The best books for 3- to 5-year-olds. This is the perfect age to get a child into books. During these years, a child is quickly developing and stories help them to start to understand their emotions and the world around them. We have collected books recommended by experts to help your child start on their lifetime of loving books and reading.
Our book recommendations are made by experts, who explain their choices in an interview. You can browse our database either by book or by interview:
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion
Shannon Stocker, Devon Holzwarth (illustrator)
***Winner 2023 Schneider Family Book Award for young children***
This is a picture book story of the inspiring life of Evelyn Glennie, who started to go deaf from the age of 10. Instead of giving up on her love of music, she switched instruments from piano and clarinet to percussion, going on to become the world’s first full-time solo percussionist and winning Grammy Awards for her recordings. Having pushed the boundaries of percussion and access to music education, Dame Evelyn has also established a charitable foundation to Teach the World to Listen. Holzwarth’s pictures are clearly intended to illustrate that we can feel sound, that touch is another way of interpreting vibrating air.
Ages 3-6
How to Count to One
by Caspar Salmon & Matt Hunt (illustrator)
Subtitled ‘And don’t even THINK about bigger numbers!’ this is a humorous take on books that help children learn to count. Lots of interactive fun to be had.
Ages 2-5
Monsters in the Fog
by Ali Bahrampour
Hakim the donkey has knitted a jumper for his friend Daisy, which he is determined to deliver despite the thick fog. With his grounded personality, Hakim is able to ignore the doom-mongering of a goat who warns him about monsters up the mountain. The clear message is that we should question our preconceived notions. With sparse text and illustrations which are very effective in showing that things are not necessarily as they appear, this is a fun picture book to read together with kids.
Ages 3-6
Dadaji's Paintbrush
by Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Ruchi Mhasane (illustrator)
Set in a village in India, this is a lovely picture book about the universal bond between children and grandparents, and a gentle way to raise the topic of mortality with young children. The close relationship between the boy and his dadaji shines out of the illustrations. After losing his grandfather the boy is overcome with grief, but a little girl insists that he teach her to paint, just like his dadaji had taught her mother. As the boy gives time and attention to painting and to the younger children in the village, the memory of his grandfather’s love gradually overshadows the pain of loss.
Ages 3-6
The Tale of the Tiny Man
by Barbro Lindgren, Eva Eriksson (illustrator) & translated by Julia Marshall
A gently emotional picture book about loneliness and friendship, featuring an old man, a girl and a dog. The text and illustrations are seamlessly woven together, as one might expect from this author and illustrator collaboration – they have won a raft of prestigious awards in Sweden, where this book first came out in 1979. The Tale of the Tiny Man can serve as a good starting point for a discussion with children about emotions relating to exclusion or inclusion.
Ages 3-6
Who's Hiding?
by Satoru Onishi
This Japanese classic now has a board book version in English. Who’s Hiding has an appealingly simple format: each two-page spread features the same 18 stylised animals, but with some differences. The interactive aspect means that young children and adults or older siblings can have a lot of fun reading it together, while kids also learn to pay attention to detail.
Ages 2-5
Atoms
by John Devolle
This picture book explains a complex subject through a simple narrative with sparse text and big, bold illustrations. A book to spark young children’s curiosity and interest in science.
Ages 3-7
Mina Belongs Here
Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert, Lars Baus (illustrator), translated by Polly Lawson
The author is a professor of language education and a specialist in multilingualism in kindergartens. In this picture book she conveys brilliantly what it is like for Mina to start at a new kindergarten where she doesn’t understand the language. The illustrations interweave seamlessly with the story, becoming more and more colourful as Mina’s ability to communicate and her sense of belonging grow.
Ages 3-6
Mouse's Wood
by Alice Melvin
A comforting picture book with 12 double-page spreads, one for each month of the year. There are also a few information pages about how the woods change through the (northern hemisphere) seasons and the small mammals that live there. The lovely illustrations of woodland scenes are accompanied by gentle rhyming text and flaps that can be lifted to look inside the houses of the anthropomorphic animals. Perfect for snuggly story time and plenty of details to talk about with young children.
Ages 3-6
The Midnight Fair
by Gideon Sterer & Mariachiara Di Giorgio (illustrator)
***2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal Shadowers’ Choice Award***
A funfair is being set up at the edge of a forest. Intrigued, wild animals quietly watch from inside the dark woods. When the lights are turned off for the night and people leave, the animals switch them back on and start their own party. The illustrator plays wonderfully with shadow and brightness, and the colour flow recreates the movement of the lights in the night. The perspective of looking on from outside evokes a world that continues beyond the confines of the page. This is a wordless picture book, perfect for children who like to tell the story in their own words.
Ages 3-7
Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog Take an Evening Stroll
Britta Teckentrup, translated by Nicola Stuart
A lovely picture book by an award winning children’s illustrator and author based in Germany. The combination of hand drawing and digital collage brings a feeling of texture and brightness to the illustrations. This is a comfort story brimming with love of nature. The relationship between Little Hedgehog (who keeps finding reasons to stop along their walk) and the patient Big Hedgehog is very warm. Perfect as a bedtime story.
Ages 3-6
“There are about 14 books in the series and they’re all brilliant. All the grandchildren from age eight downwards still love them. The youngest one, who is 18 months, goes to nursery and I chose My Busy Day because it is set in a nursery. You’ve got the children arriving, and they’re having their breakfast in the nursery. Then you’ve got playtime outside, they go off to visit a farm and they do painting, water play, storytime, all those familiar activities. There are no words in it, it’s all illustrations. It’s a board book, but it’s a slightly larger format. There are lots of details in the pictures but I’ve found children from around 12 months upwards like looking at them.” Read more...
Barbara Band, Librarian
“It’s a story about diversity and being different. You need to introduce this to children from a young age, because the world that very small children interact with may not be very diverse. This book is simple to read with younger children and it’s got that nice rhyming text but also lots of detail in the pictures.” Read more...
Barbara Band, Librarian
“We don’t really teach and update history properly, but I think it’s important for young people to understand that the things they take for granted had to be fought for, someone else came before them and paved the way. Living in a segmented society, we put a lot of emphasis on young people without understanding that one of the greatest problems we have today is that often the young people don’t have enough respect for the people that came before them, because they haven’t been taught about it properly. And that relates to other areas, and how young people interact with teachers and adults.” Read more...
The best books on Fashion for Kids
Eunice Olumide, Artists & Art Critic
“I love this book. I think it’s important and relates to the fashion and textile industry because fashion is inextricably linked to identity… And I think colourism is also intrinsic to identity. It’s really important for not only people of colour, but for all human beings to understand what colourism is, and the impact of that on human beings, on young people, and how that is central to beauty and the fashion industry. My thing in life is all about promoting self love, which is why I’m usually pictured with my natural hair without wearing any makeup, which is daunting for me, and means that I’m not chosen for many opportunities, because of colourism, because there’s a preference for a certain type of look which is linked to European beauty standards. “ Read more...
The best books on Fashion for Kids
Eunice Olumide, Artists & Art Critic
“There is an emphasis on fast fashion, and disposable culture has a really significant impact on the environment, so I wanted to pick a book that reflects that. I like the poetic text and the way that it encourages us to celebrate everything that the Earth does for us. With the advances in technologies we’re becoming more and more removed from nature, and when you’re a young person growing up in a big city you might not have any focus placed on nature. I like the interactive format and I think the artwork is brilliant. It’s all about the celebration of the natural world.” Read more...
The best books on Fashion for Kids
Eunice Olumide, Artists & Art Critic
The People's Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art
by Cynthia Levinson & Evan Turk (illustrator)
***Winner 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal***
A picture book about the life and work of Benjamin Shahn (1898-1969), from his childhood in Lithuania as a Jew under Tsar Nicholas II to his life as a young immigrant and later an established artist in the United States. This book is very much about the process of being an artist, about knowing who you are in order to find out what kind of artist you are. Shahn used his art for social dialogue, insisting that the purpose was to communicate. Evan Turk effectively uses connected scenes, distorted shapes and symbolic forms to tell the visual part of the story.
Ages 4-7
Small in the City
by Sydney Smith
***Winner of the 2021 Kate Greenaway medal***
This book is set in Toronto, but will resonate with kids in any snowy city. A child guides the reader along busy streets, past building sites and yards, down an alley, up a tree and past a bench… Gradually it is revealed that the narrator isn’t speaking to the reader so much as to a missing cat. The illustrations are tightly woven with the text, in a simple story expressing loneliness and worry, but also comfort and confidence.
Ages 4-6
“The reason that I picked Pirate Pete’s Potty – and there’s Pirate Polly’s Potty and Princess Polly’s Potty as well – is that 15% of referrals to our outpatient paediatric clinic are for constipation. So those are children that are bad enough to have needed referral from their local doctor to a hospital. A study in 2018 showed that 48% of consultations for children aged between two and five going to see their GP (general practitioner) was related to constipation, potty training or anxiety around that.” Read more...
Best Human Body Books for Kids
Sonia Joseph, Medical Scientist
My City Speaks
Darren Lebeuf & Ashley Barron (illustrator)
***Winner 2022 Schneider Family Book Award for young children***
A visually impaired narrator describes the sounds, smells and tastes of the city on the way to a music recital in the park. The rhythmic, alliterative language and colourful textured collage illustrations will appeal to young children. An engaging picture book about the ways we experience the world, encouraging children to think about all the different senses.
Ages 2-6
Hom
by Jeanne Willis & Paddy Donnelly (illustrator)
A delightful, warm picture book with serious undertones. A shipwrecked boy ends up on an island inhabited by a creature called Hom, who is the last of his kind. The two survivors find that they have skills to teach each other and have a lot of fun. When a rescue ship finally comes, what choice will the boy make? A book about friendship but also about thinking through the consequences of our decisions and protecting biodiversity. The colourful and detailed illustrations interweave very skilfully with the text, making it easy for children to get involved in the story.
Ages 3-6
“Yes! No! is part of a series that is intended to help parents begin discussing important issues with children when they are starting to talk and develop social awareness. It introduces basic concepts about bodily autonomy and reasons why grownups intervene in your body in ways that don’t feel good, but are reasonable, like insisting that you wear a bike helmet. It teaches young children that they have a right to physical self-determination in terms of things like hugging others. This book has beautiful illustrations and very inclusive illustrations.” Read more...
The best books on Sex and Teenagers
Jennifer Hirsch, Anthropologist
Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small
by Jess Wade & Melissa Castrillón (illustrator)
An award-winning physicist introduces young readers to essential concepts such as atoms and elements, and to various fields that scientists might study. Young children can relate to questions such as what makes different materials light, heavy, strong or bendy, while older readers can think about how materials are combined and engineered for practical applications such as making seawater safe to drink. An elegant picture book to inspire curiosity about the world around us.
Ages 4-8
A Superhero Like You
by Ranj Singh, Liam Darcy (illustrator)
Lily wants to be a superhero when she grows up, but she is not interested in climbing up the side of a building or wearing pants outside her trousers. This is a predictable but nevertheless heartwarming picture book that encourages children to think about all the important jobs that people do around us all the time. Due to the plentiful detail in the bright illustrations there is a lot to talk about with toddler readers as well. People can argue about why certain key professions are not included, but essentially it is a celebration of all those people who do their work with kindness and care.
Ages 2-6
“Hairy Maclary, a scruffy little dog, trots about town. On the way he gathers up lots of dog friends. It’s a rhyming text with repetition that builds.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
“Superheroes are Everywhere by Kamala Harris is a version of her memoir aimed at 3-7 year olds. We meet her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who was not only an incredibly impressive biomedical researcher working on breast cancer, but also a superhero mother to her two girls….. After meeting the other superheroes in her life, she makes a list of ways you, too, can become a superhero.” Read more...
“I think it’s a rare example of a book that works for both kids and grown-ups.” Read more...
Tom McLaughlin, Children's Author
“This book, in particular, has a great lesson for everybody – that you have to accept who you are. In this case, the chameleon doesn’t like who he is and wants to be another animal so he goes around trying to have the attributes of all the other animals and finally ends up mixed-up and unable to function. I just think it’s brilliant.” Read more...
The best books on Human Imperfection
Henry Normal, Poet
“This is a wonderful book written for children that teaches children about Justice Ginsburg and teaches them that it’s okay to question what other people say, it’s important to speak your mind and it’s great to have the courage of your convictions. It’s a fantastic book because it exposes children to a great role model.” Read more...
The best books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Amanda Tyler, Lawyer
The Complete Tales: The Original Peter Rabbit Books
by Beatrix Potter
The Tales of Beatrix Potter remain on the must-read list for very young children. The illustrations are an important part of the experience, but this Beatrix Potter audiobook—with each tale read by a different celebrity—comes highly recommended by Libby Joy of the Beatrix Potter Society.
” I love the simplicity of the illustrations, combined with the simplicity of the words—and yet this book also has a really profound effect on you. It reminds you that it’s okay to feel sad and that if you actually take the time to sit with your feelings, then you have the time to release them and set them free.” Read more...
Bianca Schulze, Children's Author
“It’s a bit of a profound story and it gives an understanding of just what hard work and perseverance can actually achieve for you. Also, how a moment in time can maybe be disappointing, but could actually turn into a lifetime of enjoyment. So, in the case of Because, had one little girl never made it to the orchestra concert, she may not have had a lifetime of music, which becomes a deep passion for her.” Read more...
Bianca Schulze, Children's Author
Angry Arthur
by Hiawyn Oram and Satoshi Kitamura (illustrator)
Arthur is incapable of hearing. He’s so angry that nobody can get through to him. And, by the end, he can’t even remember what caused his anger.
What Do You Do With a Problem?
by Kobi Yamada
A beautifully written book to help children understand problem solving. This multi award winning book shows how to tackle difficult problems - ideal to develop your child's resilience.
A kids aged 3-5 book
Wherever My Wellies take Me
by Clare Morpurgo
A charming book that follows Pippa into the countryside as her day unfolds, she encounters people and animals on the way. Pippa's travels are complemented by poems from some of our greatest authors, personally chosen by Clare and Michael Morpurgo. Part poetry anthology, part child's scrapbook,
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Kevin Noble Maillard & Juana Martinez-Neal (illustrator)
***Winner 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal***
“First of all, the cover totally drew me in. Juana Martinez-Neal’s illustrations are always so warm and inviting and made me want to read it straight away. What I love about this book is that while it’s specifically a Native American family story, it really could be any family that is connecting and bonding over a tradition and over food. The text is brief and delightfully bubbles along, it’s poetic. Between the pictures and the words, you can imagine all the scrumptious food smells and the joy of the togetherness.” Read more...
Bianca Schulze, Children's Author
“A classic that would be a treat for any child to read.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
“It’s a kind of book of opposites, but there’s a narrative as well.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
“Violet invents different airplanes and helicopters, and she is on her way to an air show where she wants to show off her inventions when she notices that there is a boy-scout troop stranded in the river.” Read more...
Yana van der Meulen Rodgers, Economist
“It’s non fiction. If you’ve got a cat, you can relate to it—but I’d never had a cat when I first read it and I still loved it.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
“a story about Dick King Smith’s own guinea pigs and there’s a little bit of their history, a bit of non-fiction, a bit of how to look after them, and just some lovely little facts about them.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
Julian Is A Mermaid
by Jessica Love
While riding the subway home with his Nana one day, Julian notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Then his imagination takes over. A thoroughly charming story
Joy
by Corrinne Averiss and illustrated by Isabelle Follath
Emotional, funny and uplifting, this beautiful picture book has a strong message about empathy and maintaining loving relationships with our grandparents. Guaranteed to bring a bit of joy into every reader’s life, this story is a pure delight.
Children reading this book will understand how the simple act of being with someone, of talking to someone, can have a huge impact.
“I love, love, love this book……This is what I call the world’s first cli-fi picture book, about the danger CO2 poses to the planet.” Read more...
Dan Bloom, Environmentalist
Harvey Slumphenburger's Christmas Present
by John Burningham
When it comes to delivering the last present in his sack, no journey is too far for Father Christmas! A charming seasonal story from an award-winning artist.
Small Finds a Home
by Celestine and the Hare
When Small comes to live with the Tribe there aren't enough beds to go around. A charmingly simple story about not judging others and about the rewards of kindness.
“I was just blown away by it. The design, the colours. The colours were so vibrant. I hadn’t seen anything like it before.” Read more...
Korky Paul on Inspiring Illustrations
Korky Paul, Cartoonists & Illustrator
Rebellion Against Heaven
Adapted by Chu Yi, illustrated by Wang Weizhi, translated by Liu Guangdi
Express Delivery from Dinosaur World
Yanan Dong, translated by Helen Wang
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
William Joyce, Joe Bluhm (illustrator)
“In each story Katie goes somewhere with her grandmother, generally to a museum, and her grandmother falls asleep, which is when Katie jumps into each painting. I think this is exactly how children’s minds work. Every child is capable of being interested in art, and this is the best way to get them interested. If they’re introduced to art in in a very positive way, then they can appreciate museums. “ Read more...
Janice Stewart-Yates, Teacher
“This is quite a recent book. Juana Martinez-Neal is Peruvian, and she has written about the Ashaninka indigenous people, who don’t have much exposure. As an educator, you always talk about the Amazon in Brazil. I really like how this book brings attention to the part of the Amazon which is in Peru. It’s really well done, how she chose to highlight and draw the people from that part of the Amazon. This is the kind of thing that I feel that children will pay attention to: she did all the paintings on banana bark and paper.” Read more...
Janice Stewart-Yates, Teacher
“You have the very typical scenes of Baba – Grandmother – knitting the mittens for Nikolai. It’s winter outside, and snow. There’s nothing more magical than that day that you look out of the window … and there’s snow everywhere. I think all children in that weather have had their mother, father or grandmother telling them to keep on their mittens or scarf, telling them to put on their hat. So children immediately relate to that, and to the resistance of a child who just wants to get out into the snow without thinking about the hat or the mittens.” Read more...
Janice Stewart-Yates, Teacher
“Even without looking at the book, you have all the familiar characters in the rhymes that you’ve heard growing up, like Tom Thumb, Mother Hubbard in the cupboard, the three bears and all that. So you’re immediately drawn into the book just by listening to it. And then the art! For me, it really reminds me of the countryside in Scotland where I spent a lot of time on a farm.” Read more...
Janice Stewart-Yates, Teacher
“It’s just amazing. What I love about Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers is that whether we have two grandmothers that are very different, or sisters, or aunties, it is something that children can relate to. I love how the story shows both the personalities, and how they struggle to get on with each other but in the end they make friends. “ Read more...
Janice Stewart-Yates, Teacher
“This is a touching story of a child who recognizes that she’s not being represented in museums, so she creates her own museum that represents her family and her community. A lot of people can identify with this story.” Read more...
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids
Paula Young Shelton, Children's Author
“This is one of my favorite stories. I used to read it every year, as part of a unit on Cinderella stories. It is based on an African folktale. John Steptoe is a very gifted artist, he illustrates the African village so evocatively.” Read more...
