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Books by Age » 3-4 » The Best Nursery Rhyme Books for Little Readers!

The Best Nursery Rhyme Books for Little Readers!

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Dec 30, 2022 ·  Modified: Oct 10, 2022 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

Nursery rhyme books are staples for young children. These simple songs and poems beg to be read aloud! We have our list of favorites right here, so be sure to check them out.

The covers of 9 fabulous nursery rhyme books.
Table of Contents:
  1. Nursery rhyme books delight the youngest readers
  2. The benefits of reading nursery rhymes books
  3. Frequently asked questions
  4. We love these classic nursery rhyme books!
  5. Fun and unique spins on classic nursery rhyme books

Nursery rhyme books delight the youngest readers

With bouncy rhythms and sing-song tunes, nursery rhyme books are the perfect read-alouds for young kids!

Nursery rhymes have been around for centuries, and for good reason. They are engaging for little ones, with rhythms that captivate young readers. Because they are short, nursery rhymes are the perfect length to read with busy toddlers. Silly rhymes make children giggle, and when kids enjoy the books you share together, it fosters a love of reading.

And don’t forget that many nursery rhymes beg to be acted out. Nursery rhyme books get kids up on their feet, activating listening skills and creativity as they act out their favorite songs and poems. There’s nothing better!

The benefits of reading nursery rhymes books

In addition to being delightful to read aloud, nursery rhyme books offer a host of benefits to young readers. Did you know that nursery rhymes are important for building early literacy skills?

Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight. –
Mem Fox, Reading Magic.

Nursery rhymes introduce children to language patterns and the rhythms of communication. The repetitive nature of nursery rhymes enhances memory development and listening skills. These catchy poems help with speech development and language acquisition, and they even help with numeracy, giving children a familiarity with numbers and words.

As if this isn’t enough, nursery rhymes are also terrific for introducing complex literary devices like onomatopoeia, alliteration, and imagery.

The nursery rhyme books on our list are broken down into classic compilations and then more “unique” books that have fun with traditional nursery rhymes, making them witty, modern and creative

So what are you waiting for? Grab some of our favorite nursery rhyme books, and share them with the special children in your life!

RELATED: Did you know there are more than 100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants? Be sure to take a look at all of our fantastic lists!

Frequently asked questions

What is the most famous nursery rhyme?

Depending on who you ask and where you research, the answers vary! However, some of the most famous nursery rhymes include Hickory Dickory Dock, Little Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, Incy-Wincey Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Humpty Dumpty, and Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Why is it important to read nursery rhymes?

Nursery rhyme books have tremendous benefits for young children and are especially important for building early literacy skills. They introduce kids to language development, help enhance vocabulary, activate memory and listening skills, and even help with numeracy.

What is your favorite nursery rhyme book?

It’s hard to pick just one! I absolutely love Read to Your Baby Every Day, because it is unbelievably beautiful with each page looking like an embroidered blanket or pillow. I also love The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews for its diverse illustrations and the way it allows more children to see themselves in the pages. Both of these books are featured below.

Happily Ever Elephants participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

RELATED: Looking for great books for 2-year-olds and books for 3-year-olds? Check out these links!

We love these classic nursery rhyme books!

The cover of Read to Your Baby Every Day, one of our favorite nursery rhyme books.
Read to Your Baby Every Day: 30 Classic Nursery Rhymes to Read Aloud
By Rachel Williams and illustrated by Chloe Giordano

Nursery Rhymes are pure magic when read aloud to children. They make for the perfect first stories, boost language development, and help your child fall in love with being read to each night. And if you have an older child at home – Read to Your Toddler Every Day is fabulous too, complete with 20 folk tales to read aloud. These two together are perfection!

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The cover of The Neighborhood Mother Goose, one of our favorite nursery rhyme books.
The Neighborhood Mother Goose
By Nina Crews

Children around the world have forever sung famous nursery rhymes, but never before has a nursery rhyme book reflected our beautiful, multicultural population. This lovely diverse picture book, set in a city neighborhood, includes 41 favorite rhymes and features kids just like your readers in this fresh take on beloved classics.

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The cover of I See the Moon, a gentle nursery rhyme book for children.
I See the Moon: Rhymes for Bedtime
By Rosalind Beardshaw

I adore this gentle nursery rhyme book. It features famous poems by various authors, and it contains calming illustrations set both in nature and at home. Your children will love the diverse cast of characters and the darling, sleepy animals. This is one you will turn to again and again!

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The cover of My First Real Mother Goose Board Book, a classic nursery rhyme book for children.
My First Real Mother Goose Board Book
By Blanche Fisher Wright

This simple, classic board book is a perfect introduction to Mother Goose and her most famous nursery rhymes. With lots of white space, clean illustrations, and large text, your little ones will love meeting famous characters in this nursery rhyme book. Even better? This is one you probably recognize from your younger days, too!

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The cover of Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever, an adorable nursery rhyme book for children.
Richard Scarry’s Best Mother Goose Ever
By Richard Scarry

With his trademark and unmistakable artwork, Richard Scarry introduces children to both famous and lesser-known Mother Goose rhymes in this darling collection. Kids fall in love with the animals in each illustration. It is well executed, large in size, and joyous on each page, making this a perfect nursery rhyme book for your child’s collection.

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RELATED: We’ve got a fabulous list of kindergarten read-alouds for you on Happily Ever Elephants, all of which make for great bedtime stories. Be sure to check them out!

