Best Preschool Books About Friendship

It’s no secret that reading is one of the best things you can do with your preschool child. Reading together not only creates a bond between a parent and child but there are many other benefits, too. According to the Florida Department of Education, the latest reading research shows just a few of the benefits of reading with your child include:

• Language development
• Vocabulary
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Phonological awareness
• Empathy
• Emotional development
• Life Lessons and moral growth
• Comprehension

Even from as early as infancy, children pick up a lot through reading. Interactive learning happens through hearing stories and sounds and engaging with others around them.

The staff at Parkland Children’s Academy has compiled top tips for how to make reading enjoyable for you and your child, as well as some favorite picks about the importance of friendship. Preschool is often the place where lifelong friendships begin!

Tips For Reading With Your Preschooler

The benefits of reading to children are numerous and here are a few tips on how to make reading together enjoyable for both parent and child:

Create A Conversation

When reading with your child, ask them interesting questions as they relate to the pictures on the pages. Most preschool-appropriate books will have lots of fun pictures and elements to discuss. Point things out, ask about colors, count the characters, and create a conversation with your child.

Find Interactive Books

There are millions of incredible books available for early ages. You can get sound books, where buttons create relevant sounds. There are counting, puzzles, puppets, and action books. Finding fun books will help to nurture a love for reading and interactive stories are a big win for toddlers.

Create A Reading And Drawing Space

Setting up a reading, writing, and drawing-specific space in your home somewhere quiet will give your child room to view such activities as important. Setting aside a special time in the day as part of your routine can also reinforce the value of reading time. When you’re able to engage with them during that special time, it’s even better!

15 Books To Add To Your Collection

You might already have some of these amazing stories about friendship on your toddler’s bookshelf. If not, we recommend giving them a try:

1. Stick And Stone by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld

A unique friendship formed between a stick and a stone after a rescue mission from a pinecone bully. This book is great for children because of the rhymes and puns dotted throughout the pages too.

2. All About Friends by Felicity Brooks and Mar Ferrera

Ideally, this book is for children who are 3 and up, but the lessons inside are evergreen in their value. Explore the ins and outs of what friendship means, and how to be a good friend to others.

3. Old Friends by Margaret Aitken

Friendships come in many different forms. This delightful, upbeat book is all about a little girl looking for friends who have similar interests to her in an old age home.

4. Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison

All good friendships have personal boundaries and mutual acceptance. This book about Doug, who doesn’t enjoy hugs, is a great lesson on how to care for friends and respect their boundaries.

5. The Someone New by Jill Twiss

Accepting new friendships in an established micro-community isn’t always easy. This story will show your child the importance of sharing ideas and opinions with friends and help them to embrace and accept new friends. Inclusion is a top skill for little minds in a preschool environment.

6. Amelia Bedelia Makes a Friend by Herman Parish

Help your child to learn to sound out sentences and recognize words while enjoying this sweet tale of saying goodbye to friends and discovering new ones.

7. Kindness is My Superpower by Alicia Ortega

No matter what you believe about life, everyone needs kindness, empathy, and compassion. This story is about this very thing, which in a friendship counts for a lot.

8. Be Kind by Zietlow Miller

Often, the mark of true friendship is kindness and care for another person. In this sweet story, your child will learn to stand up for others, do what’s right, and be kind to others.

9. Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney

This is a classic story about the beauty of making new friends and enjoying and appreciating them for who they are. It takes courage to ask someone to be your friend, which is something everyone needs to do at some point (and it pays off!).

10. What If We Were All The Same? by CM. Harris and Ashlyn Feather

Explore the idea of diversity with this fun story, highlighting what the world would be like if everyone was the same. The fact that we are all different is a positive lesson for young children to grasp from an early age.

11. Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer

Kindness is one thing that can never be over-emphasized when it comes to friendship. This community-focused book is about how kindness can bring people together to form long-lasting friendships and mutual respect.

12. A Friend Like You by Andrea Schomburg & Barbara Röttgen

Unlikely friendships are sometimes the best. Spend time with a bird and a squirrel in this tale about two very unlikely friends with different interests. Not everyone is the same; teach your child that friendship is about acceptance of differences.

13. The Little Book Of Friendship

The best way to make good friends is to be a good friend. Teach your child the art of being a good friend through this story.

14. Flowy by Gilberto Mariscal

This story is a perfect read for early learners from baby years through to first grade. Explore the values of friendship and responsibility with your child through the lenses of creativity and imagination.

15. Hello Friend by Rebecca Cobb

A delightful story about an enthusiastic little girl and her efforts to become friends with a little boy. Teach your child about sharing, among other friendship values, which work well in all good friendships.

sy zee

2021-04-18

Stacy is simply the best!! We just adore the way she is; both as a person and as an early childhood developmental specialist. I highly recommend Parkland Children’s Academy to all my friends and family in need of responsible and caring children’s preschool services.

