16 Books to Read for Letter F
If you’re looking for some great books to read for Letter F, you’ll find what you need in this list.
Dan Yaccarino
More than anything else, Cynthia wants a pony for her birthday. She’s so sure she’ll get it that she’s picked out the name: Marigold. But on her birthday she gets a terribly disappointing gift instead… a fish. As she is about to dump the fish down the drain, it promises to grant her a wish if she takes it to the lake instead. Over the long walk the two become friends, and instead of putting the fish into the lake, Cynthia names it “Marigold” and heads back home. I just love this story! I recommend this book as one to own or give as a gift.
Rebecca Finn
This board book is just right for babies. It has just eight pages with something interactive on each page (push the flap, turn the wheel). Another bonus is that it’s a rhyming book. Rhymes are so important for helping babies learn about language and will often keep their attention longer than a non-rhyming book.
Jane O’Connor
For some reason the title of the Fancy Nancy books turned me off, and I avoided them until my daughter discovered them. I wish I hadn’t waited so long! Nancy, a sweet little girl who loves everything fancy, lives with a plain and simple mom, dad, and sister. In this first book she dresses up in her tiara and bright jewelry and convinces her family to be fancy too. My favorite part of these books is the fancy words Nancy uses and explains. It’s a fun and effective way to build your child’s vocabulary.
Russell Hoban
This is the first of the Frances books and my favorite. A little badger girl cannot sleep and thinks of every possible delaying tactic. “Did you kiss me? There is a tiger/giant/something coming out of the crack in ceiling. There is something moving in the curtains.” Finally, her loving but exhausted father tells Frances that her job is that she must go to sleep so that she can be wide awake for school, and that if she comes into his room again she will get a spanking. (This is a small part of the story and if you are against spanking, I don’t think it’s a reason to skip the book.) This book will resonate with parents whose children can’t sleep, and for kids who sometimes have trouble going to bed. For me, Garth Williams’ illustrations (he illustrated the Little House series) are another big draw.
Jane Miller
If you’re looking for a simple, photo-illustrated book to teach a little one about the farm, choose this one. The pictures are very authentic, and their captions are just the right length and complexity for young listeners. “Egg. Birds lay eggs. These eggs were laid by a hen.”
Anne Rockwell
This is a simple story about a boy dalmatian who wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. You can find many books about firefighters, but not many as simple for your smallest listener. I was surprised when my squirmy 13-month-old stayed engaged for the whole story. (Okay, the next time I tried, he threw it. Baby steps, right?)
Chris Demarest
There are countless books about firefighters. This book, written by a volunteer firefighter, takes you through a day in a firefighter’s life from A to Z. This action-filled story features bright letters to begin each page. My Two enjoyed naming the letters he knew as we turned the pages.
Patricia Hubbell
As the title suggests, this is a fast-moving book about firefighters. Firefighters rush, the truck zooms, flames flare, and water wooshes. It’s a rhyming book that doesn’t slow down until the tired crew goes home.
Leo Lionni
This was a new book for me, and I’m sorry it took me so long to discover it. In a pond, a minnow and tadpole are great friends. The fish is alarmed when the tadpole turns into a frog and climbs out of the pond. When the frog returns, he shares stories of everything he’s seen. The fish imagines birds as fish with feathers, cows as fish with udders, and people as fish with legs. The fish longs to see this amazing world and jumps out of the water. When the frog rescues him he realizes that, for him, his water world is the most beautiful of all.
Peter Spier
This old song, accompanied by Peter Spier’s award-winning illustrations, is a favorite of my kids because it’s a song my husband has sung to them at least a hundred times. They sit on his lap at the piano or run around the living room singing the familiar lines. The story (which needs to be sung or it’s not much fun) is about a fox who steals a goose and duck from the farmer’s pen and flees to his den where he feeds his little ones. “Daddy, better go back again, because it must be a wonderful town-o!”
Arnold Lobel
I remember getting a copy of this book for Christmas when I was seven, and it remained a favorite for many years. The Frog and Toad books share the simple adventures of two best friends. This “I Can Read” book is fun for children to listen to and also very accessible for early readers. Of all four of the books, I recommend this one the most highly.