Fun and unique spins on classic nursery rhyme books

The cover of The Real Dada Mother Goose a hilarious spin on classic nursery rhyme books.
The Real Dada Mother Goose: A Treasury of Complete Nonsense
By Jon Scieszka and Julia Rothman

There’s nothing like nonsense to win the day and turn a classic nursery rhyme book right on its head! This compilation is nothing short of hilarious, as beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes are completely unraveled and put back together – kind of. Laugh-out-loud funny, this book features thirty-six old rhymes that somehow become zany and new. After all, when Humpty Dumpty sits on a chair and spends his time combing just one hair, do all the king’s horses and all the king’s men really have anything to do? Fantastic!

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The cover of La Madre Goose, a bilingual nursery rhyme book for children.
La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for Los Ninos
By Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez-Neal

If you are looking for a collection of bilingual nursery rhymes, this is your book! We love the Latino spin given to these classic rhymes, and the illustrations by the award-winning Martinez-Neal are cozy and delightful. This is a fabulous multicultural nursery rhyme book that is an important addition to every bookshelf!

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The cover of Honey for You, Honey for Me, a sweet nursery rhyme book for children.
Honey for You, Honey for Me: A First Book of Nursery Rhymes
By Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell

Two former Children’s Laureates from the United Kingdom team up on this adorable nursery rhyme book that includes both popular and lesser-known rhymes. Perfect for reading aloud and complete with darling illustrations, your kids will fall in love with these sweet poems and learn some new rhymes at the same time.

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The cover of After the Fall, a fabulous nursery rhyme book that is an epilogue to Humpty Dumpty.
After the Fall
By Dan Santat

While different from the other nursery rhyme books on this list, this story is so wonderful (and one of my all-time favorites) that I had to include it! How do you get back up when you have been knocked down really, really hard? The fear can be crippling. But if you can muster up the courage to try again, the reward can be liberating. This wonderful story about what happens after Humpty Dumpty’s great fall is nothing short of exquisite. It is the story of how Humpty has become terrified of heights, unable to do the one thing he loves most. It is moving, poignant, and so emotionally resonant, and it is the perfect story to show how we can summon the courage to face our biggest fears. This is a book I actually keep in my own bedroom and reread often because it is incredibly powerful. See our full review of After the Fall here!

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The cover of Each Peach Pear Plum, a fun nursery rhyme book for children.
Each Peach Pear Plum
By Janet and Alan Ahlberg

This classic book, both a seek-and-find story and an interactive dream, is a delight for young readers. Each page contains a unique poem and gives children clever clues as to the nursery rhyme or fairy tale that will come on the next page. Part riddle, part fill in the blank, and all fun, this is an interactive book that begs to be read again and again!

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The cover of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, a darling indestructible book for babies and toddlers.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
By Maddie Frost

If you have babies or toddlers at home and you haven’t yet gotten your hands on the brilliant indestructible books that stand up to little hands and baby teeth, hurry up and change that now! This series is terrific, and there are tons of indestructible books based on nursery rhymes that we simply adore. We were always partial to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for its sweet illustrations. This is a perfect one to share with your baby before bedtime!

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The cover of Mary Had a Little Glam, a witty nursery rhyme book for children.
Mary Had a Little Glam
By Tammi Sauer and Vanessa Brantley Newton

In this twist on the famous Mother Goose poem Mary Had a Little Lamb, young fashionista Mary is a style icon who helps other nursery rhyme characters get their glam on. But will they be too dressed up for recess? This book, with its pitch-perfect rhyme and hilarious illustrations, is a total hoot, especially for your young fashion lovers! For more great children’s books about clothing, click here.

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The cover of What Are Little Girls Made Of, a modern nursery rhyme book for girls.
What are Little Girls Made Of?: Nursery Rhymes to Empower Young Feminists
By Jeanne Willis and Isabelle Follath

We love this creative and clever spin on classic nursery rhymes. Girls are damsels in distress no longer. Georgie Porgie will not make any girl cry, Little Bo Peep would never ever lose her sheep, and Humpty Dumpty is fixed by none other than a female doctor, thank you very much. We adore this remixed nursery rhyme book, perfect for all of you raising strong girls!

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The cover of Old MacDonald Had a Truck, a fun and creative nursery rhyme book for children.
Old Macdonald Had a Truck
By Steve Goetz and Eda Kaban

Excavators, front loaders, motor graders, oh my! Everyone’s favorite childhood song, Old MacDonald had a Farm, gets a fresh twist in this adorable, sing-sing book for all of you with kids that love construction books. Here, the animals are driving construction equipment and working on a farm at Old MacDonald’s direction. The illustrations are lively and the book will have you and your child singing some new lyrics – such as “E-I-E-I-HOE!” – for hours on end. This is also fabulous for any of your kiddos who can’t get enough books about transportation and vehicles!

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The cover of Row Row Row Your Boat, a great read-aloud nursery rhyme book for children.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
By Jane Cabrera

This is one of my favorite nursery rhyme books to share with my youngest students. It’s a fabulous spin on Row, Row, Row Your Boat, inviting young readers to act out the story and mimic all of the animals they see in the book as they row gently down the stream. We absolutely love this one!

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The cover of Jack B. Ninja, a fun nursery rhyme book for children.
Jack B. Ninja
By Tim McCanna and Stephen Savage

Jack B. Ninja, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the bamboo stick! This is a clever and fun spin on a classic nursery rhyme that will be treasured by your young ninjas. They will love cheering on Jack B. Ninja as he scales walls, swims stealthily through secret tunnels, and uncovers a secret treasure. But when Jack makes a mistake mid-mission, will his ninja skills help him get home undetected?

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RELATED: Do you have big kids getting ready to read at your house? Don’t miss our fantastic list of the best early reader books!

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