Board & Picture Books About Cats Toddlers, Preschool & Kindergarten
I’ve always been an animal lover and there’s just something about cats and kittens. I guess that rubbed off on my son because he is now a self-declared “cat fan”. So naturally, we have loads of books about cats…picture books, board books, chapter books, you name it.
Here are some of our favorite children’s books about cats that you may want to add to your little cat lover’s reading nook!
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I would definitely recommend board books for the under-3 crowd, as some toddlers have a particular knack for ripping pages out of paper books. Board books about cats or any other topic under the sun are so much more durable and damage-resistant!
I’ll include the author’s recommended reading age in each description but remember, that is a general guideline. As your little one’s reading progresses you will get a feel for which books are best for them, sometimes outside of the age recommendation.
How Cats Say I Love You by Guy Brown
Reading Age: 2-7
Brown’s story tells how cats show their love and other emotions through their body language and then relates it to how we humans do similar things when we’re feeling happy, sad, or scared. It’s a terrific social-emotional learning book with tips to help kids to express emotions in healthy ways. It explores kindness and introduces the concept of empathy.
I recently got a copy of this new book by Guy Brown from Platypus Media and I must say, I loved it! With colorful and cute illustrations, it shows different breeds of cats with kids from different places in the world. As a bonus, in the back of the book, there is a section on each type of cat, info about the breed and where they are found.
How Cats Say I Love You is a must for any cat lover and also a great way to teach kids how to care for and interact with their pet cats!
Cat by Matthew Van Fleet
Reading Age: 0-5
This is one of our favorite cat books! This super cute board book is a tactile superstar! It’s perfect for toddlers with sliders, flaps, pettable fuzzy textures to touch, and even a squeaky ball. Interactive picture books are so fun and this one boasts 22 different breeds of cats! We read this one so many times that we wore it out. Simply adorable.
Van Fleet also has published similar style books under the simple titles Dog, Heads, Tails, and Alphabet. I suggest when searching for his books that you type in the author name since his titles are so short.
They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Reading Age: 3-5
A clever children’s book with lovely illustrations. It is a book about observation and perspective put forward in an original way. The book shows how different animals see the cat and how they all view it differently. For example, the flea has a very different perspective than say, the goldfish!
With its rhythm and repetition, it’s a great book to read with toddlers to help them connect words with images.
Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel
Reading Age 3-5
Wenzel plays with perspective again in this fun cat book. Told in rhyming text, Inside Cat views the world through many windows, watching the birds, squirrels, and people go by–but when the door opens it discovers a whole new view.
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Reading Age: 2-6
A simple, heartwarming story with charming charcoal style artwork about a kitten who mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk. She goes on an adventure and tries all kinds of ways to get to that bowl of milk but nothing seems to work. In the end, the poor kitty becomes a lucky kitty and has a yummy treat waiting for her at home.
I Love Kittens by Laine Faulke
Reading Age: 1-3
A very simple board book with adorable photos of kittens and cats with fun facts about cats sprinkled in. Sometimes the best books about cats for our youngest readers are simply uncomplicated.
Cat The Cat, Who Is That? by Mo Willems
Reading Age: 2-6
If you’re a Mo Willems fan, you may want to check out this one. As usual, a fun little story with rhymes and cute illustrations, and a plot twist at the end. A fun book to read to your toddler as the pictures will hold their attention or a great beginning-to-read book for older kids.
Splat The Cat: I Scream For Ice Cream by Rob Scotton
Reading Age: 4-8
In my quest to find the best picture books about cats, I feel I must add a “Teacher’s Pick” into the mix! It’s a Level One I Can Read book and works on the “eam” sound. Scotton has a whole series dedicated to Splat The Cat and this one is about a field trip to an ice cream factory. Sounds fun! The illustrations look adorable and I can’t wait to check this one out for our 5-year-old.
Little Cat Feels Left Out by Dori Durbin (Little Cat Feelings Series)
Reading Age: 4-8
Nobody likes feeling left out and this is one of the many situations we as parents, caregivers, and educators must help our kids navigate.
And like with most situations, reading books with characters going through similar circumstances can be a great help! With cute, childlike animal characters, this book teaches about sharing, caring, friendship, and how to handle those emotions that arise when feeling left out.
Charlie ( A Little Golden Book) by Diane Fox Downs
Reading Age 3-7
If you are a bit nostalgic like I am and into vintage books and other things, you may enjoy Charlie. It’s one of my favorites from childhood and I actually kept my copy from when I was a kid. My little guy and I enjoy reading this one together and who knows, maybe he will read it to his kids someday. You will only find used copies or collector’s editions of these classics.
Pete The Cat And The New Guy by James Dean
Reading Age 4-8
Pete is one of our favorite cool cats. This is a cute story about new beginnings, new friends, and accepting yourself and others as they are. Dean has written a total (so far) of 59 Pete The Cat books in all so whatever theme you are looking for, chances are that he has a groovy book about it!
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? by Bill Martin Jr. & Michael Sampson
Reading Age: 2-6
Beautifully illustrated with pastel watercolors, this is an adorable kitty cat book. Kitty is supposed to be getting ready for school but is doing everything but! The simple rhyming text makes it fun to read to toddlers while kindergarteners may want to read it themselves.
The Everything Book Of Cats And Kittens by DK Publishing
Reading Age: 6-9
This is one of those picture books about cats that is wonderfully cute and informative at the same time. It has loads of facts about cats. Your child can find out about the unique traits of different breeds and how to take care of them.
This Cat Loves That! by June Smalls
Reading Age: 0-3
A purr-fect introduction to cats for babies and toddlers. Some fun basic facts like things they like and things they absolutely do not, along with photos of different types of cats and kittens.
If You Give A Cat A Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
Reading Age: 4-8
What kind of silly things will happen if you give a cat a cupcake? This cute creative and funny story is a great choice to read together, your child can look for and point out items in the illustrations as you read it. We really enjoyed If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by the same author as well!
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!
I hope you like some of these suggestions for the best picture books about cats! Perhaps a couple will find their way onto your child’s bookshelf and become a family favorite! Enjoy your reading time together with your little cat lovers and these fun reads.
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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