Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio
Meet Gaston, a bulldog in a family of poodles. Our kids giggle and giggle as Gaston and his sisters Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo and Ooh-La-La practice being perfectly proper pooches. “Sip. Never slobber!…Walk with grace. Never race!” When the poodles bump into a burly bulldog family at the park, Gaston’s world turns upside-down, and he isn’t sure where he belongs. He ultimately finds that home is where he can be his unique self. And the sweet surprise ending gets us every time.
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Before he had crazy hair and discovered relativity, Albert Einstein was a curious boy with a big heart and a serious case of the giggles. We love how the book celebrates that quirkiness can lead to brilliant ideas. It’s a perfect read for the curious kid — exploring how math, play and imagination all work together to help us discover new things.
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
This charming classic won the Caldecott Honor in 1949, and it holds up as one of our kids' favorite bedtime reads. We love that little Sal (who is said to be based on the author's daughter) comes across as a real-life curious kid, rather than a girly stereotype. While gathering blueberries in her tin pail — “ku-plink, ku-plank, ku-plunk” — little Sal and a bear cub get mixed up and accidentally follow after the wrong mom. The sweet story with lovely block printed illustrations should be in every kid’s home library.
Brief Thief by Michaël Escoffier
This book gets belly laughs from our preschooler. When Leon the lizard runs out of toilet paper, he wipes with what appears to be a pair of discarded underpants hanging on a tree. (Yep, gross.) Leon then hears what claims to be the voice of his conscience — guilting him into washing and returning the briefs. It’s a hilarious story about getting caught doing something you shouldn’t — with a surprise ending about what those underpants and voice really are. Brief Thief is the best book we’ve read this summer — and a pretty fun way to teach kids about doing the right thing.
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Pea doesn't like eating candy for dinner. But his parents make him eat five pieces before he can have dessert: a big bowl of spinach – yum! Our kids relate to Little Pea (especially his classic blechhh expressions as he chokes down the candy), and giggle about the upside-downness of this playful little story.
Almost Everything by Joelle Jolivet
We were sold on this book as soon as we saw its awesomely big size. And the bold block-print artwork is extra-engaging. Sort of a visual encyclopedia of the familiar and the completely random, it covers categories from Musical Instruments, to Boats, to Animals, to Costumes of the World. It's the perfect read for curious kids, and there's a guide in the back for parents who want to look up and share more facts about any single thing featured in the book.
People by Blexbolex
People is an exceptional, beautifully illustrated vocabulary lesson, similar to Seasons by the same author. Our kids love trying to identify the images that depict all sorts of people, from the common to the crazier – DJ, Doctor, Centaur, Cyclops, Yeti, Jockey, Genie, Farmer, and so on. It's the kind of book that inspires kids to make their own connections and come up with their own stories. Bonus: the dust jacket folds out into a rad poster.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
This rhyming, lyrical story is a hit with our preschoolers. A tiny, curious snail hops aboard the tail of a humpback whale to sail the sea. On their adventure, the snail sees icebergs, mountains, underwater caves and golden sands – and is amazed by it all. "I feel so small," she told the whale. Amidst the excitement, the whale finds himself beached in a bay, so the snail sets off to save his friend. All ends well, showing that even the littlest creature can be a huge help. Hooray!
