves watching the chaos created by turning the pages, as well as the adorable ending, which addresses the idea that sometimes the thing we are most scared of, isn’t so scary after all.

Don’t Push the Button

Written and illustrated by Bill Cotter

This interactive book was one of my daughter’s first favorites. The story follows a little monster named Larry. Larry only has one rule in his book: don’t push the button. However, at each turn of the page, he attempts the convince the reader that maybe pushing it would be fun after all. When the child finally does push the button, chaos ensues and Larry tries to fix it by having them push the button more times. Kids will love breaking the rules a little, and then watching Larry panic and try to fix the mistake.

Related Post: 12+ Interactive Books to Entertain Young Readers

Loving Books

Reading aloud with kids gives them a positive and loving connection with reading. It encourages them to connect reading with the positive emotions they feel when curled up with loved ones and sharing a book. What better way to enhance those loving feelings than with beautiful books that share how you feel with your kids. We have a separate shelf of soothing books about love, and these are part of our nightly reading routine.

I Love You Because You’re You

Written by Liza Baker and illustrated by David McPhail

This was one of the first books that my daughter requested over and over again. She can actually repeat it on her own now. This sweet story follows a mother fox as she reassures her son that she will love him all the time, no matter what. The rhyming text shares all of the emotions that he goes through, and how she will always care about him in good times and bad. The illustrations are adorable, highlighting the familiar actions and emotions of the young fox, as well as the tender feelings his mother has for him.

You are My I Love You

Written by Maryann Cusimano Love and illustrated by Satomi Ichikawa

This adorable book follows a parent bear and child bear as they go about a day together. The poetic text celebrates the love between a parent and a child through creative rhymes and comparisons. Each comparison shows how kids and parents provide balance for one another. The adorable illustrations highlight recognizable moments throughout the day when parents and children share love and connection.

Related Post: Fantastic Children’s Books about Love

Holiday Books

I love rotating our books throughout the year, and I have a separate box that contains our current seasonal and holiday books. Reading seasonal books is a good way to introduce kids to the symbols and traditions of each holiday, as well as the changes that come with each passing season. So a large part of our home library is made up of seasonal books that we can share each year.

The Night Before series

Written by Natasha Wing

When it comes to holiday books, there are tons of options. The Night Before series from Natasha Wing is one of my favorites. Each of the books in the series turns the traditional Christmas poem on it’s head and changes it to suit the featured holiday. The familiar rhyme and the adorable illustrations are comforting and fun for kids, and each themed book includes symbols and traditions of the holiday or celebration. We have several of the books in the series, and they are always one of my daughter’s favorites in each holiday collection.

Inspirational Books

Along the same lines as the loving books, inspirational books offer us the chance to share our feelings with our kids in a way that may be more eloquent than we can come up with on our own. There are tons of empowering and inspirational books aimed at kids that can help you to share your thoughts with them in a  fun and colorful way.

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss

This may seem like an obvious choice, but it is a favorite for a reason. The book uses silly illustrations to keep kids entertained, while also sharing a message of empowerment. The text reminds kids of all of the power that they have, and the strengths that they can utilize. It then encourages them to go out in the world and do amazing things. This book is regularly used as a graduation gift because it reminds the reader of all that they possess and encourages them to share their powers with the world. My parents actually gifted me with a copy when I graduated from grad school, and it is still one of my favorites to re-read.

What do you think are the most important books for a family library? Share in the comments below!

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