Great Read-Alouds

What was your favorite picture book as a child? One of the most treasured memories from childhood is often being read to right before bedtime. If you're looking for ideas for reading aloud with your young child, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library is the place to go!

A few staff favorites that have stood the test of time include:

A Hole Is To Dig by Ruth Krauss

This classic children's book features charming first definitions such as "a hole is to dig" and "arms are to hug."




Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other's mother.


Goodnight Goodnight Sleepyhead by Ruth Krauss

In simple rhyming text, a child says goodnight to the things around her. First published in 1964.




A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Where does everyoneand everythinglive? A House Is a House for Me is a rollicking rhyme about houses. Some of the houses are familiar, such as an anthill and a dog kennel, while others are surprising, such as a corn husk and a pea pod.



I Like to Be Little by Charlotte Zolotow

Charlotte Zolotow is a prolific children's author that truly knows the hearts, dreams, thoughts and concerns of a small child. In this book, a little girl, answering her mother's question about why she likes to be little, describes some of the special pleasures of being a child.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her.

Mother, Mother, I Want Another by Maria Polushkin Robbins

In this newly illustrated edition, Mrs. Mouse is anxious to get her son to sleep and goes off to find what she thinks he wants.




The Napping House by Audrey Wood

One of our all-time favorites, this book is wonderful for the preschool set. In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite. This is also a great book for supporting vocabulary skills. How many different ways are there to describe napping?


Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard proudly return to their home in the Boston Public Garden with their eight offspring. Winner of the Caldecott Award.

Pierre: a cautionary tale in five chapters and a prologue by Maurice Sendak

"Even when a hungry lion comes to pay a call, Pierre won't snap out of his ennui. Every child has one of these days sometimes. Mix in a stubborn nature, a touch of apathy, and a haughty pout, and it can turn noxious. Parents may cajole, scold, bribe, threaten--all to no avail. When this mood strikes, the Pierres of the world will not budge, even for the carnivorous king of beasts." (from Amazon.com)

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

A little rabbit who wants to run away tells his mother how he will escape, but she is always right behind him.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day. A wonderful classic story for sharing anytime, but especially on a cold, wintery day. Winner of the Caldecott Award.




Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel

An adaptation of a Chinese folktale. When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

Too Much Noise by Ann McGovern

Peter thinks his house is noisy until the village wise man teaches him a lesson in perspective. Illustrations by Simms Taback.