It’s never too early to begin reading to your child, but three is a great age to engage your child in listening to and interacting with books. The best books for 3-year-olds will be engaging and fun for both of you. With so many books to choose from, it can be hard to know what books are going to be a hit. I have compiled a list of my favorites and other parent-recommended options for you to choose from.
Best Books for 3-Year-Olds
5-Minute Disney Junior Stories, Clifford Collection, and A Collection of Stories for 3-Year-Olds are all collections of stories, but 5-Minute Stories is the longest, while A Collection of Stories is the shortest.
Sheep in a Shop
Sheep in a Shop is one of a series of delightful books about sheep who are surprisingly non-sheep like. They have ambition and energy and get themselves into trouble.
The language and rhyme are fun to read out loud and the stories are entertaining to kids and adults. Our first “sheep” book was Sheep in a Jeep, which we read countless times. It never got old.
The illustrations in the sheep book series are just detailed enough to provide a solid visual for the story line and not so much to be distracting.
Knuffle Bunny
Mo Willems is one of my favorite authors for young children, and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale will be a hit with 3-year-olds and parents alike.
The main character, Trixie, is a toddler who doesn’t speak yet. The story follows her and her dad on a trip to the laundromat, where they lose her favorite stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny.
In this Mo Willems book, the backgrounds of the illustrations are photographs, with the characters drawn in on top. It might sound weird, but it works really well in the book.
I think 3-year-olds will relate to Trixie’s frustration with not being understood and her attachment to her bunny. Parents will relate to the dad’s struggles to understand his daughter and deal with what he perceives as misbehavior.
Our whole family enjoys Knuffle Bunny. It is funny and sweet, and it’s not too long for short attention spans.
There are two sequels that are really good as well: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity and Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion. Sequels sometimes are a letdown, but these are just as good as the original, following Trixie as she grows up.
God Gave Us You
Next is one of the books I loved reading to my toddlers the most: God Gave Us You.
This picture book features a polar bear cub asking her mama where she came from. Her mama tells her that she was a gift from God. Together, they talk about how her parents wanted a cub very much and how they anticipated her birth as she grew in her mama.
The pictures are beautiful, and the message is very important for young kids to know they are wanted and that they were a gift from God.
Near the end of the story, the cub asks her mama if she ever wished for a different baby, and I could never read that part without tearing up. Of course, the mama reassures her that they wanted her exactly as she is.
I have given this book as a gift at baby showers because I love it so much. While I read it with my oldest from when she was a baby, three would be a great age to read it as kids get curious about where they came from.
While the story obviously mentions God, it does not really get into any specific religious beliefs. Other books in the series have a Christian tilt, but this one is not so specific. It does show the mama bear heading to the hospital to give birth, so if that wasn’t your experience, it may not fit your family as well. It also wouldn’t fit a family with adoption very well.
We used the sequel, God Gave Us Two, to get our oldest ready for the birth of her little brother. But be aware that the mama has twins in that book so that there really are three little cubs at the end.
There are other books in the series about a variety of other topics, like God Gave Us Easter and God Gave Us Sleep.
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site is one of my favorite big machine storybooks. We got it when my son was young, and we enjoyed it as much as he did.
The illustrations are the right amount of construction action and charm. The text is in rhyming verses as each truck on the construction site is introduced and gets ready for bed in its own way. For example, the cement mixer is shown pouring cement and then taking a bath before going to sleep.
I think children like seeing each truck in action but then winding down before going to bed. That’s certainly what we hoped would happen with our very active boy as we read him the book at bedtime!
If you prefer board books for your three-year-old, check out this version: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.
There is a related bedtime book (Steam Train, Dream Train that’s also wonderful.
And there are more construction site books in the series now, but we haven’t read any of those yet. They include: Construction Site Mission: Demolition! and Mighty, Mighty Construction Site.
My Magical Words
The My Magical Words is designed to start your child on a path to good confidence and self-esteem.
The pages feature “I am” statements like “I am peaceful” and “I am healthy”, followed by a few lines of rhymes about the topic. The illustrations are colorful and fairly realistic. There is also a page on the power of our words to help children understand that they can use positive self-talk.
