Great Books Guide: for 4 to 5 year olds

Dadaji’s Paintbrush

Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande Illustrator: Ruchi Mhasane

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

A beautifully tender story about love, art and death, set in India.

Mae bachgen yn byw mewn pentref bach yn yr India gyda'i dadaj…

The Kindest Red

Author: Ibtihaj Mohammed and S. K. Ali Illustrator: Hatem Aly

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Faizah wants the world to be kind – and she and her class set about being kind to each other.

Mae athrawes Faizah yn gofyn i'w do…

Meet the Weather

Author: Caryl Hart Illustrator: Bethan Woollvin

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

An energetic, fun introduction to different types of weather, using rhyme and vibrant, bright illustrations.

Mae merch fach a'i c…

Out of the Blue

Author: Robert Tregoning Illustrator: Stef Murphy

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

In a world where everything has to be blue, what happens if you like yellow? A joyous celebration of being individual.

Mae bachge…

I Say Oh, You Say No

Author: John Kane

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

Become the star of the book and  dive into every hilarious page of this interactive picture book.

Mae Bear yn wahanol i unrh…

You’re SO Amazing!

Author: James & Lucy Catchpole Illustrator: Karen George

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Joe loves having fun at the playground with his friends. However, on-lookers insist on viewing one-legged Joe as a source of inspi…

1,2,3, Do the Robot

Author: Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Rosalind Beardshaw

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Layla loves inventing new things in her bedroom science lab. One night, she decides to make a robot, and then she makes another. T…

Benjamin Zephaniah’s People Need People

Author: Benjamin Zephaniah Illustrator: Nila Aye

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

A joyous book that celebrates community and human connection, with gorgeous illustrations.

Mae testun odledig Benjamin Zephaniah …

Captain Looroll

Author: Matt Carr

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Captain Looroll is ready for adventure but she doesn’t get many opportunities in the toilet under the stairs. In fact, Ray the Spr…

Goldilocks and the Three Crocodiles

Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: David Melling

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

A funny re-imagining of the classic Goldilocks fairy tale, involving three scary crocodiles! Told in brilliant rhyming prose by Mi…

5 Funny Animals

Author: Adam & Charlotte Guillain Illustrator: Tom Knight

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

A fun, interactive counting book that uses rhyme and friendly illustrations to encourage children to count, and make connections b…

If I Were Prime Minister

Author: Trygve Skaug Illustrator: Ella Okstad

Interest level: 3-5

Reading age:

If you were prime minister, what new laws would you pass? For one young boy, the possibilities are endless. His new rules range fr…

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat

Author: Em Lynas Illustrator: Matt Hunt

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age: 7+

A hilarious, zany picture book about a stoat, a boat and a goat (in a colourful coat!) written in clever rhyme and tongue twister …

Dodos Are Not Extinct

Author: Paddy Donnelly

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

The bird in this book has a big secret to tell - they are in fact not a bird at all, rather a dodo in disguise! But dodos are exti…

Martha Maps it Out

Author: Leigh Hodgkinson

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age: 7+

Martha loves making maps! In this charming and original picture book, follow Martha as she takes you on a tour of her world and sh…

Speak Up!

Author: Nathan Byron Illustrator: Dapo Adeola

Interest level: 6-8

Reading age: 7+

Rocket loves visiting her local library every week, but on one visit, she discovers it will be closing. It’s time to speak up and …

The Artist

Author: Ed Vere

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age: 5+

A young dinosaur artist (looking a bit like a T-rex but a cute one) sees the dinosaur world as full of joy and beauty, something t…

Snug as a Bug?

Author: Karl Newson Illustrator: Alex Willmore

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Ronald the bug is very snug in his cosy home, until he makes the mistake of answering the door to Snake, who tries to eat him. Sad…

This Is Me!

Author: George Webster and Claire Taylor Illustrator: Tim Budgen

Interest level: 2-6

Reading age:

CBeebies presenter George Webster invites us to have fun exploring the world, working out what makes us ‘glow’ and giving everythi…

There's No Such Thing as Dragons

Author: Lucy Rowland Illustrator: Katy Halford

Interest level: 3-5

Reading age: 8+

When a little boy is told by his grandpa that there’s no such thing as dragons, he doesn’t believe it for a second. But if the boy…

Let’s Stick Together

Author: Smriti Halls Illustrator: Steve Small

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Squirrel and Bear are the best of friends, but sometimes they don’t see things in quite the same way. For instance, when Squirrel …

Bork

Author: Rhys Kitson

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

In this charming picture book, one dog maintains that the right way to woof is to say “bork”. Desperate to persuade the internatio…

Twenty Questions

Author: Mac Barnett Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Interactive, funny and unique, this bold, colourful picture book sparks conversations and can be different every time you read it …

Well Done, Mummy Penguin

Author: Chris Haughton

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age: 7+

In this suspenseful and gently humorous picture book, Mummy Penguin goes off to hunt for fish whilst Little Penguin and Daddy Peng…

Pick a Story: A pirate + alien + jungle adventure

Author: Sarah Coyle Illustrator: Adam Walker-Parker

Interest level: 4-5

Reading age:

Vincent has lost his dog Trouble at the park and he needs YOUR help. With twists and turns and hilarious characters, Trouble’s fat…