Rhyming books are not just for kindergarten and preschool. The ability to rhyme is an essential skill for both old and young children alike. Rhyming is a phonemic awareness skill that all reading depends upon. Unfortunately, too many children are missing this important pre-reading skill.
If you’re beginning the journey to teach your child to read, or if you want to support your older child in their reading skills, you’re in luck. Today, I’m sharing 33 rhyming books for kindergarten or any child who needs to build up their phonemic awareness skills.
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33 Best Rhyming Books for Kindergarten & More!
The best way to strengthen your child’s pre-reading skills is to read rhyming books aloud to them. Lay a solid foundation for reading and language by enjoying some of your favorite books with your child. Today, specifically, we’ll focus on using the best rhyming books to do so.
Here are 33 quality rhyming books for kindergarten and early learners. (This list represents a wide range of ages (3-10), so just go with what will interest your child.)
1. The Real Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
- Hardcover Book
- Blanche Fisher Wright (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages – 09/01/1994 (Publication Date) – Cartwheel Books (Publisher)
Blanch Fisher Wright published The Real Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes in 1916. This classic rhyming book includes an array of beautifully illustrated nursery rhymes.
This collection is one of the best nursery rhyme books out there and includes the following simple rhymes.
- Hickory Dickory Dock
- Little Miss Muffet
- Pat-A-Cake
- Little Boy Blue
- Ba Ba Black Sheep
Nursery Rhyme Lesson Idea
I recommend reading nursery rhymes to your child regardless of age. The reason is that you want them to hear and enjoy the rhyming words. The ability to HEAR sounds is crucial for later reading and spelling.
See if the two of you can memorize one or two rhymes each month. The process of memorization and recitation is an excellent language skill for kids.
2. A Prayer for a Child
Prayer for a Child is a Caldecott award-winning classic published in 1941. Written by Rachel Field, this is one of the sweetest picture books for little ones. This tiny board book shows a little girl kneeling at her bedside as she offers a simple prayer for children all over the world.
What makes it even more wonderful is that her entire prayer is written as a catchy rhyme. As such, the rhyme makes it easy for young kids to memorize.
Ultimately, this simple poem is one of my favorite rhymes and I can’t more highly recommend it.
3. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown wrote and published Goodnight Moon in 1947. It’s a great rhyming book that’s easy to memorize with its fun repetitive rhymes. There’s something about this classic story that makes saying “good night” a little sweeter.
Another bonus to reading Goodnight Moon as a bedtime story is that there’s no pressure on your child to perform. When children are calm and feel safe, they’re better able to receive and process the words of any story.
Additionally, Goodnight Moon is brightly illustrated with bold colors throughout.
4. A Fly Went By
Mike McClintock wrote A Fly Went By in 1958. This Dr. Seuss Beginner Book was edited by Dr. Seuss.
It’s a fun book about a little boy who sees a fly pass him by. He soon realizes that the fly is being chased and is determined to follow the fly throughout the story. This silly rhyming book is full of wonderful illustrations and is built up of clever rhymes.
5. Green Eggs and Ham
Of course, no list of books would be complete without a Dr. Seuss book. After all, he’s the king of silly rhymes and has made reading so much fun for young readers for decades.
In 1960, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) wrote Green Eggs and Ham. This silly book is full of excellent rhymes that virtually every American child can recite by heart.
“I do not like green eggs and ham… I do not like them Sam I Am!”
6. The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Suess published The Cat in the Hat in 1957 in response to criticism of early readers at the time. The rumor is that Theodor Seuss Geisel was approached by Houghton-Mifflin and Random House to create engaging books for new readers.
He took on the job because he wrote this hilarious book that has charmed children of all ages for more than 60 years. The Cat in the Hat, like many of Dr. Seuss’s books, is full of word families to support your child’s early literacy skills.
7. Hop on Pop
I love Dr. Seuss’s Hop on Pop. Written in 1963, this is the perfect first reader for any child. Specifically, the book is filled with basic CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant) which are fairly simple to sound out.
Partner Reading Lesson Idea
Hop on Pop is a great book for partner reading. Partner reading is when you and your child share reading responsibilities. For example,
- You read two pages and your child reads one page
- Your child reads one paragraph and you read a paragraph
In the end, never feel guilty about providing your child the support they need to move forward. Each step forward, over time, will yield fruit.
8. Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! is another Dr. Seuss favorite written in 1972. Like so many Dr. Seuss books, this one is hilarious and full of clever rhymes and nonsense words. Here’s an idea:
Get on your way!
