Reading with your kids can be so much fun! If you enjoy reading with your kids as I do, you’re probably always on the lookout for new book recommendations. I’m excited to share 10 of the best books to read to 5-year-olds, kindergarten age and first grade kids.
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What’s Inside:
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
- Up The Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
- Dragons Love Farts by Hollywood Kay
- Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
- A Frog Ate My Sandwich by Christine Durkin
- The Moose Who Loved Noodles by Rachel Dutton
- This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers
- How To Catch A Leprechaun by Adam Wallace
Adding a few new additions to your child’s library will give you and your kids a new storytime adventure to look forward to reading together!
Most of the books below are recommended for children age 4,5,6, and 7 so it’s not a hard and fast rule that they are all strictly for 5-year-olds. It’s just a general guideline but these are some of the books our son really enjoyed at age 5. Most of these selections are available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle!
Why Is Reading With Your Kids Important?
Reading Books Sparks Imagination!
The advantages of reading books are plentiful! Reading opens kids’ minds to the magic of new people, places, and things all without having to leave the comfort of home. Research shows that reading with young children has numerous benefits and the experts say the earlier the better!
Once they’ve reached the ripe old age of 5 they will be starting to read on their own too. Naturally, all kids develop literacy skills at a different pace and that’s ok! Wherever your child falls in that range of reading skills, a great way to improve is to read together consistently.
Reading experts say that reading for just 10 minutes a day increases the number of words a child reads in a year by more than half a million. That’s incredible!
We read every day and we especially always read a bedtime book and quite frankly, it’s my very favorite part of the day.
Not sure what your child’s reading level is? You can get a reading assessment and a ton of other awesome literacy resources for kids ages 2-12 with Reading IQ: Age of Learning. They offer the first month totally free so there’s nothing to lose!
A Love Of Reading Can Last A Lifetime!
I love to read. I don’t carve out as much time as I would like for it but I’m working on it. It all stems from my upbringing I suppose. Our house was always full of books. Dad was an ex-cop and usually had an Ed Mcbain novel on the go. Mom enjoyed a wide range of genres from classics, to biographies and thrillers.
I remember my Mom reading to me when I was little and thinking that it was the most magical and safest place on earth, listening to her soothing voice whisk me away to all those fascinating far-off places.
As I got older and started reading on my own you could often find me up in our treehouse, my nose buried in a book. My very first job at age 12 was working at the local library. I loved it!
Anyway, I digress, but the point is that our parents cultivated a love of reading in all of us kids. It has lasted my whole life and I love the fact that I’m able to pass it on to my child.
What Books Can You Read To A 5-Year-Old?
Well, the possibilities are endless and can vary according to your child’s interests, activities, family dynamic, lifestyle, culture, etc. There are just so many choices! Picture books are still a big hit at this age. Beginner graphic novels are very popular too. You can even give chapter books a try!
Our son is currently 6 and still loves picture books but from time to time he likes me to read a chapter book to him especially if he is getting sleepy and wants to close his eyes. In this article, I am going to stick to the best picture books for 5-year-olds and will cover chapter books in a separate post.
I’m happy to share with you our current list of best books to read to 5-year-olds.
Some are downright silly and zany, some are sweet and touch on subtle life lessons, and they are all great picks for this age group! Let’s dive in!
10 of The Best Books To Read With 5-Year-Olds
It’s Hard To Be Five by Jamie Lee Curtis
Learning not to hit? Having to wait your turn? Sitting still? It’s hard to be five!
Curtis’s encouraging text and Laura Cornell’s playful artwork make the challenges of self-control seem a bit easier and a lot more fun. Five-year-olds will get a kick out of the main character as he talks about the ups and downs of becoming a big kid.
My sister-in-law is an amazing elementary school teacher and she got our son this book for his 5th birthday. It was a real hit! He loved the story and the pictures and he could really relate to all the struggles the main character was facing. It also made me realize that yes, it really is hard to be 5!
Things are changing so much for our kids around age 5! They’re not babies anymore, big kid school begins, and responsibilities start. I think it helped me have a little more patience and understanding as a mom realizing and remembering what it was like to be that age!
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
An unnamed girl has a vision of creating the most magnificent thing and thinks it will be perfect and “easy peasy”.
But as she builds one thing after another, she isn’t happy with any of them.
Her doggie assistant suggests that they take a walk to calm down. After taking a break she begins to realize that there is something great about each one of her creations and that things don’t always have to be perfect.
This is a simple, sweet story about perseverance and creativity, perfectionism and patience. Sometimes walking away from a project that’s frustrating can help you relax and gain a new perspective. The artwork is simply adorable too!
Up The Mountain Path by Marianne Dubuc
This sweet picture book is a lovely calming read with soft illustrations.
