Thank You!

The perfect book picks are on their way.

You're all set!

Pre-K

Growing Reader

30 of the Best Level 1 Books for Early Readers

by Melissa Taylor

level-1-early-reader-books

Growing readers want to read the best level 1 books — books with great stories and information that will keep them excited about reading. That’s why we’ve put together a master list of level 1 reading books for children. Here you’ll find excellent, engaging early reader books for your beginning readers.

These level 1 reading books feature short sentences, big type, and supportive picture clues. Often, you’ll see repetition in sentence structure as well as rhyme, both of which help the reader predict and decode new words.

Clara and Clem in Outer Space

Clara and Clem in Outer Space

by Ethan Long

Also available from:

Clara and Clem are in for unexpected surprises when their robot made of blocks transports them into space.

Also available from:

Jungle Animals

Jungle Animals

by Camilla Gersh

Also available from:

Learn about fascinating jungle animals from toucans to jaguars in this fact-based book with colorful photographs.

Also available from:

Go, Dog. Go!

Go, Dog. Go!

by P.D. Eastman

Also available from:

It’s a classic for a reason. Big and little dogs, red and green dogs all go to a dog party in this wild and crazy rhyming story.

Also available from:

Cat Traps

Cat Traps

by Molly Coxe

Also available from:

A cat sets a trap for a snack but continues to get something unexpected instead.

Also available from:

National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly

National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly

by Laura Marsh

Available from:

Gorgeous photographs and simple text show the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies.

Available from:

Ten Apples Up On Top!

Ten Apples Up On Top!

by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Roy McKie

Also available from:

These animals can do all sorts of amazing things while balancing apples on top of their heads in this beginning reader filled with both silly humor and illustrations.

Also available from:

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

by Dr. Seuss

Also available from:

Goofy rhyming stories help kids master new (and invented) words with Dr. Seuss’s unusual creatures and their antics.

Also available from:

Max Finds an Egg

Max Finds an Egg

by Wiley Blevins, illustrated by Ben Clanton

Also available from:

Max imagines the egg he finds is a dinosaur egg and takes very good care of it. What animal will be inside?

Also available from:

Go to Bed, Blue

Go to Bed, Blue

by Bonnie Bader, illustrated by Michael Robertson

Available from:

After a day of play, a robot named Blue needs some help to get settled into bed.

Available from:

At the Beach

At the Beach

by Alexa Andrews, illustrated by Candice Keimig

Available from:

Simple sentences describe the wonders of the ocean and beach.

Available from:

Vroom, Zoom, Bud

Vroom, Zoom, Bud

by Patricia Lakin, illustrated by Cale Atkinson

Available from:

It’s race car Bud’s big race but he gets distracted by a mud puddle and must decide whether to keep racing or play in the puddle.

Available from:

Garden Day!

Garden Day!

by Candice Ransom, illustrated by Erika Meza

Also available from:

A brother and sister plant peas in their backyard and (with the help of their parents!) build a scarecrow to protect them in this early reader perfect for springtime.

Also available from:

Penguin Problems

Penguin Problems

by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith

Also available from:

Young readers will have a hoot over the gripes of a particularly sassy penguin. For starters, why does everyone have to wear the same outfit?

Also available from:

Big Red Lollipop

Big Red Lollipop

by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Also available from:

Rubina can’t wait for her friend’s birthday party — until, that is, her mother insists that she take her little sister, Sana. Will the two be able to get along, even when Sana swipes Rubina’s party favor?

Also available from:

Shh! We Have a Plan

Shh! We Have a Plan

by Chris Haughton

Also available from:

Chris Haughton’s vibrant illustrations bring to life this rib-tickling story about a group of friends whose hijinks keep going awry. Keep an eye out for Haughton’s upcoming seaside story, Don’t Worry, Little Crab.

Also available from:

Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites

Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites

by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain

Also available from:

You can never go wrong with the Berenstain Bears, particularly when a joyful afternoon of kite-flying is involved.

Also available from:

Soccer Time!

Soccer Time!

by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Bob McMahon

Also available from:

Learning to read independently and how to score a goal at the same time? That’s what you call a win-win.

Also available from:

Bake, Mice, Bake!

Bake, Mice, Bake!

by Eric Seltzer, illustrated by Natascha Rosenberg

Also available from:

Some talented mice whip up delicious baked goods at the Cakes and More bakery. Fair warning: this one might give your reader the munchies.

Also available from:

It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny

It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny

by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Roger Bollen

Also available from:

P.J. Funnybunny is on a mission to be anything other than a bunny. But bears, birds, possums, and skunks don’t seem to suit. Is it possible that being a bunny is perfect for P.J. after all?

Also available from:

We Are Twins

We Are Twins

by Laura Driscoll, illustrated by Pascal Campion

Also available from:

Twins are exactly the same, right? Wrong! This rhyming reader spotlights two sisters who love both their similarities and their differences.

Also available from:

Fish Are Not Afraid of Doctors

Fish Are Not Afraid of Doctors

by J. E. Morris

Also available from:

Nervous about getting a shot at the doctor’s office, Maud imagines she’s a fish swimming serenely in the doctor’s aquarium. She gets so wrapped up in daydreaming that she doesn’t even notice that the scary part’s over.

Also available from:

Little Critter: The Original Classics

Little Critter: The Original Classics

by Mercer Mayer

Also available from:

This hardcover edition features all of the Little Critter classics. Its heft will make your beginning reader feel like a pro, and its heart will make them a Little Critter fan for life.

Also available from:

I Love My Grandma!

I Love My Grandma!

by Frances Gilbert, illustrated by Sue Dicicco

Also available from:

Perfect for taking to grandma’s house, this sweet read celebrates family lineage, as a little girl realizes that her grandma had a grandma, too!

Also available from:

A Piglet Named Mercy

A Piglet Named Mercy

by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris van Dusen

Also available from:

The prequel to Kate DiCamillo’s beloved Mercy Watson series is ideal for new readers. Whether they’ve grown up listening to older siblings read about Mercy’s escapades or they’re new to Deckawoo Drive, they’ll love every minute of this origin story.

Also available from:

Can I Be Your Dog?

Can I Be Your Dog?

by Troy Cummings

Also available from:

Arfy the mutt sends heartfelt (and hilarious) letters to everyone on Butternut Street, angling for a forever home. Who could say no to that cute face?

Also available from:

Llama Llama Loves to Read

Llama Llama Loves to Read

by Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan

Also available from:

Little Llama’s love for reading is contagious. Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan perfectly capture the exhilaration over that first time we start to recognize words.

Also available from:

Frozen Worlds

Frozen Worlds

by Caryn Jenner

Available from:

Snowbirds and fans of Frozen are certain to revisit this entertaining and educational read, all about arctic environments and the animals (and people!) who live in them.

Available from:

National Geographic Readers: Susan B. Anthony

National Geographic Readers: Susan B. Anthony

by Kitson Jazynka

Available from:

Celebrate the remarkable life of women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony with this National Geographic co-reader, which brings parents and children to the page together.

Available from:

Where’s Baby?

Where’s Baby?

by Anne Hunter

Also available from:

Papa Fox searches the forest for Baby Fox in this clever and beautifully illustrated picture book that teaches prepositions.

Also available from:

Jump!

Jump!

by David McPhail

Also available from:

Watercolor artwork and a group of animal and human friends make this one a reader favorite. The I Like to Read Series features books spanning from Levels A to G, guiding your beginning reader to new heights.

Also available from:

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2020.