1000 Books Before Kindergarten

1000 Books Before Kindergarten, child reading in green chair

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Embark on a literary adventure with the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge! This nationwide initiative encourages parents and caregivers to read regularly to their children, creating the foundation for school success. 

  • Open to all children not yet in kindergarten, the program welcomes participants without requiring a library card, although having one is encouraged.
  • Children and families earn awards as they reach reading milestones at 100, 300, 500, 700, and 1000 books. 
  • Every book counts, whether it's a book from QPL, read at storytime, or enjoyed at home. Various individuals can contribute to the reading journey, from parents and grandparents to librarians and teachers. 
  • Log your books through a written log or conveniently track them using Beanstack on quincylibrary.beanstack.com or the Beanstack Tracker App.

Join the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge at Quincy Public Library and unlock the joy of reading milestones!

Why 1000 Books before Kindergarten?

Reading to your child in early childhood is a fantastic way to set them up for success in school. It helps them build important skills like a bigger vocabulary, understanding letters and sounds, following stories, and gaining background knowledge. Most importantly, sharing books creates a love for reading that lasts a lifetime.

Join QPL's storytimes, children's activities, and programs like "1000 Books Before Kindergarten" to make reading a fun and educational part of your child's routine. It's a great opportunity for parents to support their child's learning journey at home.

Suggested Titles

Image for "Hello Hello Opposites"

Hello Hello Opposites

Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Brendan Wenzel's irresistible animal images take the spotlight in this new series of concept board books for young children, based on his award-winning picture book Hello Hello.



Say HELLO to learning fun!



Little ones will learn about opposites with the help of a heavy walrus and light butterfly, a tough rhino and gentle fawn, a loud tiger and quiet salamander, and many more delightfully different pairs!



A parade of wild animals walks, swims, and flies across the sturdy pages of this colorful book. Read the playful text. Find the opposites. Marvel at the incredible array of animals--big and small--that populate our planet. A key at the end of the book identifies each animal for those who want to learn even more.



LEARNING OPPOSITES: Delightful duos of animal friends--from big and small to short and tall--make their hellos and introduce young children to opposites.



ENGAGING AND EDUCATIONAL: Kids will enjoy discovering the dazzling variety of animals in nature, from speedy cheetahs to slow sloths and hot-weather camels to ice-cool penguins. An answer key at the back identifies the names of each animal in the book.



FUN TO READ ALOUD: Simple rhythmic text and funny, appealing pictures make a joyous read-aloud experience for parents and children.



GENTLE MESSAGING: Each entry in this series continues to celebrate the richness of animal life with a gentle underlying message of the importance of saving endangered species and caring for the environment.



BELOVED AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR: Brendan Wenzel is a bestselling Caldecott Honor-winning artist and a sought-after speaker at schools and libraries. His books They All Saw a Cat, Hello Hello, and A Stone Sat Still have received multiple starred reviews and state awards and are family and classroom favorites.



Perfect for:

  • Fans of Brendan Wenzel
  • Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and educators
  • Preschool and kindergarten level readers
  • Anyone looking for early concept board books with compelling visuals or a fun, interactive family read-aloud book
  • Gift-giving for baby showers and toddler birthdays
  • Animal lovers and fans of opposites books like Crane Truck's Opposites: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eats Snacks: An Opposites Book; and Flora and the Ostrich
Image for "Hello Hello Shapes"

Hello Hello Shapes

Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Brendan Wenzel's irresistible animal images take the spotlight in this new series of concept board books for young children, based on his award-winning picture book Hello Hello.



Say hello to early learning concepts and the wild world of animals!



Little ones will learn their shapes with the help of a couple of polar bears, some tree frogs, and a whole host of parrots! More than forty wonderful and endangered creatures from earth, sea, and sky parade across the pages and show the beauty and variety of our planet. A key at the back of the book identifies the animals for even more nature fun.





LEARNING SHAPES: An appealing collection of wild animals--such as giraffes, polar bears, and wild cats--introduce young children to the world of shapes.



WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION TO ANIMALS: Kids will enjoy discovering the dazzling variety of animals in nature, from tree frogs to polar bears, parrots to chameleons. An answer key at the back identifies the names of each animal in the book.



FUN TO READ ALOUD: Simple rhythmic text and funny, appealing pictures make a joyous read-aloud experience for parents and children.



NATURE BOOKS FOR KIDS: This new series celebrates the richness of animal life with a gentle underlying message of the importance of saving endangered species and caring for the environment.



BELOVED AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR: Brendan Wenzel is a bestselling Caldecott Honor-winning artist and a sought-after speaker at schools and libraries. His books They All Saw a Cat, Hello Hello, and A Stone Sat Still have received multiple starred reviews and state awards and are family and classroom favorites.





Perfect for:

  • Fans of Brendan Wenzel
  • Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and educators
  • Preschool and kindergarten level readers
  • Anyone looking for early concept board books with compelling visuals or a fun, interactive family read-aloud book
  • Gift-giving for baby showers and toddler birthdays
  • Animal lovers and fans of shape books like Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site Bulldozer's Shapes; The Shapes Trilogy (Square, Circle, and Triangle); The Day the Crayons Quit; and The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Image for "Run, Run, Run!"

Run, Run, Run!

Run, Run, Run! is a fun, fun, fun board book for on-the-go toddlers!



It's time to run a race like no other! Finish line? Winning? None of that matters here. Exploring is the goal! In this colorful board book by bestselling author-illustrator Taro Gomi, follow the racer as he runs far past the finish line and through fields, a farm, a forest, and more. Toddlers will delight in turning the pages to find out where he will run, run, run to next!



Ideal for fans of Taro Gomi and his popular children's books, including the classic Everyone Poops, My Friends, Little Truck, and Little Chicks, this board book combines irresistibly expressive artwork and energetic text to create a read-along story parents and kids will not walk but run to read again and again.



PERFECT FOR ACTIVE TODDLERS: Not only do toddlers love to run--they love to run everywhere! This spirited board book gives little ones a glimpse of what it's like to run in cities, farms, forests, and more, letting them live out their dreams of running free with the whole world at their feet. It's the ultimate board book adventure!



CELEBRATES THE POWER OF IMAGINATION: It's a toddler's dream come true: running (and running) everywhere! The youngest readers will delight in exploring a variety of scenes and reveling in the little racer's ideal race.



A GREAT GIFT: This colorful, detail-rich board book is the perfect present for young ones just starting to walk and run. Not only will it inspire them, but it will help to redefine what winning means when experience is the goal! Great for baby shower, new baby, or child's birthday gift giving.



Perfect for:

  • Fans of Taro Gomi and Everyone Poops
  • Gift-givers seeking a sweet and engaging board book
  • Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and storytime leaders who love sharing fun stories and vibrant art with babies and toddlers
  • Runners and joggers who want to share their outdoor hobby with the kids in their lives