There’s no doubt about it, reading to your child has universal benefits. Reading together can help your child’s language grow, but it can also help to spark the imagination and awaken creativity. Reading aloud together may also help a child’s ability to focus, to concentrate, and it may help overall social skills as they grow.
But, we also know the anguish of reading (and re-reading) a book that perhaps isn’t a parent’s favorite. (We can name a few…!) So here are a few books that make our list of fun-to-read books for both parent and child, where the rhyming is fun to read, and the stories themselves are sweet enough to be enjoyed by both parties.
“Bear Snores On” by Karma Wilson; with wonderfully easy-to-read rhythm and rhyme, this is the story of a bear that hibernates through the winter regardless of what’s happening around him.
“Llama Llama Red Pajama” By Anna Dewdney; a charming story about a llama who’s off to bed, but not without some mounting worries about where is mother might be (she’s downstairs).
“Tumford the Terrible” by Nancy Tillman; a sweet story with sweet illustrations about a mischievous cat who has a hard time saying he’s sorry.
“There's a Wocket in My Pocket” by Dr. Seuss; perhaps the ultimate rhyming book, this silly story uses nonsensical words and phrases but focuses more on phonetics.
“The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson; borrowing perhaps from old folk stories, this wonderful tale about a mouse who tricks woodland animals with the story of the Gruffalo is a favorite. 
“Ricky, the Rock That Couldn't Roll” by Jason I. Miletsky; a story about a rock who isn’t round like the other rocks and therefore can’t roll with the others, but who ultimately finds another way to roll. 
“Duck on a Bike” by Jez Alborough; a fun story about a duck who decides to try riding a bike, and loves it!
“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; a book that blissfully introduces kids to letters, rhythms and rhymes.
“Zin Zin Zin A Violin” by Lloyd Moss; where readers can learn about various instruments as they take their place on stage until a full orchestra is formed.
“How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” by Jane Yolen; a wonderful series of books follow, but this particular one features a mix of rhymes that compare right and wrong bedtime routine behavior.
“Snowmen at Night” by Caralyn Buehner; a story that reveals the fun had by snowmen at night while we sleep, from sledding to baseball games, all before the sun comes up.
“The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen; the original story in a best-selling series of tales about a sad and glum fish who discovers, in fact, that he isn’t so sad and glum after all. 
“Kermit the Hermit” by Bill Peet; tells the tale of a greedy crab who is one day saved by a boy and must find a way to repay him.
“Giraffes Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees; the story of a tall and uncoordinated giraffe who wants to dance but is afraid to do so until he just finds the right music.
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