There are A LOT of books available to help your little one learn the ABCs, and some are much better than others! After checking out every ABC book at my local library (literally!) and reading them aloud to my child, I discovered which ABC books were the ABSOLUTE BEST for both captivating my child’s attention and reinforcing the alphabet concepts! Below is a list of the absolute best ABC learning books to buy for your little one’s library! Enjoy these jewels!
Happy reading and learning!!
Your little one will be a ABC expert in no time!
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- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (1989) – This is a book that makes learning the ABCs so fun with a unique, memorable rhythm and brightly colored pages. This book has been around for over 30 years, and it is a favorite in classrooms. There are many fun activities that you can find to do along with this book online, just look at this fun fabric coconut tree that you can get to act the story out!
2. Llama Llama Loves To Read by Anna Dewdney (2018) – Llama llama is a super fun character that loves his family and loves school. What could be better to read about!? This book is such a smooth read with beautiful rhythm, not too many words, and a great light story line around the ABCs. If your little one likes this book, there are many more in the llama llama book series and there is even a show on Netflix. We even have the llama llama stuffed animal, which our child LOVES!
3. ThinkTouchLearn: ABC by Xavier Deneux (2016) – This book is unique in that it makes learning the ABCs a visual and tactile sensory experience. The book uses raised die-cut pieces nestled in mirroring indented cut-outs to give kids a hands on experience to learning the ABCs. If you like this book, the ThinkTouchLearn brand, has similar tactile books for Numbers, Shapes, and Colors.
4. Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! by Mike Twohy (2016) – This book is SO entertaining for kids as they follow the story of a dog chasing a mouse through single words from the alphabet from A to Z. It’s easy and silly and perfect for making learning the ABCs fun and enjoyable for your child.
5. Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman (2009) – This ABC book features incredible wildlife photography from alligator to zebra from the renowned animal photographer Andrew Zuckerman. There is also a corresponding Creature ABC flashcard set that is perfect for reinforcing ABCs and animal names at the same time!
6. Vehicles ABC by Jannie Ho (2019) – This book is beautiful and simple. It names one vehicle for each letter of the alphabet and has a simple, clear, cartoon of the vehicle mentioned on each page. The pages are bright and colorful, and provide so many vocabulary words for all things related to transportation! This book is sure to be a hit with your toddler! If you enjoy this book, there are companion books by Jannie Ho that you might like, such as Christmas ABC, Halloween ABC, and Animal ABC.
7. The Alphabet Book by P.D. Eastman (1974) – This classic alphabet book introduces letters by pairing words that start with the same letter in funny ways, such as “cow in car” and “elephant on eggs” (and illustrating these combinations!). This book also includes an alphabet index on the page margins that helps kids keep track of which letter they are on as they read (helpful!). This is just one of P.D. Eastman’s amazing collection of beginner books for your little one’s library. If you like this book, check out, “Are You My Mother?”, “Go, Dog, Go!”, or this collection of his 10 most loved books.
8. Curious George Learns The Alphabet by H.A. Rey (1963) – This fun book allows your kids to follow the curious little monkey, George, as he learns to read with the man with the yellow hat. The dynamic duo make fun pictures out of letters to make learning the alphabet fun and easy to memorize. There is a board book version of this book available too. We even have the Curious George stuffed animal, which our little absolutely one loves! A Curious George ABC Learning Box is also available for this book that includes an audio copy of the book, workbooks, flashcards, stickers, a large poster, and more!
9. Alphabet City by Stephen Johnson (1995) – This Caldecott honor book has an interesting take on the alphabet – finding letters in ordinary objects around a city. The pictures are illustrations not photographs, but are incredibly done and very realistic. It is a very entertaining, wordless read and sure to engage your kids as they have to spot the “hidden” letter in the picture. If you like this book, check out the book City by Numbers by the same illustrator.
10. Walk and See: ABC by Rosalind Beardshaw (2018) – This book is a simple story describing the things two friends see from A to Z as they go for a nature walk. It is easy to follow and to point out the alphabet to your child as you are reading it. Such a fun book to demonstrate to your child how the alphabet is all around them in nature! If your little one enjoys this book, the illustrator has a number of other books that are great as well, like Walk and See: 1, 2, 3, Walk and See: Opposites, Walk and See: Colors.
11. A Is For Apple by Georgie Birkett (2011) – This book provides your child a fun way to experience the alphabet literally at their fingertips! Each page of this book includes interactive letter tracks that your child can trace with their fingers to learn letter formation, letter recognition, and pre-writing skills. Each letter also includes engaging flaps to lift to introduce your child to a word that begins with the featured letter. If you like this book concept, there is a companion book for counting called 1,2,3 Count with Me that is great too! Also, if your little one enjoys tactile learning, we have enjoyed using these sandpaper letter ABC flashcards from Didax Educational Resources. They help reinforce the alphabet through musclar and visual memory. Also, if you little one loves tactile learning, check out these ABC foam puzzles to take in the bath tub, our little one loves them!
