Embark on a journey with the best books for 3-year-olds! These engaging stories, packed with colorful illustrations, are designed to expand your preschooler's vocabulary, support early literacy skills, and spark a deeper love for reading.
These carefully chosen books are a key part of the Complete 3 Year Curriculum, thoughtfully selected to complement the themes and learning objectives. The interactive activities in the Lesson Plans will bring the stories to life, creating exciting learning moments along the way.
Tap here to download the Must-Read Books for 3-Year-Olds. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page for additional age-specific reading lists.
For easy ordering, view the 3 Year Curriculum Book List on Amazon.
Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton is a Franz family favorite! A lively, rhythmic board book, children are invited to join in the fun of a barnyard dance. With its catchy, rhyming text and playful illustrations, the animals—such as cows, pigs, and chickens—take turns dancing to a cheerful beat. The interactive, upbeat tone encourages children to clap, stomp, and move along with the animals, making it a fun and engaging read.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff is a classic and humorous circular story that follows a mouse who, after being given a cookie, keeps asking for more things. One request leads to another in a never-ending chain of events, with the mouse eventually asking for a glass of milk, a napkin, and more. The repetitive structure make this book an engaging and fun way to introduce children to cause-and-effect relationships, while also encouraging them to anticipate what might happen next in the story.
Press Here by Hervé Tullet is an interactive adventure that invites kids to press, shake, and tap on the book to create surprising effects on each page. With simple instructions and colorful dots, it encourages children to imagine, explore, and feel like they’re making magic happen with each turn of the page. It’s a delightful blend of play and reading that makes storytime extra engaging!
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon is a humorous and imaginative story about a duck who decides to ride a bike. As Duck pedals through the neighborhood, other animals watch in surprise, each one wondering what the duck is doing. The story unfolds with the animals reacting in different ways, and the playful text and lively illustrations capture the humor of the situation.
Ideal for home or preschool use, the ABCJesusLovesMe 3 Year Curriculum is designed to build a strong foundation for a child’s learning. With engaging, hands-on activities, this Curriculum focuses on objectives like pre-reading, math, Bible stories, and social-emotional development, ensuring children are confident and eager to learn.
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw is a fun and playful story about a group of sheep who take a ride in a jeep. As the sheep drive, things start to go wrong, with the jeep getting stuck and causing all sorts of trouble. The rhyming text and simple, humorous illustrations create a lighthearted story that helps young readers learn about cause and effect while enjoying the animals’ adventures. This book is perfect for children who enjoy repetition, rhythm, and a little bit of silliness. I smile every time I think of this book.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss is a beloved story about Sam-I-Am, a character who tries to convince an unnamed friend to try green eggs and ham, despite his refusal to do so in various situations. Sam-I-Am's persistence ultimately leads to a humorous and satisfying conclusion when the friend discovers he actually likes the dish. This timeless book is perfect for teaching children about the value of open-mindedness and trying new things.
Sadly, this book is no longer in print. A replacement book will be chosen soon.
The Little Red Hen is a classic folk tale that teaches valuable lessons about hard work and teamwork. In the story, the little red hen finds some grain and decides to plant it, but none of the other animals will help her. She continues to work alone, planting, harvesting, and baking the bread. When the bread is finally ready, the other animals want to share in the reward, but the hen decides to enjoy it all by herself. This story emphasizes the importance of responsibility, self-reliance, and the consequences of not helping others.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle follows the journey of a small caterpillar as he eats his way through a variety of foods over a week's time. Starting with one apple and gradually increasing his intake, the caterpillar's appetite grows until he transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This classic story contains repetitive text, a focus on counting, days of the week, and the life cycle of a butterfly.
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss is a simple and playful rhyming book perfect for early readers to teach rhyming and directional words. The story features short, fun sentences that follow a series of silly actions and situations involving the characters.
Understand of your child’s growth with our FREE 3-Year Development Checklist! This handy tool helps you track key milestones and celebrate your little one’s progress. Download your checklist today and take an active role in monitoring your child’s development!
