Books

Books to Read to Young Children

Reading books to young children is a wonderful way to teach and reinforce early concepts. as well as a terrific way to share and enjoy time together.

  • Leslie Patricelli has a series of books that focus on a single concept and are great for teaching concepts to young children
    • Yummy Yucky*
    • Big Little*
    • Happy Sad*
    • No No Yes Yes*
    • Quiet Loud*
    • Higher Higher
    • Faster Faster*
    • Huggy Kissy*
    • Tickle
    • Potty*
    • Tubby*
  • Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle (some written by Eric Carle alone) have a series of books with simple, recursive language
    • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?*
    • Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?*
    • Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you See?*
    • Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too?*
    • The Very Hungry Caterpillar*
  • Fiona Watts has a lovely series of touch and feel books that emphasize adjectives
    • That’s not my Dinosaur
    • That’s not my Puppy*
    • That’s not my Train*
    • That’s not my Snowman
    • That’s not my Teddy*
    • That’s not my Monkey
    • That’s not my Pig
    • That’s not my Lamb
    • That’s not my Truck*
    • That’s not my Dragon*
  • Karen Katz has a series of books that are great for teaching body parts, prepositions, and simple words
    • Where is baby’s belly button?*
    • Toes, ears, and nose
    • Excuse Me
    • What does baby say?
    • What does baby love?
    • How does Baby Feel?
    • Where is baby’s mommy?
    • Baby’s colors
    • I can share!
    • A Potty for me
    • The babies on the bus
    • Baby loves winter
    • Baby loves spring
    • Baby loves summer
    • Baby loves fall
  • DK Publishing has a series of lift the flap peekaboo books, which are great for teaching single words and the concept “where is?”
    • Baby Faces Peekaboo
    • Eyes, Noes, and Toes Peekaboo
    • Bedtime Peekaboo
    • Farm Peekaboo
    • Rainbow Colors Peekaboo
    • Bathtime Peekaboo
    • Playtime Peekaboo
    • Dress up Peekaboo
  • Sandra Boynton has a series of cheerfully written books that focus on early concepts such as emotions, clothing, counting, opposites, and letters
    • Happy Hippo Angry Duck*
    • Blue Hat Green Hat*
    • A to Z
    • Opposites*
    • One, Two, Three
    • Are you a Cow?
    • Horns to Toes and In Between
    • Bath Time
    • Pajama Time
    • Tickle Time
  • Additional Classic Early Children’s Books
    • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown*
    • Jesse Bear, What will You Wear? By Nancy White Carlstrom

Books to Inspire Parents with Ideas for Teaching and Play

The following books offer wonderful ideas for how to keep your child’s attention during play and daily activities as well as offering many suggestions for early learning targets.

  • The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities for Children Birth to 3 by Kathy Charner, Maureen Murphy, and Charlie Clark
  • The Toddler’s Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to keep your 1 ½ to 3 year old Busy by Trish Kuffner
  • Davis, A., Harwell, M. & Isaacson, L. (2014). Floortime Strategies to Promote Development in Children and Teens: A User’s Guide to the DIR. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. (Although we do not support the use of DIR:Floortime as the main approach for educating and intervening with children at risk for autism, this book offers suggestions that can be excellent for playtime).
  • The Eensy Weensy Spider: Fingerplays and Action Rhymes by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson
  • Funny Food: 365 Fun, Silly, Healthy Creative Breakfasts by Bill Wurtzel and Claire Wurtzel
  • Snacktivities: 50 Edible Activities for Parents and Young Children by MaryAnn F. Kohl

Autism-Specific Titles

  • Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism: A Manual for Parents and Professionals edited by Catherine Maurice co-edited by Gina Green & Stephen C. Luce
  • Making a Difference: Behavioral Intervention for Autism, edited by Catherine Maurice, Gina Green & Richard Foxx.  See Chapter 8, Teaching Programs to Increase Peer Interaction, by Bridget Taylor and Suzanne Jasper
  • A Work in Progress: Behavior Management Strategies and A Curriculum for Intensive Behavioral Treatment of Autism by Ron Leaf and John McEachin
  • An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to help Kids Connect, Communicate, and Learn by Sally J. Rogers, Geraldine Dawson, and Laurie A. Vismara
  • 101 Games and Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger’s, and Sensory Processing Disorders by T. Delaney
  • Does My Child Have Autism: A Parents Guide to Early Detection and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders by Wendy L. Stone and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo
  • Motivation and Reinforcement: Turning the Tables on Autism by Robert Schramm