Luke's Favorite Books

My twin boys are very different! Luke (7) hasn't always spoken very much, and he does a lot of scripting (delayed echolalia) when he does speak. He is a high-energy, self-directed, and happy little boy who loves physical comedy, videos and games, vehicles (especially trains), dinosaurs, letters and numbers, his Nintendo Switch, and running and jumping. In direct contrast to his twin, Luke is sensory defensive in some areas and can be easily overwhelmed by too much input. He is a visual learner with a keen sense of spatial relations and a sharp memory. He's also incredibly silly and always cracking up.

If any of this sounds like your child, Luke's book list may be for you! While I recommend many books on this blog, these have been Luke's favorites, spanning age 2-7.

Blechman, Nicholas. Night Light (Orchard Books, 2013), 15 Counting Books for Kids with Autism and 20 Books for Autistic Kids Who REALLY Love Trucks
Boynton, Sandra. Blue Hat, Green Hat (Little Simon, 1984), Two silly monkeys jumping on a bed: 7 seriously funny picture books and 20 Color Concept Books for Kids with Autism
Boynton, Sandra. Your Personal Penguin (Workman Publishing Company, 2006), 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books and Imagine Me, Your Personal Penguin
Carle, Eric. My Very First Book of Colors (Philomel Books, 2005), 20 Color Concept Books for Kids with Autism
Colandro, Lucille & Lee; Jared D. (Illustrator). There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly! (Cartwheel Books, 2014), Q&A with special ed teacher and former librarian, Tara Brescio and 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Cotter, Bill.Don't Push The Button (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2013), Two silly monkeys jumping on a bed: 7 seriously funny picture books
Dean, James.Pete the Cat: Wheels on the Bus (Festival, 2013), 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Dean, James.Pete the Cat: Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Festival, 2014), 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Dewdney, Anna.Llama Llama Red Pajama (Viking, 2005), Goodnight Noises Everywhere and No more llama drama: A goodbye letter to Anna Dewdney
Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator), Stick Man (Scholastic, 2009), Countdown to the Holidays with a Picture Book Advent!
Emberley, Ed. Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Little, Brown and Company, 1992), Once upon a time there was a dark, dark moor
Fleming, Denise. 5 Little Ducks (Beach Lane Books, 2006), Days of the Week: 9 Great Picture Books
Haskamp, Steve. Eight Silly Monkeys (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2002), Two silly monkeys jumping on a bed: 7 seriously funny picture books
Hillenbrand, Will. Down by the Station (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2002), 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Hutchins, Pat. Rosie's Walk (Aladdin, 1971), 10 Picture Books for Practicing Theory of Mind Skills
iKids; Conger, Holli (Illustrator) Poke-A-Dot! An Alphabet Eye Spy (innovativeKids, 2015), Obsessed: 12 Books For Kids Who (Really) Love The Alphabet
Litwin, Eric & Dean, James (Illustrator). Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes (HaperCollins, 2010), Interview with NY Times bestselling author (and former special ed teacher) Eric Litwin and 20 Color Concept Books for Kids with Autism
Litwin, Eric & Dean, James (Illustrator). Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes (HaperCollins, 2011), Interview with NY Times bestselling author (and former special ed teacher) Eric Litwin
Litwin, Eric & Dean, James (Illustrator). Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (HaperCollins, 2012), Interview with NY Times bestselling author (and former special ed teacher) Eric Litwin
Litwin, Eric & Lichtenheld, Tom (Illustrator). Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs (Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2016), Interview with NY Times bestselling author (and former special ed teacher) Eric Litwin
Long, Ethan. The Croaky Pokey! (Holiday House, 2011), 18 Picture Books for Kids Who REALLY Love Frogs & Toads
Mansfield, Andy; Flintham, Thomas (Illustrator). One Lonely Fish (Bloomsbury, 2017), 2017 Children's Summer Reading List (Part 2) and 15 Counting Books for Kids with Autism
Martin Jr., Bill & Archambault, John; Ehlert, Lois (illustrator). Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Little Simon, 2012), 7 Parent-Certified Books for Your Preschooler with Autism and Two silly monkeys jumping on a bed: 7 seriously funny picture books
Niemann, Christoph. Subway (HarperCollins, 2010), Obsessed: 9 Picture Books for Kids Who (Really) Love Trains
Nosy Crow; Bryan, Ed (Illustrator). The Three Little Pigs: A Nosy Crow Fairy Tale (Nosy Crow, 2016), 15 Counting Books for Kids with Autism and Fairy Tales & Fables Part 1: Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, & The Three Little Pigs"
PatrickGeorge. Oh No! (PatrickGeorge, 2013), A Smile in a Child's Mind: Interview with Children's Book Creator Patrick George & Publisher Ann Scott
Raffi; Ashley Wolff, Ashley (Illustrator). Baby Beluga (Raffi Songs to Read series, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1997), 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Rankin, Laura. The Handmade Alphabet (Puffin Books, 1996), Obsessed: 12 Books For Kids Who (Really) Love The Alphabet
Walter Rollins, Steve Nelson, Sam Williams (Illustrator) Frosty the Snowman (Cartwheel Books, 2013), Countdown to the Holidays with a Picture Book Advent!
Schertle, Alice & McElmurry, Jill (Illustrator). Little Blue Truck (HMH Books, 2008), This land was made for you and me and 20 Books for Autistic Kids Who REALLY Love Trucks
Shaskan, Stephen. Toad on the Road (HarperCollins, 2017), 2017 Children's Summer Reading List (Part 1), 18 Picture Books for Kids Who REALLY Love Frogs & Toads, and Interview with "Toad on the Road" Author & Illustrator Stephen Shaskan
Shaskan, Stephen. Toad on the Road: Mama and Me (HarperCollins, 2018), 18 Picture Books for Kids Who REALLY Love Frogs & Toads, 20 Books for Autistic Kids Who REALLY Love Trucks, and Interview with "Toad on the Road" Author & Illustrator Stephen Shaskan
Sehgal, Kabir & Sehgal, Surishtha; Golden, Jess (Illustrator). The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk (Beach Lane Books, 2016), 10 Books to Introduce Race & Ethnicity to Kids with Autism, 7 South Asian Picture Books For Kids With Autism, and 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Starr, Ringo; Cort, Ben (Illustrator). Octopus's Garden (Aladdin, 2014), Obsessed: 9 Picture Books for Kids Who (Really) Like Trains and 40 of the Best Singalong Picture Books
Watts, Fiona & Wells, Rachel. The Goodnight Train (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2012), Obsessed: 9 Picture Books for Kids Who (Really) Like Trains and Goodnight noises everywhere
Ward, Cindy & dePaola, Tomie (Illustrator).Cookie's Week (Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2004), Days of the Week: 9 Great Picture Books
Watts, Fiona & Wells, Rachel. That's Not My Train (That's Not My... series by Usborne, 2008), Obsessed: 9 Picture Books for Kids Who (Really) Like Trains and Its Spines Are So Soft
by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha; Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Trashy Town (HarperCollins, 1999), 20 Books for Autistic Kids Who REALLY Love Trucks