Books for 3-6 year olds.
Because a book a day keeps us going in every which way.
This is our Top Thirty for #KBCBookBingoJr
A Dino Book
The Dinosaur That Pooped A Planet
A hilarious book about a little boy and his dinosaur on a space adventure. But what happens when the hungry dino begins to gobble up everything in sight, including the spaceship? A whole lot of giggles and a super-sonic-poo journey home!
A Book on Good Habits
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth
There’s no time like now to introduce our little ones to the kindest ways we can interact with our planet. Compost Stew is a fun and simple explanation to composting, by using rhyme, letters A-Z and a recipe!
A Dr Seuss Book
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
When all else fails, Dr. Seuss always comes to our rescue and Mr. Brown Can Moo is one of those brilliant books that blends his unique sense of nonsense, perfect rhyme, and onomatopoeia to have the little people mooing, ticktocking and buzzing.
A Boynton Board Book
Our favourite Sandra Boynton book, meet the hippos four and forty, don’t forget the beast, all at the party, they go from one to ten so smartly, and before you know it back to one at the startly.
A Book That Teaches You a Lesson
What happens when dragons take over the earth? Growing, feasting and destroying its resources? What happens when they don’t share the planet with their co-inhabitants, the animals? A beautiful book that had me asking my little ones in earnest – are we these dragons?
A Lift The Flap Book
In this exquisitely illustrated book, all our favourite characters from the classic fairy tales play peek-a-boo. What’s most interesting is that each double spread covers an entire fairytale!
A Bedtime Story
Llama Llama Red Pajama is that wonderful bedtime book for little ones learning the joy of sleeping by themselves. It voices the fear all the kiddos possible feel but don’t articulate, and ever so lovingly and firmly tells baby Llama how mumma’s love is always right there.
A Book By Your Favourite Illustrator
In his classic style of exquisite illustrations and words layered with meaning, in this sequel to Here We Are, Jeffers introduces us to a little girl and her Dad, in a futuristic world where we face the consequences of our actions. His gentle touch reminds are little ones even when all is lost, love and hope can build it again.
A Book with a Quirky Cover
What Can You Do With Red, Yellow And Blue
We bought this gem when R began experimenting with colours; mixing, matching, and making a complete mess. This super fun takes you through the mixing of primary colours and what they make, and of course the vibrant illustrations popping right off the page, tell you all about what things are in those colours.
A Fairytale
Princess Pink and the Land of Fake Believe series – Moldylocks and the Three Beards
This book was a real find for us, a hand me down by a 7 year old, we never thought a 2 and 4 year old would so thoroughly enticed by it. A chapter book, Princess Pink hates everything princessy and everything pink. But in this magical land inside her refrigerator she finds herself in the quirkiest place of all-Fake-believe. With adventures and friendships, this one spins fairy tale characters right round a zany ol’ bend!
A Touch and Feel Book
Touch and feel books are often soft and furry, sometimes scratchy. But Never Touch a Polar Bear is actually full of some amazing textures with rubber. And some interesting facts on animals too! 4 years later, it is probably the only touch and feel book that remains on our shelf.
A Book that was Gifted to You
Kenji and his food are favourites in our house so when my sister gifted this book to R (who obviously thought, yay it’s all about pizza!), we were thrilled. But don’t let the title fool you. Every Night is Pizza Night is about the love of family and food and the role it plays in different cultures. In a world where accepting diversity is one of the greatest gifts we could give our children, this book resonates in more ways than one.
A Book on Mythology
We’ve been on a mythology spree, and inspite of reading over a dozen books on the subject, we keep coming back to this one. The Complete Mahabharata covers the entire epic, from the ancestors of the Pandavs to the war in Kurukshetra and its dramatic culmination. There are chapters dedicated to each major event such as the game of dice. R loves it for its classic old school illustrations, where characters have real expressions, simple language and a climax in each chapter.
A Rhyming Book
An old favourite this book is plain genius, in its rhyme as well as illustrations. And it helps that it brings about the giggles. Imagine a mole, sitting on a pole, or a bee, sitting on a key, or even a lizard curling on a wizard. Funny no? There are other books in the Oi series by Kes Gray.
A Book on Numbers
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars
Remember counting zeroes when we were kids? I see R doing that now and it gives me deja vu. What is a trillion? Is there anything more than a trillion? How much IS a trillion? This wonderful book takes you through space and the world in numbers, starting with just how many stars light up our dark night sky.
A Yellow Coloured Book
Gajapati Kulapati Kalicha Kulicha
A much awaited book for both kids. We love gentle Gajapati Kulapati, and we love muddy puddles too! This one was especially fun as we see a playful side to Gaja, as he runs away from his bath. We also love the way the onomatopoeia and stories from the earlier books are revisited here! Another winner in this series.
