Before the days of Reading Rainbow, there were real children's books featured (and read) on Sesame Street, starting in the first season and continuing occasionally in subsequent seasons.
Stories
- Where the Wild Things Are (Test Show 1)
- What Kind of Feet Do a Bear Have? (Test Show 4)
- Gwendolyn, the Miracle Hen (Episode 0002)
- Stevie (Episode 0004)
- If I Were a Mother (Episode 0005, Episode 0044)
- Look At Me (Episode 0006, Episode 0084)
- At Night (Episode 0007, Episode 0045)
- Sam (Episode 0009, Episode 0072)
- One, Two, Where's My Shoe? (Episode 0011)
- Swimmy (Episode 0013, Episode 0050)
- Whistle for Willie (Episode 0014, Episode 0096)
- My Little Brother (Episode 0015)
- Goggles (Episode 0016, Episode 0087)
- Tom in the Middle (Episode 0018)
- Who Will Wake Up Spring? (Episode 0020, Episode 0118)
- 5A and 7B (Episode 0021, Episode 0082)
- ABC of Cars and Trucks (Episode 0022)
- The Circus Baby (Episode 0023)
- Peter's Chair (Episode 0024, Episode 0110, Episode 2660)
- Maybe a Monster (Episode 0025, Episode 0074, Episode 0124)
- Ask Mr. Bear (Episode 0027)
- Play With Me (Episode 0029, Episode 3280)
- What Do You Say, Dear? (illustrated by Maurice Sendak) (Episode 0030)
- Clyde of Africa (Episode 0031)
- Where Are the Mothers? (Episode 0033)
- If I Had (Episode 0035)
- I'll Fix Anthony (Episode 0036)
- Tony and the Toll Collector (Episode 0037)
- Will I Have a Friend? (Episode 0040, Episode 0079)
- My Friend John (Episode 0042)
- I Have a Tree (Episode 0043, Episode 0077)
- Katie Goes to Camp (Episode 0049)
- The Story Grandmother Told (Episode 0054)
- What Do I Do? (Episode 0055)
- Dandelion (Episode 0056)
- Harry the Dirty Dog (Episode 0060)
- What Is Your Favorite Thing to Touch? (Episode 0062)
- City in the Summer (Episode 0064)
- Dear Uncle Carlos (Episode 0066)
- Go Away, Dog! (Episode 0068)
- Chicken Little Count-to-Ten (Episode 0089)
- The Snowy Day (Episode 0091, Episode 3332)
- Birthday Presents (Episode 0093)
- The Cat Who Thought He Was a Tiger (Episode 0098)
- Six Foolish Fishermen (Episode 0100)
- Corduroy (Episode 0102)
- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Episode 0105)
- A Kiss for Little Bear (illustrated by Maurice Sendak) (Episode 0112)
- Chicken Soup with Rice (Episode 0120)
- Welcome Roberto (Episode 0122)
- I Am a Hunter (Episode 0127)
- The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Episode 0139)
- Some of the Days of Everett Anderson (Episode 0143)
- Once a Mouse (Episode 0149)
- The Little Engine That Could (Episode 0153)
- The Monkey and the Crocodile (Episode 0157)
- What's Claude Doing? (Episode 2590)
- Goodnight Moon (Episode 2544, Episode 2625)
- Big Red Barn (Episode 2620)
- Black Feelings, Black Talk, Black Judgment (Episode 2820)
- Gilberto and the Wind (Episode 2821)
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (Episode 2960)
- Pat the Bunny (Episode 2982)
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Episode 3087)
- I am a Bunny (Episode 3153)
- The Very Busy Spider (Episode 3212)
- The Very Quiet Cricket (Episode 3267)
- The Little Red Hen (Episode 3354)
- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Episode 3504)
- Five Little Ducks (Episode 3517)
Other
- Elmo and Maria (Sonia Manzano) read Stretch at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll (YouTube)
- Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Gordon (Roscoe Orman) read The Monster at the End of This Book at the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll (YouTube)
- Abby Cadabby and Gordon (Roscoe Orman) read I Want to Be President at the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll (YouTube)
- Abby Cadabby and Michelle Obama read A Visit from St. Nicholas at the 2013 National Christmas Tree Lighting (YouTube)
- Cookie Monster and Alan (Alan Muraoka) read Just One You! at the 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll (YouTube)
- Abby Cadabby and Alan (Alan Muraoka) read The Bunny Hop at the 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll (YouTube)
- Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Gordon (Roscoe Orman) read We're Different, We're the Same in a 2018 web video (YouTube)
- Abby Cadabby and Gordon (Roscoe Orman) read Uni the Unicorn in a 2018 web video (YouTube)
- Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Luis (Emilio Delgado) read We're All Wonders in a 2018 web video (YouTube)
- Elmo and Bob (Bob McGrath) read Goodnight, Numbers in a 2018 web video (YouTube)