Reading for four year olds


10 Best Books for 4-Year-Olds (2022 Picks)

Do you have a little bookworm in the making? Books provide some of the most magical adventures for children, even those who may not be reading full sentences on their own yet.

When it comes to children’s books and preschoolers, there’s no shortage of titles available. We’re going to help you narrow things down and show you our favorite reads and best books for 4-year-olds.

Table of Contents

  • The Best Books for 4-Year-Olds of 2022
  • Tips for Reading with Preschoolers
  • How to Choose Books for 4-Year-Olds
  • How to Engage Your Child
  • Read On!

The Best Books for 4-Year-Olds of 2022

Here are our top 10 favorite books for 4-year-olds.

1. Harold and the Purple Crayon

Encouraging Adventure

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Your preschooler will love going on a journey with Harold and his purple crayon, as they work together to figure out how to get Harold back home to his bed. This title is great because it helps foster your child’s imagination and creativity.

A bonus is that there are more Harold stories out there. If you choose this one and your child ends up loving it, you can hop back online and order some more adventures for you and your child to share.


2. The Pout-Pout Fish

For the Pouty Pants

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Mr. Fish is not a happy guy. He swims about spreading his dreary mood to all the other fish and they’ve had enough. He doesn’t think he can do anything about it, so he just goes on, but will there be someone who can change his mind?

This one made our list for its use of silly rhyme to make the reader laugh. The fun illustrations of all the ocean characters are also nice for capturing the eye of your child. Mr. Fish is a tried and true hit for bedtime as well.


3. The Wonderful Things You Will Be

Dreaming Big

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This title is one of our favorites because it uses rhyme and happy illustrations to keep a young child’s attention. It’s also a good example of a story that can open up a dialogue about what the world has to offer.

The story basically encourages children to dream big and actively follow what they’re passionate about. It’s an endearing one for us because it displays how we, as parents, see our children and how we want the world for them.


4. Pete the Cat

For the Groovy Goose

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Pete’s groovy buttons tend to pop off constantly, so Pete decides to sing about it. We like this title because it’s one in a whole series of books about the adventures and activities of Pete, and it’s a major hit with the preschool crowd.

This story helps with early counting skills and keeps the interest of the reader with fun illustrations and a goofy storyline.


5. A Collection of Stories for 4 Year Olds

Ten Stories in One

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This book makes the perfect gift for your budding reader. It comes with 10 classic fairy tales with enchanting illustrations and easy-to-read pages, suitable for introducing your child to early reading.

In this treasury, you can introduce your child to “The Ugly Duckling,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and other classic tales. While they may not be avid readers yet, using stories with simple words and sentences is useful for encouraging them to start trying.


6. The Little House

A True Classic

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Here we follow the story of a modest house in the countryside and how it stays standing through the trials of time. We see its surroundings morph from the quiet countryside to a loud and busy city.

At first, the house loves seeing the city, but eventually, it misses the countryside and longs to go back. This is a classic that all children should have on their bookshelf.

We like this book because it gives readers the opportunity to practice comparing the city and country and allows for lots of open-ended questions during storytime.


7. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Learning the Alphabet

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In this story, the letters of the alphabet all take turns climbing up a coconut tree. As each letter piles on, they worry if there will be enough room for everybody. This book is cool because it’s repetitive and it goes through the alphabet using a fun storyline.

If you want to work on letters with your 4-year-old, this is a great classic to invest in.


8. If Animals Kissed Goodnight

For the Animal Lover

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This is a whimsical story about how different animals kiss their parents goodnight. Peacock and chick kiss with a kickity high-stepping prance, and you’ll find many other creative kisses.

It’s interactive, super cute, and the easy-to-read rhymes can be mimicked as you go. If you have an active child, this may be a good option for a bedtime read.


9. Alphatales Box Set

Time for Phonics

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If you want to gently introduce your preschooler to phonics, this is a fantastic box set to invest in. It comes with 26 stories (one for each letter of the alphabet) as well as exciting activities and short poems at the end of each book. There’s also a teaching guide to help you out with the process.

Keep in mind that this set is recommended for children starting preschool and up until the first grade, so it will grow with your child as they develop.


