20 Super Fun Books to Read Aloud to Kids
The benefits of reading aloud to kids of all ages are tremendous. Reading books aloud promotes better listening skills, fosters deeper connections and thinking, increases vocabulary and helps with attention spans.
Even children who are reading independently benefit from having stories read to them - often, this is the time when they can listen to stories they may not be able to read, but have an interest and ability to understand.
Research shows that lifelong readers are more likely to have been read to all throughout their adolescent years (yes, even when they were in high school!). If we continue to show how fun and exciting it can be to listen to stories, kids of all ages will want to read on their own.
This collection of picture books is perfect for reading aloud to kids of all ages. Most of these books include exciting dialogue, detailed illustrations and silly storylines that both kids and adults will really enjoy.
You can find our favorite funny books to read aloud with kids on our Bookshop page.
Lou
Author/Illustrator: Breanna Carzoo | Publisher: HarperCollins
Lou is a fire hydrant with a very important job… he’s the toilet for dogs on their daily walks. Deep down inside though, he feels like there’s something more to him. When a fire breaks out in a nearby apartment, Lou gets the chance to be the hero he never dreamt he could be!
Bathe the Cat
Author: Alice B. McGinty | Illustrator: David Roberts| Publisher: Chronicle Books
Grandma Marge is coming so Dad and Papa create a list of chores for the family to complete before her arrival. Their cat really doesn’t want to take a bath though, so she keeps scrambling the list of chores, and silly chaos ensues! Soon, Bobby is feeding the mat, and Sarah is supposed to mop the cat? What?
This book is so much fun, don’t miss it! It also features a multiracial family with two dads. This kind of affirming, loving, joyful representation is so important. This book really couldn’t be more purrfect!
Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?
Author: Derick Wilder | Illustrator: K-Fai Steele | Publisher: Chronicle Books
This author/illustrator team hit it out of the park with this book! Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? is a dialogue between a father and daughter as they walk through their city (hi, San Francisco!). The young girl asks if all types of things have butts, and he responds in perfect rhyme.
The illustrations include more than 200 butts of inanimate objects the pair don’t even discuss - that’s pretty remarkable! This book is sweet, innocent, and perfectly relatable for any parent of a curious child who likes to ask questions.
Don’t miss their new book, I Made These Ants Some Underpants!
Mr. Watson’s Chickens
Author: Jarrett Dapier | Illustrator: Andrea Tsurumi | Publisher: Chronicle Books
This book is sure to bring the giggles, and the illustrations are something to marvel at! Mr. Watson and his partner, Mr. Nelson, love their chickens - they have 1, 2, 3! Then suddenly, their chickens start multiplying until they have 456 chickens! Chickens in the sink, chickens in their beds, chickens on their heads, and all over the place. Mr. Nelson says it's TOO MANY CHICKENS!
Can Mr. Watson sell the chickens? Can order in their home be restored? Not before things get very silly and very messy. You’re going to love this book!
Paletero Man
Author: Lucky Diaz | Illustrator: Micah Player | Publisher: HarperCollins
Paletero Man is the perfect summer treat! On a hot day in Los Angeles, nothing sounds better to our narrator than an ice cold paleta - he has to find Paletero José! He dreams of all the delicious possibilities while venturing down Eighth Avenue and greets some of the special mainstays in his community. When he finally finds Paletero José, he realizes he’s lost all his dinero! Oh no! Can his neighborhood friends save the day?
This is a beautiful representation of the birthplace of the immigrant street food vendor culture in Los Angeles. It also includes Spanish words throughout, and is available in an entirely Spanish version. We LOVE this book!
City Beet
Author: Tziporah Cohen | Illustrator: Udayana Lugo | Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
When Victoria and her neighbor, Mrs. Kosta, notice a sign for a community potluck, they know they want to make something special! They decide on beet salad, and set out planting, watering, and caring for their beet until it grows to be much bigger than they planned!
When harvesting day arrives, that beet won’t budge! Even though they have no shortage of help from community members - will it be enough? This fresh take on an old folklore is funny and uplifting, and reminds us that help comes in all shapes and sizes!
On No, the Aunts are Here
Author: Adam Rex | Illustrator: Lian Cho | Publisher: Chronicle Books
Every family has its special aunt: the cool aunt, the wacky aunt, the scary aunt. But this family has ALL THE AUNTS.
Shhh, listen. Do you hear that?
Oh no. Oh dear. Oh . . . my . . . godmother.
They've traveled on planes, in taxis, and across state lines. And now they're here at the doorstep, a cheesy gift in one hand, the other poised for a pinch on the cheek.
IT'S THE AUNTS! THE AUNTS ARE HERE.
One girl’s all-too-recognizable experience—a visit from a troupe of overwhelming and overly enthusiastic relations—escalates to new heights of chaos, absurdity, and delight in a laugh-out-loud take on family reunions. Written with signature humor by Adam Rex and illustrated by Lian Cho, this picture book is a celebration of the universal and endearing strangeness of family.
Gato Guapo
Author: Anika Aldamuy Denise | Illustrator: Zara Gonzalez Hoang | Publisher: HarperCollins
This silly story includes words in English and Spanish, and is a fun book for children to participate in “call and response.” Gato Guapo wanders through his city with nine naughty hermanitos. You can help him count along as he tries to keep track of them! Somehow, though, a new one always disappears - along with a piece of his clothing - and then declares, “You soy Gato Guapo!”
Everybody in the Red Brick Building
Author: Anne Wynter | Illustrator: Oge Moro | Publisher: Balzer + Bray
This book is the perfect bedtime story to read aloud with so much fun onomatopoeia. At first, all sorts of different sounds wake up children in their apartment building. Things get very loud and silly until eventually, everyone settles back into their beds and falls asleep. Your children will love making the various sounds in this story, and all of the bright and bold illustrations.
100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli
Author: David LaRochelle | Illustrator: Lian Cho | Publisher: Dial Books
High on a mountain live 100 mighty dragons all named Broccoli. When a tremendous wind blows half the dragons away, ten others sail off to become professional surfers in Hawaii. The oldest and youngest dragons take a train to New York City to start their own heavy metal band. And a mysterious wizard turns four more into a unicorn, a werewolf, a zombie, and a tiny pink poodle.
Now how many dragons are left? Young readers will delight in following each and every dragon as they leave their home for marvelous adventures, until there is but one dragon remaining. That's when this final dragon named Broccoli retreats to a cave for the winter and reappears in the spring with a surprise that will thrill and delight. Prepare to read again!
