The best books for 4 year olds, picked by what they love right now
Chants, rhymes, a pigeon who wants to drive and a crayon that draws a world. Picture books for the age of joining in and big feelings.
The best books for 4 year olds let them join in and feel big things safely. Start with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems, add Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak for big feelings, and Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson for imagination. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a playful first alphabet book.
Four-year-olds are all in. They shout the refrain, act out the bear hunt, argue with the main character and ask for the same book six nights running. Feelings run big at this age, and so does imagination. The best books for 4 year olds give them something to join in on, something to feel, and something to pretend, with pictures rich enough to look at for a long time. These are the best picture books for 4 year olds we know, sorted by what they do best.
Every title below is a real, published book, checked against its publisher, a library record or the American Library Association’s award lists. Where a publisher gives an age range, we include it. Most are classics you can find at any library.
What 4 year olds love in a book right now
- Joining in. Rhymes, refrains and repeated lines they can say with you before they can read them.
- Talking back. Characters who ask the reader a question, or need a firm “No!”
- Big feelings, safely. Anger, worry and wanting something badly, in a story that ends well.
- Make-believe. A box that is not a box, a crayon that draws a whole world.
Reading Rockets’ tips for parents of preschoolers fit this age well: read with humor and expression, use different voices, ask questions about what is happening on the page, and read the favorite for the hundredth time.
Best books for 4 year olds to join in on
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
A read-aloud classicA family sets off on a bear hunt through grass, a river, mud and more, with a chant that repeats at every obstacle. By the second reading your four-year-old will be leading the chant and doing the actions. Then comes the bear.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Ages 4 to 8The letters of the alphabet race each other up a coconut tree, until there is too much weight at the top. The bouncing rhythm makes it a joy to read out loud. It is also a gentle way to meet every letter by name, which makes it a fine pick for a four-year-old who is curious about reading.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Ages 4 to 8Pete walks down the street in his brand-new white shoes, stepping in strawberries, blueberries and worse, and his shoes keep changing color. He never gets upset: he keeps singing his song. Kids shout out the colors, and the cheerful message about not sweating small stuff lands without a lecture.
Books for 4 year olds who like to be in charge
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Caldecott Honor, 2004The bus driver has to step away and asks one thing of the reader: do not let the pigeon drive the bus. The pigeon begs, bargains and finally melts down. Four-year-olds love saying “No!” to someone else for once, and many recognize the tantrum.
The Gruffalo
Ages 3 to 7A mouse takes a stroll through the deep dark wood and keeps hungry predators away by describing a terrifying creature called the Gruffalo. Then the Gruffalo turns up. The rhymes are irresistible, and a small, clever hero is exactly who a four-year-old wants to be.
Books about big feelings
Where the Wild Things Are
Caldecott Medal, 1964Max makes mischief in his wolf suit, gets sent to bed without supper and sails away to where the wild things are. He tames them, rules them, and then wants to go home. More than sixty years on, it is still one of the great picture books about anger and coming back from it.
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
Ages 4 to 8The Color Monster wakes up confused, with his feelings all mixed up, and a child helps him sort each one into its own jar, each with its own color. It gives four-year-olds simple words for what they feel. The colors make an easy shorthand at home: “Are you feeling red right now?”
Corduroy
A classic since 1968Corduroy is a teddy bear in a department store, missing a button on his overalls. When a girl named Lisa wants him and her mother says no, he goes looking for his button after the store closes. A tender story about wanting something, and being wanted just as you are.
Books that feed their imagination
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Ages 4 to 8One evening Harold decides to go for a walk in the moonlight, drawing the whole world as he goes with one big purple crayon. Woods, seas and a dragon appear and then he draws his way back to bed. Expect a request for a purple crayon right after.
Not a Box
Geisel Honor, 2007A grown-up voice keeps asking a little rabbit why he is sitting in a box. The rabbit insists it is not a box, and the pictures show what it really is. Few words, big idea: perfect for a child who can turn anything into anything.
The Snowy Day
Caldecott Medal, 1963Peter wakes up to snow and spends the day exploring it: footprints, snow angels and a snowball he tries to save in his pocket. It is quiet and simple, and captures a four-year-old’s sense of wonder exactly. A good choice for calmer bedtimes.
Our own pick, clearly labeled
Full disclosure: we publish this one, so it is not ranked against the classics above. The Money & Business Library is five illustrated picture books for ages 4 to 8 that follow money from a first dollar to a small business. The first, Penny Makes a Dollar, is written for ages 4 to 6: Penny wants something she can’t have, so she works out how to make it happen herself. At four, that is about as far as money needs to go. You can see the set in the box below.
How to read with a 4 year old
- Ham it up. Different voices for different characters. Your four-year-old will not judge.
- Leave gaps. In a rhyming book, stop before the rhyme and let them fill it in.
- Point at words now and then. Reading Rockets suggests showing that we read left to right and that spaces separate words. That is plenty of “learning to read” for most four-year-olds.
- Stop when they’re done. If attention drifts, put the book away and try again later. That is not failure.
Moving up? See our picks for 5 year olds, or start at the beginning with 3 year olds.
Questions parents ask
What kind of books are best for 4 year olds?
Picture books with rhyme, repetition and a simple, strong story. Four-year-olds love joining in on a refrain, talking back to characters and stories about big feelings that end well. Reread favorites as often as they ask.
What books help a 4 year old learning to read?
At four, reading aloud does most of the work. Alphabet and rhyming books such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom build an ear for letters and sounds. Pointing out that we read left to right, and spotting words around town, is plenty of practice for most four-year-olds.
Are there good books about feelings for 4 year olds?
Yes. The Color Monster by Anna Llenas gives each feeling a color and a jar, and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak shows a child getting angry and coming home again. Both open easy conversations about how your child feels.
How long should I read to my 4 year old?
As long as they are enjoying it. Reading Rockets suggests reading together every day and putting the book away for a while if your child loses interest. Ten happy minutes beat thirty restless ones.
Sources
Written by the WonderLab Journal editorial desk and checked against the sources above. Found something out of date? Tell us through the corrections page.
