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20 Teacher Recommended Picture Books That Rhyme

Need some good children’s books that rhyme? We’ve gathered a list of books to help young learners play with word sounds. Click through for our teacher recommended & kid approved list of rhyming picture books for kids.

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Most Kinders enjoy playing with rhymes and books that incorporate rhyme quickly become favorites. Of course,  playing with rhymes is a great way to develop phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phenomes (the individual sounds in any language). In a nutshell, children with good phonemic awareness skills are usually more successful in learning to read and write. That is why rhyming is often an important part of any literacy program.

To learn more about phonemic awareness and why it is so important click here.

Rhyming invites children to LISTEN for the SOUNDS in the words. For example, they can hear that the words jar, car, bar, and star all end with the AR sound. At first, they will hear and recognise the rhyming sounds. As they progress, they will be able to produce their own rhymes.

Frequent exposure to rhyme also helps children to develop thinking vocabulary and comprehension skills. rhyming pictures books is one of the easiest way to bring rhymes into the classroom. And as a bonus they are a lot of fun to read – Most of them have silly storylines that kids adore, and the rhymes make them easy to read aloud.

20 Teacher Recommended Books That Rhyme

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham is a wonderful story about a quirky character named Sam I Am who spends the story persuading a doubter to try some of his green eggs and ham. Kids love this story and it is filled to the brim with silly rhymes that gets everyone giggling.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

In this fun book the letters of the alphabet are in a race to see who can get up the coconut tree first.  Kids love the bright illustrations and fun rhymes.

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Gerald just wants to dance, but all the other animals make fun of his efforts at the annual Jungle Dance. Gerald hangs his head and leaves. Luckily a wise cricket appears with a word of encouragement that gets Gerald dancing again. And what a dancer he turns out to be!

Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman


A wacky rhyming book that will have your students laughing out loud, because… well underpants. Aliens have arrived on earth with sinister motives. They want to steal everyone’s underpants!

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas

We simply couldn’t keep this book on the shelf at the library. It is a HUGE favorite. The Rhyming dust bunnies love to rhyme and one named Bob who can’t seem to get the hang of it at all. But in the end Bob saves them all from a terrible fate.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

This is a sweet story about a young Llama who has trouble falling asleep at night and calls out for his mama. But his mother is busy and can’t come straight back. So, baby Llama throws a hissy fit and all kinds of drama ensues.

The Gruffalo by  Julia Donaldson

This is the story of a mouse and a monster called a Gruffalo. The mouse invents a terrible sounding creature to save itself from being eaten while on a walk in the woods. Imagine the surprise when the little mouse meets the actual Gruffalo.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

The sun is setting behind the big construction site and one by one the big machines get ready to say goodnight. This book is beautifully illustrated, and the rhymes are delightful.

Parts by Ted Arnold

Parts will get the whole class giggling. Follow along as the young narrator notices all kinds of odd trends in his body. Things like fuzz in his belly button and something gross falling out of his nose. Then his tooth starts to wiggle and that is confirmation that his body is falling apart. A delight to read!

My Truck is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis

A truck carrying a cargo of bones gets stuck in a hole and nothing will budge it. A whole series of larger and larger vehicles try to help budge the truck, but nothing works. Until a mechanic turns up with a tow truck to haul away the unfortunate vehicle. Meanwhile in a sneaky subplot some gophers are slowly making off with all the bones.

Zin Zin a Violin by Lloyd Moss

A fabulous rhyming book that introduces readers to the different instruments of an orchestra as they take their place on the stage. The illustrations are fabulous and  contain a lot of detail. The rhymes are cute, and I love how this book introduces musical language. It is also a refreshing change from the usual topics found in children’s picture books.

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

The story of a day on the farm. This book is aimed mostly at preschoolers but it’s still a great introduction to rhyming books for those just starting Kindergarten.

Don’t Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins

A forgetful boy gets sent to the store and every time he recites his shopping list it gets changed slightly. But at least he won’t forget the bacon.

Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg

A timeless rhyming classic that combines folklore with a game of I Spy, all while rhyming in a way that kids will adore.

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel

A new collection of rhyming stories about frogs and toads by award-winning author Arnold Lobel, the creator of the Frog and Toad series of books.

Frog on a Log? By Kes Gray

Every animal in the animal kingdom sits in a seat that rhymes with their name. Cats sit on mats and hares sit on chairs, but frog doesn’t want to sit on a log.

Hop on Pop by Dr Seuss

Another favourite Dr. Seuss book. Silly rhymes and simple words make this a perfect book for young readers. Your kids will love it, it isn’t the cheesiest.

Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino

Animals help Lloyd the Llama figure out what kind of animal his mother is through a series of rhymes.

I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince

The story of a hungry ant on a railroad track and the gentle giant who helps save him from getting squished by an oncoming train.

Jamberry by Bruce Degen

A bestselling story about a boy who loves berries and a bear who rhymes setting out on a berry picking adventure.

Having Fun With Books That Rhyme

Kids never seem to get tired of rhyming books, so they are fun to read over and over again. Try some of these activities once your class is familiar with the text.

  • Encourage students clap when they hear a word that rhymes. If you want to make this a bit more active, ask them to jump.
  • Invite students help you write the rhyming words on post it notes and then sort them by spelling pattern
  • Read the book and pause before saying the rhyming word. The kids will be happy to shout the word for you.
  • Have fun with the rhymes by rewriting some of the pages using different rhyming words. Kids think this is hilarious and  sometimes it really is!

Need More Rhyming Activities?

Your Turn

How many of these books do you read them with your students? Did we miss any of your favorites? Leave a comment below?

Books that rhyme
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