• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

  • About
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • SOR Resources
    • Science of Reading Course
    • Science of Reading Book List
    • Science of Reading Podcast Index
    • Science of Reading Blog & Article Index
    • Science of Reading Fact Sheets
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • Become a Member
    • Member Login
Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alphabet
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Math
    • Book Lists
  • Podcast
  • Subscriber Freebies
  • About
  • Membership
  • Contact
  • Alphabet
  • Reading
    • Structured literacy
    • Printable Books
    • Pre-Reading
    • Phonics
    • Sight Words
    • Comprehension
    • Fluency
    • Vocabulary
  • Writing
    • Grammar
    • Handwriting
    • Spelling
    • Writing in Pre-K
    • Writing in K-3
  • Math
    • Counting
    • Number Recognition
    • Addition & Subtraction
    • Colors, Shapes & Patterns
    • Visual Discrimination
    • Time, Money & Measurement
    • Place Value
    • Graphs
    • Multiplication & Division
    • Fractions
    • Problem Solving
  • Book Lists
    • Letter of the Week
    • Early Childhood Themes
    • Pre-Reading Skills
    • Math Concepts
    • Writing Mentor Texts
    • Versions of Familiar Tales
    • Holidays and Seasonal
    • History

PSPKK12311 Comments

Books for Letter C

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

One of my favorite things I do for The Measured Mom is create book lists. My kids are always excited when we go to pick up our stack of reserved books at the library. And I love it when my Six plants herself on the couch between her brothers (ages 3 and 5) so I can have a quiet evening of dinner prep (as long as the baby is napping and my toddler can find something to do…).

We've got both vintage and modern books in this great list of books to read for letter C!

Books to Read for Letter C

Letter C is a great letter — it was no trouble to gather a giant list of books. But don’t worry – I share only our favorites! You’ll find some of my kids’ best-loved books in this list of books to read for letter C.

Cupcake
Charise Mericle Harper
Cupcake is disappointed because unlike her siblings, she’s just plain vanilla. Candle hops up and laments that he’s just plain green. Together they brainstorm toppings that would make Cupcake special: pickles, spaghetti, smelly cheese… can you guess what turns out to be the perfect topper? This is a big favorite at our house and a personal favorite of mine – take a quick moment to reserve this hilarious book at your library! It would make a great birthday gift, too.
Who Stole the Cookies?
Judith Moffatt
Many versions of this story exist, but this early reader is my kids’ favorite. They like the collage illustrations and simple rhymes. This is one from our personal library, and I’ve read it more times than I can count!
Cars: Rushing, Honking, Zooming!
Patricia Hubbell
This is a fantastic retro-style picture book with unique collage illustrations – a great book for kids who like things that go. You’ll love the rhymes too: “Start the motor! Turn the key! Compact car or SUV.”
Clara Caterpillar
Pamela Duncan Edwards
Books that use the same letter to start most of their words can get on my nerves. Not this one! It’s a wonderful story, not to mention a great vocabulary builder. Clara Caterpillar is a story about a common cabbage caterpillar. Catisha, catty and crimson, is full of conceit when she compares herself to the cream-colored Clara. But guess whose color comes in handy when predators come about?
My Car
Byron Barton
Barton’s simple books are great for toddlers, and my car-loving two-year-old is fully engaged for this book. The bright illustrations and very simple text share how a car owner takes care of his vehicle. Highly recommended for your smallest listeners!
Little Cloud
Eric Carle
Here’s another great book for your toddler. He’ll enjoy naming the simple pictures on each page as Little Cloud turns into an airplane, clown, rabbit, and more.
Corduroy
Don Freeman
Do you remember this book from your childhood? I remember being fascinated by the department store teddy bear’s journey through the mall in the night. He’s on a journey to find his missing button in hopes that this will make him more appealing to children. In the end a little girl named Lisa adopts the less than perfect Corduroy.
Clifford the Big Red Dog
Norman Bridwell
I’ll be honest – the Clifford books aren’t my all-time favorites. However, I think this is due to the over-commercialization of these books in recent years. If you go back to the first Clifford book, you can find the simplicity of the series. My kids love all the Clifford books, so I had to include a title about the giant red dog and Emily Elizabeth, the girl who loves him.
Cactus Hotel
Brenda Guiberson
This is a wonderful book for your older preschooler. My Five (and his sister in first grade) are fascinated by the story of the amazing saguaro cactus. Did you know that the saguaro cactus is 75 years old before it grows a single arm? Or that over 150 years, it can grow to a weight of eight tons? The book also tells about the many animals who make the saguaro their home – hence the title.
Goodnight, Good night, Construction Site
Sherri Duskey Rinker
Have you ever driven by a construction site in the evening when all the big machines are quiet and still? This book brings those big machines to life in a tender way.
The Cow Loves Cookies
Karma Wilson
Here’s a funny rhyming book by the author of the Bear Snores On series. All the farm animals are happy with their traditional fare — the pigs love slop, the horses eat their hay, the chickens need their feed… but the cow loves cookies! This book’s clever and rollicking rhymes make it a great read-aloud!
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
Laura Numeroff
This is another title in the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series. While this one feels a bit more contrived than others in the series, the pictures and story are still irresistible. If you give a cat a cupcake, he’s going to want sprinkles to go with it… and on the story goes.
The Carrot Seed
Ruth Krauss
This is an extremely simple story that has been popular for generations. A little boy plants a carrot seed, but everyone else is quite sure a plant won’t come up. They get quite a surprise at the end of the story!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Eric Carle
Here’s yet another classic book that every child should hear. The hungry caterpillar eats through many different kinds of food before he spins his cocoon and turns into a beautiful butterfly. My toddler loves to put his finger through the holes in the page where the caterpillar has “eaten.” (It might bother you that the book is scientifically inaccurate; caterpillars spin a chrysalis, not a cocoon. I just explained to my kids that the book had it wrong!)
Caps for Sale
Esphyr Slobodkina
Here’s yet another vintage book that is still popular today. The poor peddler! He works so hard to balance his caps on his head as he walks through town yelling, “Caps for Sale!” But a group of monkeys up in a tree steal all of his caps. How will he get them back? The surprise ending is our favorite part of the book.
Cars! Cars! Cars!
Grace Maccarone
This is a great rhyming book with charming pictures. It’s a quick read and a book your preschooler will love so much he’ll soon be reciting it to you. It also works well for teaching opposites.
The Cat in the Hat
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss wrote this book nearly sixty years ago, but its popularity has only increased over the years. There’s just something irresistible about the crazy cat who livens up the day of two children on a “cold, cold, wet day.”
Millions of Cats
Wanda Gag
Initially published over eighty years ago, this is the oldest vintage book in our book list for letter C. Kids may initially be resistant to the black and white illustrations, but this book has a charm that overcomes many kids’ resistance. An old man and woman are lonely, so the man sets off to bring a cat home to his wife. What does he find on the hillside but “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats!”? How will he choose the one just right for his little family?
Clickety Clack
Rob and Amy Spence
The train gets louder and louder as noisy animals climb aboard. Finally the engineer has had enough, and the animals quiet down. Told in rhyme with the repeating “Clickety Clack,” this book is an entertaining way to teach the sound of letter C.
I Like Cats
Patricia Hubbell
Even if you’re a dog person, you’ll appreciate this book about every kind of cat imaginable… “Farm cats, city cats, sing-a-little-ditty cats…” The vibrant paintings will keep your toddler’s interest for this quick read.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type,
Doreen Cronin
The cows have found an old typewriter, and now they’re busy making demands of Farmer Brown. When he refuses to give them electric blankets, they shut down the barn and his milk supply. A hilarious barnyard tale!

