Favorite Picture Books for Ages 3-6
Hey friends! Today I’m going to share with you just some of my favorite picture books for littles ages 3-6 (although kids slightly younger or older could enjoy these too). My mom was a children’s librarian before she had kids, so I grew up with a treasure mine of beautifully written and illustrated books. I remember so many of these books fondly, and love to read them with my nieces and nephews.
I truly believe that introducing your children to quality books at a young age can instill a lifelong love of reading. You’re never too young to begin learning to appreciate beautiful art and literature. I hope that these suggestions are a help to you on the wonderful journey of shaping your children’s hearts and minds.
Disclaimer: Some of these books may include an occasional reference to something that you—as a Christian mom, teacher, grandma, or auntie—disagree with. I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to skip or substitute such references seamlessly.
I’ve linked many of the books below, mostly from Amazon, but Thriftbooks is also worth a check. They sell used books (some that can be hard to find), and their prices are very reasonable, probably lower than some of the Amazon prices.
All the books are listed as individual titles below. Where they are part of a series or written by the same author, I’ve noted the author/series above the titles. I know that even 3-6 can be quite a maturity and attention span in kiddos, so I’ve noted which ages the books lean toward.
Jane Hissey:
This is a super cute book series based on the adventures of stuffed bears, a zebra, giraffe, owl, and dog. These are wonderful for ages 2+
Robert McCloskey:
All of his classics have the cutest black-and-white drawings! Ages 3+
Make Way for Ducklings. Mama Duck must take her eight ducklings to their new home across the streets of Boston. A great little story of how families work together.
Lentil. When the mayor is coming to town, and suddenly the band is unable to play, can Lentil and his harmonica come to the rescue?
Blueberries for Sal. Picking blueberries with her mama, Sal wanders off and comes face to face with a big, furry animal.
Kim Lewis:
Delightful, realistic stories of children’s interactions with the animals on their farm in the country. The Harry books are about the adventures of a stuffed elephant. Ages 2+
Other:
Prairie Christmas by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. A little girl’s Christmas is interrupted when her mama must go help deliver a neighbor’s baby. But she gets to have a very special part in the welcoming the baby into the world. 6+
When Jessie Came Across the Sea, by Amy Hest. The story of an immigrant girl as she makes her way across the sea to a new life in America. 6+
James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Herriot. A collection of sweet stories, drawn from James Herriot’s classic books about veterinary life. Delightful for ages 3+
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. Madeline, a little girl living at a school in Paris, gets appendicitis. When her friends visit her in the hospital and see all her nice gifts, they leave wanting to have appendicitis too! 3+
Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle. Hetty and Hank live in the mountains, and they grow turnips to sell so they can buy some “creaky, squeaky, shiny shoes.” Along the path to the town, they give away almost all their turnips. Can only one turnip buy them their shoes? A sweet story of sharing. 4+
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton. Mike and his trust steam shovel, Mary Ann, find themselves out of work when fancy new machines take the place of steam-powered ones. But they have one last chance to prove that Mary Ann shouldn’t go to the scrap heap. Can they do it? 2+
Corduroy by Don Freeman. Corduroy is a lonely little bear in a department store, waiting for someone to come and love him. When he realizes he’s missing a button, he goes looking for it and the adventure begins! 2+
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews. The story of a little Inuit girl’s first time going below the ice to gather mussels. 3+
Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley. Piccolo, a cat, enjoys life in the streets of Venice until he meets some rag-tag kittens who adopt him. He doesn’t want to be a papa, but when the kittens go missing, he begins to change his mind. 3+
Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy by Kate Waters. With photographs of reenactors, this book follows a little pilgrim boy on a typical day in his life. This one leans more towards the 6-7 year old age range.
Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Sasha. This has got to be my top favorite of all the books listed here. After a little boy helps his grandma at her seaside food stand, they sail into the night for a delightful surprise. 4+
To close off, just a reminder that you can probably find most of these books within your local library’s system. It’s definitely worth a check first since new books can be pricey!
This is definitely not a full list, especially if I start asking my Mom and older sister for some more recommendations. Let me know in the comments below if you’d like to see a part 2. Happy reading!
One Comment
Lori
Great list, Naomi!!
And of course, I’m going to say go for part 2!!! I love children’s books!!💕