10. The Gruffalo

Stretching the Imagination

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If you’re looking for something that will encourage your 4-year-old to use their imagination, this title is perfect. The story follows a little mouse in the woods who is trying to avoid being eaten by all the other animals. He invents a monster called the “Gruffalo,” hoping to scare them off.

We like this one for its use of creativity in problem-solving, which may encourage your little one to do the same. It’s also a good book for preschoolers for its use of rhyme.

Tips for Reading with Preschoolers

When kids are young, they’re in their prime for developing cognitive abilities through reading. Despite this, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that one in three American children start school without the beginner literary skills needed for learning to read.

If you want your child to have a leg up on literacy before they enter kindergarten, encouraging a passion for reading is a must. By the time your child turns 4, they should approach things curiously and will probably have an expansive vocabulary. They may be able to recognize most letters and, in some cases, write their name (1).

How to Choose Books for 4-Year-Olds

There are several things to keep in mind when you’re on the hunt for books. At this age, your child has surely started displaying their interests and personality, which will help along the way.

Subject Matter

You’ll want to stick to what your child is interested in. If your 4-year-old loves robots and outer space, then finding a book about one of these will blow their mind. But if you get them something they aren’t a fan of, you’ve wasted your resources.

Bright and Silly Illustrations

Kids this age live for vibrancy and silliness. Finding a children’s book with lots of bright pictures and fun illustrations will really help in keeping their attention during storytime.

This will also help develop their imagination and is an introduction to the use of context clues, which they’ll learn once they enter elementary school.

How to Engage Your Child

We know reading has everlasting benefits for children, but what if you don’t consider yourself an “active” reader? Maybe you feel like you’re completely monotone during storytime and you can see that your child isn’t enjoying it as much as they could.

If this is the case for you, here are some pointers to help you out:

1. Read Title and Attributions

Before opening the story, read off the title and the author’s name while simultaneously pointing at the words. Your child may not be able to read yet, but pointing to these will show them that the title and who created the book is important.

2. Ask Questions

Throughout the story, it’s beneficial to pause every now and again to ask questions about the things they see, and so on.

If you’re reading a story about a sad hippo, you can ask your child how they think the hippo feels and why the hippo may feel that way. Doing this will aid in comprehension and help your child search for the deeper meanings to things.

3. Read the Book Beforehand

Before reading any books with my child, I always like to read or skim through them first. By doing this, it makes it easier to read with the thoughts and feelings of the storybook characters in mind.

This will also give you a chance to decide how you want to go about explaining new vocabulary words or other questions that may arise from reading the book.



Read On!

As you can see, there really is an abundance of options for your preschooler to choose from. By reading interactively together at home, your child will begin to look forward to reading independently.

Before buying, make sure to glimpse at the content and gauge whether it’s appropriate for your 4-year-old or not.

Our favorite is Harold and the Purple Crayon. We love Harold for his expansive imagination and ability to keep kids interested with nothing but his creativity and a large purple crayon.

Have you read any of the titles on our list? What are your thoughts? We want to know in the comments below!

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Reading Milestones (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Nemours BrightStart!

en español Hitos en la lectura

This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading success. Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. If you have concerns, talk to your child's doctor, teacher, or the reading specialist at school. Getting help early is key for helping kids who struggle to read.

Parents and teachers can find resources for children as early as pre-kindergarten. Quality childcare centers, pre-kindergarten programs, and homes full of language and book reading can build an environment for reading milestones to happen.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids usually begin to:

  • learn that gestures and sounds communicate meaning
  • respond when spoken to
  • direct their attention to a person or object
  • understand 50 words or more
  • reach for books and turn the pages with help
  • respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • answer questions about and identify objects in books — such as "Where's the cow?" or "What does the cow say?"
  • name familiar pictures
  • use pointing to identify named objects
  • pretend to read books
  • finish sentences in books they know well
  • scribble on paper
  • know names of books and identify them by the picture on the cover
  • turn pages of board books
  • have a favorite book and request it to be read often

Early Preschool (Age 3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore books independently
  • listen to longer books that are read aloud
  • retell a familiar story
  • sing the alphabet song with prompting and cues
  • make symbols that resemble writing
  • recognize the first letter in their name
  • learn that writing is different from drawing a picture
  • imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)

Kids usually begin to:

  • recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
  • recognize words that rhyme
  • name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
  • recognize the letters in their names
  • write their names
  • name beginning letters or sounds of words
  • match some letters to their sounds
  • develop awareness of syllables
  • use familiar letters to try writing words
  • understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
  • retell stories that have been read to them

Kindergarten (Age 5)

Kids usually begin to:

  • produce words that rhyme
  • match some spoken and written words
  • write some letters, numbers, and words
  • recognize some familiar words in print
  • predict what will happen next in a story
  • identify initial, final, and medial (middle) sounds in short words
  • identify and manipulate increasingly smaller sounds in speech
  • understand concrete definitions of some words
  • read simple words in isolation (the word with definition) and in context (using the word in a sentence)
  • retell the main idea, identify details (who, what, when, where, why, how), and arrange story events in sequence

First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read familiar stories
  • "sound out" or decode unfamiliar words
  • use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words
  • use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing
  • self-correct when they make a mistake while reading aloud
  • show comprehension of a story through drawings
  • write by organizing details into a logical sequence with a beginning, middle, and end

Second and Third Grade (Ages 7–8)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read longer books independently
  • read aloud with proper emphasis and expression
  • use context and pictures to help identify unfamiliar words
  • understand the concept of paragraphs and begin to apply it in writing
  • correctly use punctuation
  • correctly spell many words
  • write notes, like phone messages and email
  • understand humor in text
  • use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they've heard
  • revise their own writing to create and illustrate stories

Fourth Through Eighth Grade (Ages 9–13)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore and understand different kinds of texts, like biographies, poetry, and fiction
  • understand and explore expository, narrative, and persuasive text
  • read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
  • understand relations between objects
  • identify parts of speech and devices like similes and metaphors
  • correctly identify major elements of stories, like time, place, plot, problem, and resolution
  • read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
  • analyze texts for meaning

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Date reviewed: May 2022

What to read to a child in 3-4 years? List of books for children 3-4 years old - Kids Russian Books

When a child turns 3-4 years old, it's time to move from reading short fairy tales and poems to more complex and long works. Visual images at this age still play a key role in the perception of the story, so it is important that the illustrations in the books are bright, of high quality and easy to understand.

Today's bookstores have a large selection of children's books, and it can be difficult to choose. Our selection of books for children 3-4 years old is a cheat sheet for parents who want to pick up books by age. The list includes kind, instructive, time-tested fairy tales, poems, stories and novels, the reading of which will definitely give the child pleasure and benefit.

BEST FAIRY TALES FOR CHILDREN 3-4 YEARS OLD

At 3-4 years old, fairy tales still play an important role in the development of the child. If your child is already three years old, it's time to move from short fairy tales with a simple plot to more complex fairy tales. In addition to Russian folk tales, you can add fairy tales from the peoples of the world to your reading list - this is a great way to start your child's acquaintance with other cultures.

Russian folk tales for children 3-4 years old:

  • Frog Princess
  • Vasilisa the Beautiful
  • By pike command
  • Marya Morevna
  • Sivka-Burka
  • Finist - Clear Falcon
  • White duck
  • Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf
  • Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka
  • Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber
  • Princess Nesmeyana
  • Flying ship
  • Elena Wise
  • Dawn, Evening and Midnight
  • Tale of a silver saucer and a bulk apple
  • Vasilisa the Beautiful
  • Koschei the Deathless

Tales of the peoples of the world for children 3-4 children:

  • Forty brothers and one sister - Bulgarian folk tale
  • The blonde princess - Swedish folk tale
  • Magic ring - French folk tale
  • The Goat Princess - Norwegian folk tale
  • The Fisherman and the Princess - Japanese folk tale
  • Goldilocks - Czech fairy tale
  • Magic ring - Italian fairy tale
  • Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves - Arabic folk tale
  • Jack and the beanstalk - English folk tale
  • The shepherdess and the white wolf - Spanish folk tale
  • About the Miraculous Tree, the Dancing Stream and the True Bird - an Austrian folk tale
  • The bear and the trolls from Dovre - Danish folk tale
  • About the wise old man's chest - Tibetan folk tale

Tales of Russian writers for children 3-4 years old:

  • Vvedensky A. - Meow
  • Garshin V. - Traveler Frog
  • Dal V. - Snow Maiden girl
  • Ershov P . - Little Humpbacked Horse
  • Ivanov A. - Adventures of Khoma and Gopher
  • Stone G. - Adventures of an old doll
  • Kataev V.0018
  • Kozlov S. - Hedgehog in the fog, Tryam, hello!
  • Lebedeva G. - How Masha quarreled with a pillow
  • Mamin-Sibiryak D. - Gray Neck, Parable of Milk, Alyonushka's Tales
  • Marshak S. - The Tale of the Silly Mouse, The Tale of the Smart Mouse,
  • Moshkovskaya E. - Who is the kindest?
  • Auster G. - Kitten named Woof, Baby Garland
  • Pushkin A. - The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish
  • Suteev V. - Under the mushroom, Apple, Rooster and paints, Three kittens, Lifesaver, About a hippo who was afraid of vaccinations, A bag of apples
  • Thai Y. - Santa Claus
  • G. Tsyferov
  • Yakovlev Yu. - Umka

Tales of foreign writers for children 3-4 years old:

  • Andersen H. X. - Wild Swans, Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, Swineherd, The Princess and the Pea
  • Blyton E. - Famous Duck Tim
  • The Brothers Grimm - Mrs. Blizzard, Brem The Musicians of Women
  • Berner R.S. - Carlchen Gets Stubborn, Surprise for Carlchen, Happy New Year, Carlchen
  • Veltheis M. - Kwak the Frog
  • Vincent G. - Ernest and Celestine
  • Gauf W. - Dwarf Nose, Little Muk
  • Zhutaute L. - Tosya-Bosya and the dwarf Chistyulya and other books in the series
  • Kerr D . - Meowli. Stories from the life of an amazing cat
  • Kipling R. - Baby elephant, How the rhino got its skin, The cat that walked by itself
  • Cleaning L. - Beaver Castor
  • Nurdqvist S. - Where is Petson ?, Petson is sad, Stranger in the garden, Fox hunting
  • Perro W . - Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty
  • Potter B. - Wow-wow
  • Scotton R. - Shmyak Kitten
  • Johanson G. - Mulle Mek and Buffa, How Mulle Mek and Buffa became friends

POEMS FOR CHILDREN 3-4 YEARS OLD

At the age of 3-4 years, poems play an important role in the development of the child. Listening to poetry, the child remembers the correct endings and stresses in words. The best poems for children 3-4 years old are those that tell about phenomena and life situations that are familiar to them.

  • Akim Ya. - Girl and lion, Little Fox
  • Aleksandrova G. - About Olechka, About Tanechka, About a girl and a boy no, Winged flowers, My bear, Funny little men
  • Barto A. - Rope, Masha, Toys
  • Voronkova L. - Masha the confused
  • Zabolotsky N. - How mice fought with a cat
  • Zakhoder B. - Shaggy alphabet, Vanka-Vstanka, Clean fly, Letter I
  • Sash Yu. - Looking for a clown puppy, Whose voices are these?
  • Kushner A. - What is in your pocket?, A cherished wish, When I am an adult, A terrible incident, Birds
  • Marshak, S.
  • Mayakovsky V. - Whatever the page, then the elephant, then the lioness, What is good and what is bad?
  • Mikhalkov S. - Uncle Styopa, My puppy, About mimosa, Stubborn frog, Idler-traffic light
  • E. Moshkovskaya
  • Pivovarova I. - She treated everyone, Sheep on the porch
  • Plyatskovsky M. - Smile, True friend, Twice two - four
  • Sapgir G. - "The most" words
  • Stepanov V. - Who was the goose afraid of?, Bunny coat, Round cat, Mishkina raspberry
  • Tokmakova I. - Sleepy elephant
  • Kharms D. - Ivan Ivanovich Samovar, Amazing cat, Bulldog and taxi driver, Boat
  • Yakovlev Yu. - Lullaby

STORIES FOR CHILDREN 3-4 YEARS OLD

Stories for children 3-4 years old should be short and meaningful. For reading at this age, stories about children and animals are best suited.