12. ABC What Can She Be? by Jessie Ford (2018) – This book presents 26 possible career paths for girls from astronaut (A) to zoologist (Z) to help your little girl dream big! Each job is presented with a colorful and eye-catching illustration including women from diverse backgrounds and abilities. This fun read is a great way to introduce young girls to the variety of paths they can take to a bright future!
13. ABC What Can He Be? By Jessie Ford (2019) – This book presents an exciting world of career possibilities for your little boy to dream about his future! This book presents a whole alphabet of 26 exciting and thoughtful jobs options for boys from carpenter (C) to quantum physicist (Q)! Young boys will be inspired while they learn their ABCs learning there is no limit to their potential! Such a beautiful and engaging book to read!
14. Kipper’s A to Z by Mick Inkpen (2005) – This book features the fun-loving dog Kipper as he looks for a critter to put in his box for every letter of the alphabet (from ants (A) to slugs (S)). The story features bold upper and lower case alphabet letters throughout, the featured alphabet word used in a sentence, and also a bit of humor, which makes this book absolutely perfect! If your little one likes this book, there are many more in the Kipper series and there is even a show on Amazon Prime. There are also Kipper ABC flashcards, a Kipper stuffed animal, and many more books in the Kipper series available to keep your child engaged if they enjoy this one!
15. ABCs from Space by Adam Voiland (2017) – This book is a fascinating, scientific take on the ABCs as your little one finds “hidden” letters in photographs of the Earth from space. The letters are seen in satellite pictures of everything from cloud formations to twisting waterways. One nice feature of this book is that in the back of the book there is detailed information on the location of the photo along with information about the science of space, which can make this book engaging even for an older child. A very unique and fun alphabet book!
16. A B See by Elizabeth Doyle (2015) – This book is a really interesting alphabet book! Each page features a different alphabet letter that is composed of items that ALL start with that alphabet letter. For example, the letter A is made up of an apple, arrow, armor, etc. Definitely a fun book for your little one to look through with a hint of seek-and-find appeal on each page! A key listing all the items seen throughout the book is listed at the end of the book organized by letter for your reference.
17. The Biggest Story ABC by Kevin DeYoung (2017) – This book uses the ABCs to tell the story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in one continuous narrative to young children. A great book to introduce your child to the Bible while also teaching the ABCs! There is another version of this book available for older kids too (not ABC-centric) by the same author called The Biggest Story.
18. A Is For All The Things You Are by Anna Forgerson Hindley (2019) – This a book that is full of encouragement for your little one as they are learning their ABCs. The book which was put together by the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Smithsonian) is full of vocabulary words from A to Z to build both confidence and a celebration of diversity and inclusion of all peoples. Examples from the book are: brave (B), grateful (G), open-minded (O), and worthy (W). The Smithsonian has some other interesting ABC books too, like Alphabet of Dinosaurs, Alphabet of Insects, and Alphabet of Earth, just to name a few.
19. The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell (2017) – This book is SO fun for kids as they follow the high-energy story of the little red cat through single letters of the alphabet from A to Z. It’s hilarious and enjoyable and perfect for making learning the ABCs fun for your child. Written by the creator of the comic strip Mutts.
20. A Gardener’s Alphabet by Mary Azarian (2000) – This book provides words from A to Z that can be found in a garden. This book written by renowned children’s book illustrator and printmaker, Mary Azarian, includes woodcut prints painted with watercolors that provide stunning depictions of gardening activities and bounty. If you enjoy this book, check out A Farmer’s Alphabet too by the same author!
21. 26 Big Things Small Hands Do by Coleen Paratore (2004) – This book uses the ABCs to encourage your child to foster positive and helpful behavior – like applauding, building, giving gifts, helping, planting, recycling, and volunteering. The book encourages children that they can make a difference even though they are small! Such a great message! Love this book!
22. ABC of Birds by Roger Peterson (1995) – This is a beautiful book filled with stunning illustrations of a variety of birds and avian features from A to Z with pictures done by Roger Peterson, best known as the father of the modern field guide to birds. If you like this book, check out this Roger Peterson’s backyard bird puzzle or one of his many frameable, regional bird posters.
23. Bear Is Awake! by Hannah Harrison (2019) – This book is a sweet story about a girl who becomes friends with a bear during the middle of winter (all told through keywords highlighted from the alphabet). The book is silly, very engaging, and incredibly sweet and perfect for young children!
There you have it! I hope this is helpful! Thanks for reading!
Feel free to leave a comment of what ABC books you think are must-haves for your child’s library and should be added to this list! I would LOVE to hear from you!
Also, if you are interested in more ways to build your child’s learning and development in the early years, check out these must-know tips here for building your baby’s brain!
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