Looking for the best books for 3 years old? Here is a list of carefully chosen popular preschooler books that may become the favorite books of your three-year-old.
Are you enjoying reading books to your kids and looking for some more suggestions? Here is a carefully compiled list of books you can read to your three-year-old kid.
The list has a variety of books loved by children around the world, some are all-time favorite picture books of kids with great illustrations, some are good for early learning, some they will love because they can relate to it, some are popular classics or so-called fairy tales. Just go through the list of books and select books based on your kids’ interest for your kid’s library.
>>> HERE ARE 40+ MOST POPULAR BOOKS THAT MOMS REALLY BUY
Hope this list of books for 3-year-olds below will help you find books of your choice.
Don’t miss out on our Top Picks for your 3 year Old child
| Best Books | Buy on Amazon.in | Buy on Amzon.com |
| The Wonky Donkey | Click here | Click here |
| The Gruffalo | Click here | Click here |
| Grumpy Monkey | Click here | Click here |
| How to Catch a Mermaid | Click here | Click here |
| Giraffes Can’t Dance | Click here | Click here |
| The Wonderful things you will be | Click here | Click here |
✅ Best Books for 3 Years Olds
The Wonderful things you will be – (Must have Children’s book with a beautiful message)
A truly wonderful book that you will love reading to your child again and again.
This book expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. A beautiful book with soft illustrations and simple word has a beautiful message that we must read to our kids
Click here to read ‘The wonderful things you will be’ review
TRENDING >> DO NOT MISS MANY MORE FREE worksheets and printable pdf here
Dragons love Tacos
Now, this book has mixed reviews on Amazon, why is it there in our list because it has 2000 above reviews and a rating close to 5.
All Dragons love tacos but if they eat spicy salsa – oh boy you are in trouble. So this is a silly story with fun illustrations. Do read its review (click here to read its review) before you buy this one.
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Especially check out negative reviews here. Also, I love this book and toy set combination. Having a toy brings out the best of experiences when reading a book.
The Very Busy Spider – (Best Seller in Children’s Environment Books)
A wonderful book for kids from 2 to 5 years.
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It’s a story of a spider who spins her web. One by one the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, but she keeps working diligently at her work. And when she is done she is able to show everyone is what she created is not only beautiful but also useful.
This is one book that is loved by kids. It is a ‘touch and feel’ book. Kids are not only able to see the pictures but also feel them.
Do check out customers’ reviews of the very busy spider (click here) especially negative ones, as few people were unhappy as they mistake have ordered a smaller copy. So if you want to buy the bigger version get the Board book here.
You may want to check this TRENDING article on>>> “ How to teach PHONICS to children”<<<
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! : By Mo Willems
Pigeon is a little new character in the world of children’s books, but undoubtedly the most loved one too.
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This little cute bird keeps negotiating for something, which will be quite familiar for three-years-old leaving their “Terrible Twos†and stepping into the new phase of life..which consists of questions like “Why Can’t I do that? Why can’t I eat that?†Pigeon is just wonderful. This is a very good book for kids of this age.
I personally did not enjoy this book much and was a bit disappointed. But I know there are few kids who love this book.
The Gruffalo : By Julia Donaldson (Must have classic children’s book)
The wonderful book or I should say one of the finest books of Julia Donaldson.
The wonderfully rhymed tale of a mouse who invents a fearsome creature called the Gruffalo to ward off enemies is both amusing and a marvelous lesson in quick-thinking and imagination.
Check Our honest Book Review : The Gruffalo
Also Read – Most Popular Books by Julia Donaldson
You can find more Gruffalo toys here
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Running out of ideas to keep your child constructively engaged? Check out this meticulously curated Exhaustive Resource treasure all for FREE
Room on the broom: By Julia Donaldson (a story of friendship and adventure)
Another great book by Julia Donaldson. I and my kid both are big fans of this book. We love to read it again and again with the same enthusiasm and happiness.