  • Bianchi V. - Pansy duck, Mouse Peak, First hunt, Fox and mouse
  • Dragunsky V. - Deniska's stories
  • Zoshchenko M. - Lelya and Minka
  • N. Nosov
  • Oseeva V. - Magic word, Girl with a doll, Morning
  • Rosin V. - Why does a hedgehog need thorns?
  • Ushinsky K. - Four wishes, Bishka, Mice, Two goats, Know how to wait, Brave dog, Someone else's testicle

FAIRY STORIES FOR CHILDREN 3-4 YEARS OLD

At the age of 3-4 you can try to read to your child the same fairy tales that excited our imagination in childhood, made us fantasize and dream! Every adult knows these heroes, their stories do not get bored and do not become outdated, but remain warm memories with the child for the rest of their lives.

  • Aleksandrova G . - Brownie Kuzka
  • Bond M. - Paddington Bear
  • Volkov A. - The Wizard of the Emerald City
  • Hoffman E. - The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
  • Lindgren A. - The Kid and Carlson, who lives on the roof
  • Milne A. - Winnie the Pooh and all-all-all
  • Nosov N . - Adventures of Dunno and his friends
  • Tolstoy A. - The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Pinocchio
  • Uspensky E. - Crocodile Gena and his friends, Uncle Fyodor, dog and cat, About the girl Vera and the monkey Anfisa
  • Usachev A. - Smart dog Sonya

Book collections:

Best books for children 4 years old ✅ Blog IQSHA.ru


In the four years of age, the baby has already confidently overcame the “I itself” crisis and actively seeks to know the world. One of the valuable sources of knowledge is a children's book, which at first adults read to a child, and then the baby tries to master it on his own. Books for 4 years old are not the interactive toy books that babies are first introduced to. Literature for four-year-olds is more meaningful, most of it is devoted to text and developing pictures.

The development of a child's speech and vocabulary will advance by leaps and bounds if you talk to him every day like an adult, without "babbling", allocate time for reading and take seriously the selection of a children's home library.

Advice to parents: child psychologists, educators and pediatricians unanimously advise giving preference to paper versions of books for children 4 years old instead of audio books, digital works and filmstrips. Reading classic books has many advantages: they comprehensively stimulate the development of the child in all directions at once. This is how fine motor skills of the hands and tactile contact develop, communication and speech skills are established, and memory, hearing, imagination, empathy and interest in knowing the world around are stimulated.

We have prepared a large list of books for children aged 4, which parents can save as useful bookmarks.

Joyful and interesting reading for you and your baby!

List of books for reading children 4 years old - 20 hits

"The Adventures of Dunno and his friends", N. Nosov


This bestseller of children's literature is published by various publishers. Most likely, you had such a book in your childhood or even now it is somewhere on the shelf among the family book heritage.

Children of 4 years old understand well everything that is said in the fairy tale, because it is completely focused on the level of development of kids of this age. Young readers, along with the main characters, will travel through a beautiful fairy-tale city, meet a magician, fly in a hot air balloon and fly to the moon. The work perfectly develops the imagination, the ability to fantasize, communicate and dream - what could be better!

According to parents, children especially like the version of "Dunno" from the publishing house "Azbuka" in 2014 with black and white illustrations by Alexei Mikhailovich Laptev, which perfectly convey the mood, character of the main characters and the dynamics of events. For those who are looking for color pictures, we recommend publications from Exmodestvo 2018 or from Makhaon 2019years with juicy, bright illustrations by the artist Vadim Chelak. The books are well stitched, with quality test printing and thick paper.

"Smart Dog Sonya", A.

Usachev


The book, which has already become a children's classic, does not age - it is read to holes by parents with their daughters and sons. The perky tone of the story and the exciting adventures of the dog Sonya in different life situations bring joy to everyone. Well, how not to laugh when naive Sonya tastes mustard, finds out who made the puddle, learns to talk and communicate with everyone who meets on the way! Sonya always finds a way out of funny, sometimes ridiculous situations. Each little story about the life of a smart dog is another step for your baby in understanding the world.

The main "trump card" of the book is its developmental component, although you will not find an instructive tone or boring conclusions in the text. Everyday rules are skillfully woven into the narrative, and the child learns important lessons in good manners, ethics, behavior, communication with the outside world through fascinating reading.