A Funny Book
Newson and Ross introduce us to a spritely little mouse. One who is convinced he’s a tiger. Until he’s not of course. Because then he’s something even more magnificent! All about a bird that looks like a lollipop and snake that looks like a banana, both kids adore this book, and spend most of it in splits, calling me, Mumma, a cupcake and each other some befuddling different things.
A Book by an Indian Author
The rare diamond one finds in the most random of moments, Fauja Singh came into our life when we were looking for a book on ‘trying’ and countering the ‘I can’ts’. A true story this book is about the oldest person to every run a marathon, 100 year old Fauja. Born weak, and unable to walk, Fauja dreamed of running, and held to heart his Mother’s words, words we now repeat every day too; “you know what you are capable of. Today is a chance to do your best.” This one is for the grownups too!
An Informative Book
As a family, we’re information junkies, so when it comes to books, it’s no different. Avid readers and fans of Gail Gibbons and Let’s Read and Find Out (series): Energy from the Picture Book Science has been a recent find. The best part about it, is that it simplifies a vague and yet multi-meaning concept as energy so wonderfully that R and S both understand it perfectly. While equating energy to wanting to run, but also to what things are made of, this book has us excited about exploring more concepts from the series.
A Book on Transport/Vehicles
We are transport obsessed and our shelves are packed with books about trucks, vehicles, rockets. But this book is just so different. When a young boy in a most earnest way, dreams of the most fantastical thing he would make for a car for himself, we see just where imagination can take the mind. With pools, and undentable bumpers, wings and fancy material, this book reads magical and sweet. But the conversations it has inspired, and the exploration, whether it be on what different materials can be used or the pure wonder on what R would like HIS spacecraft to be like, has given us a whole new love for things that go.
A Sound Book
Write and Wipe ABC with Sounds: Listen to Learn
Sound books are such fun for the younger ones but this one is a prize for the older lot too. A book about the alphabet, we love that you can trace, listen to the sounds of the object associated with the letter, and see more than a few things for each letter, ABC with Sounds is never boring. Plus, it’s quite incredible that 4 years on, the sound, clarity and volume remains as good as new!
A One Word Title Book
There is one word to describe this book. Hilarious! When this little guy starts thinking he’s going to fall apart, you can’t help but laugh at his expressions and the dramatic prose. Who could think a tooth falling out could create such havoc for little people? A great one to introduce parts of the body that shed or secrete. Expect a good amount of.. ahem.. digging, after! (here are the other 2 books in this series)
A Book on Any Festival
Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever
Our favourite for the year, this Christmas story follows reindeer Dasher on his first journey to the North Pole, accompanying no other than Santa Clause. Warm, poignant, and just so Christmasy, we would pick this one up for a read, on any day of any season.
A Book That Has Siblings
R has a baby sister. One who has aspired to catch up to him (maybe even beat him) since the day she met him. So when we read this story, R burst into a smile for it was so utterly relatable for him, when little critter has a little sister that constantly says Me Too!
A Book about Animals/Birds
The kids love animals. But they probably love animal poop more! This perfectly descriptive, not too long, very interesting, and only slightly gross book takes you through animals and their poo, with fun facts. Expect laughter and a whole lot of fascination!
A Book About Space/Solar System
Mumma loves the underdog. And so it’s only natural that half our book is about rising to the challenge. Papa, on the other hand, is space obsessed, following every space mission in complete detail with his pint sized babies. So this has been one book that brings joy to us as a family. Mousetronaut is about the tiniest little mouse Meteor, who, on his journey during a magnificent space mission, rises to be a saviour when no one expects much of him. A brilliantly realistic picture of space and this mouse that makes your heart melt, Mousetronaut is one we’ll hold on to forever.
A Picture Book
A wordless book, the story follows a young girl, lonely and bored, as she draws her way into a magical adventure. Boats and moats, friends and fiends, her red chalk takes her on a wondrous journey. A Caldecott Honor book, this is a must have!
Here are the other 2 books in this series – Quest & Return
A Sea Creatures Book
Did you know Papa Seahorses carry their eggs in a little pocket in their belly till they’re ready to hatch? We love joining Mr Seahorse on his float through the waters as he meets other prospective parents (read sea creatures). The kids love the transparent pages that make for a game of hide and seek.
A Monster Book
R isn’t one for the scary stuff. And I find even the illustrations on this book a tad creepy. But he adores it! When a little boy escapes into his imagination conquering monsters and making all kinds of grumpus with them, the book levitates into a place of fun. Still not a fan, but the boy-o is so it is only fair we include this one!
A Book with Magic
For a cautious child, this book is a magic hat. When a little bunny, who forever says “I can’t”, is presented with a magical hat by a wise old bear, he can suddenly do anything and everything. But when he loses the hat, will he lose the magic? A beautiful story of spirit and trying, that maybe just maybe, will make your little one want to try some more. Because the real magic is inside us, right?
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