One of the most exciting parts of watching your child grow and learn is sharing the joy of reading with them! From sharing bedtime stories with infants and toddlers to sounding out words with preschoolers as they master reading fundamentals, books provide an entirely new world for children to explore.

Here at Children’s Discovery Center, we are passionate about fostering a strong educational foundation for each child we care for, and reading is an important and fun part of our daily lessons. We’ve asked our team to pull together some of their favorite children’s books that you should add to your bookshelf!

Love You Forever, Robert Munsch

This book is a longtime favorite of our team’s and is sure to tug on the heartstrings of any parent who picks it up. It tells the story of the relationship between a mother and her son as he grows over time. The beauty of a parent’s love is evident throughout every season of life and no matter what, “I’ll love you forever, my baby you’ll be.”
This book was actually a top pick of a couple of our team members! Lindsay shared it’s just beautiful how the parent, “cannot let go” and how that love carries throughout their child’s lifetime. Aly loves this because of the bond she has with both of her boys!

Pete the Cat, James Dean and Eric Litwin

This book series features four different books starring Pete the Cat, a whimsical cartoon cat who learns to enjoy life despite all that comes his way. From donning his white shoes through puddles to losing his four groovy buttons, Pete keeps a mellow and positive attitude toward life. Shared by our staff member Jill, she chose this set of books because it “teaches them if things happen, it’s okay.”

The Giving Tree, Shell Silverstein



First published in 1964, The Giving Tree has been a longtime favorite of many of our staff – even from their own childhood. The relationship between the tree and the boy is heartwarming and bittersweet, as we see how selfless the tree is for the boy. This book can help foster thankfulness in children for the generosity and sacrifices of others. Bridge chose this book as her addition to the list, noting that it talks about life sacrificed.

Dinosaur ROAR! , Paul and Henrietta Strickland



We love a good book that encourages children to explore their imagination and have fun! This book explores dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes and provides plenty of opportunities to be silly and expressive while reading. It’s also a great learning lesson for opposites, comparing dinosaurs that are big and small, grumpy or happy, etc. The possibilities for fun are endless when reading Dinosaur ROAR!

Do you have family favorites that you would like to add to our bookshelf for future recommendations? We would love to hear them! Share them with us on Facebook or Instagram.