By the way, parents insist that the best edition of "Smart Dog Sonya" is from "ROSMEN" in 2020. The book is made in good quality with a hard cover, and the text is accompanied by voluminous bright illustrations by the artist Evgeny Antonenkov.

We are sure that your son or daughter will definitely pass this book on to future generations of your family!

“Children. Stories about animals”, D. Harriot


Children love animals very much and enjoy reading about them. This book is a real art encyclopedia, acquaintance with which will not be tiring at all. The collection consists of stories about the everyday life of a veterinarian who meets daily with his tailed, horned and feathered patients.

The work is written in easy language, with warmth and humor. In addition, this is a personal life experience of a person who devoted his whole life to the study and protection of animals.

Parents recommend purchasing the Makhaon 2020 edition. The book is hardcover, offset, 240 pages, there is a bookmark. The text is complemented by excellent watercolor illustrations by artists Brown Root and Barret Peter.

"Russian fairy tales"

The collection includes eight well-known Russian fairy tales that four-year-olds will understand. Fairytale stories will captivate both girls and boys and will contribute to the development of fantasy, imagination, and speech.

This book is a classic for all times, which will be close to every generation. Children grow up on these touching tales, where good necessarily triumphs over evil, where strength of mind, honesty, sincerity, sincerity and love triumph.

According to parents, you need to pay attention to the 2021 edition from ROSMEN, in which bright illustrations by artists V. Nechitailo and E. Petrova seem to come off every turn and occupy the entire space in front of the eyes, creating the effect of presence.

"The Best Fairy Tales", H. K. Andersen


Andersen's author's fairy tales are a well-known example of foreign art for children. The originality of the works of the famous Dane is that the magical events in them are similar to ordinary life, and the characters feel, grieve, love, sympathize in the same way as we do in our reality.

The collection includes 7 popular fairy tales that children like the most. Hardcover book, 144 pages with good printing.

Parental recommendation – publication from ROSMEN-Press 2014, with colorful illustrations by the artist Elena Zvolskaya, which can be viewed for a long time.

Animal Questions and Answers by Kathy Danes


A book for the inquisitive why-and-whys that will introduce you to curious facts about many of the most interesting animals. On 14 pages full of information, the kid will be told amazing things: for example, why centipedes have so many legs, what makes fireflies glow and how crocodiles brush their teeth. “You see, even crocodiles,” you can say in an educational impulse. When the child is happy to brush his teeth “like a crocodile”, that is, every day, the book will definitely be read for good reason. Parents recommend choosing the Robin edition in strong cardboard cover, because the design is delightful. Behind every question and picture is a hidden door that hides knowledge. The child will look at this book with adoration and check if the drawings are in place behind the doors.

“14 wood mice. Breakfast, Kazuo Iwamura

This is the first volume in a series about the life of a large and friendly mouse family. Japanese traditional minimalism of the text is balanced by interesting author's drawings. Children do not so much listen or read stories as they look at pictures. And that's great, because it enhances the effect of presence.

A minimum of text leaves room for reflection, takes imagination and fantasy right into a cozy, kind fairy tale. The kid can help the author and think out stories, which contributes to the development of speech.

If the contents of the book seem primitive to someone, then this impression is deceptive, because it is just the beginning of a series. With each new volume, the story will deepen, inviting your child on a rewarding contemplative journey.

Moms and dads recommend the 2018 Samokat edition – it is distinguished by coated paper, pastel colors, hardcover.

Do developmental exercises from Aikyusha

"Baby and Carlson", Astrid Lindgren


For the first time, most of the children get acquainted with this cheerful flying good-natured man who loves delicious food through cartoons. The trilogy about Carlson, translated by L. Lungina, begins with this book.

Parents-experts advise to get the AST 2012 edition. The book has a hard cover, coated paper.

The main value of this edition is in the rich illustrations that envelop the entire text, permeating the entire narrative from cover to cover. The pictures are made by the artist A. Savchenko in a special technique, when a sharp stick is scratched on a wax surface and subsequently painted over with gouache. This allows the drawing to "live" - ​​the pictures are really dynamic, voluminous, have a background. In addition, the characters in the illustrations are very similar to the cartoon that the child has already seen.

