By Sandee of Maricopa County Library District
Bob Books are specifically created for children just learning to read, beginning with simple words and gradually introducing new phonics concepts. Books with repetition, supportive illustrations, and predictable text allow for smoother reading and support reading fluency. These books are real gems and can really boost confidence at this stage of learning to read! It can be challenging to find books designed for true beginners that are also entertaining. Here are some alternatives to Bob Books that can set your beginning reader up for success:
Frog Can Hop a Ready-to-Read, Ready-to-Go! book by Laura Gehl
Frog can hop. Pig likes to flop. When Frog makes a big drop, will Pig help?
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:
The first pages of the book group names, word families, and sight words, encouraging practice before diving into the story. While there are never more than five words on a page, there is an actual progressive story with humor, action, and plenty to talk about. Fred Blunt’s illustrations are bright, funny, and give context along the way.
Wet Pet by Harriet Ziefert (from the flip-a WORD series)
FLIP a page, find a rhyme! It’s learning through fun, every time!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:
The flip-a WORD series features word families, highlighting the letters that stay the same from word-to-word using a cutout at the bottom of the page. The “et,” “ed,” and “am” families are each featured in individual mini sections of the book. Once a child is confident in reading “et,” then “jet,” “pet,” “wet” and “net” come easier because they can hone their focus on the beginning letters and sounds to learn each new word. The simple, colorful illustrations by Yukiko Kido help this along as well.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck, all parade across the pages of this delightful book.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:
This “old” favorite has plenty of repetition of simple words, and Eric Carle’s illustrations are perfect clues for the more complex color and animal words, allowing success while building new vocabulary. There are also a few pages at the end with extension activities that reinforce these words.
About Sandee:
Sandee has worked for public libraries in three states over thirty years and still counts herself lucky to be able to share her love of early literacy with families in her community. Outside of the library she loves traveling, live music, and is a bit of a sports FANatic.