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A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations and lovely rhythmic phrases.
A must read book for all kids.
Check our Honest Book Review : Room on the Broom
Julia Donaldson Collection
If you are fond of Julia Donaldson books, then here is something you should not miss.
Julia Donaldson is the author of some of the world’s best-loved children’s books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, which together have sold over 17 million copies worldwide. This collection has some very good books by Julia Donaldson including the superhit classics.
Hands Are Not for Hitting (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)
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These are much-needed books for all parents and kids. These board books with simple words and colourful illustrations are quite helpful. Especially the guide at the end helps parents a lot.
Olivia : By Ian Falconer (Classic children’s book)
If I say in simple words then, this pig in a dress is the best.
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Olivia’s imagination, energy, and sometimes stubborn behavior are like that three-year-old can easily relate to very easily. They see themselves reflected and be instantly delighted.
A fun book loved by kids of this age.
Check out this ULTIMATE Homeschooling Bundle– something you just can’t afford to miss!
The Mixed-Up Chameleon: By Eric Carle (A book to teach about Colours, animals and with a beautiful message)
By the author of the all-time favorite book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this is another great book by him.
I think what works is that it fuses the perfect trio of elements — the rainbow of colors, a menagerie of animals, and a fount of imagination — for the interests of a kid in his or her third year of life.
Thus a must-read book for kids, which you may have to read again and again. A beautiful message to give to kids – being yourself is the best). Click here to read all reviews
For Eric Carle fans like us, you may want to check out this sticker set. It’s such a hit!
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Cars and Trucks and Things That Go : By Richard Scarry (A book for Vehicle loving kids)
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A lovely book especially when your kid is vehicle obsessed.
But even if cars and trucks don’t rev your three-year-old’s engines, the hunt for Goldbug in each scene (each page is a busy burst of activity in Scarry’s magnificent style) will have them eager to explore.
There are two more books by Richard Scarry that we love and would love to mention here as they are lovely – one is this – what do people do all day and this learning picture book
What the ladybird heard: By Julia Donaldson (Great to teach about farm animals and picture book on police theme)
A lovely short story about farm animals and a ladybird. A ladybird who had never said a word saved the farmer’s cow from getting stolen with her smart trick.
A nice book loved by kids because of the cute illustrations and nice storyline.
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Check out this ladybird book craft idea by Disha Turakhia Shah of momkid.smartplay
You can do this activity after finishing the book; this activity can teach your child colors, numbers, and pattern recognition.
- Make 10-12 ladybirds in different colors
- Let your child color and put the dots on the ladybirds.
- on an A3 sheet (you may use A4 too) make colorful dots in different rows with varying combinations.
- hide all the ladybirds in a tray full of lentils or sand, you may even get green leaves, as ladybirds eat aphids found on leaves.
- Ask your child to find the ladybirds and put them on the adjacent columns according to the pattern on the first column.
Here is another QUICK & EASY DIY craft activity on Ladybird.
Check Book Review: What the Ladybird Heard
Monkey Puzzle – Julia Donaldson
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You would have realized by now that we are big fans of Oliver Jeffers and Julia Donaldson’s books. Check out my review below.
DO you know how to introduce “Safe and Unsafe Touch” to your child? Here is our comprehensive guide on How to Teach Safe and Unsafe Touch to Preschoolers (Includes Best good touch bad touch books for preschoolers)
Blue Hat, Green Hat: By Sandra Boynton (It’s a silly funny book for kids)
This book is about some silly animals doing silly things. This book has some really fun rhythm and a very silly wardrobe exchange between an elephant, a bear, a moose, and a misinformed turkey.
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When your child gets the funny part of the book i.e. the joke, you’ll have the endless laughter of your kids. You will likely have to read Blue Hat, Green Hat again and again and again, but that’s a charm of this book.
So this is a fun book so you can go for it.