Please, Marvin K!
You might like going
In a Zumble-Zay.
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!
Playing with nonsense words is a great way to practice sound and word manipulation. Silly words force readers to use their knowledge of phonemes (sounds).
Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!, and most Dr. Seuss books are perfect options. This Dr. Seuss I Spy Activity is a perfect way to extend the fun.
9. Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Bill Martin wrote Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? in 1967. Illustrated by the famous Eric Carle, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a wonderful rhyming picture book. It’s an engaging story full of bright illustrations of animals.
Even more interesting, the entire story is made up of just a handful of simple words. The same question is repeated to a group of animals throughout the story.
I see a red bird looking at me.
Red Bird, Red Bird, What do you see?
I see a yellow duck looking at me.
And so on. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is one title in a series of books all based on animals.
10. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Martin Jr., Bill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 06/25/2013 (Publication Date) – Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (Publisher)
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? is another rhyming book in the Brown Bear series. Only this time, the rhyming adventure begins with a Panda Bear.
In the end, this is a great series of board books to introduce the concept of rhyming to young children.
11. Good Morning, Good Night
Good Morning, Good Night is a touch-and-feel bedtime book that we’ve loved for years! It’s a sweet rhyming book that should capture the attention of your youngest child.
Filled with tactile experiences throughout the story, it offers a multi-sensory reading experience. This rhyming book says “good morning” and “good night” to many animals. Even more endearing, the illustrations are charming.
Even better, this wonderful story is a quick, but satisfying read. I recommend adding Good Morning, Good Night to your youngster’s bookshelf.
12. Heaven is Having You
Heaven is Having You is a tender rhyming story about the love of a grandparent. Having lost my mom suddenly in 2018, this story touched my heart deeply when I read it to my son.
Written by Giles Andreae, this little rhyming story is the discourse between Grandma Bear and her grandchild, Little Bear.
13. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Bill Martin Jr. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/01/2000 (Publication Date) – Beach Lane Books (Publisher)
Bill Martin, the author of the Brown Bear series, also wrote Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This book is a modern classic rhyming story. The story follows the letters of the alphabet through a journey up and down a coconut tree.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is illustrated with bright colors. Even more, it’s a fun story to introduce little readers to the alphabet and rhyme.
Bill Martin wrote dozens of books for children throughout his career. However, what stood out to me was his heart for children. Interestingly, he was not an early reader.
Author Inspired by His Teacher
He was inspired to love language and reading by his teacher, Mr. Rowan. As the story goes, one afternoon Mr. Rowan brought childhood Bill six books to read.
In an interview with Reading Rockets, Bill Martin said this about his experience.
I figured if Mr. Rowan thought enough of me to bring me six of his books- if he really wanted me to be a writer – which had never occurred to me – that I would read one book.
Because one teacher believed in him. Because of that, he cast a vision for Bill that he could one day become a writer. Fortunately, Bill Martin believed his teacher and became a prolific children’s book author.
14. The Berenstain Bears Learn to Share
The Berenstain Bears Learn to Share is one of those clever little books written by the famous Stan and Jan Berenstain. It’s full of great rhymes and kids of all ages can follow Sister Bear as she learns the value of sharing.
You can’t go wrong reading this sweet rhyming book to your younger child. It’s not as long or wordy as the other Berenstain books which makes Learn to Share a great option for little attention spans.
15. Three Cheers for Kid McGear!
Three Cheers for Kid McGear is a great read and is one of six books in a series of rhyming stories. Each one follows the crew of construction vehicles through a simple story. The main character in Three Cheers for Kid McGear is the smallest vehicle on the construction site.
Yes. Kid McGear is a skid steer who makes his grand entrance in this great story that teaches children that you don’t have to be big to do the right thing.
Our little protagonist saves his friends Tow Truck, Excavator, and Cement Mixer in this simple book full of rhyme.
16. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site
- Hardcover Book
- Rinker, Sherri Duskey (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 44 Pages – 09/26/2023 (Publication Date) – Chronicle Books (Publisher)
Again, for your vehicle-loving child, author Sherry Duskey Rinker wrote five more in her series. One of the originals is Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.
17. Construction Site on Christmas Night
We can’t get enough of the construction vehicles. Construction Site on Christmas Night is a classic in this rhyming series and a holiday must-have book!
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18. The Llama Who Had No Pajamas
The Llama Who Had No Pajamas is a collection of 100 poems, many of which rhyme beautifully. What’s nice about this collection of poems is that those that don’t rhyme are filled with fun phonological practice.
