50 Books for 5-Year-Olds: 2024 Picks

If your child is nervous about starting school and spending long hours without you, I think you’ll appreciate this lovely book. It follows a little bear who learns to cherish his teacher, showing your child that their teacher will become one of their favorite people.

The taecher encourages kids to make mistakes, try hard every day, and partake in fun challenges. This adorable book, with its magical illustrations, is a great resource for preparing your child for starting kindergarten.

If your child is more on the shy side, this is a sweet book for them. Gerald isn’t a talented dancer, and the other animals tease him, making him sad and insecure.  But in the end, he figures out a dance he can do, and everybody is amazed.

I love this story for many reasons, including opening up a conversation about the concept of bullying as well as self-love. Additionally, the story is a powerful reminder that children can accomplish anything with the right mindset and a supportive group of friends.

This level one reader is terrific for your 5-year-olds starting to read more independently. The story is about a little boy who wants to make an ice cream cake but adds too many ingredients, thus creating soup. With its delightful rhymes and fun illustrations, this book will bring some hearty laughs along the way.

If your child enjoys all things trucks, I recommend this lovely story, especially for bedtime. Each truck in the book takes turns finishing their work for the day and saying goodnight. I love that it names the actual construction trucks, ensuring this is an educational experience.

With its beautiful illustrations and truck-centric plotline, your little construction lover will likely choose it time and time again.

I’m a fan of these books because they used a phonic-based learning method to teach kids to read. This particular set is best for 5-year-olds and budding readers because it only covers four letters per book.

Once your child feels confident reading set one on their own, they can graduate to the next. In the box, you’ll receive 12 small and simple stories, so your little one will be able to build their confidence as they go.

Curious George is a classic and adorable storybook character. These phonics readers make it so your monkey can read Curious George on their own.

It includes some challenge words, like “pancake,” without overwhelming your child. The artwork also reinforces the challenge words to help your child identify them, along with high-frequency words, such as “and” and “the”.

This phonics set includes 12 books with standard George adventures and a parent guide to help you reinforce what was read.

With her father’s love and Zuri’s self-belief, she learns to love her hair. One day, she asks for her dad’s help to try a special hairstyle. Can they figure out how to give Zuri the gorgeous hairstyle she wants?

I love this positive representation of father and daughter love, which highlights a family celebrating Black hair and individualism. This book is fantastic for all kids but might be especially relatable for Black girls who see themselves in Zuri.

Ferdinand is a young bull who is different from his peers. While most are rough and rowdy, Ferdinand would much prefer to sit and smell the flowers. It encourages kids not to take life too seriously and enjoy their surroundings.

It’s a wonderful tale about being true to yourself, even if other people think it’s weird. Each page only contains a few sentences, so it’s easy to read. The unique illustrations are simple yet descriptive, leaving some room for the imagination to wonder.

The rhyming words throughout this story will capture your child’s attention, while the oversized text with emphasized words can help budding readers.

The story follows a mouse who sees a bear on his chair. The mouse is worried because now he has nowhere to sit. He tries to coax the bear off the chair using words that rhyme with “bear,” such as tempting him with a pear or jumping out in his underwear!

With playful illustrations and a silly storyline, we’re sure your 5-year-old will love this one.

If your child has an affinity for dragons, this quirky title might go down a treat. The story revolves around a boy and his pet dragon as he explains why dragons make the perfect pets and what you need to do to choose the perfect dragon.

The unique plot, marvelous illustrations, and minimal text make it an excellent title for beginner readers. It also provides a chance to discuss what it means to care for someone or something, even if it is a dragon!

If your child is having trouble with sharing, a common issue among 5-year-olds, this is a timely book to pick up. This follows the most beautiful and shiniest fish in the ocean. However, the problem is that he doesn’t want to share his beautiful scales with the other fish.

He eventually learns that sometimes sharing can be fun, and, in turn, he becomes much happier. The story’s stunning, watery illustrations and moral should keep your kid curious while reflecting on their abilities to share.

This silly story is designed to keep your 5-year-old’s interest, especially if they’re into dragons. The story is about how much dragons enjoy eating tacos, but the plot twist is that they can’t handle the spicy salsa!

I love this story for its fun-loving and hilarious themes. It’s also easy to comprehend, which helps kids learn how to predict what happens next.

