Preschoolers love animal stories. Take their love and learning for animals further with these fascinating picture books for 2-5 year-olds. The pictures are big and bright with simple texts on each page. Make farm or zoo visits memorable with these adorable books. Also included are animal activity and fun animal sound books.
Also read: Zoo animal books for preschoolers | Jungle animal books for preschoolers
23 Best Books For Preschoolers
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Stinky Winky Silly Willy Off-Key Donkey Preschoolers love rhymes. Join and explore the world with Willy, the donkey, in this rhyming picture book. Watch the mischievous Willy get into silly situations. This humorous book is perfect for a nighttime read.
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse This is the ninth book in the popular animal book series of Adventures of Sophie Mouse. Sophie and her friends come across one giant paw print and wonder whose it could have been. They have never seen such a huge paw print before. Well-drawn illustrations on every page and simple slight words make this book ideal read for preschoolers. The adventure story is perfect for family story-time before bedtime. The entire series is a great read and perfect for the preschool age group.
Charlie Needs a Cloak Tomie dePaola is a great children’s author, and he does not disappoint in this book either. The story primarily talks about steps needed for creating a woven garment, starting with shearing the wool. The illustrations aptly compliment the story and show the mischief of the spunky sheep and crafty mouse. Young children take great delight in searching for the hidden mouse in the pictures. It is a perfect storybook for the 3 to 5 years age group. Both parents and children would enjoy reading it together.
Raising a Hero Max is a lovable little puppy. Sam, Max’s raiser, takes Max everywhere – kindergarten, restaurants, bus. Through pictures and simple words, this book explains what it is like to raise a service puppy. Sam has to finally give away his puppy to a person in need so that Max can be a true hero. The story is sweet and funny. And the book is sure to strike a chord with dog lovers. Children can learn the act of selfless giving from Sam.
Pip’s Guide to Ocean City: Volume 1 Pip, the orphan cat is adopted by a family in Maryland, Ocean city. Now every day is a vacation for pip as the cat explores the entire place. It is a beautifully illustrated book, which acts as a travel guide for young children and tells them the fun things to do on vacation in Ocean City. It also lists out a few must-have treats. At the back of the book, there is space for the reader to write down his\her own experience in Maryland. A perfect book for 3 years and up.
The Koala Who Could Kevin, the koala, loves to remain in his comfort zone – the nice and cozy place of his tree home. But when change comes along, will he be willing to explore and experience something new? This book teaches the children the fun of trying new things and why it is necessary to come out of their comfort zone and embrace new things. Such a positive message. Quite apt for the preschoolers, who will be getting ready to start school life.
God Made Mommy Special This book shows the readers that all the mommies are special in their way – whether it is a mommy sparrow who cuddles her little one under her wing or a mommy monkey who swings from tree to tree, hugging her little one. Sweet rhyming text and adorable illustrations show the reader how mommy is special through the eyes of a child and the eyes of God. It is a special book for 2 to 5-year-olds. Perfect for mothers to spend some quality time with children.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish If you have a preschooler at home who loves animals, this book is a perfect choice. It is a timeless beginner read from Dr. Suess, the master of silly rhymes. An excellent phonics book – each page focuses on certain sounds and combinations. Children love to try and read the rhymes, on their own, which helps build reading skills and self-confidence. This book is about the way words sound and teaches all about fun rhyming. The illustrations take the children to a magical world. You can never go wrong with One Fish Two Fish.
The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter A love poem from a father to his two sons and tribute to the bees, which pollinate the food we love to eat. This book is perfect if you have a young one at home who has trouble facing fears. For it teaches the children that how often feeling of fear is just feeling of unknown. Full of helpful information about bees, this book is not only for children, but even adults would enjoy it. It is a beautifully illustrated book, perfect for your preschooler.
What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo When little Renee asks her father why zoo animals are sleepy all day, he comes up with an interesting answer. At night, the monkeys steal the zookeeper’s keys, and all animals come out of their cages to party. When the visitors arrive in the morning, the animals are tired and sleepy from all-night partying. Colorful illustrations and entertaining writing take the children through the magical world of zoo animals. It is a treasure for children aged 3 years to 5.
