Recently I was searching for good books to read to my kids for a family unit. I was surprised to find the only book lists I could find anywhere were for non-traditional families. So for all of you looking to round out your family unit, here are picture books on traditional families!
Picture Books about Traditional Families
Family Pack
This is a real life story about a family of wolves and how they adapt to survive together. So although not about people, the life lessons about sticking together and working together apply beautifully. I love the illustrations!
Family Reunion
Beautiful water color illustrations fill this book telling of a family reunion with extended family using poems. I love that it introduces children to poetry. Again, while this is not about your nuclear family, I love that it helps kids realizes that grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are part of our family too!
One Big Family
Another fun-to-read book about extended family getting together. This is perfect to read before a family reunion. It helps kids prepare for the noisy, exciting, but loving moments they will experience when everyone gets together.
The Worm Family
This book is fun, silly, and has great topics to talk about together. The worm family is tall, skinny, and like to sing worm songs. They are different from their neighbors. This is great for discussing how your family may look or act differently from those around you, but that’s okay.
My Wild Family
This book helps introduce metaphors by using animals to illustrate how each member of the family is different and unique. Great for helping kids realize each family member is unique.
Ninety-Three in My Family
A delightful book with whimsical pictures, rhythmic verse, and lots of fun counting inside. Kids will giggle through the outlandish premise that this boy’s family is made up of 27 owls, 11 dogs, cats, lions, gerbils, and more.
The Frazzle Family Finds a Way
This cute story follows a forgetful family through their day. They ultimately use silly rhyming songs to help them remember.
A Perfect Home for a Family
The sweet story follows a family of raccoons as they look for a bigger home to accomidate their growing family.
The Chicken of the Family
This story follows a girl named Henrietta who her siblings keep saying is actually a chicken. This book is sure to become a favorite in your family and great for helping kids learn to cope with teasing from a sibling.
Duck, Duck, Dinosaur
A cute, fun-to-read story kids will enjoy that touches on sibling rivalry and how the mother loves all her children equally.
Is Your Mama a Llama?
Humorous rhymes accompany this story where a baby llama guesses along with the listener at what kind of animal everyone’s mama is. This story builds phonemic awareness and rhyme too!
Love you Forever
A classic, favorite book of families everywhere! This book shows the enduring love of a parent as their child goes through stages of childhood.
A Chair for My Mother
An award winning book about a family whose home is destroyed and how they save to buy a comfortable chair for the whole family to enjoy.
Copy Me, Copycub
This is a cute story with great illustrations. Follow the mother and her cub through all the four seasons and watch how some animals hibernate. This book will be reminiscent of how kids like to copy behaviors and a great reminder that they are always watching, learning, and imitating what we do.
Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
This is such a sweet story with beautiful drawings that help kids understand that when they sleep, everything else sleeps too . . . and it will all be waiting for them in the morning.
If Animals Kissed Good Night
Such a sweet story with lovely illustrations of how animals would say good night.
Llama Llama Misses Mama
I love the way the text flows and the beautiful hand drawn illustrations in all of Anna Dewdney’s original books. This book is great to help kids process what it feels like when parents have to leave to go to work or an outing without them, but knowing that they will be back!
On the Night You Were Born
This is such a sweet way to help kids know about the very special day they came into the world, how much they were loved, and how momentous that day is. I love reliving that moment and emotion with my little ones. Beautiful text and gorgeous illustrations.
Welcome Little One
This is a sweet, simple story perfect for telling kids how much they were loved from the day they were born.
God Found us You
If your little one is adopted, this is a great story about how you loved your little one from even before you met them and how special your bond is.
Silly Wonderful YOU
I love that this book normalizes that kids all make messes, and are loud, and that it’s okay. we love them anyway!
You’re All My Favorites
If you have more than one child like we do (we have six) it is so wonderful to verbally tell them that they are all loved equally. They all are unique and special and we parents wouldn’t trade any of them for anything.
My Two Grannies
I love that this book shows how families can be made up of various different cultures or looks and how beautiful that is and how rich a heritage kids have.