Mel, the bird, decides to try flying while her parents are away. But instead of flying from her branch, she falls past the owls, the squirrels, and the bees, who all try to save Mel from falling. What will happen when Mel nearly reaches the ground?

This thrilling tale about a confident bird is an engaging and fun story for little kids. I love the soft, adorable illustrations and happy ending, which is perfect for five-year-olds.

Kids love Pete the Cat, and this phonics set will motivate your child to try reading independently. This box includes 12 stories featuring short and long vowel sounds, as well as common sight words.

These are great for introducing your child to phonics readers, but remember that you may need to start reading these together until your child is more confident.

Any parent of a typical 5-year-old knows that this age can be tough. This book is a helpful and fun tool for teaching your child self-control, even when they’re mad or jealous. It uses humorous rhymes to convey the story’s message, while silly illustrations add to the fun.

The best part about this book is that it acknowledges your child’s emotions and helps them understand that their feelings are completely normal. But it also fills children with confidence that, in time, they’ll learn to manage the big feelings and learn to love being five.

Parents (and grandparents) might be familiar with this one. Published in 1986, this book is a classic graphical alphabet book. Each page is devoted to one letter of the alphabet, telling a short story in a few alliteration-style words. Packed with stunning, detailed illustrations and hidden objects, you’ll meet crafty crimson cats and horrible hairy hogs.

Readers rave about this book, praising it for being detailed enough to keep the most distracted children occupied for sometimes up to an hour! This book is an excellent choice for parents looking to encourage quiet time with their active five-year-olds.

Praised as one of the most gorgeous children’s stories, this beautiful book captures the golden wonder of the twilight time of day. Wandering through the magic of dawn and dusk, children will love learning about the cycle of time while enjoying watercolor illustrations. I recommend this stunning book for cozying up before bed or passing the time in those early mornings before school.

I’m excited about this new concept book that teaches about the world of opposites, dishes out a little feline humor, and is excellent for teaching literacy skills.

In this book, cat meets kitty. Cat loves napping, but kitty loves playing. Kitty is energetic, and cat is exhausted.

Find out how the pair will fair in this adorably-illustrated book that showcases a tense relationship between siblings.

I think you and your five-year-old will enjoy discovering why the sour grape is just so sour. He is a professional grudge-holder, keeping tabs on everything his peers have done to annoy him. In this story, you’ll learn about his backstory and what happened to him in the past.

Not only is this book packed with fruit humor, but it also teaches empathy and new emotions, such as feeling “sour”. Additionally, if you’re looking for a way to spark conversations about kindness with your child, this book is a top choice.

In this hilarious story, the pigeon does not want a bath. Does your five-year-old ever refuse bath time? This book can help show how much fun bath time is.

The filthy pigeon finally decides to take a bath and realises that it’s actually very relaxing. He loves the bubbles, playing with the toys, and getting clean. Even if your kid loves bath time, they’ll get a kick out of this funny and easy-to-read book.

Learn how to make a witch’s favorite meal in this funny and beautifully-illustrated book. Your little one might love the witch’s surprise ingredients, such as fly extract or a spoonful of frogs. But catching those frogs might be harder than it seems!

Delightfully humorous, this story is silly enough to encourage a five-year-old’s imagination. What weird and wonderful things will they come up with when role-playing or creating their own stories?

Find out how Nell planting a tree impacts the future. In this captivating story, told in a non-linear style, Nell plants a tree while readers see all the beauty this tree will bring. The story structure might be a little confusing at first, but in time, it will teach your child a new way of story-telling, as well as cause and effect.

Even if your little one doesn’t quite understand the storyline yet, they will understand the process of planting a tree, playing in the great outdoors, and best of all, I’m sure they will adore the stunning illustrations.

I had a vivid imagination as a child, and your child may be the same. This lovely book takes readers along the journey of having an idea, whether that be for a game, book, or song.

In the story, the child experiments with what to do with their idea, reminding readers to let their ideas grow, and, eventually, change the world. The book begins with black-and-white illustrations that gradually transition into color, creating a mesmerizing experience for little ones and parents.

Written by the same author as What Do You Do With an Idea, this book explores how to handle a problem. Problems can feel like dark, scary clouds for children, as illustrated in this book. But this story reminds children that every problem has a solution, which involves facing it, being brave, and taking it as an opportunity to learn.

In this inspiring tale about crafting and creating, a little girl decides to make a magnificent thing. With patience and dedication, she creates one seemingly useless thing after another until she finally makes something marvelous.

The journey to creating something amazing can be challenging, but this book emphasizes the imoprtance of never giving up. I love how it inspires kids to follow their dreams, even when nobody else understands their vision.

Search and find in this gorgeous little story about bus stops. Follow the bus’s route as it parks near an old church, the edge of a town, and a few more places. The book prompts readers to find particular objects, such as bulldozers and helicopters, making an interactive experience.

Not only is this a great book for little minds, but it’s also a great opportunity to practice your child’s literacy and numeracy skills.

I am a big advocate for teaching kids about consent and personal space from an early age. In this straightforward story, your child will learn how to say no when they aren’t comfortable with a particular physical touch, such as kissing relatives goodbye or being tickled.

I understand this is a sensitive topic, but this book is very approachable for children between the ages of two and nine. It’s an invaluable life lesson that teaches kids about their own personal boundaries and respecting others’.

Here’s another special book that teaches children about consent and keeping secrets. It deals with the sensitive topic of inappropriate touching and strongly emphasizes that no one should touch a child’s private areas. Little Alfred is distraught but is asked to keep the situation a secret.

However, Alfred’s mother reminds her son that she can tell him anything, so the young boy finally tells her the truth. As a parent, this is a challenging and emotional read, but it’s also very insightful. I appreciate that it teaches children about what’s appropriate and what’s not and always to tell a trusted adult if they experience something similar.

This book is an amazing tool for families seeking resources to keep their children safe and healthy. However, read it before you share it with your child, as some children might be scared by it. In this instance, you might want a less descriptive book, such as the one mentioned above: No Means No!.

Rail enthusiasts will love this giant book all about trains. It covers the first locomotive and spans all the way to high-speed bullet trains. Full of incredible facts and photos of trains, this book is educational as well as fascinating, which is sure to grip any train-loving five-year-old.

In this adorable rhyming book, you’ll find a conversation between an ant and a boy who desperately wants to squish him! However, the brave ant explains to him that he has a life, friends, and a job to do, and squishing him would be a bad idea. This sweet tale encourages children to care for the world around them, including tiny bugs, as every creature is integral to our beloved world.

Meet a chaotic box of crayons who don’t get along: Yellow doesn’t like Red, and nobody likes Orange. A little girl buys the box of crayons and gives them an important coloring job. I love the rhythmic rhyming scheme, as well as the message about kindness, friendship, and encouraging others.

Misty Copeland is the first Black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. Your little one can learn all about her amazing life in this approachable and beautifully-illustrated book. This inspiring story is a fantastic reminder for kids to chase their dreams, even when obstacles get in their way.

This innovative and marvelously-illustrated book uses incredible pictures to convey the actual size of certain animals. Of course, you can’t fit a true-to-size squid inside the book, so instead you’ll find just its eye, which is ginormous!

I love this interactive and unique way of showing children how big (or small) animals are. As well as the pictures, each page shares interesting facts about each animal, which will delight curious children.

I love sharing books set in schools with five-year-olds. Even the silliest ones, such as Miss Nelson Is Missing, can prepare children for classroom culture.

When the students are rude, Miss Nelson decides not to show up to school one day. Instead, an unpleasant woman comes to teach, and the children learn the importance of appreciating what you have before it’s gone!

Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, this book is perfect for reading to five-year-olds. And grown-ups… I think you’ll love the plot twist.

Poor Camilla is always worried about what other people think of her. When she’s getting ready for school, she notices she’s covered with stripes! Looking like a rainbow, Camilla feels fine, but she doesn’t look quite right.

This tale might appear weird and wacky, but underneath the imaginative surface, this book shares the inspirational message of being true to yourself. Otherwise, you might, one day, find yourself unrecognizable.

When a young boy learns he’s going to be a big brother, he asks everyone he knows where babies come from. He gets silly answers, such as storks deliver them or they grow from a seed into a baby tree.

This lovely and simple story is a fantastic way to have conversations with your child about where babies come from. Whether they’re becoming a big sibling or cousin, or your child just wants to know about this phenomenon, I recommend this fantastic book.

Discover your five senses in this joyous book about hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling. This teaches your child that there are some things they can smell, such as soap and perfume, but there are some things you can’t smell, especially when you have a cold. It goes through the other four senses, before finally revealing the book title: the child focuses on the pickle and all its aspects that he can taste, smell, see, touch and hear. Crunch!

Does your little one struggle with being patient? In this book, an impatient elephant grows frustrated as he waits for a surprise, but in the end, he realizes it was worth the wait. And you shouldn’t waste time while you wait because, eventually, it will be time for the anticipated moment. And it will be magical.

In this brilliant book about defying stereotypes, a poetic lion befriends a lovely duck, despite the lion’s peers encouraging him to eat the duck. The poetic lion stands up for his duck friend, proving that there is more than one way to be a lion.

Similar to Leonard’s story, there is more than one way to be a five-year-old, a boy, a girl, a dancer, and so on. I love this encouraging tale that will inspire children to defy the stereotypes that follow them.

Your little one might have spent the last five years in a family bubble. But now that they’re stepping out in the world and likely attending school, they’ll meet all kinds of different people and families.

This book showcases that every family is different, but all families are special, whether the family consists of one parent or two, whether the family is big, or whether the family is interracial.

This book serves as an excellent visual for what it means to “expand our circle”, a common phrase that adults know but that children don’t yet understand. With its simple illustrations and beautiful message about including others, this is a fantastic resource to prepare your child for building friendships during their schooling years.

Told in the same style as the classic book, The Night Before Christmas, this book prepares children for their first day of kindergarten. While some children may be nervous, this book emphasizes how exciting it is to start kindergarten. There is singing, painting, toys, and much more fun, which should help your child with this monumental transition.

Full of vivid tones, textures, and detailed illustrations, this book follows a fox who ventures into town one chilly evening. Set during a wondrous autumn, I adore the warm illustrations, even in juxtaposition with the hungry fox hunting for a goose! Spoiler alert: the fox ends up eating the goose, so if your little one is sensitive to such facts, you might want to skip this one.

Set against the backdrop of a cold winter night, the small child finally gets to go “owling” with her Pa. Together, they wander through the beautiful snow as they call out for owls, hoping to get an answer. This sweet story captures the tender love between child and parent as one generation passes down a unique pastime to the next.

Told with delectable sentences that sound almost poetic and soft illustrations, I love this story for settling down to sleep or enjoying quiet time with your little one.

Five-year-olds are full of big questions, and this book strives to answer one that many children ask: What is God like?

This beautiful book shares bitesize snippets to describe what God is like, comparing him to things children already understand. This includes a fort, strong and secure, or the wind, mysteriously everywhere, even though you can’t see Him.

If you are keen to share your love of God with your child, then I think you’ll appreciate this reassuring and comforting story.

A box of crayons battles out which color is for Christmas. After all, red is very festive, but green is convinced he’s the best Christmas color. White, silver and brown crayons have their say, too, arguing why they are the best Christmas colors.

In the end, you’ll discover that Christmas isn’t complete without all the colors! This silly little story is great for instilling festive cheer to your little one during the holiday season.

Delve into the true and inspiring story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest activist ever to be arrested. If your little one is interested in history and its significant figures, I think they’ll be gripped by Audrey’s story as she tries to help with wiping out segregation.

I recommend adding this one to your five-year-old’s shelf and reading it frequently over the next few years. In time, they will understand more about the history of segregation and how people like Audrey have made a difference, even in today’s world.

This delightful book will take you through 26 short stories, starting at “A” and ending at “Z”. Your child won’t even know they’re learning, thanks to the book’s exciting format and funny illustrations. In each story, the author focuses on a specific letter, using lots of words that start with that letter, reinforcing your child’s understanding of phonics, letters and words.

Once your little one has learned to read, they’ll want to spend some time reading independently. Some of the books on our list might be too hard for them to read alone, but this one is pretty easy. It uses a lot of repeated words, easy words, and common words.

It’s all about a little boy, Buzz, who meets a fly and wants to keep him even though everyone around him wants to swat him away. Kids will love the fun illustrations and the slapstick humor as Buzz battles with his identity as a pet owner.