If you are teaching your child how to read, you may want to check this article on Phonics for beginners
The Incredible Book Eating Boy : By Oliver Jeffers (a charming a quirky picture book)
One of the favorite picture books of kids from Oliver Jeffers. The story is about a boy who loves to eat books and as a result, he gets smarter. A cute book that may become the most loved book of your kid and soon you will be looking for some more picture books from Oliver Jeffers.
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Don’t be surprised, if you overhear your kid telling his friends that Oliver Jeffers is his favorite author.
We love reading Oliver Jeffers’s book and had got this set of books and they are our all-time favorites.
Lost and Found: By Oliver Jeffers (a lovely story about friendship)
A lovely story about friendship and loneliness. The story is about a penguin who comes to the front doorstep of a small boy, the boy thought the penguin is lost and goes out to take him to his rightful owner. But the twist comes when he found no one around looking for a missing pet penguin, then the little boy decides to take the penguin to the south poles.
As we move ahead, we realize that maybe home wasn’t what the penguin was looking for after all.
This is really a cute story with beautiful and catchy illustrations. You and your kid would love to read it again and again.
A must-have book for kids.
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We also love these 3 books from Oliver Jeffers
- How to catch a star (available on Amazon.in here)
- The way back home (available on Amazon.in here )
- Here we are (available on Amazon.in here )
Bog Baby: By Jeanne Willis
The story is about two sisters who go fishing in the magic pond and to their surprise, they found a bog baby instead of a frog. They were excited and frightened so they decided to keep their discovery secret but it proves difficult when the bog baby soon gets sick.
At last, girls realized they have to tell their mother who patiently listened to them and then gave them a valuable lesson about letting go of something or someone they love.
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The Tiger Who Came to Tea : By Judith Kerr
A funny story about a tiger and a little girl and her mother. The story starts with little Sophie who sits down to eat with her mother when a big furry stripy tiger comes to their door and rings the doorbell and asks to have tea with them. As he was quite hungry, happily he ate and drank everything from home even the water from the tap.
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And when very politely with a big grin he leaves the house, Sophie and her mother realize that there’s nothing for a father to have when he comes home from work even Sophie couldn’t take bath because there is no water on tap. At last, the family ends up having supper in a nearby cafe.
The book has cute illustrations which kids love to see.
Harold and the Purple Crayon : By Crockett Johnson (imagination sparking picture book for kids)
The book is about a boy Harold who draws his way to adventure with his ever-present purple crayon. He draws roads, apple trees, a dragon for a pet, and a wavy sea before finally drawing his bedroom window so he can crawl into bed and go to sleep.
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Kids love the idea of drawing some personal realities and have some fun with them. Check out all customer reviews here.
The Day the Crayons Quit
We love both the books in this series – The day the Crayons quit and the day the crayons came home. We loved the illustrations and the simple story.
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Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. For what happens next you need to read the book.
I Love You to the Moon and Back
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This is one of the cutest books ever. And a must-have in your children’s bookshelf.
This is a perfect book for toddlers and babies. So if you do not yet have it in your bookshelf – you can order this today
Gajapati Kulapati : By Tulika Publication
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The story is about a friendly elephant named Gajapati Kulapati who gets sick due to rain. And because of that, he caught a big cold. Because of his cold and big sneeze he has hurt some of his good friends. But as he is a friendly elephant he hides behind the wall because he doesn’t want to hurt his friends.
The story has a lovely end when all the villagers make a house for Gajapati Kulapati so that he doesn’t get wet ever again.
Where The Wild Things Are – By Maurice Sendak – A timeless classic perfect for the toddlers
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Where the Wild Things Are is a timeless classic that continues to win over the hearts of children.
The simple, rhyming text and expressive illustrations are just as appealing today as they were when I was a child.
Where the Wild Things Are is a heartwarming story of a young boy named Max and his adventures. The story is just 338 words long and despite its short length has gone on to win many accolades along the way.
This story begins when Max dresses up as a wolf and wreaks havoc in his own home. He is severely scolded by his mother and is sent back to his bedroom without supper. Max is dejected and upset and that is when he watches his bedroom undergo an astonishing transformation. He watches as his bedroom turns into a jungle and an ocean appears out of nowhere. Max sails into that ocean and reaches an island inhabited by nasty beasts simply called The Wild Things. His adventures there make up the core of the story.
The book Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most popular animal-themed books amongst kids. It’s a must-read book for your toddler and preschooler.
Giraffes Can’t Dance – By Giles Andreae
In case you’re wondering why Melman of the Madagascar fame initially can’t dance, only on the third installment of the franchise did he learn to dance with the aid of Gloria the hippopotamus, then you might want to get the Giraffes Can’t Dance and read it together with your child to learn more about the reason why giraffes can’t dance.
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Gerald the Giraffe, like Madagascar’s Melman, is one clumsy 4-legged, long-necked mammal. Because of his rather slender and quite inflexible legs, dancing isn’t really one of his fortes. Unlike the rocking and rolling rhinos and lions doing tango, Gerald lives a rather sad existence, having been rejected by the other animals in the story. But things did change as Gerald started to make those dance moves that can even make John Travolta and the other stars of Footloose blush.
The story is all about trying to fit in. And while the recommended age of the book is between 3 and 6 years of age, we found it very helpful for young readers to realize that it’s perfectly okay to be different as well as how they can achieve something in an entirely different way.
Giraffes Can’t Dance is one of the most popular animal-themed books for toddlers and preschoolers. It also imparts values apart from a great story. A must-have book in your collection
You may like to read this article by a Dentist mom on ORAL DENTAL CARE TIPS
If Animals Kissed Good Night – By Ann Whitford Paul
We all bid our kids a good night’s sleep with a kiss. Do you ever wonder what animal mommies do to their own kids as they are put to bed?
The book If Animals Kissed Good Night is every toddler’s dream. This book provides an excellent combination of childish animal pictures in a nursery rhyme-y type of bedtime chat. It’s perfect for bringing our kids to sleep while providing them with the necessary stimulus for optimum brain and cognitive development.
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The playful rhyming verses provide an introduction to prose which young kids may also find appealing, mimicking the full rhythm of life itself. The read-aloud experience is sure to help in growing and enhancing your child’s vocabulary, paving the way for the optimum development in his or her language and speech skills.
The illustrations are done in soft watercolors providing a calmer and more soothing ambiance to reading at bedtime.
Animals Kissed Good Night is one of the most popular and best bedtime storybooks that I have come across. A must-read book for your toddler or preschooler.
Grumpy Monkey (a picture book to teach kids about emotions)
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A story of a chimpanzee who is in a very bad mood. A great book to learn how to handle their emotions and feelings
Just Go to Bed (Little Critter) (Great book to introduce kids to their bedtime routine)
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I am yet to come across a kid who wants to go to bed. So both parents and kids would love and relate to this cute book
All by Myself (Little Critter) A perfect way to teach children about independence
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Another book in the series that kids and parents would love and it’s available in India at an affordable price
Corduroy (Must have on your children’s bookshelf)
A lovely beautiful story of a teddy bear in a departmental store. Truly a heartwarming story and a must-have in your collection. If you love Corduroy – you will also love this Corduroy bear.
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If you love bear books and adventure books – you would also love this one. It is also available in India here
The Gruffalo’s Child : By Julia Donaldson
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Another lovely book by Julia Donaldson. If your kid is a big fan of Julia Donaldson like mine then you should buy this book for your kid. The kids feel more attached to this book as this is about Gruffalo’s child, who wants to know about big bad mouse and wants to meet him personally.
You can say it’s a kind of sequel to the book The Gruffalo, and it has the same charm as her previous book.
