Books for 4-Year-Olds: What to Read in the Pre-K Year

Your four-year-old has moved past board books and now wants the story with the monster. The best books for 4 year olds keep up: longer plots, real jokes, first facts and a few brave stories for the pre-K year. Here are 24 verified books for four year olds, grouped by stage.

What changes at age 4, and why it changes the bookshelf

Age four is when a child starts to hold a whole story in their head. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists "recalls part of a story" and "tells longer stories" among the milestones for four- to five-year-olds (HealthyChildren.org). That is your sign to move from pattern books to books where something goes wrong and gets fixed.

The same AAP page lists "well-developed imaginative play" and calls the monsters and dragons in a four-year-old's talk normal tall tales. Books with a wolf suit or a witch on a broom feed that pretend play. Your child will act them out the next morning.

Four-year-olds also ask why about everything, which makes this the age for first nonfiction. And they notice print: the AAP lists "prints some letters" at four to five, so alphabet books land as games instead of drills.

Should a 4-year-old be reading?

A four-year-old does not need to read alone. ZERO TO THREE, the early childhood nonprofit, says early literacy does not mean early reading, and that formal instruction for a child who is not ready can lead them to associate books with failure (ZERO TO THREE). The goal this year is a child who loves stories and plays with letters and sounds.

Some children start to read simple words at four. That is fine, and it is no reason to stop reading aloud.

How to choose books for a 4-year-old, step by step

Choosing pre-K books gets easier once you know what to look for on the page. Use these steps in a library or a store.

1. Read the first spread out loud. A book that sets up a problem in the first two pages will hold a four-year-old.
2. Look for a joke the child can catch. Four-year-olds love being smarter than the character: a pigeon who begs, a bear who misses the obvious.
3. Check the length against bedtime. Most books here read aloud in five to ten minutes. Keep one longer book for weekends.
4. Add one nonfiction book to every library stack. Pick a subject your child already asks about, such as animals or seeds.
5. Match one book to what is coming up. A story about starting pre-K or a new sibling gives your child words before the day arrives.
6. Let your child pick one book alone. A child who chooses a book listens with more attention, even on the fortieth read.

LibraryRead sample storybooksBooks made with KidTeller

The part parents get wrong: reading level

Parents often ask what reading level a four-year-old is at, then pick easy readers. At this age, listening level matters more: The Gruffalo runs about 700 words in rhyming couplets (Wikipedia), far beyond what a four-year-old could decode. Choose for the ear, and save leveled readers for later.

The best books for 4 year olds, by stage

Pre-K books fall into six groups, one for each thing four-year-olds love to do. Age bands are guidance: an older three or a younger five may enjoy the same books.

Story picture books with a real plot. A problem, rising trouble and an ending that resolves it.

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Harper & Row, 1963). Max, in a wolf suit, is sent to his room without supper and imagines his way to the wild things.
• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (Macmillan, 1999). A mouse strolls through the wood past one predator after another; the repeated lines invite your child in.
• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (Macmillan, 2001). A witch drops her hat, bow and wand, and each animal that helps wants a ride.
• Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (Hyperion, 2004). At the laundromat, Trixie, too young to speak in words, cannot explain to her father what is missing. A 2005 Caldecott Honor book.
• Corduroy by Don Freeman (Viking, 1968). A toy bear in a department store wants many things, and a little girl gives him the one he wanted most.
• Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (W. R. Scott, 1940). Monkeys steal a sleeping peddler's caps, and children love guessing how he gets them back.

Funny books and absurd ones. Humor makes a four-year-old ask for a book again.

• Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems (Hyperion, 2003). The pigeon begs, and your child gets to shout "No!" on every page. A 2004 Caldecott Honor book (Wikipedia).
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (2013). Duncan's crayons write him letters of complaint; best for older fours who know their colors.
• I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick, 2011). A bear hunts for his hat, and the pictures hold the clue he keeps missing.
• The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak (2014). Every word on the page has to be said by the reader, so the grown-up says ridiculous things.
• Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (2012). Dragons love tacos, but spicy salsa spells disaster.

First series characters. A character who returns gives a four-year-old something to look forward to.

• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean. Self-published in 2008, then picked up by HarperCollins (Wikipedia), it is written as a song you can sing.
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney (2005). Baby Llama hollers for Mama at bedtime; the first book in the Llama Llama series.
• We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems (2010). Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of being read. The Elephant & Piggie series began in 2007 with Today I Will Fly! among the first two books.

First nonfiction for the "why" stage. Fact books show that books hold answers as well as stories.

• What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (2003). How animals use noses, ears, tails, eyes, mouths and feet. A 2004 Caldecott Honor book.
• A Seed Is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle Books, 2007). The surprising world of seeds, from the pair's nature series (Chronicle Books).
• Little Kids First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields (National Geographic Kids, 2011). Short answers to preschool why questions; read two or three pages at a time.

Letters and early phonics play. At four, letters work best as characters and jokes.

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert (Simon & Schuster, 1989). The alphabet in rhyming couplets with a beat to chant.
• Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss (1963). Silly characters for every letter train the ear for first sounds.
• LMNO Peas by Keith Baker (2010). Little peas show their jobs from astronaut to zoologist.
• Z Is for Moose by Kelly Bingham, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky (2012). Moose behaves badly when his letter goes by: a letter book with a plot.

Big feelings and the pre-K transition

Starting school brings worries a four-year-old cannot always name, and these three books supply the words.

• The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak (1993). Chester the raccoon is reluctant to start school, and his mother gives him a secret way to carry her love (Wikipedia).
• Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney (2009). Llama Llama's first day at nursery school.
• Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes (2000). A mouse who worries about everything faces the first day of nursery school.

For simpler feelings books for younger siblings, see books that help toddlers manage their emotions.

Books for four year olds at a glance

A balanced stack mixes the groups. Every book here works as a read-aloud at four.

Which one to start with

The right first book depends on your child. A performer wants Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, and a child full of whys wants What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?. A child about to start pre-K needs The Kissing Hand a few weeks before the first day.

Tips for reading together at 4

Reading with a four-year-old works best as a conversation. Pause before a page turn and ask what will happen next; a wrong guess teaches as much as a right one.

Let your child finish the repeated lines in The Gruffalo or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Matching the words they know to the words on the page is an early step toward reading. Now and then, run a finger under the title on the cover to show that the marks carry the words.

Mix in other kinds of books. A wordless book lets your child tell the story (how wordless picture books spark creativity), and short fairy tales add the classic patterns of three (classic fairy tales for kids by age).

Let your child read it back to you

After the fifth reading of a favorite, hand the book over and ask your child to read it to you. They will tell the story from the pictures and from memory. This pretend reading shows they understand the plot, the order of events and how a book works.

Common mistakes with books for 4-year-olds

• Mistake: buying leveled readers too early. Easy readers are built for decoding; a rich picture book builds more vocabulary at four.
• Mistake: skipping the silly books. Funny books are the ones that make a child ask for more reading.
• Mistake: reading only stories. A child who asks why all day may love fact books most.
• Mistake: saving the school book for the first day. Read it several times in the weeks before, so the story is familiar.
• Mistake: stopping the read-aloud once your child reads. Keep going long after; see read-aloud books for kids for picks that grow with them.

When your child wants the same book every night

Many four-year-olds ask for one book for weeks, and that is normal. Repetition lets them predict, retell and memorize. Offer a new book first, then read the favorite last.

Your pre-K book checklist

• One story with a real plot, such as The Gruffalo or Corduroy.
• One funny book, such as Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!.
• One series character, such as Pete the Cat or Llama Llama.
• One nonfiction book about a question your child asked this week.
• One letter book, such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
• One book for what is coming, such as The Kissing Hand before school starts.

For seasonal additions, see these fall books for kids and the children's books kids aged 2 to 8 love. Dinosaur fans can try these short dinosaur stories for 4-year-olds.

Four-year-olds love to see themselves as the hero. KidTeller makes a picture book starring your child: add a photo, pick a theme such as Adventure, Friendship or Bedtime, and the story structure is tuned for ages three to seven around a clear rule of three. Have it narrated in your own cloned voice, read it in the app or on the web, or order a printed softcover copy.

Try itCreate a personalized storybookYour child's name and photo, a story in minutes