Jamie Celcis

2019-05-15

Where to Begin..... One of the most amazing schools I’ve ever dealt with (and I’ve dealt with a lot) it’s been a tough road trying to find a school that excepts children with ( severe autism ) we’ve been kicked out and discriminated on! But when I came across Parklands children academy I was in tears about how I’ve been treated by other schools and they made me feel so at home and like family .... I can’t express the gratitude for all the love they show my kids and support.... if your looking for a school to trust with your children it’s them! They’ll treat them like their own and I couldn’t be more grateful 💜 And Danielle the owner and her mom are such Angels 😇 Thank you ladies for your services and kind hearts and understanding for my situation ❤️🧡💛💚

A S

2019-03-28

I am leaving this review a bit late, however, due to the feedback I got recently at a PTC (Parent Teacher Conference) for my son, who is in Kindergarten, I wanted to leave a review. The teacher of our son, said that he was exceptionally prepared for Kindergarten and that PCA consistently produces the most prepared students from VPK>K. This is coming from one of the better schools in Broward. I am surprised to see negative reviews about Miss Donna and staff. They are warm, loving people who, when my son and I recently ran into her at a local store (Hobby Lobby) he ran up to her and hugged her and told her he missed her. I cannot say enough about the school and my wife and I are about to have our 2nd child and will enroll them in the "baby school" (as they call it) which is a secondary location right near the main school. 5 stars. FYI, any negative reviews are likely from spoiled "Parkland" people who think way too much of themselves and not enough about their kids education...…

Cari Tramontano

2018-09-24

This school is fantastic! I had my kids (2&5) at another daycare in the beginning, then I had friends telling me how amazing Parkland Children's Academy was and how much their kids were learning already, so my husband and I decided to move them over to this school and it was the best decision we could have made! Mrs. Donna and Mrs. Danielle are fantastic to work with in the front and they will walk you through everything they do with the children! My kids have been learning so much and actually get upset when its pickup time!! That was a sign I knew it was the right move. We love this school and everything that our children are learning! Did I mention how clean and organized they are too! If you are looking for a daycare/VPK program, THIS IS YOUR SCHOOL!! We love PCA!!

Natassia Montagna

2018-06-04

My daughter has attended Parkland Children's Academy for almost a year now. The teachers and staff are absolutely amazing there. My daughter loves going to school every day. They do so many arts and crafts projects and they are super creative. My daughter started attending at 3 mo old and they were always very on top of her schedule for feedings, naps, diaper changes, medicine, etc. I trust my child with these amazing teachers 100%. My daughter is always happy when I take her to school and happy when I pick her up. I have recommended Parkland Academy to all my friends and some of them attend here also and they absolutely love it.

Richard Nieves

2018-06-03

My wife and I have been taking our daughter to PCA for almost a year now and she absolutely loves it. There are some days where she does not want to leave. The teachers are so amazing with the kids; doing arts and crafts, circle time with music and songs and weekly themes that help them learn and interact with one another. These teachers care for these kids as if they were their own. Any negative review for PCA should not be taken to heart, especially when it comes from someone that was there for all of five minutes. These teachers are amazing. This school is amazing. We have not had one bad experience and highly recommended this school to other parents because we believe in PCA. If you have toured other schools, you will know that PCA raises the bar as far as quality goes. It’s clean, safe and filled with amazing teachers and kids. We love you PCA and we love the amazing infant/toddler room!!

Simone Maxwell

2018-06-01

My daughter has been attending PCA for the past four months. I went to several daycares before selecting PCA. First off- the facilities are very clean, secure and the staff is wonderful. She’s my firstborn and I’m overly protective, so I would never leave her in a facility where she’s unhappy. She doesn’t even say bye to myself or her dad when we drop her off because she’s content. She’s well taken care of, happy and learning new things. I was nervous initially and emailed all the time, I always got a response that calmed me down. Plus with the security features, I could always see what’s happening on the cameras. Normally, I don’t write reviews but I’m very disheartened by the disparaging comments below. These are people’s livelihoods & children, so we have to be careful what we post online, especially when it’s assumptions or conclusions drawn (in this case-during a tour )without all the facts. Keep up the good work Dalea, Stacy, Elizabeth & PCA owners!

Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 24 reviews

Family-focused Preschool In Parkland

Parkland Children’s Academy is a passionate, family-focused preschool with a passion for training children in holistic and empowering ways.

For help choosing the right books for your child and other helpful resources, visit our blog.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in our Parkland preschool then please contact us to book a tour of our early childhood learning facility today by calling 954-688-5877.