Books For Kids (That Won't Drive Parents Crazy)

I've done a LOT of babysitting in my life and you know kids love to be read to. Some children's books are quite mind-numbing, if we are being honest. I find myself adjusting things to not have to read "he said/she said" at the end of every sentence!!!! But through the years, I have found some books that are enjoyable for the adults to read as much as they are fun for the kids to hear.

Skippy John Jones - This adventurous and mischievous little cat is great fun to read. Sometimes he can be rather naughty though, so you might not want to read a ton of them with regularity. One of my favorite things about the books is how they encourage imagination in kids!

Goodnight Moon - A classic. The lyrical nature of this book is what makes me love to read it. No one likes to read the same book over and over, but this one (along with Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb) are ones I don't mind reading each time I'm with little kids.

Froggy books - Like Skippy, Froggy can be mischievous and get into trouble but he has a good heart. I love reading "FRROOGGYY!" "WHHAATT?" in a fun voice. It makes kids laugh.

Don't Let The Pigeon - For this series, I have found it is all in the delivery. How you read it is crucial. If you do it right, the kid is laughing and that makes it fun for you to read!

If You Give A...  - Mouse, Moose, Pig. Whatever the animal and whatever you're giving them, these books are funny because they are so relatable. What adult can't relate to the constant needs of kids?

Rainbow Fish - He starts off rough but through the story, he learns an important lesson. I love books that teach kids good things!!

Jan Brett books - These are a treat! Lovely stories with gorgeous illustrations that you can look at for hours! My grandmother still loves Jan Brett books and all her grandkids can read on their own now!


I don't remember these as well, but Bernstein Bears and Franklin the Turtle look like they are also books that adults would enjoy reading to kids. If you need more ideas, story collections are great! And many kids will surprise you by not caring what you read as long as you're reading to them. So even chapter books like Narnia can be great for young kids. I've read Trixie Belden to a little boy I babysat because he just wanted to hear me read!

What kid books do you like to read in your family? Leave some suggestions in the comments so we can all benefit!! (I will update this with new materials as I find them).


Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash