Best Books for 4 Year Olds
Reading the best books to 4 year olds improves vocabulary, literacy and helps prepare language skills for school. If you're looking for some good books for 4 year olds in the UK, find below lots of ideas based on the books my 4 year old son currently loves.
When reading to my 4 year old son, books make great talking points and can open up discussions about a wide range of issues. We often talk about the feelings and emotions the story brings up and discuss the characters. However, when I look for a book for my boy, I try and find books that he enjoys and are fun!
We also have a wide range of books to choose from at home. This actually helps me as it means I don't get bored reading the same books over and over again.
There are lots of suggestions below but children have different tastes and don't always like the same books so it's worth exploring Amazon and reading the reviews to see which books you think the 4 year old will really love. Here are a few suggestions of what I think are the best books for 4 year olds to get you started.
When reading to my 4 year old son, books make great talking points and can open up discussions about a wide range of issues. We often talk about the feelings and emotions the story brings up and discuss the characters. However, when I look for a book for my boy, I try and find books that he enjoys and are fun!
We also have a wide range of books to choose from at home. This actually helps me as it means I don't get bored reading the same books over and over again.
There are lots of suggestions below but children have different tastes and don't always like the same books so it's worth exploring Amazon and reading the reviews to see which books you think the 4 year old will really love. Here are a few suggestions of what I think are the best books for 4 year olds to get you started.
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Interactive Books
4 year olds love interactive books such as where they can join in the story and lift flaps and there are lots of them to choose from. Check out some suggestions:
You Choose By Pippa Goodhart |
You Choose by Pippa Goodhart is currently one of my son's favourite books.
Each page is a different scenario and the reader chooses where they'd like to travel to (the jungle, space, the city and numerous more options), what they'd like to wear or what job they'd like to do. Each page has a wide range of picture with several different options. It's great for starting stimulating conversations and fun to read and choose. Other books by Pippa Goodhart include Just Imagine which she co writes with Nick Sharrat who is the author of the book below. |
Crazy Mix Ups By Nick Sharrat |
Nick Sharratt has lots of books that encourage participation.
Both my boys absolutely love this crazy mix up book. The book is split into two halves. You can move the top half of the page to a picture and then turn the bottom half and match it up to make something silly. It’is a clever idea and kids will find it hilarious. Some of the combinations you can make up include a jellycopter, an exploding Granny and a spider cowboy. But the imagination is the limit. My boys love making up characters and their own silly names for the pictures too. |
Other books by Nick Sharratt include "Ketchup on Your Cornflakes" and Shark in The Park.
Lift The Flap Books
Lift the Flap books are also popular with my 4 year old son. He still enjoys books that are aimed at younger children where things are hiding behind the flaps.
My 4 year old especially likes the lift the flap fairy tales books which are also written by Nick Sharrat. They include Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.
My 4 year old especially likes the lift the flap fairy tales books which are also written by Nick Sharrat. They include Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.
Rhyming Stories for 4 Year Olds
There are some great stories aimed at 4 year olds that are told in rhyming verse. Stories told in rhyme have lots of benefits including helping them to recognise similarities of sounds in words which can later help them with reading and literacy. You can read about how rhymes can help benefit reading and literacy in this bookstart article.
Julia Donaldson Books
There are some great books for 4 year olds by Julia Donaldson. Her stories are rhyming verse and are fun to read and the stories are great. They are also illustrated with the most vivid and colourful pictures. Most people will have heard of stories including Room on the Broom, Tabby Mctat and The Snail and the Whale. But The Gruffalo is perhaps the most famous book by Julia Donaldson.
The Gruffalo |
The Gruffalo tells the story of a mouse who meets a hungry owl, fox and snake who invite him to "lunch". Knowing that he is good enought to eat, the mouse invents the character of the gruffalo who he is on his way to meet.
The Gruffalo likes owl ice cream and other delicacies. The mouse is safe in the knowledge that the gruffalo doesn't exist until he meets him at the end of the book! |
Giraffes Can't Dance |
Giraffes Can't Dance is another story book which is told in rhyming verse.
It tells the story of Gerald the Giraffe who get laughed at by the other animals when he dances as his long thin legs make is dancing look clumsy and awkward. However, Gerald learns that its okay to be different to everybody else and he can dance really well if he just chooses another tune. This is a great book for letting children know its okay to be different. Excellent illustrations too. |
Books To Help Explain Life
My 4 year old son is always full of questions about how the world works. He is also at an age where he seems to be feeling and working through his emotions (especially anger and frustration at the moment!!) I do love this age though, I can see my son visibly and audibly working through things and how things go together and work.
Books are a great way to talk through some of the emotions and issues that 4 years olds may face. Here are a couple of my favourites below.
Books are a great way to talk through some of the emotions and issues that 4 years olds may face. Here are a couple of my favourites below.
Alexander and The Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Jamie Lee Curtis Books
Jamie Lee Curtis (who is the same Jamie Lee Curtis as the actress!) has written some excellent books for 4 year olds that capture what it feels like to be 4. One book to check out is When I Was LIttle...:A Four year old's memoirs of her youth but I think my favourite is the book below.
Today I Feel Silly By Jamie Lee Curtis
Today I feel silly is a great book for opening up discussions about different moods, feelings and emotions. It describes 13 different moods from silly to confused to grumpy to excited.
There is also a mood wheel on the last pages where you can change the girl's expression using her eyes and mouth to reflect her mood. |
Story Books For 4 Year Olds
There are tons of books for 4 year olds that just tell a great story, check some out below.
Harold and The Purple Crayon
My son has a vivid imagination like a lot of 4 year olds and I think that why this book suits him so well. It's a book about using your imagination and seeing how far it can take you. Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight armed with just a purple crayon which he uses to sketch an adventure to follow.
A great classic book which reminds us that many of life's adventures start out with just a sketch from our imagination. |
Harry and the Bucketful of dinosaurs have been another top hit with my 4 year old boy. There are a whole series of books to read about the adventures Harry goes on with his dinosuars. He has also enjoyed many of the Kipper books by Mick Inkpen
Charlie and Lola |
My son currently enjoys the TV programme Charlie and Lola and loves reading the books associated with the programme. In fact I find that if he has watched a TV, he is really receptive to the book. I like the Charlie and Lola books as they are fun and interesting to read. They have a wide range of vocabulary and I love the relationship between Charlie and Lola. Although their sibling relationship isn't particularly realistic it's nice to dream your own children might share a sibling bond like Charlie and Lola do. It's a great example to show to children anyway!
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More Books From TV Shows
As I've already said there are lots of great books from TV shows that my son loves because he's seen the TV programme. At the moment Octonauts books are a hit as he absolutely loves the TV show. He also loves Mister Maker. Some other top picks include The LIttle Princess Collection by Tony Ross as well as firm favourites such as Fireman Sam and Bob The Builder.
Classic Books
Here are some timeless classic books that my 4 year old son enjoys. He loves all the Mr Men books at the moment. We have the whole set and it's definitely been a good buy as we are reading one every day. They have been such a hit that for next Christmas we are getting the Little Miss books too. My husband tells me that there are even better as the Little Miss books feature all the Mr Men.
Another super classic that I love is We're Going on A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.
This is one of my favourites as I remember it myself when I was a child. It’ is also a great book to read and I can recite a lot of the book from memory I’ve read it that many time. The family are going on a bear hunt and they have to go through all kinds of terrain and weather before they find a bear. It’s great making noises as they swishy swashy through the grass, squelch through mud or battle through a snowstorm. I highly recommend this one.
Another super classic that I love is We're Going on A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.
This is one of my favourites as I remember it myself when I was a child. It’ is also a great book to read and I can recite a lot of the book from memory I’ve read it that many time. The family are going on a bear hunt and they have to go through all kinds of terrain and weather before they find a bear. It’s great making noises as they swishy swashy through the grass, squelch through mud or battle through a snowstorm. I highly recommend this one.
Learn To Read Books for 4 Year Olds
If your 4 year old is learning to read, there are a couple of highly recommended learning to read books. The Oxford Reading Tree use a series of books about Chip, Kipper and Biff. Many schools use this series of books to teach children how to read.
Jolly phonics also do a series of books which are great to teach young children how to read. The Jolly stories featured below introduces the letter sounds to children with a story for each sound.
Jolly phonics also do a series of books which are great to teach young children how to read. The Jolly stories featured below introduces the letter sounds to children with a story for each sound.