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle is an interactive, engaging book where animals demonstrate various movements, such as a giraffe bending its neck or a monkey wiggling its hips, encouraging young readers to follow along.
![Is Your Mama a Llama Read Along Library [Board book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/514Bs7kc8gL._SL500_.jpg)
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino is a delightful rhyming story that follows a young llama named Lloyd as he asks his animal friends if their mamas are llamas. As each friend answers with a different animal, Lloyd learns about various creatures, including a bat, swan, and a cow, in a playful and engaging way. The simple, repetitive text make this book perfect for introducing rhyming patterns and animal identification.
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood is a charming tale about a little mouse who discovers a delicious strawberry and must protect it from a big, hungry bear. As the mouse tries to hide the strawberry and keep it safe, he comes up with clever plans to outsmart the bear. With its playful illustrations and engaging story, this book teaches themes of sharing and friendship while keeping young readers entertained.
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman is a beloved story about a baby bird who hatches while his mother is away and sets out on an adventure to find her. As the little bird encounters various animals, including a kitten, a hen, and a dog, he repeatedly asks, "Are you my mother?" The simple text, repetitive structure, and charming illustrations make this book a great choice for young children, teaching them about the concepts of family, belonging, and persistence.
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen is a charming story about a fish who is always sad and gloomy, believing that his fate is to be a "pout-pout fish." As he swims through the ocean, his friends try to cheer him up, but he continues to frown. Eventually, a kind fish helps him realize that he can change his attitude and choose to be happy.
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems is a humorous and relatable story about a pigeon who desperately wants a puppy, despite not fully understanding what taking care of one entails. As the pigeon pleads, argues, and imagines all the fun things a puppy could bring, the book humorously explores the idea of wanting something without truly considering the responsibility involved. While the text is entertaining, the true charm of Mo Willems' books lies in the illustrations. Spend time focusing on the pictures and do a picture walk through the story to fully appreciate the humor and emotions conveyed through the artwork.
Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman is a lively and fun-filled book that features a series of dogs engaging in various activities, from driving cars to attending a dog party. With its simple text, repetitive phrases, and colorful illustrations, the book teaches basic concepts such as colors, sizes, and opposites while keeping children engaged with its rhythmic language and playful illustrations. This is one of the first books that my preschool-age children would "read" out loud just by looking at the illustrations.
Available in both large and small formats, the Be Intentional Planner is designed to help you live with purpose as the woman God has called you to be. Whether you prefer a spacious layout or a compact size for on-the-go planning, each spiral-bound planner is filled with the beloved Be Intentional components to keep your goals and plans on track.
Frog, Where Are You? by Mercer Mayer is a wordless picture book that tells the story of a young boy who embarks on a search for his lost pet frog. As the boy looks through the forest, he encounters a series of adventures, from meeting other animals to navigating obstacles. The book relies on expressive illustrations (pragmatics) to convey the narrative, allowing children to use their imagination and create their own version of the story, making it a great way to promote storytelling and observation skills. For tips on how to "read" this story, learn about picture walking.
The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming is a delightful story about a cow who wakes up one morning to find she’s lost her moo. In her quest to find it, she travels through the barnyard, asking other animals for help. As each animal makes its own unique sound, the cow learns the importance of teamwork.
The classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is a beloved bedtime story that features a little bunny saying goodnight to various objects in his room, including the moon, stars, and a red balloon. The rhythmic, soothing text and gentle illustrations make it a perfect bedtime read, offering a calming and repetitive structure that helps young children wind down for the night.
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood is a playful, rhyming story about a whimsical character named Sally who travels to town in a unique way—walking backward and upside down! Along the way, she meets a cast of lively characters who join her on her topsy-turvy journey. With its catchy rhythm, repetition, and silly antics, this delightful book is perfect for engaging young readers and encouraging giggles.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss tells the story of a little boy who plants a carrot seed and waits for it to grow, even when others doubt him. Despite their doubts, he stays patient and hopeful. In the end, his hard work pays off when the carrot finally sprouts.