Alliteration is a sentence full of words that begin with similar sounds. For example, let’s take a look at the poem titled, “How Many?”
A mother skunk all black and white
Leads her babies down the street
Pitter patter, Pitter patter, Pitter patter
TWENTY feet.
In just one stanza, we have rhyme and alliteration. This collection of children’s poems is a wonderful addition to your reading library.
19. The Rhyme Bible
The Rhyme Bible is an incredible children’s bible that takes bible stories and writes them to rhyme. I love this children’s bible for kindergarten and kids of all ages!
20. Bear Wants More
Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman’s Bear series are some of the sweetest rhyming stories we’ve ever read. I remember reading these when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten homeschool.
In Bear Wants More, Bear comes out from hibernation to the sunshine of spring. And he’s HUNGRY. With the help of his friends, Hare, Mouse, Badger, Raven, and Wren, Bear slowly satisfies his hunger.
Bear rubs at his tummy. He smells something yummy… and he still wants more.
From the first time you and your child read Bear Wants More, you’ll be captivated by the cadence of the story and the beauty of the illustrations of the forest animals.
21. Bear Feels Scared
- Wilson, Karma (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 34 Pages – 08/23/2011 (Publication Date) – Little Simon (Publisher)
In Bear Feels Scared the adventures continue as Bear works through his feelings of fear. Also included in this incredible series are the following titles… Bear:
- Can’t Sleep
- Stays Up for Christmas
- Can’t Wait
- Snores On
The entire 9 book series is amazing and truly one of my favorites to read with my children.
22. Bear Feels Sick
I can’t help myself. As such, I can’t just pick one or two of the amazing Bear stories. Here’s one more that’s near and dear to my heart.
In Bear Feels Sick, Bear catches a cold and leans on his forest friends to help him feel better. This is a tender rhyming story about friendship. You and your young one will love it.
23. How is My Body Feeling?
- Read, Sarah (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 06/21/2020 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
How is My Body Feeling? is one of a series of feelings books. One reason I recommend these books so often is because of how well these stories rhyme.
Social-emotional books help young children in kindergarten as well as older children who need extra support. These books teach children about different feelings and emotions through relatable characters.
Check out the entire social-emotional rhyming series. Ultimately, they’re an easy and fun way to broach hard topics with your kids. Like these Preschool Books About Body Parts, these books can support self-awareness for young children.
24. Chairs on Strike
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Jones, Jennifer (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 33 Pages – 06/28/2021 (Publication Date) – Random Source (Publisher)
Jennifer Jones has written a hilarious series of On Strike books. In this rhyming story, it’s the Chairs on Strike.
As the full title suggests, Chairs on Strike is “a funny, rhyming, read-aloud kid’s book for preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade of early readers.”
It’s silly and even throws in a fart word here and there. In the end, it’s a relatable story that teaches kids to care for their possessions and those of others.
Chairs on Strike Children’s Book Series
There are 8 titles in the series each full of rhymes and laughter. Those are:
- Pencils on Strike
- Swings on Strike
- Glues on Strike
- Scissors on Strike
- Erasers on Strike
- Rulers on Strike
And, if you don’t have all the extra space to house a bunch of books, you can get each one of these titles FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
25. Five Little Monkeys Storybook Treasury
Eileen Christelow’s Five Little Monkeys series is so silly and this treasury book is the perfect gift. The original book in the series is titled Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.
Miss Christelow does such a good job illustrating and telling the hilarious story of five little monkeys jumping on the bed.
One fell off and bumped his head…
The illustrations are sweet and engaging. And while the entire story doesn’t rhyme, it’s full of clever rhyming patterns to strengthen your child’s oral and auditory skills. Enjoy each funny story in the Five Little Monkeys Storybook Treasury.
Lesson Idea
Help your child identify the words that rhyme in the story. Then have them find the sentences that don’t rhyme. This is a phonological awareness skill that supports language discrimination.
26. Little Blue Truck
Little Blue Truck is part of a 9-book series written by Alice Schertle. This funny book follows the little blue truck through the country roads.
Further, it’s filled with incredible rhymes and onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is a literary device that uses words to describe sounds. For example, onomatopoeia words include:
- honk
- beep
- moo
- oink
Once you and your child read Little Blue Truck together, you’ll surely fall in love.
Lesson Idea
Playing with literary devices like onomatopoeia is a fun way to improve phonemic awareness in your kindergartener or any child.
