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Topic: Preschool 50 Recommended Reads

Preschool Booklist: 50 Recommended Reads

Best Books for Preschoolers (Children Aged 3-4)

Newly updated: June 2026

Browse this list of 50 recommended books for preschool children (3- and 4-year-olds). Top up your preschool or nursery book collections with the BooksForTopics hand-picked list of classic stories, laugh-out-loud picture books, animal tales, poetry books, and non-fiction for EYFS children.

Parents and teachers know how important it is to encourage a love of reading in children from a young age. Reading with nursery and preschool children not only helps with language development but also encourages imagination and creativity, and it is best to offer a wide variety of books to try.

This booklist includes popular preschool stories such as Owl Babies, Peace at Last and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like A Surprise for Snail and Eat Your Peas.

Handpicked by teachers and children’s reading experts, our diverse and varied preschool reading list is designed to help those looking for the best high-quality and age-appropriate books for reading with nursery or preschool children, featuring 50 of the best books for preschoolers available today.

As well as the BooksForTopics preschool booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster, a downloadable checklist and a handy bookmark for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the 50 books via Peters.

Browse the preschool booklist below or click on each book to find out more. Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Shark In The Park!

Nick Sharratt

Picturebook

This is the ultimate rhyming story book for preschool, by the much-loved illustrator Nick Sharratt.

Timothy Pope heads to the park with his telescope, but when he looks down it and is sure he sees a shark, we soon learn that things are not always as they seem! There are flaps and die-cut holes to explore, making this a memorable interactive story choice.

The repeated refrains of Timothy Pope, Timothy Pope, what can you see through your telescope? and ‘Is there a shark in the park?’ are remarkably catchy and will quickly have children joining in. A really fun must-read book for EYFS children!

Be Brave Little Penguin

Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

Picturebook

A feel-good rhyming story with a positive message about confidence and self-esteem, from the creators of international bestseller, Giraffes Can’t Dance.

Little Penguin Pip-Pip would love to join in with all his friends swimming in the sea, but there’s just one problem . . . he’s scared of water. Can Pip-Pip overcome his fears and finally take the plunge? This irresistible story shows that sometimes all it takes is a little bit of encouragement – and a whole lot of heart – to finally make that leap!

This touching tale will soon become a new family favourite.

Honey For Me, Honey For You

Chris Riddell & Michael Rosen

Poetry

From Children’s Laureates Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell, the bestselling team behind A Great Big Cuddle , comes a first book of nursery rhymes.

Flying pigs, wobbling plates of jelly and a giant who trembles whenever he meets a mouse: welcome to the topsy-turvy world of nursery rhymes. Inspired by his lifelong fascination with these peculiar poems, Michael Rosen has placed familiar playground songs alongside forgotten gems for a seminal new collection.

Brought to vivid life by Chris Riddell’s magnificent pictures, expect familiar faces, from little Jumping Joan to Miss Mary Mack – but also plenty of surprises… With forty rhymes to choose from, this book is sure to prove a bedtime favourite.

Poo in the Zoo

Ada Grey & Steve Smallman

Picturebook

Steve Smallman is the master of funny rhymes for children and as luck would have it, quite a lot of words rhyme with ‘zoo’.

Take a menagerie of animals, a thumpingly fast rhyming verse and a dash of toilet humour and you have the makings of a riotous storytime favourite. As well as the tongue-twisting story filled with funny-sounded onomatopoeia (there’s plenty of plopping and splatting), the book also features themes of keeping the environment clean, animal tracking and caring for wildlife. This book will become an instant favourite with children who love a good giggle at storytime.

Layla’s Happiness

Ashleigh Corrin & Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

Picturebook

Seven-year-old Layla loves life! So she keeps a happiness book. What is happiness for her? For you?

Spirited and observant, Layla is a child who’s been given room to grow, making happiness both thoughtful and intimate. It’s her dad talking about growing-up in South Carolina; her mom reading poetry; her best friend Juan, the community garden, and so much more. Written by poet Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin, this is a story of flourishing within family and community.

Zeki Can Swim

Anna McQuinn & Ruth Hearson

Picturebook

Swimming lessons are such fun! Zeki and his friends swish and swoosh, splish and sploosh.

Zeki, is back in a new adventure at the pool. Zeki and Daddy go to swimming class where they kick, bounce, and dive like little fish. Joining other babies and their caretakers in the pool is a guarantee of unforgettable fun and builds a foundation for water safety.

Little Bear’s Spring

Briony May Smith & Elli Woollard

Picturebook

Little Bear’s Spring is a glorious reminder for children and adults of just how wonderful the natural world is, and that, sometimes, the unlikeliest of friendships are the best kind.

Little Bear has just woken up from his long winter sleep. But when he pokes his head out of the den, the world around him is vast, white and silent. The only thing he sees is a smooth little stone, just as alone in the snowy wilderness as he is. He nestles it in tight to his fur and off they go in search of friends.

Little Bear’s Spring is a lyrical story about friendship, with a gentle introduction to spring and what happens to the natural world when the seasons change. Written by star picture book author Elli Woollard and illustrated by Briony May Smith, whose artwork brings a sun-dappled springtime landscape to life with breathtaking beauty.

Feelings

Louise Forshaw & Pat-a-Cake

Picturebook

Help curious preschoolers find out more about themselves with these fantastic lift-the-flap board books.

Find Out About: Feelings helps curious preschoolers get to grips with their feelings and emotions – a key topic for both them and their parents. Featuring friendly child characters and familiar situations, they will find answers and reassurance when they are feeling happy, sad, frightened, brave and everything in between. With fun flaps to lift and a memory game at the end, this is an excellent book for children and parents to share together.

The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin

Nicola O’Byrne

Picturebook

For a read-aloud with the extra wow factor, we recommend The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin, guaranteed to produce ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at storytime.

Any child who has ever tried to prolong bedtime will relate to Rabbit. In a bid to not have to go to bed, Rabbit decides to capture the dark and hide it in a biscuit tin. If it doesn’t get dark, he won’t have to go to sleep! But hiding the dark has knock-on effects, and he hasn’t thought about the nocturnal animals, his body’s need for rest and recovery, or the joy of waking up to a delicious breakfast!

With an impressive fold-out page that we just love, this is one of our go-to story choices for preschool and younger primary children.

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