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Books as Gifts
2008 Buying Guide
Books for 4-5 year olds
Your presence is always the best present! The books below are great to share with preschoolers and kindergarteners. There are 18 books that emergent readers may enjoy reading on their own or, with their engaging stories and playful language, are recommended for sharing with a parent or other caring adult.
Browse through the recommended books below or download the guide as a one-page handout you can easily take to the library or store.
- Download the 2008 guide for 4-5 year olds >
(332K PDF)
Things aren't always as they seem as young Alfie learns when he helps one of the "big boys" Alfie knows from the school next door. Young readers will see themselves in Hughes' gentle illustrations which depict everyday people doing daily things.
Adorable babies are lovingly pictured in appealing illustrations and rhyming text. There is a reassuring tone from a "Baby Face" to the "Baby Bed." Even children who are no longer babies will enjoy the soothing language and images.
Danny, a young rattlesnake all alone, tries to befriend other desert animals but without success; that is, until he meets a prairie dog with a vision problem. Exaggerated illustrations use varied perspectives to add humor to the text told with a twang.
Even the best of friends sometimes have problems they must work out. And it's true for Dog and Bear, the best friends who can get angry but get over it. Simply crafted illustrations are the perfect complement to the uncomplicated text.
Ten hounds escape from their unfortunate owner for an adventurous — and very funny — day out and about. The comic illustrations build with the lively rhyming language for a zany escapade.
Children often see what adults miss, and so it is when Will finds a pigeon with a broken wing on the sidewalk of a busy city. Will and his parents, help the bird recover over time then release it. Limited text and well paced and placed illustrations tell the affecting story.
Lemon was a lucky duck. His brood mates were all healthy and eventually went to live independently, but Ms. Lake and her class would always provide Lemon the special attention he needed. This surprising story is based on the author’s experience with the real Lemon the duck.
A Hispanic family's preparation for dinner is presented in easy words in both Spanish and English. Warm illustrations depict an affectionate family enjoying their daily routine. This is the first book in Pat Mora's My Family/Mi Familia series, a four-book collection of easy-read bilingual books.
His mother loves her chick unconditionally; she can lose her temper when requests for quiet go unheeded. Little Chick realizes that even though they get mad, parents and kids always love each other. Large, comic illustrations enhance the wit of the presentation.
A slightly frumpy, highly energetic girl and her expressive toy monkey dramatize seeing different animals from penguins to well, monkeys. The repeated phrase "Monkey and me…" combines with animated illustrations that use few colors for great impact.
An author's note from Ruth Stiles Gannett, now 85 years old, provides background for this modern classic. In honor of its 60th anniversary, the fantastic tale of the boy who sets out to find his father is a bit larger with colorful endpages but otherwise unchanged.
Night can be a great time for lots of things; seeing fireworks, or city lights. It's even good for sleeping. This book is as fresh as when it was first published with lilting language and colorful illustration.
Lilly is an effervescent child who enjoys each season and the special things that can be done during them. Comic book-like format and conversation balloons clearly depict her delight and make this book easy to follow and to read.
With each "ding dong!" of the door bell, another relative joins Mom and the baby to play and enjoy each other until the last arrival when the celebration really begins. The extended family who loves Baby SO MUCH celebrates Daddy's birthday.
Going "green" is made accessible to young children with 10 can-do activities like turning out the lights or unplugging the television when not using them. Unique page shapes, die cuts, and bold colors add to its appeal.
Have you ever wondered where the sand found in sleepy eyes comes from? It's explained in this appealing, old-fashioned feeling story of a tiny man named Tor who realizes that the sand from a found dragon's scale makes everyone sleepy.
A bald baby with a round head and an expressive face confronts the challenge of learning how to walk. Children who have mastered the art of walking and adults who cheer them on will appreciate the subtle humor in both text and cartoon-like illustration.
"Eeny, meeny, miney, moe! Who ate all the cookie dough?" asks a mother kangaroo of other animals. No one knows, of course, until the culprit can be found quite close to home! Children will catch on to the repetition quickly and will delight in the rhyming response.
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