Mrs. Badger is a sweet old badger who is always willing to help others. She hikes up the mountain every week for a nature adventure. One day she meets a young cat named Lulu. She becomes Lulu’s mentor.
The story touches on the theme of losing strength and slowing as we get older but remains uplifting by showing how life goes on in a cycle. It teaches kids that knowledge and experience can be passed on sort of like passing the torch.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in his hair. And it got worse…
Things just keep going wrong for him which causes him to have quite a negative outlook. He truly believes that if he just goes to Australia, everything will be better. Critics of this book will say Alexander is a negative Nelly or a whiny brat but that didn’t bother me. Kids do get whiny right?
At the end of the day, he is not in Australia, he’s just in his bed again. His mom comes in to say goodnight. She doesn’t try to fix everything for him nor does she make light of his troubles. To me, this is the best part. She says, some days are like that. Basically, that’s life, we all have bad days, and it’s ok. It’s just part of the human experience.
Dragons Love Farts by Hollywood Kay
If you’re not into fart humor (or dragons for that matter) you can skip ahead but let’s face it, 5-year-olds think flatulence is funny, so to read fart books seems fitting.
If you just want to have a chuckle with your kid, give this one a try. It’s not literary gold but it is cute and funny.
There’s something for everyone in this ‘one-of-a-kind,’ silly, rhyming picture book about farting dragons. Rockets, dragons, farts, pirates, dragons, hippies, and just a lot of farts. Each colorful and dynamic scene features a new dragon in yet another silly situation.
Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor
In 2005, O’Connor created Fancy Nancy and this is the first book in a series of 19! She has stood the test of time.
Nancy likes to be fancy. She loves fancy clothes, fancy accessories, and fancy words. Her family, however, is definitely “unfancy”. Nancy decides to teach her family about being fancy. It doesn’t go quite as planned.
A really cute, fun story for kids who love learning new and “fancy” vocabulary, and also about being yourself. It presents the concept of family involvement and love which is subtle but very present.
The artwork is colorful and detailed for kids who like pictures with a lot going on.
A Frog Ate My Sandwich by Christine Durkin
What happens when two boys meet up with a fun-loving, sneaky frog? Chaos!
Caden and Nate make friends with a mischievous frog who secretly hops a ride with them to their school. What ever could go wrong? Pretty much everything!
This is one of those books that will make 5 year olds giggle when they read it. It is a simple little story with bright, gorgeous illustrations. However simple, it’s also got some life lessons about respecting nature, diversity and inclusion, friendship, and empathy.
Raise a Reader with These 13 Early Literacy Tips!
The Moose Who Loved Noodles by Rachel Dutton
Just as Boomer discovers the wonderful world of noodles, his terrible table manners get him removed from the party!
Boomer then sets off on an adventure in his quest to find more and more noodles. He can’t help it, he just loves them! And who can blame him right??
This is a super cute story and teaches kids about problem-solving by showing there are many different ways to approach a problem. When one thing doesn’t work, you can always find another way!
This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers
Since we’re on the subject of moose, I just had to include this one.
Wilfred owned a moose. He hadn’t always owned a moose. The moose came to him a while ago and he knew, just KNEW, that it was meant to be his. He thought he would call him Marcel.
Until he realizes that maybe the moose doesn’t belong to him…maybe he belongs to someone else. is his name even Marcel??
Jeffers is one of our favorite children’s authors! We just checked this one out of our local library last month and it did not disappoint.
This adorable book has a cute, quirky storyline and simple illustrations that we really love. It touches on the fact that wild animals really don’t belong to anyone, no matter what humans may think.
How To Catch A Leprechaun by Adam Wallace
You’ve been planning like crazy, and you’ve created the perfect trap with shamrocks, pots of gold, rainbows, and all the things leprechauns love. This could be the year you’ll finally catch the leprechaun!
This book is a teacher’s pick and a favorite around St. Patrick’s Day! It is bright and colorful. lively, and just a lot of fun in general. It may even spark some creativity in your child around building their own leprechaun trap! When my son was in kindergarten they built their own traps for a craft and he was very excited about it! We never did catch one though…they are so sneaky! Oh well, maybe next year.
Fun & Funny Read Alouds For Kindergarten, Grade 1&2
15 Sweet Picture Books About Emotions & Feelings
I hope you find these books to read with 5-year-olds enjoyable for both you and your kids!
And remember, every child is unique as far as their reading level These books can be appropriate for a wider range of ages like 4-7, even some 8-year-olds.
As always, we’d love to hear from you in the comments. I am always on the lookout for more books to check out! What are some of your favorite books for this age range?
Until next time, K.
Kelly Blakely is the founder and creative force behind Just Our View From Here. As a first-time mom over 40, she brings a fresh perspective to parenting and family life on her blog. Kelly also explores a wide range of lifestyle topics in her writing, including fashion, beauty, self-care, and well-being.
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