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Books for 3 year olds: seven picture books for the age of why

5 min read12 sources7 books

Illustration: picture books fanned out, with a swan, a sleeping rabbit, a fox under the moon, a lighthouse and a deer

At three, the questions start: why, how, and what happens next? Stories can be longer now, with a real problem in the middle and an ending that solves it, and rhymes are a joy.

Here's what's going on at this age, seven picture books with the age BookTrust, Common Sense Media or a bookseller gives, and how to read with a child who interrupts every page.

In brief

What's going on at this age

  • Why and how. Sentences are joined with “and” or “then”, questions about why and how arrive, and rhymes are understood.1
  • A passing stammer is common at this age and usually harmless: the wish to speak runs ahead of the mouth.1
  • Other children matter more. Friendships begin to form from about two, and from about three children start to really understand others.2
  • Questions while reading help. When the adult asks questions and lets the child tell the story, the words a child uses grow, with an average effect of d = 0.59 across sixteen studies.3
  • Sleep still counts. Between three and five, the American Academy of Pediatrics gives 10 to 13 hours a day, naps included.4
Our suggestions

Seven books for a 3 year old

BookTrust often gives two ages: the interest age, when a story appeals, and the reading age, when a child might read it alone.5 At three, the interest age is the one that counts. Where a bookseller gives the age, we say so.

  1. 01

    Room on the Broom

    Julia Donaldson · Illustrations: Axel Scheffler · Macmillan Children's Books · BookTrust: interest age 3 to 6, reading age 6+

    A witch keeps losing things, and each time a new animal climbs onto her broom. Rhyme, repetition and a dragon: made for joining in.

  2. 02

    Zog

    Julia Donaldson · Illustrations: Axel Scheffler · Alison Green Books · BookTrust: interest age 3+, reading age 6+

    A young dragon who tries very hard at dragon school and keeps crashing. A story about practice, with a princess who has her own plans.

  3. 03

    The Tale of Peter Rabbit

    Beatrix Potter · Frederick Warne, 1902 · BookTrust: interest age 3 to 6, reading age 5 to 7

    Peter goes into Mr McGregor's garden although he's been told not to. A small book with a real risk in it, and a warm bed at the end.

  4. 04

    Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

    Eric Litwin · Illustrations: James Dean · HarperCollins · Common Sense Media: age 3+

    Pete's new white shoes change colour with everything he steps in, and he keeps singing anyway. Children sing along from the second reading.

  5. 05

    Llama Llama Red Pajama

    Anna Dewdney · Viking, 2005 · Common Sense Media: age 3+

    Baby Llama at bedtime, calling for his mama, who's just downstairs. A story for children who find it hard to be alone at night.

  6. 06

    Where the Wild Things Are

    Maurice Sendak · Harper & Row, 1963 · Common Sense Media: age 2+

    Max is sent to bed without supper and sails away to where the wild things are. Few words, big pictures, and his supper waiting when he gets home.

  7. 07

    The Rainbow Fish

    Marcus Pfister · NorthSouth Books, 1992 · 3 to 6, according to Waterstones

    The most beautiful fish in the sea learns that sharing his shining scales makes him friends. Easy to talk about with a child who's learning to share.

In practice

Reading with a child who asks why

Let the questions come. A question in the middle of the story is a sign your child is following. If the answer would take too long, it can wait until the last page.

Ask back. “What do you think happens next?” is enough. Your child tells, you listen, and the story becomes a conversation.

Rhymes first. Books in rhyme, like Room on the Broom, are easy to remember, and after a few readings your child finishes the lines.

Our page on reading development follows your child up to twelve. If bedtime is a battle right now, our page on the bedtime routine may help.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What books are good for a 3 year old?

Picture books with a clear story and plenty of rhythm: Room on the Broom, Zog, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Pete the Cat, Llama Llama Red Pajama, Where the Wild Things Are or The Rainbow Fish, each rated for this age by BookTrust, Common Sense Media or a bookseller.

My 3 year old keeps interrupting the story. What should I do?

Let them. Questions show your child is following. Answer briefly, or say you'll come back to it at the end, and ask back: “What do you think happens next?”

Is stammering normal at three?

A passing stammer is common at this age and usually harmless: the wish to speak runs ahead of the mouth. If you're worried, talk to your GP.

How long should a book for a 3 year old be?

Long enough for a real story, short enough for one sitting: a problem, a few turns and an ending that solves it. If your child asks for it again straight away, it was the right length.

References

Sources

  1. 1.Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA): language development, kindergesundheit-info.de. (in German)What it confirms: First words between 12 and 18 months, 50 to 200 words at 20 months, two- then three-word sentences, subordinate clauses at four to five, more than 3,000 words at school age, a passing stammer in the fourth year.
  2. 2.NHS Best Start in Life: Early learning and development.What it confirms: Friendships begin to form from about two; a real understanding of others from about three.
  3. 3.Mol, Bus, de Jong and Smeets (2008): Added Value of Dialogic Parent-Child Book Readings, meta-analysis, Early Education and Development.What it confirms: An average effect of d = 0.59 on expressive vocabulary; a clearly smaller effect in children aged four to five.
  4. 4.American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Healthy Sleep Habits.What it confirms: Sleep needs per day: 11 to 14 hours at 1 to 2 years, 10 to 13 at 3 to 5, 9 to 12 at 6 to 12.
  5. 5.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
  6. 6.BookTrust Bookfinder: Room on the Broom.What it confirms: Interest age 3 to 6, reading age 6+; Macmillan Children's Books.
  7. 7.BookTrust Bookfinder: Zog.What it confirms: Interest age 3+, reading age 6+; Alison Green Books.
  8. 8.BookTrust Bookfinder: The Tale of Peter Rabbit.What it confirms: Interest age 3 to 6, reading age 5 to 7.
  9. 9.Common Sense Media: Pete the Cat, I Love My White Shoes.What it confirms: The rating “age 3+”.
  10. 10.Common Sense Media: Llama Llama Red Pajama.What it confirms: The rating “age 3+”.
  11. 11.Common Sense Media: Where the Wild Things Are.What it confirms: The rating “age 2+”.
  12. 12.Waterstones: The Rainbow Fish.What it confirms: The age band 3 to 6, given by the bookseller.

A word about us

The age of make-believe

At three, children love stories in which they can picture themselves: a dragon, a garden, a boat to the wild things.

At Sagalino, your child becomes the hero of a story with their name, in one of our 21 illustration styles. You read the whole story for free, and only pay afterwards.

See what we make
Read on

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