The explanation of positive self-talk might be a little mature for 3-year-olds, but I think the idea of teaching them positive statements about themselves is great.
Most parents enjoy this book as well, though some say the rhythm of the rhymes is lacking in places. There are also some Christian beliefs included in the affirmations.
Some are happy with the inclusion of children of different races and abilities, but some thought the book was too focused on the main blond-haired, blue-eyed little girl. If you have a child of color, you might be able to find a book that reflects them better.
There are other books in this series, including My Magical Choices, My Magical Foods, and My Magical Gifts.
Never Let a Unicorn Scribble!
The Never Let a Unicorn Scribble! is a cute story about creativity and persistence.
The main character is a little girl who has been told that unicorns shouldn’t scribble. She thinks that scribbling can be beautiful, though, and she wants to help her unicorn experience the fun. It ends up taking some innovation and creativity for them to reach their goal, though.
I love the message that scribbling is a way to make art. I think too often our young kids are told to color in the lines. While that does build the fine motor skills they need, it is good to encourage them to color in any way they want sometimes. Most 3-year-olds still do a lot of scribbling, so reinforcing that they are making art that way will be affirming for young artists.
Unicorns are also often popular with preschoolers. I would recommend this book for children who are interested in unicorns or art or who are discouraged by their scribbling. If you have more of a dino fan, check out the very similar Never Let A Dinosaur Scribble!.
The paperback copy has had some quality issues, so you may want to consider hardcover for this one. The Kindle version is also good, which is not always the case for picture books.
There are other books in this series as well, including Never Let a Princess Paint with Her Unicorn!, Never Let A Unicorn Get Spots!, and Never Let a Unicorn Crash a Party!.
Hanukkah Bear
The Hanukkah Bear is a light-hearted tale about mistaken identity at a Hanukkah celebration.
Bubba Brayna is preparing latkes for her rabbi and friends to celebrate Hanukkah. But a bear smells her yummy food and she invites it in, thinking it is the rabbi. They eat, play dreidel, and light the menorah together. After the bear leaves, the real rabbi and her friends arrive to find all the latkes are gone.
This is a newer edition of the story with different illustrations than the original, but these illustrations are charming.
If you are looking for a way to introduce some of the Hanukkah traditions to your 3-year-old, this looks like a lovely way to do it. It does not dive into the holiday’s origins and meaning, but it looks at some of the festivities involved in celebrating.
The Gruffalo
The Gruffalo is a clever rhyming story about a mouse who invents a monster called the Gruffalo when he’s trying to avoid being eaten.
He is in for a surprise later on in the book, though. The illustrations are reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are, though some young children get a little nervous when the monster makes an appearance.
The book is written by Julia Donaldson, who also wrote Room on the Broom. Parents love the rhyme and rhythm of the book. It was originally published in the UK and a US version does have some differences in wording, which does, unfortunately, affect the rhythm a bit.
There is a video version of The Gruffalo you can stream on Amazon Prime, with the voice talents of Helena Bonham Carter. Parents say that is more intense than the book version, but their kids like the book even after seeing the video.
There is another book in the series: The Gruffalo’s Child.
A Collection of Stories for 3-Year-Olds
A Collection of Stories for 3-Year-Olds is another collection of ten stories and nursery rhymes aimed at 3-year-olds. I like this format of a series of shorter stories so you can read just one at a time if you want.
This book’s stories include fairy tales and fables like Chicken Little and Rapunzel. The illustrations fill the entire page giving your child a lot to look at while you read.
A common complaint about this book is that some of the stories might be a bit troubling for some 3-year-olds, especially Rapunzel. Her prince’s eyes are scratched out by thorns, and Rapunzel is taken from her parents as a baby. There are also animals getting eaten in other stories. So if your child is especially sensitive, you may want to avoid this one or save it until they are a bit older.
But if you want to introduce some fairy tales and classic stories, this would be a good book to add to your collection. The set up would allow you to skip any stories or rhymes your child doesn’t appreciate.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is a classic story that you probably remember hearing or acting out when you were a kid.
The story follows a family out looking for a bear. They encounter different obstacles on the way, like a big patch of mud. At each obstacle, they consider how to get past it: they can’t go under or over it, so they have to go through it.
As they pass through each obstacle, that’s your chance to make it a participatory book for your 3-year-old. Your child can act out how to pass through each challenge while you both make the accompanying sound effects.
There is a lot of repetition as you start with the same stanza about the bear hunt before each obstacle. But that repetition is great for preschoolers and kids who are starting to learn how to read. Your 3-year-old will probably be able to recite much of the book after a few reads.
Some of the illustrations are in black and white, while others are in color. It comes in a paperback, a board book version, and a hardcover that’s a pop-up book. Parents say the pop-up version is beautiful, but I know pop-up books didn’t last long with my toddlers. I would recommend the paperback or board book version.
5-Minute Stories: Disney Junior
5-Minute Disney Junior Stories is just one option from the 5-Minute Stories series to feature familiar characters in a collection of short read-aloud stories.
There are twelve stories in this book featuring Disney characters like Mickey and friends, Vampirina, and more. Each story is meant to be read aloud in five minutes, making these great for short attention spans. The stories might be aimed at kids a bit older than 3, but the length is great for this age.
In many of the 5-Minute Stories collections, the stories are not taken right from the source movie or TV show, but they are new adventures for the familiar characters.
I love the bigger books with multiple stories in them because you might be able to steer your child away from the same exact story every time. We have the 5-Minute Star Wars Stories and have really enjoyed it, but it might not be the best choice for 3-year-olds. There are versions for many popular characters that might skew a bit younger:
- PAW Patrol 5-Minute Stories Collection
- 5-Minute Pete the Cat Stories
- More Daniel Tiger 5-Minute Stories
- Five-Minute Peppa Stories
- NICK 5-MINUTE STORIES
- 5-Minute Marvel Stories
The 5-Minute Stories books will probably not work well on a Kindle or other e-reader, so I recommend the hardcover versions.
And here’s another favorite Disney character book:
Clifford the Big Red Dog Collection
Clifford Collection is a great introduction to everyone’s favorite big red dog.
This hardcover collection includes six of the original Clifford books, from Clifford the Big Red Dog to Clifford’s Good Deeds. If your child is used to the animated Clifford, these will be a little different, but still familiar.
In this collection, the illustrations are not as colorful as in some other editions. If you prefer the full color books, check out these other Clifford titles: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clifford the Firehouse Dog, and Clifford’s Birthday Party.
My family has enjoyed many Clifford books over the years. I like Clifford because he always has good intentions, but things don’t always go right for him. I think young kids can relate to the mistakes he makes. It’s also nice that the main human character is a girl, Emily Elizabeth.
I personally like the bigger hardcover collections for read-aloud books because you might be able to avoid reading the same story out of it each time your child asks for it. They can get the character repetition they like while giving you a bit of variety.
Best Educational Books for 3-Year-Olds
Both the Big Preschool Workbook and Reading Makes You Feel Good are educational, but Big Preschool Workbook is much longer than Reading Makes You Feel Good.
School Zone – Big Preschool Workbook
Next is a workbook rather than a read-aloud book. The School Zone – Big Preschool Workbook is full of different types of learning worksheets for ages 3-5.
If your 3-year-old isn’t interested in doing this kind of work, I definitely wouldn’t force it. But if your child likes practicing their letters and numbers already (or wants to do school like an older sibling), they may enjoy working through some of this workbook.
As it is for ages 3-5, some of the activities could be too difficult for your 3-year-old. The workbook is divided into sections, like colors and shapes, numbers, pre-writing, and more. Each section starts with the easiest activities and works up in difficulty.
The pre-writing section starts with your child tracing straight lines and circles, which are important skills to have before writing letters.
The pages are also perforated, making it easy to take the pages you want your child to work on out of the book and saving the rest for later. There is also an option to buy a spiral-bound copy that may lay flat better.