My kiddos loved Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss! This fun and engaging book introduces children to various animal sounds and actions. Through rhythmic, playful text, Mr. Brown makes a series of sounds, from a moo to a buzz and invites readers to mimic them.
Five Little Ducks, available by multiple authors, is a popular counting rhyme that follows a mother duck as she calls her five little ducks to come home, but one by one, they wander off in different directions. As each duck disappears, the rhyme counts down until there are none left, and the mother duck is left calling for her little ones to return. This playful, rhythmic story is a great way to introduce counting and subtraction to young children while reinforcing the sounds and actions of the ducks.
Help your preschooler discover the joy of books with a carefully chosen list of the best books and simple tips to make storytime fun and full of learning. This free packet provides easy ideas to keep your child engaged, grow their love of reading, and build important pre-reading skills—making reading together one of the best gifts you can give!
All By Myself by Mercer Mayer is a sweet and relatable story about Little Critter as he proudly demonstrates his growing independence. From getting dressed to pouring his own juice, Little Critter tries his best to do things all by himself, even if it doesn’t always go perfectly. With its charming illustrations and simple text, this classic book is perfect for encouraging self-reliance in little ones.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow is a beloved, rhythmic story about five mischievous monkeys who can't resist jumping on the bed, despite their mother's warnings. One by one, they fall off and bump their heads, leading to repeated calls to the doctor, who sternly advises, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" With its playful repetition, lively illustrations, and catchy rhyme, this book is perfect for teaching counting, sequencing, and the consequences of not listening! Kids will love joining in and chanting along with the familiar refrain.
Alice Schertle's Little Blue Truck book is a charming story about a friendly blue truck who helps his animal friends in need while traveling down a country road. As he encounters various animals, he teaches the importance of kindness and teamwork. Children love the rhyming words and fun sounds to makes.
There are a plethora of apples books that can be used to teach the Letter A, but this is one of my favorites. Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss features three animals stacking apples on their heads as they compete to see who can balance the most. Through playful rhymes and colorful illustrations, children learn counting, coordination, and the excitement of friendly competition.
While not used as Books of the Week in the Complete 3 Year Curriculum, these are wonderful books to add to your home or classroom library for preschoolers to further learning.
Part of the Little Blessings series, Who Made the World? introduces children to the wonders of God's creation. Through gentle rhymes and cheerful illustrations, this book explores how God made the world and everything in it, sparking curiosity and gratitude for nature and the world around us. It's a lovely read that helps young readers understand the beauty and intentionality of God's handiwork.
Jane Moncure's My First Steps to Reading and Math Books is a series designed to introduce young children to basic reading and math concepts in a fun and engaging way. Through simple language, vibrant illustrations, and interactive elements, these books help children develop foundational skills such as letter recognition, counting, and basic math operations. Although may be hard to find, these are my favorite books for teaching phonics and counting.
Help your little ones master early numeracy skills with our vibrant Number Posters, featuring numbers 0-10, fun rhymes, and interactive counting with apples. Ideal for both classrooms and homes, these posters turn learning numbers into an exciting and engaging experience!
Big Thoughts for Little People: ABC's to Help You Grow by Kenneth Taylor uses each letter of the alphabet to introduce positive character traits and virtues to young children. With simple, rhyming text and colorful illustrations, the book encourages children to grow in kindness, honesty, courage, and other important values. The full illustrations provide numerous opportunities for conversation, allowing children to explore what’s happening in the pictures and connect the actions with the values being taught.
Three Billy Goats Gruff is a classic folk tale about three goats who must outwit a nasty troll in order to cross a bridge and reach the lush meadow on the other side. The smallest goat crosses first, followed by the medium-sized one, and finally the biggest. Each goat convinces the troll to wait for the next, larger goat, until the biggest goat pushes the troll into the river, allowing all three goats to safely graze.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a classic fairy tale about a little girl named Goldilocks who stumbles upon the house of three bears while they are out. She tries out their porridge, chairs, and beds, finding each item too hot, too cold, too big, or too small. When the bears return home, they discover Goldilocks has been inside and is asleep in the baby bear's bed. Startled, she wakes up and runs away.