"About Svetlana", Sergey Baruzdin


A textbook, even historical work. The heroine is a four-year-old girl Svetlana, who lives in Moscow and goes to kindergarten. The writer presents the life and character of the capital of the 50s of the last century. Children of today will find that Svetlana faces every day the same situations, problems and challenges that they face - with learning and meeting new people, fear of big dogs, first aid for mom, the need to tie shoelaces and do something on her own for the first time in her life. Adults will enjoy the nostalgic mood of the past, and young readers will fall in love with Svetlana, will be ready to help and suggest her as the story progresses.

Fathers and mothers, grandparents of four-year-olds are delighted with the edition released by Melik-Pashayev in 2015. Realistic illustrations of G.P. Fitingofa look like a photo that captures the carefree and interesting life of your baby's age.

"Once upon a time there were children...", N.V. Karpova


The collection of poems of our contemporary is written in the best traditions of poetic works for children - like those of A. Barto, S. Marshak and other authors.

Light, funny poems are well remembered by children. The rhymed lines tell about everything that is so important for a little person - toys, funny situations, favorite and unloved food, walks, weather, childhood dreams and desires.

Parents in the reviews highly praise the 2021 Enas-Kniga edition, illustrated by the artist L. Eremina-Noshin. Colorful drawings occupy all the spreads, they convey the mood of the poems and the dynamics of the plot very well and in the smallest detail. Hardcover book, 32 pages.

“Brownie Kuzka”, T. Aleksandrova


Children are familiar with the very kind and exciting adventures of the little girl Natashka and her new friend Kuzi, a brownie from cartoons. However, the book will be even more interesting for the baby, because the plot is much wider than in cartoons.

The work teaches good attitude towards others, mutual assistance, attention, friendship. The little brownie knows little about modern life, and a four-year-old child will, together with Natasha, help, prompt him, learn and go through life stages together with the hero.

Parents recommend choosing a 2014 edition from ROSMEN, although many have complaints about the thickness of the sheets (according to some reviews, they are a little translucent). The illustrations by the artist N. Subocheva captivate both children and adults into the world of reading, perfectly visualize the course of the story and allow you to fully immerse yourself in the fabulous atmosphere of the work.

Emil and Margo. Prank Time!” by Anne Didier and Olivier Meller


A wonderful bestseller for younger preschoolers in the form of a collection of funny comics about the life of the little prince and princess. The heroes are friends with resourceful and friendly monsters who always come to the aid of their young friends, even where help is not required at all. For example, in creating clones of the prince and princess to free them from going to school, or in growing a garden overnight. Unexpected and funny situations happen to the characters, from which they together look for a way out.

This book is one of four volumes. To be continued, because the child will be carried away by the adventures of funny heroes and will definitely reach for the next books. The format of comics is convenient because even a kid can look at them without the participation of adults, because the pictures give a complete understanding of the plot.

Parents highly recommend the Mann, Ivanov & Ferber 2021 edition. The author of a funny comic series is Deloye Olivier. All books are issued in hardcover and have sewn-in bookmarks.

“Why? The most interesting children's questions about nature, science and the world around us, Katherine Ripley


It is worth starting your baby's acquaintance with encyclopedic literature with this book. The collection consists of short stories on the theme of the surrounding world, nature, science.

The book will help parents a lot, because you will be armed with knowledge on all “Why?” his child. Adults do not have to study large encyclopedias in search of answers to the most tricky children's questions, because in this book they are accurate, comprehensive, written in a language understandable even to a small child.

If mom and dad still don’t know why worms crawl out of the ground after rain, what makes people and animals yawn, and who looks at us from the moon, it’s time to get this collection and start reading it with your baby, supplementing it with stories from own life experience.

Hardcover book with colorful illustrations by artist S. Ritchie published by Mann, Ivanov & Ferber in 2020. There is a bookmark - a golden ribbon lace. At the end of the encyclopedia, you will find a blank section reserved specifically for recording your child's questions.

"The book of fairy tales by V. Suteev"


Everyone knows and loves Suteev - both parents and children. The child's acquaintance with literature begins with the pictures of this artist. Suteev's illustrations are very recognizable, dynamic, have their own character and charm. The author drew touching stories for the youngest in the form of comics - these are a series of pictures that show the actions of the characters.