Alphabet Curriculum for Preschool

$36.00

Our curriculum includes lessons for teaching both upper and lowercase letter names and sounds. You’ll get three lessons per letter, built-in review, simple handwriting practice, rhyming, syllable counting, phonemic awareness, and a whole lot more!

Buy Now

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Book Lists, Alphabet Book Lists Tagged With: Pre-K, preschool, kindergarten

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Versions of Cinderella Veterans Day books Books for Letter B
Books for Letter D
Books for Letter B

Reader Interactions

11 Comments

  1. Jackie Thiltgen

    April 11, 2018 at 10:11 am

    Where can I purchase the alphabet books?

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      April 11, 2018 at 11:10 am

      If you’re looking for the books featured in this post, just click on the links and purchase via Amazon.

      Reply to this comment
  2. Anna T

    November 18, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Hi Anna!!

    Great name!! I wanted to give a big “THANK YOU” to you for your awesome site!! Definitely my go to place when I’m looking for enrichment activities for my son!!

    Anna T

    Reply to this comment
  3. Taylor

    September 7, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Thank you so much!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      September 11, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      Thanks for reading, Taylor!

      Reply to this comment
  4. Kate

    May 9, 2014 at 2:02 pm

    Have you seen the new book, Captain Cat? Love it! I can’t remember where I found out about it–did you post it somewhere?

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      May 14, 2014 at 12:57 pm

      Hi Kate – no, I haven’t heard of Captain Cat. I’ll have to look into it!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Francis

    April 14, 2014 at 9:32 am

    We love Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site in my house. We also like the book she followed up with, Steam Train Dream Train. My boys love trains so I have put Clickety Clack on my list and Cactus Hotel sounds interesting too. Thanks for the list!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 18, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      I hadn’t heard of Steam Train Dream Train, Francis. Thanks for the recommendation!

      Reply to this comment
  6. Kate

    April 12, 2014 at 2:26 pm

    I loooooove long book lists from you, Anna! Eight books I’d never heard of on this list. Very exciting!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      April 18, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      You’re my biggest book list fan, Kate 😉

      Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Grade Level Key

  • PS Preschool (ages 2-3 years)
  • PK Pre-K (ages 4-5 years)
  • K Kindergarten
  • 1 1st grade
  • 2 2nd grade
  • 3 3rd grade

Get my book!

Hello, I’m Anna!

Welcome to The Measured Mom. I’m so glad you’re here!

Meet Our Team

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!

Shop our store!

Reading response sheets & Early chapter book lists

$24.00

Community Helpers Theme Pack for Pre-K/K

$16.00

36 Reading Comprehension Passages about Biomes & Habitats

$18.00

Shop all resources

Members get more!

The Measured Mom Plus is the perfect online membership for Pre-K to third grade educators.

Learn More

Love Freebies?

Subscribing to our email newsletter is completely free. And when you do, you'll get access to our library of subscriber freebies! Sign up below to get access to a wonderful variety of math and literacy resources.

Listen and subscribe on iTunes and Spotify

Check out these recent podcast episodes:

  • What is the science of implementation? – with Laura Stewart
  • Why implementation is the missing piece – with Justin Browning
  • The power of Quick Writes – in any grade! – with Shauna Cotte
More Episodes

Science of Reading Resources

  • Science of Reading Course
  • Podcast Index
  • Science of Reading Book List
  • Fast Fact Sheets

Popular Freebies

  • Decodable Books
  • Nonfiction Decodable Books
  • Phonics Assessment
  • Phonics Scope & Sequence

Membership

Get instant access to science of reading workshops and over 2000 printable resources!

Become a Member

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” –Matthew 6:33

Copyright © 2025 The Measured Mom •  All rights reserved  •  Privacy & Disclosure Statement  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs