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50 recommended books for 3- and 4-year-olds

Preschool: 50 Recommended Reads (2022)

Best Books for Preschoolers (Ages 3-4)

We’ve put together a list of 50 recommended books for 3- and 4-year-olds. Top up your preschool or nursery book collections with our hand-picked selection of classic stories, laugh-out-loud picture books, animal tales, poetry books, non-fiction for curious minds and more…

As parents and teachers, we know how important it is to foster 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. Whether you’re looking for classic tales, board books, interactive stories or books that teach important values, our preschool booklist has got you covered.

Our collection of recommended reads for 3 to 5 year olds is handpicked by experts, ensuring that you’ll find the best quality and age-appropriate books to engage and delight your little ones. Join us on a journey through some of the best books for preschoolers and watch your children’s love for reading grow!

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

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

best books for preschool

Preschool: 50 Recommended Reads

Best Books for Preschoolers (Ages 3-4)

We’ve put together a list of 50 recommended books for 3- and 4-year-olds. Top up your preschool or nursery book collections with our hand-picked selection of classic stories, laugh-out-loud picture books, animal tales, poetry books, non-fiction for curious minds and more…

As parents and teachers, we know how important it is to foster 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. Our booklist includes popular preschool stories such as Owl Babies, Aliens Love Underpants and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like Pip & Egg and Eat Your Peas.

Our preschool reading list is handpicked by experts, ensuring that you’ll find the best quality and age-appropriate books to engage and delight your little ones. Join your little ones on a journey through some of the best books for preschoolers available right now.

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

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Be Brave Little Penguin

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

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.

Cosmic Machines

Non-fiction

Greetings, my little Astro Kittens! Are you ready to take off on your first space adventure? Join Professor Astro Cat as we learn all about Cosmic Machines! Advancements in space technology mean that we now know more than ever before about what’s out there in the Universe. From rockets to rovers, this beautifully designed board book introduces young explorers to some of the most innovative and incredible machinery that has opened our eyes and broadened our minds to things we could never have imagined.

Love Our Earth: A Colourful Counting Story

Picturebook

Love Our Earth is a young and playful picture book about caring for our Earth. With lots to spot and count, and a fold-out surprise at the end!

Meet planet Earth and come on a colourful adventure across mountains, rivers, jungles and oceans. Spot and count the friendly animals along the way. And say hello to the smiling flowers, trees and hills.

Includes a surprise fold-out ending, with simple tips on how to look after our amazing planet.

With warm, playful illustrations from Jane Cabrera and a gentle read-aloud text, this is the perfect introduction to the wonders of life on Earth. Created in collaboration with EarthDay.org.

daisy eat your peas book

Daisy Eat Your Peas

Picturebook

Here comes trouble!
A super-dooper Daisy picture book – from Kes Gray, author of the bestselling Oi Frog and Friends , and Nick Sharratt, award-winning illustrator of You Choose and Pants !

Daisy does NOT like peas. And there is NOTHING that will get her to eat them.

Mum says she can have an extra pudding, a chocolate factory or a space rocket with DOUBLE RETRO LASER BLAMMERS – but it just won’t work! Can quick-thinking Daisy save her tea time and come up with a cunning plan to turn the tables on Mum?

This wickedly funny story will appeal to cheeky children everywhere (especially fussy eaters!).

Poo in the Zoo

Picturebook

“There was tiger poo, lion poo, prickly porcupine poo,
Plummeting giraffe poop that landed with a splat.
Dollops of gnu poo, bouncy kangaroo poo,
A trail of drippy droppings from a fat wombat!”

Zoo Keeper Bob is exhausted. There’s too much poo in the zoo – and he’s the one who has to scoop it up. Then one day, a mysterious glowing poo appears! Could it be alien poop from outer space? And what on EARTH will Bob do with it?

Perfect for fans of The Dinosaur who Pooped Christmas , children will laugh out loud at this gloriously poopy, funny picture book! Packed with humour, the romping rhyme and deliciously cheeky wordplay is a joy to read aloud. From the author of Dragon Stew, Steve Smallman and illustrator, Ada Grey ( Shh! Don’t Wake the Royal Baby) . If you like this book, then you’ll LOVE Cock-a-Doodle-Poo , also by Steve Smallman

Layla’s Happiness

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

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.

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