Jonathan London
I will not tell you that the Froggy Books, by Jonathan London, are high-quality children’s literature, because they aren’t. I won’t tell you that you will love to read them over and over, because you won’t. But I will tell you that many kids (my own included) love them. For this reason I suggest getting a few Froggy books from the library. I regret having a few in our collection because I have to read them way too often. I think what my kids love about Froggy is that he’s goofy, he has silly sound effects, and there’s a familiarity about the books that’s comforting. In each book, Froggy’s mother calls “Frooogggy!” and he replies “Whaaat?” Each book, he does something embarrassing, and blushes. Some Froggy books are better than others; this first one is one of the best. Mercifully, Froggy books aren’t too long.
Lucy Cousins
Lucy Cousins is known for her simple text and bright, bold pictures. This giant book, recommended for toddlers, follows Little Fish through the sea. Young children will enjoy the journey and review concepts along the way: numbers, opposites, rhyming, and more. I can see how a one-year-old could get very attached to this book.
Dr. Seuss
I couldn’t leave this one out. No matter how you feel about the silly rhymes of Dr. Seuss (personally, I love them!), it must be said that these rhymes are creative, fun, and helpful for kids. From fish in a tree to flying a kite in bed, your child will enjoy the silliness and — if you read it enough – learn to read it herself.
Munro Leaf
This was one of my favorite picture books growing up, and I still love it. Ferdinand is different than the other bulls. Instead of running, leaping, and fighting, he likes to sit quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers. One day, however, he sits on a bee. He jumps and snorts and hurls himself around — impressing the rodeo men who take him to be in a bullfight. But when Ferdinand enters the arena, he just sits and smells the flowers. My kids were a little older (4 and up) by the time they appreciated this story. It has black and white illustrations and a setting (Spain) they’re unfamiliar with. But it’s worth trying until your kids like it.
Sandy Asher
Rabbit lives by himself and has things just the way he likes it: no fuss and no clutter. Each evening, he reads quietly by the fire. Until Froggie shows up. Each night he returns to hear the story — making himself a snack, piling up the pillows – and then showing up with his entire frog family. It’s all just too much fuss and clutter for Rabbit. When he turns Froggie away, he finds that he misses having someone to listen. At the end of the story he embraces this different way of life. Great story!
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Erika Rojas
Thanks Anna, it has been very useful to me the books by letters, I do not really have the time available to go to the bookstore to look for the books that I am going to read to the children of my class. Really it is a very big help that you give us. I am very happy with all that material that helps us plan our classes better. Thank you again. God will continue to give you much wisdom.
Anna G
You’re very welcome, Erika! Thank you so much for the kind words!
emily
Your website is one of my favorites. It is awesome. Thank you for all the fantastic book ideas, reviews, and alphabet letter related activities. You are a lifesaver!
Anna Geiger
Thank you so much for your kind words, Emily ! I’m so glad you’re finding things here that you can use. 🙂
Holly B.
I LOVE your resources!!! My 3yo is enjoying his homeschooling adventure thanks to your awesome resources! I was really hoping to get a book about farms from my library, but both the ones you have listed are not at my local library. Any other suggestions? I really appreciate the books you list. They DO have a plethora of opportunities for spotting the letter of study!
Anna Geiger
Hi Holly! So glad your 3 year old is enjoying preschool at home with you. 🙂 Here’s a book list from another blogger that might be helpful: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/07/21-books-about-farm-animals.html
Holly B.
Thank you!
Jill
I’m glad I came across your website today! I teach my daughter using a “Letter of the Week”. This is a great book list!!
Jill
annageig
Thanks so much for checking it out, Jill!
annageig
It was hard to choose, that’s for sure — lots of great books for Letter F. Thanks for commenting, Amy!
Amy @ Sunlit Pages
This is a fantastic list! We love “Hooray For Fish.” And I just taught my son’s little preschool co-op using “The Story of Ferdinand” as inspiration. Such a great book!