Ahoy there, matey! Be yer little one seekin’ books o’ adventure, booty, and excitement? Yaaarrrrr! Set sail on gripping voyages, discover hidden treasures, and learn to talk like a pirate with these captivating books that introduce young readers to a thrilling world of adventure. With engaging illustrations and endearing characters, your child (and you) will enjoy from cover to cover.
How to Be a Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald and Illustrated by Brigette Barragar
Cece would love to be a pirate. When the boys on the playground tell her she can’t, she asks her Grandpa what it takes to be a real pirate. Grandpa teaches Cece valuable life lessons that build her confidence to be a pirate. It is a beautiful and sweet book, focusing on the positive characteristics pirates share.
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and Illustrated by David Shannon
When Jeremy Jacobs goes to the beach with his parents, he happens upon a pirate ship coming in from the sea. While his parents are preoccupied tending to his younger sister and hoisting the beach umbrella, Jeremy throws caution to the wind and joins Captain Braid Beard and his buccaneers. Jeremy quickly learns the ways of the pirates–language, throwing manners to the wind and even gets to play a mighty game of soccer. Will Jeremy adopt this lifestyle or long for his old life with his parents?
Give Me Back My Bones by Kim Norman and Illustrated by Bob Kolar
Learn the names of individual skeletal bones in this fun picture book! In Give Me Back My Bones, a silly pirate skeleton seeks to reunite their bones at the bottom of the sea. With silly poems on each page, help locate the skeleton’s bones to resume the pirate business. This amusing book is perfect for a preschool unit on body parts. Learn the anatomical names of skeleton bones with this playful picture book.
Pirate Chicken: All Hens on Deck by Brian Yanish
Illustrated by Jess Pauwels
Lily is unlike the other chickens; while they roosted, she read; when they pecked, she plotted. Lily dreams of seeing the world, and when pirates capture the chickens, she seizes this opportunity. Quickly adapting to life on the ship, is pirate life the life for Lily? This silly book is reminiscent of Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin’s Click Clack Moo series, and readers will delight in the antics of these quirky chickens! I particularly love the detailed illustrations, including the expressions on the chicken faces and chalkboard drawings explaining Piracy 101.
The Pirates Are Coming by John Condon and Illustrated by Matt Hunt
This is an adorable retelling of the classic story of the boy who called wolf. Tom spends his day on the lookout for pirate ships. Sitting high on a hill, he warns the village of the pirate’s forthcoming arrival, but they fail to show. Will the villagers believe it when pirates do come? I loved the ending; it wasn’t what I had anticipated! It’s an excellent and non-scary pirate book.
Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort
Enjoy this hilarious tale of pirates seeking the ultimate treasure–pants of gold! Grownups and kids will delight in all the references to underwear and pirate lingo. A great read-aloud, giggles will abound with the silliness that pairs with underwear. It is an excellent pirate book for preschool!
Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by! To keep with the sea-themed storytime, check out these great fish books!
Happy Reading!
XO, Sheryl
There is nothing like a storytime filled with giggles. One of the fastest ways to gauge read-aloud engagement is if you hear laughter at storytime. Choosing funny books is a surefire way to get kids excited about reading, to be active listeners, and get invested in reading more. Books with funny pictures and silly language are enjoyable for the reader and the audience. There is a lot of truth to the adage “laughter is the best medicine.” A funny story makes us feel good. Laughter helps reduce tension and stress, release endorphins, and provide a great bonding experience for both the reader and listener.
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Blue Hat, Green Hat
Written by Sandra Boynton
Published by Boynton Bookworks
Ages: Baby+
Elephant, Bear, and Moose are all trying on different colored clothes. Turkey tries too, but does so in his way! Oops! This playful book introduces readers to concepts like colors and clothing in a way that will surely bring about giggles! This book has few words, so don’t be surprised if your child memorizes the book. Memorizing a favorite book is a common early literacy skill. When reading the book, point to the word ‘oops,’ and the child can say it. This is a great way to make a word-sound connection.
This book significantly adds to a school or public library’s 400s (language) section. With the simple language, this is an excellent resource for introducing color and clothing vocab to budding language learners.
Tags: Board Books, Animal Humor
That Is Not A Good Idea!
Written by Mo Willems
Published by Balzer + Bray
Ages 3+
A hungry Fox, out for a walk, meets a goose and extends a dinner invitation. Will dinner go as planned? This clever book is full of surprises. If you read this book aloud, it is fun to pause and ask, “is this a good idea?”
This book is illustrated to be reminiscent of an old-timey- silent movie–the words are arranged to look like silent movie cards. I can almost hear the clicking of the projector in my mind!
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
By Mo Willems
Published by Balzer + Bray
Ages 3+
We all know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; well, what if instead of bears, Goldilocks wanders into the home of DINOSAURS?! This super funny, unpredictable retelling of the classic fairy tale will amuse kids and adults and leave you in the mood for chocolate pudding.
This book appeals to multiple generations, recounting a traditional tale and adding a surprising, witty twist.
Extension activity: If you were to write a Goldilocks story, what parts of the original story would you change to make it your own? Would it be Golidlocks and the Three Martians? Or, perhaps, Goldilocks and the three sharks? How can you take a classic story (like a fairytale) and change it to make it your own? Please share your creation with me on Instagram @playgroundlibrarian, I would love to read it!
Tags: Fractured Fairy Tale, Dinosaurs, Goldilocks
Pete’s A Pizza
by William Steig
Published by HarperFestival
Ages 2+
We have all had days when we have been disappointed when rain cancels our plans. Pete is no different. Pete is in a bad mood when it rains and he can’t go out to play with his friends. To cheer him up, his parents decide to….make him into a pizza? From the author of Shrek, William Steig, this silly playful book reminds us to make the best with what we’ve got.
