What You Will Need

1 sheet colored Construction Paper

1 sheet white paper

Stapler

Crayons

What To Do

After you read the book, Daddy Kisses, ask your preschooler if he'd like to make a book fo kisses for his daddy.

To make the book:

1. Cut each sheet of paper into fourths.

2. Put the white sheets of paper in between 2 construction paper sheets. The construction paper sheets are the covers.

3. Staple the edges of the papers to create the book.

4. Choose a title for the book, such as "Daddy, I Love You" or "Kisses for Dad." Write it on the front cover.

5. Have your preschooler illustrate some pictures on the white pages. If he can't think of what to draw, just ask how he'd give his daddy kisses. For example, maybe he could give his dad a kiss on the cheek, on the hand, or on the kneecap!

6. Let your preschooler tell you about each picture, and you can write it in on each page.

7. If your preschooler can write his own name, be sure his signs his work!

On Father's Day (or any other day), let your preschooler present the book to his dad. Dad will be sure to love it, and probably even request all those kisses.

Hi! I'm Molly Christensen, the Preschool Books writer at PreschoolRock.com. I have five wonderful children, ranging in age from 1 to 12. We own hundreds and hundreds of books and we all read a lot! I love playing games and reading with preschoolers and I often teach preschool classes. If you have a good book you'd like to recommend or just want to share your ideas and suggestions, please contact me.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Audiobooks count as reading. Children who listen to audiobooks develop the same comprehension, vocabulary, and story-structure understanding as children read to by adults.

• Children's picture books are not dumbed-down literature — the best ones (Where the Wild Things Are, Charlotte's Web, Goodnight Moon) reward re-reading across decades.

• Wordless picture books (The Snowman, Tuesday, Flotsam) develop narrative comprehension, story structure understanding, and visual literacy — without any words at all.

• Book series give children the gift of returning characters and worlds — the anticipation of the next book builds sustained literary interest that one-off titles don't.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I switch from picture books to chapter books?

Chapter books don't replace picture books — they extend the reading menu. Most children enjoy having a chapter book read aloud starting around age 4–5, even before they can read independently. Picture books remain appropriate through childhood (and adulthood — they're literature, not a developmental stage to be exited). When introducing chapter books: choose ones with short chapters, interesting characters, and immediate plot engagement. The Magic Tree House, Frog and Toad, and Flat Stanley series are reliable first chapter book series.

How do I get my preschooler interested in books if they're not naturally drawn to them?

Start with books about the child's existing interests — if they love trucks, find every truck book in the library. Read with physical engagement: let them turn pages, point to objects, make sound effects. Short books work better than long ones for reluctant readers. Reading in highly comfortable, cozy circumstances (snuggled together, with a special reading snack) creates positive association with books. Never force prolonged reading against clear resistance — a 2-minute positive experience beats a 10-minute battle. Most children become enthusiastic book-lovers given sustained positive exposure over months.

Related reading: See also our vocabulary building guide and our nursery rhymes and literacy guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🎭 Dramatic Expression — Hearing books read aloud with expression — character voices, varied pacing, dramatic pauses — models the prosody and emotional range of language that children internalize and bring to their own reading and speaking.
• ❤️ Empathy & Emotional Intelligence — Experiencing a character's feelings, understanding their motivations, and seeing how they navigate challenges develops the theory of mind and empathy that underlie healthy relationships, moral reasoning, and social intelligence.
• 🔢 Story Structure Understanding — Following a story's arc — beginning, problem, resolution, ending — builds the narrative schema that makes complex texts comprehensible and supports children's own storytelling and writing development.
• 😊 Love of Reading — Every positive reading experience — a funny book, an exciting story, a perfectly timed cuddle — builds the reading identity and intrinsic motivation that sustains literacy development through the independent reading years.

Daddy Kisses

by Anne Gutman

In this sweet little book, you'll learn all about the kisses that father animals give to their baby animals. Your preschooler can make his own "Daddy Kisses" book as a father's day or any day present.