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids
Paula Young Shelton, Children's Author
“It talks about recognizing that you are enough and that we are all enough, that we all deserve to be loved and respected and appreciated for who we are. It’s a lovely story with beautiful illustrations of its central character, an African American girl with big natural hair. It promotes self love to African Americans, but I also hope it promotes an appreciation for the beauty of African Americans by others.” Read more...
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids
Paula Young Shelton, Children's Author
“This beautifully and brightly illustrated book is about a little girl entering into a new world. It could be a classroom or it could be anything. It features this beautiful African American girl with big, beautiful hair, talking about her expectations about entering someplace new and her thoughts about how she might be received. She eventually figures out how to make herself seen and heard. I read The Day You Begin at the beginning of my first grade year and leave the book prominently displayed through the year, because it captures what a lot of children go through as they experience new things. We all experience so many similar things and yet we each bring a different perspective, different expectations and different fears.” Read more...
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids
Paula Young Shelton, Children's Author
“I love what Weatherford writes for children. I use a lot of her books in class like Moses and Voices of Freedom and Freedom on the Menu. Pick up any book that she’s written, and you’ve got a winner. But this book, In Your Hands, is special. It’s a touching story about a mother and a child who happened to be African American. The mother has all the same dreams that any mother has for her child, but she also is attuned and worried about how the world will perceive her child. This is something I could identify with as a mother. And this book is as much for the adult reading it as it is for the child.In many children’s books, the illustrations are brash and bright in color. These illustrations are light and warm tones. To me, it really embodies the warmth between a mother and child.” Read more...
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids
Paula Young Shelton, Children's Author
“John Parra’s illustrations are perfect! Gracias/Thanks is about a boy thinking through what makes him thankful. The book illustrates, beautifully, bilingually, and creatively, that what we might be most thankful for are the common things that surround us—friends, siblings, and home.” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
“It’s a book about sharing the abundance of good in the world. It cleverly illustrates the idea that the more you give, the more you get back. It’s very sweet, and it has glitter in it!” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
“This book is beautiful. It’s gorgeously drawn. It points out the beauty in the world, the beauty in simple things, the beauty of different types of people, and the beauty of different types of relationships.” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
“When I see Karma Wilson’s name on a book, I know the verse is going to be stellar! She’s so playful and fun. Bear Says Thanks, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, is about food and sharing. But there is more to Thanksgiving than that; it’s a holiday about family and the feeling of belonging. That is what this book is about—being with others who love you as you are. It’s just great.” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
“There are a massive number of Gerald and Piggie books. They’re magical on so many levels and The Thank You Book is how Mo Willems tied them together.” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
Sweep
by Louise Greig
Sweep starts with a small worry that becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. The book was nominated for the Kate Greenway Medal, as well as being shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge and the Waterstones Prize.
Llama Llama Red Pajama
by Anna Dewdney
A soothing rhyme that children will love and be able to relate to Baby Llama's need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama's reassuring message.
There's Room For Everyone
by Anahita Teymorian
If there’s room in the world for all the birds in the sky and whales in the ocean, why do humans always fight for space? This young child’s thoughts carry a enduring message of peace and tolerance.
Ruby's Worry
by Tom Percival
Ruby does a lot of things and then she has a little worry. She keeps it to herself and then it keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger until she has to deal with the anxiety.
“It’s essentially a story about how the dad of the title remains completely unconcerned as he’s swapped and moved and replaced. He doesn’t notice! You never see his face. It’s always behind a newspaper. Essentially that is the joke.” Read more...
Kate Milner, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“This book is a combination of some really smart modern graphics, and a well observed text about change, and what change feels like.” Read more...
Kate Milner, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“I think Shaun Tan is absolutely amazing. In The Lost Thing he creates a whole world, and in this case it’s a barmy world. It’s so rich in detail. There’s a sense of this being a real other world that you’re allowed to look into. It’s about a boy finding a lost creature on a beach. The boy decides to take it home. Eventually he sets it free again. A less imaginative illustrator may have made this story cute and the situation comforting. Instead, Shaun Tan gives us a massive thing that’s half sea creature, half machine. It is an imaginative book—full of energy—it is also magical, almost gothic.” Read more...
Kate Milner, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“The story is told by children looking in on grown-ups and the odd ways that they behave. It is also an urban environment that doesn’t get into picture books anymore—it is an ordinary working community.” Read more...
Kate Milner, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“This story focuses on the relationship between a little boy and his grandfather and the simple adventures that they share.” Read more...
The best books on Grandparents and Grandchildren
Joseph Coelho, Children's Author
“I think this is the essence of this book is that it’s all about that role of grandparents to kind of be the other parents, to be there in times of need.” Read more...
The best books on Grandparents and Grandchildren
Joseph Coelho, Children's Author
15 Things Not To Do With A Granny
by Margaret McAllister and illustrated by Holly Stirling
“Presented like a rule book this is a book dedicated to active grannies.” Read more...
The best books on Grandparents and Grandchildren
Joseph Coelho, Children's Author
“There is so much to love about this book. Firstly the dinosaurs being woken up by the heat from humans burning everything and then them tidying up the mess.” Read more...
“This is such an amazing book that is honest about the scale of the issue and that it’s our fault – but presented in a really fun way.” Read more...
“This beautifully illustrated book has a poignant, beautiful and clear message about sustainability in the oceans.” Read more...
“It is a very funny story, written in rhyme, with wonderful, crazy Seuss illustrations – and a big environmental message for young readers.” Read more...
The best books on Trees For Younger Readers
Neal Layton, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“This captures effortlessly for me how we as a society love to put beautiful endangered animals in cages and stare at them – but we don’t spend time talking about what we are doing.” Read more...
“This is a bedtime read. It’s really quiet and settling” Read more...
” A cheery book about how as adults we tend to think of the rain as a bit of an inconvenience, whereas for a child it’s really exciting.” Read more...
“A bold picture book, the colour is striking with an unusual palette. Captures little moments that together perfectly describe a snowy day.” Read more...
“An atmospheric and funny book that captures the mood of a summer’s day with the chance to go for a ride on a boat.” Read more...
“A seed is one of the biggest wonders of the natural world, this book shows how a single seed can make it against all the odds.” Read more...
“A bright and funny search-and-find book, aided with die-cuts to reveal a few choice items from each spread.” Read more...
Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children
Jon Burgerman, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“The infectious playfulness is spread all over the page and then continues in our head.” Read more...
Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children
Jon Burgerman, Cartoonists & Illustrator
“Saturated with the delirious sense of infectious nonsense that is prevalent in all my favourite Dr Seuss books” Read more...
Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children
Jon Burgerman, Cartoonists & Illustrator
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1
Rebellion Against Heaven
Adapted by Chu Yi, illustrated by Wang Weizhi, translated by Liu Guangdi -
2
The Moose of Ewenki
by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane, Jiu Er (illustrator) & translated by Helen Mixter -
3
An's Seed
Zaozao Wang, Li Huang (illustrator), translated by Helen Wang -
4
Express Delivery from Dinosaur World
Yanan Dong, translated by Helen Wang -
5
Grandma Lives in a Perfume Village
by Fang Suzhen, Sonja Danowski (illustrator) & translated by Huang Xiumin
The Best Chinese Picture Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
The Best Chinese Picture Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
Of the many children’s books published in Chinese, few make their way into translation. Here, our Children’s Editor picks five outstanding Chinese picture books that are available for readers around the world to enjoy in English.
