In my opinion these are the best five books for pre-schoolers, aged 3-5. All thoughts are my own. If you haven’t read them then give them a go. Your child will love them.
This is the bear
by Sarah Hayes
Paperback book that tells the story of a bear being accidentally put into the bin and his subsequent trip to the rubbish dump. The story is told in the form of a poem. Colourful pictures throughout with speech/thought bubbles to be read. One of a series of books by the same author telling of the exploits of a boy, his dog and his bear.
We’re going on a bear hunt
by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Follow a family of children as they splash across rivers, go across grass and squelch in mud as they adventure to look for a bear. There is a big surprise that awaits them in a cave on the other side of the dark forest. Repetitive texts keeps your child engaged in the storyline. With delightful illustrations.
Mr Magnolia
by Quentin Blake
A sing-song story of an eccentric man who only has one boot.
Mr Magnolia has only one boot.
He has an old trumpet that goes rooty-toot –
And two lovely sisters who play on the flute –
But Mr Magnolia has only one boot.
With wonderful illustrations by the author. This book is a classic that has delighted many children.
The Gruffalo
by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Another classic book that has become a best-seller around the world. A rhyming story about a mouse meeting a monster in the deep dark wood. Colourful and engaging illustrations. Can be purchased as a board book and a paperback, so ideal if being bought for a younger child.
Big Dog Little Dog: A bedtime story
by P D Eastman
My son’s and my husband’s favourite. Tells the story of two dogs, Fred and Ted. They are opposite in every way, Fred is big and Ted is little, but they are the best of friends. With bold colourful illustrations emphasising the opposites. We actually have the copy that my mum read to me and my siblings when I was a pre-schooler.
Please comment if there are any books that your children love that I have missed out of this list.
My daughter, three-years-old, loves to “read”. These are such great books, I have a couple, but I need to get the rest on your list. Thanks for the recommendation. I’m always on the lookout for new books that will spark her interest.
My twins love The Gruffalo and Going on a Bear Hunt. I will have to get the others from the library. I don’t think we have read those. Thank you for sharing!
I think this would be a great gift Idea especially for my niece. She loves reading books!
What a great list! Kids books make great gifts but it’s hard for me to make decisions on which are worth the buy and which are…not. These looked charming. All of them. Thanks!
They sound great …. I am curious if they are available here in the Netherlands …. My son will love to read them. I’m definitely going to have a look
My kids school gives us a copy of Big Dog/Little Dog every year. It’s in both English and Spanish so I try to read both languages when I read it to them. I haven’t read the other books, but they sound very cute!
Thanks so much for the recommendations – a friend of mine just had twins, I’ll pick these up for them!
I’m going to buy one of these for my nephew who is learning to read!
I don’t think I have heard of several of these. My kids are older but we are considering fostering a younger child so I will need to keep up with this list. Thanks for sharing!
My daughter is three years old and she loves books…and being a book lover, that makes me so happy. 🙂 So, thanks for your tips, I will definitely check them!
I love giving books as gift. I think this is a great list of books that I would choose to give out this Christmas for my little nieces and nephews.
I’m always looking for fun new reads for my toddler! Thank you for sharing this I am definitely going to buy! I hope he enjoys them!