Letter C Books for Preschool

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“If it’s good enough for cookie, it’s good enough for me.” So began my fascination with the letter C. Anyone else grow up watching Cookie Monster? According to him, c is a fabulous letter, and I happen to agree. Our list of letter C books for preschool will convert your family into fans of this letter in no time.

Related: Letter B Books for Preschool.

Every once in a while, I run across a fantastic picture book, with just a little too much text for the average 3 and 4-year-old. I love these books because they help me prove to my seven and eight and eleven-year-olds that picture books are for everyone! A few of the books on our list this week are just such a book. You will see that these are marked with an asterisk. But don’t worry . . .

Let me tell you my tricks! When you open a book and realize it has more text than your child has patience for, use these little tricks of mine to turn the book into a family favorite.

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All you have to do is read the first sentence on each page.

That’s it! For picture books with “too much text”, simply read the first sentence on each page and move on. The first sentence is almost always the most important, the topic sentence of the page. With the first sentence, you can get a feel for whether or not your child is interested in more information or not. If you want, you can summarize the other information on the page — but you don’t have to. This is your permission to skip the parts that are too much!

Make it a Talking Book

Another great idea for picture books with gorgeous pictures and too much text, is to use them as talking books. Talking books are books you talk about together instead of reading. Talking with your preschool child is a great way to build conversation skills, speaking confidence, increase literacy and vocabulary, and help him understand your world.

Say you open a book and see a beautiful illustration of a crocodile. Here are some leading questions you can ask to get your child talking about what he sees. These are kind of like writing prompts for pre-writers. If your child struggles with this activity, you come up with a creative answer to suggest and then move on. Eventually, she will get the hang of it.

• If you were with this crocodile right now, what would you be doing? (Example of how you might answer creatively: — If I were with this crocodile right now I’d be running! I’d run so fast he forgot he ever saw me. Bet I’d run so fast steam would come out of my ears! In fact, I’d run and run and run, and if there was a fence I’d climb over it and if there was a ditch I’d jump it. I do not like hanging out with crocodiles!)
• Where do you think this crocodile came from?
• What is your favorite thing about crocodiles?
• Do you know what time of day it is where this crocodile lives? How do you know?
• What was God thinking about when he made crocodiles?

Not all of the books on this list of letter c books for preschool have loads of text, but a couple of them* are definitely a little longer than your child might be used to. Don’t let that deter you.

Cat Books for the Letter C

The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks. A cat is taken from all that he loves and knows when his owner dies, and he sets out on an adventure to find his new home.

The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar. In this beautifully illustrated book, a farmer’s cat explores the world at night when everyone else is sleeping.

Dewey! There’s a Cat in the Library by Vicki Myron. Oh my, the library return box isn’t full of books today, its housing a tiny, cold, sick kitten. What should the librarian do with him? Based on a true story.

Cat’s Colors by Jane Cabrera. The little cat isn’t sure what his favorite color will be so he sets out to explore the world of color.

Books about Crawling Things

Usborne Lift-The-Flap Creepy Crawlies by Peter Scott. A classic Usborne close-up look at the insects that surround us.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Not a classic you want to skip, this book has sequencing, time, and the transformation of a butterfly.

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. Will the chameleon ever find a color that he likes? I think he will, and along the way he learns the value of friendship too.

Crocodile Letter C Books for Preschool

Here Comes the Crocodile by Kathryn White. Poor crocodile wants something to eat with his tea. Instead he gains several good friends.

Counting Crocodiles by Judy Sierra. A clever monkey uses his counting skill and quick wit to reach a banana tree far away across crocodile infested waters.

Crocodiles and Alligators by Seymour Simon*. With beautiful photographic illustrations, Mr. Simon explores the facts in this gorgeous non-fiction book contrasting the two animals.

How to Hide a Crocodile and Other Reptiles by Ruth Heller. Explore camouflage (another c word) and take a look at how the various reptiles hide from predators or prey.

Alligators and Crocodiles by Gail Gibbons*. In her classic style, Ms. Gibbons explores the facts and differences between these two classic snapping jaws.

You might also like: Letter A Books for Preschool.

Books about Construction

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site By Sherry Duskey Rinker. After a very long day, the construction vehicles are slowly drifting off one by one.

What Can a Crane Pick Up? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Have you ever seen a crane lift a cow? Well apparently its possible, along with several other hilarious tasks you never imagined a crane would do.

Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson. Something very special is happening, but no one quite knows what it is until you reach the end of this construction countdown.

Car Letter C Books for Preschool

If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen. What would you include in your ultimate fantasy car? Jack knows what his would include!

Cars: Rushing! Honking! Zooming! by Patricia Hubbell. Action verbs abound in this fun picture book perfect for the kid who loves all things that zoom.

Cool Cars by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. Rhyming text and bright, bold illustrations are used to introduce your child to a very cool collection of cars.