What Should Danny Do? School Day (The Power to Choose Series)
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This is one the bestsellers as it teaches kids life’s most important lessons in a fun interactive way. A must have to help your kid.
My Magical Words (The Magic of Me Series) – best book to increase confidence and promote strong self-esteem
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It is very important for our kids to learn that their words have power and how they speak about themselves is important. So this is a must-have book on your bookshelf
The Three Billy Goats Gruff : By Irene Yates
This is a wonderful story of three billy goat brothers named Gruff. A very well illustrated short story that tells about how three goat brothers smartly handle the hungry troll and save their life.
Your little one will surely love this book.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears: By Nicola Baxter
This is a very well illustrated picture book telling the story of a naughty little girl Goldilocks and three bears. Read the book and find out how the little girl met the bear family.
A wonderful book loved by kids. Your kid will ask you read the story again and again.
Above mentioned books are very good books in their own way. Besides above all books you can also read all-time classic stories for your kid like “Cinderella”, “Rapunzel”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Treasure Island”, “Alibaba and 40 thieves”, “Panchtantra”, “The Elves and the Shoemaker, “Princess and the Frog” etc.
The Best of Children’s Poetry
Children love rhyming sentences and books that have stories framed with rhyming sentences are a hit with them.
The Giving Tree – One of the best Children’s Poetry books
>>> Check out this list of – best Children’s Poetry <<<
Books for 3-year-olds India
All the books listed above can be bought in India through Amazon.in. Some very popular Children’s books publishers are Tulika, Pratham, Tata books, Karadi Tales. The illustrations, language, and stories are all in the Indian context. Some of these publishers have books in more than one Indian language. Popular regional languages that they publish in are Tamil, Gujrati & Marathi.
Best activity books for 3 year olds
Here we have some exceptionally curated activity books, that are fun and educational at the same time. Be a part of your child’s journey of fun learning.
These Activity books are loved by all the children & you can never go wrong with them.
✅ Best Interactive books for kids
Apart from the usual storybooks here I have made a list of the best interactive books for 2 to 5 years old that you can invest in.
Click here to see the list of best interactive books for kids if you are outside India
Click here to see the list of best interactive books for kids if you are in India
What is an interactive book?
Interactive books are where kids can do something with the book apart from the story for e.g. magnet books, wipe and clean books, puppet books, sound books, books with toy sets, lift the flap books.
Best preschool books for 3 year olds
Preschool curriculum includes teaching about the following:-
- Seasons round the year, Calendar days, and months– Check your Child’s first calendar here
- Colors– Check out this exciting book on colors and shapes with 100 stickers
- Fruits and vegetables– Click here to get the bestselling set of 12 coloring books includes books on Fruits and vegetables.
- Shapes and other objects– Check out this must-have complete learning set of 10 board books
- Coloring– Here is a set of 8 coloring books, one of the best rated on amazon.
>>> YOU JUST CAN’T-MISS THIS – ANIMALS ACTIVITY PDF BUNDLE FOR PRESCHOOL FLASH SALE <<<
Here are some amazing books and bundles for preschool children that they can use at home with little support and guidance from their parents or caregivers.
✅ Best early learning book for 2 to 5-year-olds (preschoolers)
All books help kids learn something, but here is a list of books that you can use to help your child learn about the alphabet, numbers, science, your body, space, animals, and many such topics
Click here to see our handpicked list of Best learning books for kids from Amazon.com
Hope you have liked the above book recommendations. The list contains some all-time favorite bedtime stories of kids, some good children books for preschoolers. Choose the book you think your kid will love to listen to.
Happy Reading !!
Liked this post – Must have books for preschoolers?
You may also want to read our popular post to keep your 3 year old engaged – 10 fun games for three year olds
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Do tell us what are your favorite toddler or preschooler books or books that you will recommend for 2 to 3 years old. If you want to add any children book to the list of must have books for 3 year olds. Let us know using comments below, we would love to hear from you.
