Reading is a fun and enjoyable activity that sparks the imagination.
This article examines 11 classic kid’s books that inspire young imaginations. The books are for kids between the age of 0 to 8 years.
11 Classic Kid’s Books of 0 – 8 years To buy for your kids
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle
(Ages 0-5)
The bright, colorful pictures in this book are engaging for little ones while teaching them about counting and days of the week. It also educates them on food groups by showing what caterpillars eat to transform into butterflies through metamorphosis. “I see you! I see me!” coos the hungry baby caterpillar as he eats his way from egg to cocoon to butterfly. He has been loved by readers since 1969 when it was published, making it a great addition to any baby shower gift or birthday party.
2. The Cat in the Hat By Dr. Seuss
(Ages 3-7)
The creative rhymes and cartoon-like drawings of this classic are some of its many endearing qualities that attract children’s attention. Written by Dr. Seuss, it teaches kids about colors while inviting them to think outside of the box. “Did the cat in the hat come?” inquires Sally as she watches a strange-looking creature appear through her window on a rainy day.
A mischievous cat wearing a colorful hat shows up at Sally’s house with his new friends Thing One and Thing Two causing all sorts of trouble until they are chased away by none other than Mother Goose herself! This is just one example of how creative the rhyming can be within this book. Who doesn’t love a bit of mischief?
3. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
(Ages 2-5)
This book is one that will teach young children about the alphabet in an exciting, fun way through its unique illustrations using movable letters to create the words on every page. A cast of old favorites is gathered around “J”, who is telling them, “I once knew a man with a long yellow beard.” He tells the story of his encounter with King Solomon, whom he saves from execution by cutting off his hair! The only problem is that his afro locks him up again until another wise man comes along named Ezra and cuts his hair again.
After the children find out about Ezra and King Aha, they realize how much J is like them as he has trouble staying awake, just like them! This book is a great way to teach children about character development.
Read also, 20 Best Adventure Books to Read Today
4. Where The Wild Things Are By Maurice Sendak
(Ages 3-8)
Max, the protagonist of this short chapter book, goes on an adventure with his monster friends by traveling through land and sea before returning home for dinner where he is sent to bed without his supper. It’s an enjoyable story that keeps kids attentive until the last page while also teaching them about emotions such as anger and fear.
This adds to their vocabulary when they can explain what other characters are feeling in the book as well as themselves. It’s a great way to make them think about how they react to situations and why.
5. Harold And The Purple Crayon By Crockett Johnson
(Ages 4-8)
Kids learn a valuable lesson from this story of why it is important to be responsible for one’s actions. It also teaches them that if you have a dream, then follow it! After getting into trouble by drawing on the walls with crayons, young Harold finds himself in an imaginary world where he uses his purple crayon to create whatever he wants. But when he gets sick of being alone, he returns home where his mother gives him another chance instead of grounding him again because she realizes that all he needed was to be inspired.
6. Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day By Judith Viorst
(Ages 3-8)
Most kids go through the phase of believing that nobody likes them and they just can’t catch a break. This story demonstrates how it’s possible for something terrible to happen to everyone in one day! Poor Alexander has had the worst day ever starting with spilled milk on his pajamas during breakfast then having an accident at school when he rushes out of class without permission which results in suspension from recess.
He is stuck inside cleaning up the house while his entire family goes about their business including enjoying a family party without him where even Grandma forgets his birthday! Alexander’s parents try their best to cheer him up but he is still miserable at the end of the day. A great book for any child that feels like everyone is against them!
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle
(Ages 1-5)
This classic children’s picture book achieved popularity for its unique style and fascinating photos which clearly illustrate a story about life through nature and food through a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly. It shows kids how they too can grow and change by eating, reading, drawing, and making new friends, perhaps even becoming something as grand as a butterfly! Kids love snacking on these colorful floppy pages while learning about counting, colors, months of the year, days of the week, seasons, weather, and the natural order of things.
Read also, The 21 Greatest Mystery Books to Read Now
8. If I Ran The Circus By Dr. Seuss
(Ages 4-8)
If you had the chance to run a circus would you do what was best for your audience or yourself? This funny book has kids laughing out loud as they read about all of the crazy things he does to entertain kids including juggling sharks! He even enlists his whole family to help him with every bit of his plan but will everything go according to plan or will he be devoured by hungry animals? It’s an enjoyable way for them to learn about individuality while also realizing that sometimes teamwork is necessary.
9. Sam And The Firefly By P.D Eastman
(Ages 3-8)
Sam the dog loves to play catch but he can never catch his ball because it is so dark. One day a friendly firefly comes along and helps him by lighting up the night sky with its glowing tail until Sam finally catches his ball! It’s a valuable lesson for kids about how friendship beats all odds and that even bad things may turn out to be good. Kids will love listening to this classic children’s story read aloud on CD while following the colorful illustrations which are simple enough for any first-time reader to understand.
10. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom By Bill Martin, John Archambault & Lois Ehlert
(Ages 3-8)
This book is a great way to teach even the tiniest kids how to read. It uses only the letters A-Z with no consonants or unpronounceable words which makes it easy for any child to follow along. The repeated refrain of “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” makes it fun and easy to remember each letter as they are introduced one by one during a tree’s alphabet picnic where all of the letters are up in the tree except for X, Y, & Z who are still on their way! So much excitement ensues you won’t want to miss it!
11. Little Red Riding Hood By Charles Perrault
(Ages 4-8)
The ultimate big bad wolf tale; we all know the story but we have never heard it quite like this! The kind old grandmother is just about to bake some cookies when she is visited by her hoodlum of a grandson wearing nothing but his red cloak which he lost in the woods when playing hide and seek with Little Red Riding Hood.
Read also, Writing Prompts: 50 Creative Writing Prompts Ideas to Try Out
Too busy to do anything about it, grandma rewards him with a pittance of three cookies while grumbling that she would have made more if he hadn’t been so lazy. She sends him home where his mother shows up at the door hoping for the same thing only to receive twice as many after being scolded by a grandma who is livid over what happened earlier in the day.
Final Thoughts
The above-mentioned books are only a small sample of the thousands of children’s books that you can find at your local library. Children learn through their experiences and while some parents might not have time to read out loud every single day, a trip to your local library is always welcomed! Not only will it expose your child to an enormous variety of new and exciting stories that he or she might not even realize existed previously, but they will also learn how to read and write as well as socialize with other kids their age. It really is a win-win situation!