Tags: Disappointment, Family Time, Rain, Positive outlook
Mother Bruce
by Ryan Higgins
Published by Disney-Hyperion
Ages 3+
Bruce the Bear is a grump. He is a foodie and likes things to be a certain way. His way. One day he is in for a huge surprise when he goes to the market to buy eggs for his omelet….when the eggs suddenly hatch, a gaggle of goslings thinks that BRUCE is their MOTHER! Uh oh! How will Bruce react?
This book is the first in a series and will be pleasing to both kids and grown-ups!
Tags: Animals, Foodie, Bears, Birds
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Published by HarperCollins
Ages 7+
This classic, whimsical collection of poetry and drawings will surely bring giggles. The ink drawings are full of clever details that are sometimes integrated into the poems themselves, such as in the concrete poem, “Running Giraffe” where the words stretch to look like a giraffe’s neck. Though many poems are silly with unexpected verses and made-up words (I dare you not to laugh!), others, such as “Magic” are heartwarming and inspirational.
These fun poems can be read together or selected individually to align with a storytime theme.
Tags: Humor, Poetry, ink drawings
Truck Full of Ducks
by Ross Burach
Published by Scholastic
Ages 3+
This is a silly story about Bernie’s truck service that delivers ducks. Hilarity ensues when one of the ducks in the truck EATS the directions to their destination. On their journey, the ducks meet lots of people waiting on deliveries, will the ducks find where they are supposed to go? Truck Full of Ducks is full of repetitive words and comical illustrations, making this book a winner for any storytime. The pictures are full of details that will arouse some laughs (duck walking out of the bathroom with toilet paper on his webbed foot).
Great segue for bathtime!
Note: be sure to read the captions on the pictures for extra funny details that are outstanding and full of humor, from the captions on the drawings to the expressive facial features.
Tags: Humor, Rhymes, Repetitive Language, Animal Humor
Happy reading!
XO, Sheryl
I love apple picking! As soon as October rolls around, I am checking out the websites of my favorite orchards to find out when my favorite breed of apple is ready for harvest. The crisp cool air, sweet smell of apples, and culinary ideas swirling through my mind. The beginning of fall. I am so grateful to live in Upstate New York, where there are orchards twenty minutes in every direction from my home. Here are some books to get you into the apple mindset.
*This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Apples by Gail Gibbons
Ages 3+
Gail Gibbons writes excellent nonfiction books for early readers, and now she has started writing board books for our youngest readers. This is a perfect introduction to the annual cycle of the apple tree. The board book is an excellent preschool book about apples.
If reading with older children, check out the unabridged version of Gail Gibbon’s Apples. This edition contains information about the history of apples, how to plant and care for an apple tree, and more.
Tags: Apples, lifecycle, pie, farming,
Ten Apples Up On Top by Theo LeSieg
Ages 2+
Lion, tiger, and dog try to see how many apples they can balance on top of their head while they do their daily fun. Will they let the apples fall? This is a fun counting book with Seussical charm. This book is silly and leaves you in suspense at the end of each page. Will they let the apples drop?
Every apple season, I have fun reading this book with my daughters after we go apple picking. I started taking annual pictures, measuring them in apples. This is a fun extension activity to the book, as it involves counting, measuring, and comparing previous measurements. Apples are not the most accurate measuring tool as each varies in size (my oldest remained the same amount of “apples tall” from one year to the next).
Fun fact: Theo LeSieg is one pseudonym of Theodore Giesel, better known as Dr. Seuss. LeSieg is Giesel spelled backward. Seuss was Mr. Giesel’s middle name. Giesel never earned a medical license or doctorate; he “adopted” that title to please his father, who always wanted him to become a doctor.
Tags: Apples, Animals, Counting
Apples for Everyone Written by Jill Esbaum
Ages 3+
Apples for Everyone is a beautiful informational text that introduces readers to all things apples, including the annual tree cycle, types of apples, Johnny Appleseed, and more.
The National Geographic photographs provide vivid visuals detailing how apples develop and how they are present in our lives. The language in the book is simple and accessible for younger readers.
Tags: Informational text, apples, Johnny Appleseed, Trees, Farms, Orchards
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
Ages 3+
The farmer watches the number of apples on his tree as the animals help themselves to a tasty treat. Will the farmer get a chance to try a yummy apple? Kids will have fun with the animal sounds and predictable, repetitive language. Reading tip: While reading, point to the words as you read it, and invite your companion to make appropriate animal sounds and together say “yippee, fiddle-dee-fee!’ Pointing to the terms while reading, them building phonetical awareness of the sound they hear and the letter they see on the page.
Ten Red Apples is a sweet introduction to the concept of subtraction. Find ten apples or colorful pom poms to make a real-world connection with this book. Together, chant “ten apples hanging on the tree, yippee fiddle fee” __________(name of child) “came and ate one. Save some for me!”
Johnny Appleseed written by Jodie Shepherd Illustrated by Masumi Furukawa
Ages 3+
An uplifting folktale of Johnny Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd highlights the life story of Johnny Appleseed. From early childhood and throughout his life, Johnny Appleseed planted thousands of apple trees to help people grow food during westward expansion.
I love how this book shows how Johnny Appleseed relates to contemporary children, playing with his siblings, enjoying the outdoors, reading under a tree, or helping a hurt animal. Readers can identify with Johnny and may realize that they, too, can contribute to the world through small acts of kindness.
Tags: Helper, Apples, Tree, Planting, Kindness, folktale Westward exapansion
Happy reading!
Xo,
Sheryl