If you already have a School Zone preschool workbook with a lion on the cover, this may have most of the same material inside.
For more ways to get your child ready to read and write, check out these literacy skills for 3-year-olds and these letter recognition activities.
Reading Makes You Feel Good
To reinforce the message that reading is a fun activity, try Reading Makes You Feel Good. Written and illustrated by Todd Parr, this book has colorful and child-like drawings that are fun to look at.
The text is about the joys of reading. It talks about how reading can help you imagine you are a princess or dinosaur. It shows that you can read in a variety of places. The pictures are also full of funny text on signs and labels.
This book will make your child giggle while sending the message that reading is fun. I think that’s a great message for 3-year-olds to get so that they are excited to learn how to read themselves in a few years.
I would recommend you not try this book as an ebook, as parents say it is not formatted well. But our family’s paperback copy has held up well through the years.
Books for 3-Year-Olds Compared
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed.
The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with
the product compared to others in the table.Knuffle Bunny 9.8 9.6 15.51 Never Let a Unicorn Scribble! 9.8 9.6 12.86 A Collection of Stories for 3-Year-Olds 9.8 9.4 11.69 Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site 9.9 9.8 11.40 School Zone - Big Preschool Workbook 9.9 9.6 10.98 My Magical Words 9.9 9.6 10.07 5-Minute Stories: Disney Junior 8.3 9.6 9.64 Clifford the Big Red Dog Collection 8.9 9.6 8.51 We're Going on a Bear Hunt 8.9 9.6 7.99 Reading Makes You Feel Good 3.9 9.6 7.44 Sheep in a Shop 8.5 - 6.99 Hanukkah Bear 6.9 -0.2 6.99 The Gruffalo 9.9 9.8 6.70 God Gave Us You 9.9 9.8 6.36
Books for Similar Ages
How to Choose a Book for a 3-Year-Old
Shorter Books
Most preschoolers don’t have a long attention span, so shorter books have a better shot of holding their attention. Longer books filled with shorter stories are great, too. I have included books I think will be just right for a 3-year-old attention span.
Interactive Books
Finding a book your child can participate with, even before learning to read, can make reading together more fun. Look for books that call for movement or verbal interaction. Even when books don’t have built-in interaction, you can create opportunities by asking your child questions about what might happen next or why they think a character is doing something. Or you can come up with movements for your child to do that mimic the story.
Familiar Characters
If your child has a favorite character from TV or movies, look for books featuring them. Most kids will love anything that includes their favorite princess or superhero, so that’s a good way to get them interested in books. I have included some books with some popular characters.
Humor
Most young children love books that are funny or silly. They like finding what doesn’t really make sense as they are making more sense of the world around them and learning what’s “normal.” You will probably hold your child’s attention with funny books a lot of the time. I have recommended several books that my family enjoys laughing along with.
FAQs – Books For 3-Year-Olds
Are board books appropriate for 3-year-olds?
I think most 3-year-olds will enjoy paging through board books on their own, but most are probably ready to listen to books with a little more substance. While there are some board books with storylines more like picture books, many board books are fairly simple books aimed at 1-and 2-year-olds.
I don’t think 3-year-olds have totally outgrown board books, but they don’t need to be limited to only board books either. It all comes down to what your child likes, though.
Will my 3-year-old learn to read?
While there may be a few 3-year-olds who start to read, it is very early. Most children will start to read on their own between the ages of 5 and 7.
You shouldn’t push your three-year-old to read if they don’t seem ready. But there are literacy skills you can help your preschooler build now to help them become readers in the next few years, like reading rhymes and talking about the rhyming words. You can also have letter sets, like in a puzzle or foam pieces for the bath, and talk about the letter names and sounds.
How should you read books to a 3-year-old?
It is important to read to your child every day. It’s OK if they don’t sit still for 30 minutes at a time, but try to read a couple of short books throughout the day or at bedtime.
Let your child help choose the books you read. They may pick a favorite story over and over, but the repetition is good for them, so try to go along with it most of the time. It is nice when your child can sit on your lap or right next to you for storytime.
