Best Community Helpers Books for Storytime (Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade)

Looking for community helper books that keep preschool and early elementary groups engaged during storytime? Check these out!

Can I Be Your Dog? (2018)

By Troy Cummings · Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
Written entirely in letters, this is a great book for discussing print awareness, characterization, and inferring information from illustrations. The heartwarming ending gets me every time. A real winner for ages 4 and up, it’s great for both community helpers and pet themes.

Fix-It Familia (2025)

By Lucky Diaz · Illustrated by Micah Player · Published by HarperCollins
The Fix-It Familia helps everyone in their community! When a parade float crashes, their ingenuity saves the day. Inspired by the song by Lucky Diaz, repeated elements are singable or changeable, and there are many Spanish words and phrases throughout. Ages 4 and up.

Trashy Town (1999)

By Andrea Zimmerman & David Clemesha · Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino · Published by HarperCollins
This classic storytime favorite follows Mr. Gilly on his trash pickup route, visiting different places in the community. Repeated phrases and questions get children involved again and again, and the repeated chorus can be sung or chanted for extra fun. Toddlers and up.

Towed By Toad (2025)

By Jashar Awan · Published by Tundra
There are so many levels to this gem. Homophones, puns, great typography choices, and cute visual humor throughout make this one a winner and one of the best books for dialogic reading opportunities in recent memory. I also love the message that everyone needs help sometimes. 3 and up.

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do (2014)

By Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook · Illustrated by Andy Robert Davies · Published by Charlesbridge
The guessing game format, rhyming clues, and cute illustrations make this book an excellent read aloud. Singable and changeable. Perfect for toddlers, preschool, and kindergarten.

Fire Engine No. 9  (2016)

By Mike Austin · Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
Told almost entirely in sound words, this beat-by-beat look at a fire engine crew in emergency response is a winner. High-impact illustrations with bold typography choices pop off the page, and the sound effects are perfect for building phonemic awareness and repeat-after-me read alouds.