Beautiful Children’s Books to Read Aloud in March

Sharing is caring!

As the wintry weather gives way to spring, reading these beautiful children’s books is the perfect way to bridge the gap from winter to spring during the month of March. Like the common phrase, “in like a lion, out like a lamb,” we begin the month in the blustery cold and end with signs of new life popping up everywhere. 

In March, we constantly ask ourselves, “Is it still winter, or has spring finally arrived?” I like the quote by Charles Dickens in Great Expectations, “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” 

The list of top March books below are some of my very favorite books to read aloud to my kids. 

As a homeschool mom with fourteen years of experience, I am very particular about choosing the very best books for our homeschool. I prefer living books that, like deep friendships, leave lasting impressions on the reader. 

Several of these wonderful books come from the list of books you can find on Ambleside Online.

Authors like Robert McCloskey, Beatrix Potter, Barbara Cooney, and Jill Barklem are classic writers that every homeschool mom should have in her library! 

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

March Book List

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

It’s early spring in Boston before any leaves have begun to bloom on the trees. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a good place to build a nest and they find the perfect spot in the Public Garden. In this engaging story, Mrs. Mallard’s brook of eight ducklings eventually follows her into the busy streets of Boston experiencing many exciting adventures along the way. This is a great book to read to young children!

Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton

Follow Scuffy the tugboat on his adventures down the river as he discovers a whole new world. This is the perfect book for younger kids who always wonder what it’s like to do big things.

 In this Little Golden Book Classic, Scuffy’s story begins in a toy store. He is sad because he doesn’t belong here.  “A toy store is no place for a red-painted tugboat. I was meant for bigger things!” he says. So the shopkeeper takes him home to try sailing in his bathtub, but once again, Scuffy is disappointed and exclaims, “I was meant for bigger things.” It was early spring and the shopkeeper with the polka dot tie takes him out to the little brook high in the hills. Since the waterways are all full and moving in a hurry at springtime, Scuffy quickly sails past the villages to bigger cities and finally to a large port near the sea. He realizes that he misses the man with the polka dot tie and his boy. His place is at home sailing from one end of the bathtub to the other. He exclaims, “This is the place for a red-painted tugboat, and this is the life for me!”

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

One of the earliest March holidays is on March 2nd when we remember Dr.Seuss’ birthday. Of all the Dr. Seuss books, Green Eggs and Ham is my favorite. My kids love it too. The rhyming sequences and repeated phrases in this book make it a great book for young readers. When I read it to my kids, I like to stop at the rhyming words so my kids can guess them after they’ve heard the story a couple of times. One fun activity kids enjoy is to make and serve green eggs and ham (using food dye)  together.

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

In this colorful picture book, the main character, a young girl named Alice Rumphius, promises that when she grows up she is going to make the world more beautiful. As she grows into adulthood she travels the world and encounters many interesting experiences until one day a back injury requires her to go back to her home by the sea. Lying in bed one day in early spring, she sees outside her window some lupine flowers she had planted the summer before coming back up. Finally, she knows how she will make the world more beautiful! She buys lupine seeds and walks all through the countryside planting lupines. The next spring lupines popped up everywhere along the lanes and highways, making the landscape into a beautiful garden. Miss Rumphius made the world a more beautiful place. Read this book to kids of all ages and inspire them to do something themselves to make the world a more beautiful place! 

Lost in the Woods by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick

Lost in the Woods is one of my favorite picture books to read on the first day of spring. This book tells its story in beautiful live photography throughout the pages. All the animals in the woods come to life with the rising of the sun on a fine spring day. A little fawn quietly waits in the grass for his mother to come back to him. Meanwhile, all the other animal friends are curious about the little newborn. The red-winged blackbird, woodmouse, chipmunk, goslings, tree frog, squirrel, and others call out their sounds as they express their opinion of the little fawn. 

By the end of the story, the mother doe returns for her fawn. It’s a good thing he listened to his mother so she was able to find him hidden in the grass! They jump off together to discover the beauty of spring. 

I love that when the animals talk, the words in their phrases sound like the sounds they make in real life. “Who-hoo-hoo do I see? Hooted the little saw-whet owl is just one example. 

Only One Woof by James Herriot

Who doesn’t love the endearing stories of the country vet, James Herriot? This is a great story to teach kids about loyalty and friendship. In early spring, Mr. Herriot visits Mr. Wilkin’s farm and sees two sheepdog pups playing. Gyp and Sweep were the best of friends. The only difference Mr. Wilkin noticed between them was that Gyp never barked. A few months later the puppies were separated when Mr. Wilkin sold Sweep to an old friend and sheepdog trainer. Gyp settled in as a farm dog and Sweep, with his new master, trained for the sheepdog championship trials. A year later at the start of the trial, Gyp sees Sweep for the first time since their parting. His response surprises everyone at the trial and proves that best friends are not easily forgotten. 

Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett

The mice in this story learn to be content with what they have. Town mouse wants to go on a vacation and country mouse is tired of hunting for food always living in fear of the hungry owl. They decide to switch places and enjoy a life of ease. What they discover, however, is that the grass is not always greener on the other side! Jan Brett’s bright illustrations are delightfully detailed. Look carefully at the borders on each side of the page because they usually leave a hint at what’s coming next! 

The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter

In this spring story, the main character Jemima Puddleduck learns that you can never trust a fox, especially one disguised as “a fine bushy long-tailed gentleman!” As Jemima walks the road one fine morning looking for a place to build a nest, she meets with a fox, whom she presumes to be a gentleman. He tricks the naive Jemima into building her nest in his wood shed. The unsuspecting Jemima shows no alarm even when she notices the shed is full of feathers. She even goes so far as to bring the fox some herbs to go along with his meal. When he locks her in the shed, she is luckily rescued by one of the farm collies. 

Patrick God’s Courageous Captive by Voice of the Martyrs

St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect opportunity to introduce your children to the true story of Patrick, a missionary to Ireland. Kidnapped by pirates as a young boy, Patrick comes to faith in Christ in his captivity. Eventually, he is set free to go back to his family in England, but after some time, he feels God is calling him to return to Ireland to share the gospel with the native people. He obeys this call and leads many people to Christ. 

Patrick of Ireland: The Boy Who Forgave by K.C. Murdarasi

Another great story to read for St. Patrick’s Day is this book which is one of a series of chapter books about missionary heroes. With 144 pages, this short story is one that great for upper elementary or middle school kids. My kids love all the books in the Trail Blazers series.

This book gives some British history as well as descriptions of the condition of Britain under Roman rule. This version of Patrick’s tale accentuates his forgiving heart toward his enemies who raided his village and captured him in childhood. By God’s grace, he overlooks his years of mistreatment as a slave and returns to his captors to tell them the good news of salvation through Jesus.  

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

This picture book follows the life cycles of a seed. It begins in autumn as the wind blows the flower seeds into the air. The seed lands in a few places where it cannot grow like the icy mountains and the hot, dry desert. At last it lands on the earth and snow covers it during winter. Finally, spring arrives and the tiny seed begins to grow! It shoots its roots down in the soil as it also pushes up through the ground to the sun above. It grows beside bigger plants, but slowly, little by little, it becomes a large plant with a beautiful flower. It grows as tall as a house! 

Brambly Hedge Spring Story by Jill Barklem

Jill Barklem is a personal favorite of mine due to her detailed and vibrant illustrations. In this book we find a heartwarming story of the field mice who live in Brambly Hedge. 

One fine spring day as all the Brambly Hedge mice are waking up, Wilfred goes to his parent’s bedroom to open presents because it is his birthday. His neighbors Mr. Apple and Lord Woodmouse set about gathering all the mice in town to come out to celebrate Wilfred’s birthday by giving him a surprise picnic. 

https://youtu.be/uW4Nw4GlyxY?si=r7HM_fQX85C_hPJA

I love this great read-aloud version on YouTube by Storytime with Summer which shows the original Jill Barklem illustrations. The shots zoom in on the details of her illustrations and it also has fitting sound effects throughout the story. 

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale retold by Angela Elwell Hunt

In preparation for Easter, this story tells children the tale of three trees who want to grow up to do something great. One day wood cutters come to fell the three trees. The first tree is used to make the manger to hold Jesus at his birth. The second tree became a ship that Jesus sailed as he traveled healing and teaching people. The third tree became the cross on which Jesus died to save the world. This lovely picture book tells the story of God’s love for all people in sending us his only Son. 

Reading these beautiful March picture books will be a great way to introduce your children to the best that spring has to offer. I prefer a small list of excellent books so that I can read one a day and re-read our favorites throughout the month so that they can become familiar friends.

Comment with your favorite March read-aloud books!

What are your favorite books to read in March? Leave a comment below and keep the excellent suggestions coming! 

Happy Spring! 

You may enjoy reading these similar blog posts about spring.

How to Keep a Simple Homeschool Nature Study Notebook

Useful Life Skills to Teach Kids in Spring

Other Book Lists on the Blog!

George Washington Books for Kids

11 Excellent Christian Biography Resources for Your Homeschool

9 Favorite Christmas Picture Books

9 Favorite Christmas Homeschool Chapter Books and Short Stories

9 Favorite Thanksgiving Read Aloud Books

The True Thanksgiving Story Book List for Kids

Sharing is caring!