If you love great children’s books like I do, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for these must read children’s books being released in 2019. These particular books are geared toward Pre-K through second graders and would make a great addition to your home or classroom library! You may click on each book title to see that book in Amazon. These are affiliate links so I earn a small commission if you purchase a book from the links provided. However, you will still pay the original retail price!

Must Read Children’s Books

Maya’s Magical Laundry Basket

In “Maya’s Magical Laundry Basket”, Maya does not let a rainy day at home limit her adventures. She takes an ordinary laundry basket and dreams up a series of exciting, globe-spanning adventures, teaching others how to use their imaginations, re-kindle and spark inner creativity and experience wonder and adventure every day.

The Good Egg

From the bestselling creators of The Bad Seed, a timely story about not having to be Grade A perfect! Meet the good egg. He’s a verrrrrry good egg indeed. But trying to be so good is hard when everyone else is plain ol’ rotten. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect. So, he decides enough is enough! It’s time for him to make a change…

Turkey’s Eggcellent Easter

Easter is almost here—and Turkey knows just how to celebrate. He’s going to win the eggstra-special Easter egg hunt! The only problem is that animals aren’t allowed to enter. So he and his barnyard friends come up with a top-secret plan. With his trademark disguises and a whole lot of help, Turkey goes undercover. Will his basket of tricks help him win a prize?

Willbee the Bumblebee

From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator behind The Wonky Donkeycomes Willbee the Bumblebee, a catchy rhyme with endearing illustrations that will leave you buzzing! Willbee the bumblebee is so embarrassed when he realizes that his black-and-yellow jacket has caught on a rose thorn and completely unraveled, showing his bare bum! With help from Monica the butterfly and Steve the spider, Willbee recovers his jacket and is back to buzzing around the garden in no time.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Birthday Cake

There was an old lady who swallowed a cake. I don’t know why she swallowed the cake. It was a mistake! Scholastic’s Old Lady is more popular than ever, and in celebration she’s swallowing a cake… and a candle, and a sign, and some balloons, and a hat, and some gifts. Can you guess why?

The Song of Spring

It’s spring and everywhere birds are calling out to each other. But one bird has forgotten which sound to make. He tries “Woof,” and meets a dog, who encourages him to try “Oink,” with the expected result. Moo, Hee-Haw, Baa, Meow–each successive call adds another animal friend to the page. Will the young bird find another bird friend? As young readers are introduced to each type of animal and their sounds, Hendrik Jonas’s clever illustrations grow increasingly crowded. The result is a beautiful celebration of friendship that will delight young children everywhere.

My Tree and Me

One little girl has a very special friend, the tall ancient tree in her backyard. Through the seasons, she grows along with the tree, playing in its branches and basking in its shade. She can swing and have a picnic, draw the tree and play hide and go seek. Through her time with her tree, the girl learns to appreciate the natural world as something to be savored and protected and acknowledges her place within it.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.

Perfect

In this funny and light-hearted picture book, a fussy eraser tries to keep the pages clean by erasing the scribbles of a mischievous pencil. But before long, the eraser discovers what can happen when two opposing forces come together to have fun. With humor and a keen eye for play, Max Amato crafts a delightful story that reveals the joys of collaborative imagination.

Hats Off to Mr. Pockles

For Mr. Pockles, going without a hat is as unthinkable as going around without any pants on. He has millions of hats, for every occasion–an Eating His Cornflakes hat, a Drinking Cups of Tea hat, and even an In the Bath hat–but for some reason, he doesn’t have any friends. One day, when Lady CoCo Fitz-Tulip–a Very Important Panda–finds that her hat has been gobbled up by some hungry bunnies, Mr. Pockles knows just how to help. Overflowing with silliness, here’s a charming celebration of friendship, inclusion, and the joy of sharing.

The Full Moon at the Napping House

In the wide-awake bed in the full-moon house, everyone is restless! The moonlight is pouring in and no one can get to sleep: not Granny, her grandchild, the dog, the cat, or even a mouse. It’s not until a tiny musical visitor offers up a soothing song does the menagerie settle down, and finally everyone is off to dreamland. With a patterned text and stunning paintings, Audrey and Don Wood reveal once again why they are picture book creators of the highest order. The Full Moon at the Napping House, the dreamy companion to their classic The Napping House, is now in a cozy padded board book edition—perfect for sharing at bedtime or anytime.

Perfectly Polite Penguins

Penguins are always polite. They say “please” and “thank you,” they wait their turn patiently, and they always help to clean up when playtime is over. But one day, Polly Penguin decides that being polite is boring. So she interrupts when others are talking, refuses to clean up, and makes a mess at the dinner table. Soon, all of the penguins copy Polly and lose their good manners, too! Can Polly help make things right again?

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!

A dab of blue here, a splash of red there, a goopy smear of green . . . everywhere. To the tune of “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More,” one creative kid floods his world with color, painting first the walls, then the ceiling, then HIMSELF! Before this feisty artist is through, he’ll have painted his head, back, hands, legs, feet, and . . . Oh no–here comes Mama!

Be a Maker

How many things can you make in a day? A tower, a friend, a change? Rhyme, repetition, and a few seemingly straightforward questions engage young readers. This simple, layered story celebrates creativity through beautiful rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations with a timely message.