For four-year-olds, fairy tales with only illustrations and text stories supplemented with images will be useful - all of them are collected in a popular collection. From the pictures, the baby can remember what he read and retell the texts - this develops memory and speech.

Among the many options for collections, parents especially recommend publications from AST in 2020 and Malysh in 2018, which contain works by V. Suteev, K. Chukovsky, M. Plyatskovsky. The book consists of three sections: fairy tales with illustrations, stories based on the artist's script and works by other authors, illustrated by V. Suteev. Along with Suteev's pictures, the book also contains pictures by other artists.

"The Adventures of Duk-Doo", V. Putilin


This is a collection of stories about a little squirrel who is trying to cope with his fears. The foolish child is mischievous, studies the world around him, meets with pleasure, argues and shares his thoughts with his mother. The work shows the touching and very trusting relationship between mother and Duk-Du. They worry about each other, help, try to make the life of the other better. While reading, the kid will touch the warm secrets of the squirrel clan, and at the same time get acquainted with the image of the family and an example of family relationships, as they should be.

According to parents, there are two popular editions - from the publishing house "Rech" in 2018 with illustrations by Tatyana Ivanitskaya and from "Rech" in 2014, which was illustrated by the artist V. Pivovarov. Both books are hardcover, well-printed and colorfully designed. The only difference is that the drawings by T. Ivanitskaya are more realistic in comparison with the cartoonish, almost popular prints by V. Pivovarov. The choice is a matter of taste for parents and the baby, both books are wonderful.

“All year round in the forest. Wimmelbuch”, Rachel Piercy, translated by Yulia Simbirskaya


Wimmelbuch deluxe edition - books with poems not only for reading, but also for performing various tasks with the baby. The book is richly framed, the drawings can be viewed for a long time, finding answers to the questions listed right there.

Wimmelbuch has four sections on the seasons, and each contains 16 poems that you can talk with your child after reading, and more than a hundred interesting and varied tasks.

The benefits of this approach are enormous: in the process of learning Wimmelbuch, the baby will learn colors, seasons, counting, names of animals and birds, and much, much more. The book develops attention, memory, teaches you to concentrate on the task, answer questions and come up with your own.

Parents advise purchasing the 2021 Mann, Ivanov & Ferber edition. The illustrations for the book were made by the artist Freya Hartas.

"Etiquette for children of different years", A. Usachev


A book with humor and rules of etiquette in verse is the best suited for children 3-4 years old, because it is from this age that communication skills with others are formed, and also the ability to control one's behavior and meet the requirements established in society.

The rules here are not instructive, but cheerful and understandable to children. “Anti-examples” are also given in the verses, and the child quickly understands what not to do.

Parents recommend the 2019 Onyx edition with beautiful meaningful illustrations by T. Lyakhovich.

"Winnie the Pooh and All-All-All" by Alan Milne


Timeless classics of children's literature will please your little one too. This is a complete work, which only in episodes looks like a familiar cartoon. Therefore, a trip to the Enchanted Forest will captivate the child and introduce many new adventures to already known characters.

Winnie the bear cub's funny and instructive incidents with his friends, situations from which he has to get out, is an excellent reading for a preschooler, which develops and teaches kindness.

Parents recommend purchasing the AST 2015 edition, translated by Boris Zakhoder and illustrated by Ernest Howard Shepard. This colorful book with pictures correctly distributed throughout the text is made in excellent quality and is the best size for children.

City of Good Deeds, Richard Scarry


This book will give young readers a real journey into the unknown and tempting world of adults. Toddlers will find out where their parents go when they say “to work”, what it can be like and what interesting things can happen there.

Children will get acquainted with the activities of urban transport, understand how roads are built and how they are treated in a hospital, what is made of wood and who works in the port. Fascinating and interesting stories will tell the children a lot of new things and help them choose their future profession.

Parents recommend paying attention to the book from Career Press 2020, because there are complaints about previous editions due to poor print quality and typographical errors. All omissions in the new edition are absent. The book is large, colorful and excellent quality. The illustrations for the text were made by the author himself - Richard Scarry.

"The Big Book of Stories", Nikolai Nosov


The collection consists of the most famous and loved by all stories - about a living hat, Mishka porridge, unlucky gardeners and dreamers, about Bobik visiting Barbos and many, many others.


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