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1
Library Lion
Michelle Knudsen, Kevin Hawkes (illustrator) -
2
Write to Me
Cynthia Grady, Amiko Hirao (illustrator) -
3
Tomás and the Library Lady
by Pat Mora & Raul Colón (illustrator) -
4
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
William Joyce, Joe Bluhm (illustrator) -
5
The Lonely Book
Kate Bernheimer, Chris Sheban (illustrator)
The Best Books about Libraries for 4-8 Year Olds, recommended by Bahram Rahman
The Best Books about Libraries for 4-8 Year Olds, recommended by Bahram Rahman
Libraries provide a space for children to read for pleasure and discover the transformative power of books. Children’s author Bahram Rahman shares his favourite picture books about libraries for children age 4-8, and explains why book-recommending algorithms cannot replace librarians.
Best Books for Preschool Kids, recommended by Janice Stewart-Yates
With travel restricted in much of the world due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is more important than ever to open children’s minds through books. Janice Stewart-Yates, a passionate Montessori educator, shares her recommendations for books that bring the world to children. These are some of her favourite picks for preschool classroom story time, as well as for reading with her own daughter.
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1
In Your Hands
by Brian Pinkney (Illustrator) & Carole Boston Weatherford -
2
The Day You Begin
by Jacqueline Woodson & Rafael López (Illustrator) -
3
I Am Enough
by Grace Byers & Keturah Bobo (Illustrator) -
4
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale
by John Steptoe -
5
Milo's Museum
by Purple Wong (Illustrator) & Zetta Elliott
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids, recommended by Paula Young Shelton
The Best Antiracist Books for Kids, recommended by Paula Young Shelton
Understanding the African American experience is not just about learning about suffering, it’s also about celebrating a vibrant culture and its roots across the millennia. Paula Young Shelton, author of Child of the Civil Rights Movement, recommends the best antiracist books for kids.
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids, recommended by Dana Sheridan
What should you read with your kids on Thanksgiving? Dana Sheridan of Princeton University Library’s Cotsen Children’s Library recommends five children’s books with themes of love, gratitude, belonging and sharing with one another—what the holiday is all about.
Books To Help Children Overcome Anxiety, recommended by Chitra Soundar
As young children grow, finding a vocabulary for their worries and anxiety is often difficult. Children’s author Chitra Soundar recommends five books that help children process their emotions and use fiction as a tool for talking about anxiety.
Children’s Picture Books, recommended by Kate Milner
Kate Milner, winner of the prestigious Klaus Flugge Prize, discusses some of the trailblazing illustrators that have inspired her own career. She heralds artists whose imaginative works have given us some of the most exuberant storytelling for children over the last 50 years.
The best books on Pets For Young Kids, recommended by Catherine Rayner
Feathered, scaly or furry, children form powerful and enriching bonds with their pets. If you don’t have room in your house (or lifestyle) for a multitude of birds and beasts—you can always read about them in books! Catherine Rayner, one of the UK’s leading creators of children’s picture books and devoted animal lover, recommends her favourite illustrated picture books celebrating pets.
The best books on Grandparents and Grandchildren, recommended by Joseph Coelho
Acclaimed poet, Joseph Coelho, recommends five of the best kids’ books that celebrate the magical bonds between grandparents and their grandchildren. Positive intergenerational relationships have very real health benefits for the whole family! So get yourself settled on a comfy chair with a grandchild and take some time to enjoy sharing these delightful stories.
Best Environmental Books for Kids, selected by Georgina Stevens
What are the best books to engage and educate young kids about the environment? Environmentalist and author Georgina Stevens has some ideas. She recommends her favourite environment books for kids, as well as a few websites that will help teach them (and their families) how to make a difference.
Books about the Weather for Kids, recommended by Tim Hopgood
Children have almost universal responses to different kinds of weather: kicking fallen leaves in autumn, splashing in puddles in the rain, catching snowflakes on tongues when it snows. We talk to author and illustrator Tim Hopgood about the weather as an inspiration for children’s books.
Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children
Whatever your age, play is how we test ideas, define rules and see if they hold. New York-based artist and author Jon Burgerman talks to Five Books about his favourite titles that encourage kids to have fun and be playful, without worry or fear of failure, and simply enjoy the limitless possibilities of imagination.