The Nest That Wren Built If you have a bird-loving child at home, this book is an ideal buy. Nature lovers will delight at how Carolina wrens build a nest for family. Papa and Mama Wren gather treasure from the forest to build the nest. The tidbits of the details of jungles in enough to pique the interest of a preschooler. The apt illustrations reveal the mysterious lives of these birds. Text is written in beautiful rhyme, making it a fun read-aloud. Knowledge and fun is too good a combination to miss.
Cam’s Sneakers This one is a charming book about a cool kid Giraffe named Cam and his emotional journey of losing his cherished blue sneakers. He searches high and low for his favorite pair. Will he ever find his sneakers? It is an exciting journey of twists and turns. Something which every child can easily relate to. The story is told in rhymes and complimented with vivid and bright pictures. Kids would love to take the journey with Cam.
Becoming a Good Creature There is always something to learn from the animal world. Some teach us how to be friendly, while others teach forgiveness, respect, and more. The book delivers this message with animals like gorillas, dogs, octopuses, tigers, etc. A perfect book for the 3 to 5 years age group. The attractive pictures keep the children engaged for longer.
Ponies and Horses Sticker Activity Book If your preschooler loves horses, this is the perfect book. Mazes, games, drawing activities, stickers – this book is sure to keep your child engaged for hours. Some of the activities would require adult guidance.
The Hiccupotamus A hippo is getting continuous hiccups. An elephant, a centipede, and a rhinoceros are trying to find a cure. The rhymings are silly, and the book is hysterically funny. The penciled drawn illustrations by Aaron Zenzare are quite eye-catching. A perfect read-aloud for 3 to 5 years olds.
Frederick This book is a winner of the 1967 Caldecott Honor medal. It teaches preschoolers that it is ok to be different. This is the story of a mouse Fredrick, who is a bit different than the rest of his mice family. But in winter, it is Frederick’s heartwarming stories, that keep the mice family warm. A classic book – passed down through generations.
My Peekaboo Animals Watch your preschooler squeal with delight, as he or she lifts the pages of the fun flap book. Bright, beautiful artwork, fun facts, and 70 fun flaps make this book a delight to read. This one is a simple animal book.
Kids First Big Book of Bugs If your child is interested in bugs, this is the perfect book. Read and learn about bugs of all kinds – small, big, creepy, crawling, jumping. Other than the regular backyard bugs, this book also has bugs from deserts, rainforests, etc. With colorful real-life pictures and fun facts, this animal book is a must-have. A book- that will be useful for few years.
Animals activity books for preschoolers
Animal Drawing Book for Kids Keep your preschooler engaged for hours with this popular how-to-draw animals activity book. The book has everything, starting from domestic animals, wild animals birds, insects, amphibians, and even mythological beats. With 365 animals to draw, there is something for every child’s interest.
Cute Animal Coloring Book With a preschooler at home, you can never have too many coloring books. This adorable animal coloring book is fun and creative. With 50 animal pictures to color, this book is perfect for any trip or when stuck at home.
Animals sound books for preschoolers
Wild Symphony Join Maestro Mouse and his musical friends as they travel and meet cheetahs, whales, beetles, swans. And solve the coded letter and clues along the way. A perfect read-aloud book for preschoolers. Or listen to the musical composition with an interactive app, which plays as held over a page.
Growl with the Animals! Watch your child squeal with delight with this ten-button animal sound book. The pictures include some of the popular animals known for their roaring power. The pages are sturdy, making them easier to turn.
Rumble with the Dinosaurs! The fun sound book is for your dinosaurs-loving child. Kids will love looking at the pictures and learning about the various dinosaurs’ facts. Watch your child roar away with enthusiasm.
Watch the read-aloud of the animal story – The Hippo-NOT-amus
Why should preschoolers learn about animals?
By the age of 3, every child should be able to recognize the common animals. They can even recognize and make most of the animal sounds. This is the first step of learning for kids and readies them for the future school. Animal stories and books have been teaching tools for children for centuries.
Common animal names form the first vocabulary library for kids. They are easy to pronounce and short words. Animals’ behavior, eating habits intrigue the children. They learn more about nature and surroundings by observing and knowing about animals.