27. How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?
How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? is one of the 23 in the How Do Dinosaurs? series by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague.
In this hilarious story, the author answers the question, “How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?” Despite taking a long way to get there, the dinosaurs eventually take to reading.
More importantly, the story is written in silly rhyme and is sure to motivate any dinosaur-loving child to read.
28. Madeline
- Hardcover Book
- Ludwig Bemelmans (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 54 Pages – 01/01/1967 (Publication Date) – The Viking Press (Publisher)
Madeline is a classic children’s book written by Ludwig Bemelmans in 1967. The story follows a young French orphan girl named Madeline.
The entire story is written in rhyme and does a beautiful job of introducing young readers to French culture through the misadventures of the lovable Madeline.
29. Naughty Little Monkeys
Naughty Little Monkeys is written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Henry Cole. This clever rhyme book follows 26 naughty monkeys throughout the alphabet.
These brothers and sisters get into lots of trouble one evening while Mom and Dad are away. The illustrations are bright, bold, and brilliant. (Did you catch the alliteration?)
30. Snow Dance
Snow Dance is a simple, light-hearted rhyming book that’s perfect for winter. The pictures are bold and the story is short and sweet while rhyming magically. It’s the perfect, “One more book!” bedtime story.
For even more fun, pair Snow Dance with this Winter in a Bag Sensory Play Activity. Or enhance language and listening skills with winter Would You Rather questions.
31. Oh Say Can You Say Dinosaur
Oh Say Can You Say Dinosaur is one in a series of educational Dr. Seuss books. This is a great option for kids interested in dinosaurs. It rhymes and is catchy while full of educational content about dinosaurs.
Make it a multisensory experience with this Dinosaur Sensory Bin.
32. There’s No Place Like Space
There’s No Place Like Space is another in The Cat in the Hat Learning Library. Once again, this is a clever way to feed your child’s interest in astronomy in a fun and engaging way. Other subjects in the series include:
- Birds
- Whales
- Frogs and reptiles
- Trees
- Rainforests
- & more
33. Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
Poems and Prayers for the Very Young is a classic Golden Books treasury. It’s full of beautiful and wholesome poems that are perfect for memorizing in your home or homeschool.
The bonus is that memorization and recitation help young children strengthen articulation skills which will further help them in phonological awareness.
The Value of Nursery Rhymes
With more than twenty years as an educator, I know the value of nursery rhymes and other great books filled with rhyming words. Often parents of older students ask for help when their children struggle with reading skills such as fluency and reading comprehension.
When I get this question regarding older struggling readers, I always ask this question.
Can your child rhyme?
Most often, the answer is no.
Phonological Awareness & Rhyming Books
The ability to rhyme is one of many crucial pre-reading skills called phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the understanding that oral language is made up of smaller chunks of sound. Some phonological awareness skills include the following.
- Ability to rhyme
- Hear syllables
- Recognizing alliteration
- Multiple words begin with the same sound.
- Ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
- Identifying the number of words in a sentence
- Phonemic awareness
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words can be broken down into individual units of sound called phonemes.
The ability to manipulate sounds into words, and likewise break words apart is crucial to a child’s ability to read and understand language.
What Makes a Rhyming Word?
Rhyming words are groups of words, often called “word families,” that share the same ending sounds. Typically the matching ending sound is located in the final syllable. For example,
- sugar
- booger
This pair of rhyming words contains two words, each with 2 syllables. Even though the spellings are different, the common ending sound, “er,” both land in the final syllable. Additionally, rhyming words have different meanings.
Onsets and Rhymes
In general, English words are made up of two sounds, the onset, and the rime.
- Onset: Consonant sounds at the beginning of a syllable
- Rime: Vowel sound and letters that follow
For example, in the example word “Dog,”
- Onset: “d-“
- Rime: “-og”
Examples of words that rhyme with the word dog include those with the “-og” sound (not letters) at the end of each word.
Benefits of Rhyme
Rhyme has many uses.
- Supports listening skills
- Wordplay and language skills
- Enhances creative writing
- Adds musicality to song lyrics
- Helps with spelling and reading through phonics
Recap: Best Rhyming Books for Kindergarten and More
Reading rhyming stories to and with your children, whether in kindergarten or somewhere around there, is an excellent way to improve phonological awareness skills.
There are many ways to incorporate rhyming activities into your classroom or homeschool using any one of these titles. Choose books based on your child’s developmental level and interests. So, Friend. Did I miss any of your favorites?
About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
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