Read-Alouds for a Four-Year-Old

by | Children's Books, Reading Aloud | 2 comments

I’m looking for read-aloud suggestions for Daniel. Lucas thought you’d be a good resource. He loved the Winnie the Pooh books, but I’ve struggled to find something else that’s got periodic pictures, an innocent story line and is at a level he can understand. Junie B Jones doesn’t behave very well and the Magic Tree House was a little scary and Peter Pan was good but a bit above his level and some things were scary, too. I love the idea of reading real literature but am looking for things that can engage a 4-year-old. He loves picture books but goes through a lot each week and we’re enjoying read-aloud time if I can come up with good books. Any ideas? Thanks! –Melody

Here are some books recommended by me and by others:

The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmunds
The Little Train by Lois Lenski
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Who’s Got the Apple? by Jan Loof
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
Pictorial Pilgrim’s Progress (Moody Press)
Beatrix Potter books
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Uncle Wiggly stories by Howard R. Garis
The Mice of the Herringbone series by Tim Davis
Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
E.B. White books
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Little Jewel Books (Rod and Staff Publishers)
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
Child’s Garden of Verses by R.L. Stevenson
Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson
Milly Molly Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley
Thornton Burgess books
Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson
Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish
Trusty series by Lamplighter
Children’s books by R.C. Sproul
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Might Acts of God by Starr Meade
Little Bear series by Elsa Holmelund Minarik
Books by Dick King-Smith
A Question of Yams by Gloria Repp
Snip-Snap-Snurr by Maj Lindman
Flicka-Ricka-Dicka by Maj Lindman
Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
Jack Stalwart books by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Books by Bill Peet
Highlights for Children
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
My First Little House books
Thomas the Tank Engine stories
Mr. Apple’s Family by Jean McDevitt
Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
The Childhood of Famous Americans Series
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
Cynthia Rylant’s books
Bears on Hemloch Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh
The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem
The Life of Fred series
Cornerstones of Freedom series
Usborne Farm series
Teach Me While My Heart is Tender by Andrea Schwartz
Minnie and Moo books by Denys Cazet
Carolyn Haywood books
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Little Bear’s Trousers by Jane Hissy
Oliver and Amanda Pig books by Jean Van Leeuwen

2 Comments

  1. Amy

    Great list! We have read many of these. Right now we are reading The adventures of Reddy Fox by Thorton Burgess. I don’t know who enjoys it more me or my kids.

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  2. Sunshine Sherwood

    I recommend
    Make Way for Ducklings
    The Story of Ping
    Good storylines and much detail in the illustrations. I’ve read each three times this week to my grandsons and each time they find more details in the story or the illustrations.
    A funny book is
    Eloise In Paris – much fun to pronounce words in francais – because that is what you do when you go to Paris, France France – the illustrations tell so much more that the writing, but both are funny (for young and old).

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