The most recommended books for 4 year olds

My five-year-old granddaughter, Amara, loves for her Nana to read Polacco’s whimsical story of a mischievous bossy doll that comes to life.

A fun story for young children to learn a lesson about patience, Amara can relate to the main character, Natasha. After our reading time, we always have a meaningful follow-up discussion about the virtue of patience.

Behind weeds, trees are perhaps the most common plant many kids will encounter in their day to day lives, and another way children can access nature near home and school. And while trees are complex living things at the apex of the plant kingdom, they often are unnoticed and underappreciated. This beautiful lyrical picture book gives children a context to explore what a tree can do through kid-sized comparisons to what children can also do. Use it to help children explore one of the most common features of both urban and rural landscapes: trees.

This book is absolutely breathtaking and I cry every time I read it.

The illustrations are gorgeous, and I find it so soothing to think about my dead dogs being in a version of heaven as beautiful as the one that Catia Chien has illustrated. My favorite part of this book is how it is narrated by the old and dying dog himself, and when he finally dies and becomes part of the sky––his sweet face continues to look down on his beloved small human (“Little”) and her new puppy.

All the pets we love are always part of us forever, and I like to think they’re looking out for us. I’m tearing up just writing this!

This book captured my heart from the first time I read it. As a toddler, the main character is praised for being “a big girl,” but as she continues to grow, she discovers that being a “big girl” soon becomes a negative thing that prevents her from doing what she wishes.

The illustrations are amazing, and fold-out pages can barely contain the growing main character and the empathy you’ll have for her. 

A book you will hug when you’re done reading it, then immediately read it again.

I read this book right after I’d finished Kyra, Just for Today, and I couldn’t help but think that the star of this book, Franny, would be a great friend for Kyra. They’re both stuck in difficult situations that require them to do more than a kid should have to do. I always resonate with that kind of character because I was forced into more responsibility than I wanted at that age, too, as so many kids are.

I loved the buoyancy of this story and watching Franny find her way through the mess.

Tomatoes for Neela is a beautiful book and such a treat to read knowing it’s written by a prominent chef!

I have to admit that I am not one who loves vegetables (I’m a sweet tooth!). However, this story really inspired me to take full advantage of the access I have to fresh produce. I share Neela’s excitement for her favorite day of the week being the day of the green market.

My own neighborhood has the most charming farmer’s market every Thursday and I love walking around, seeing all the colors and varieties of food there. I was definitely encouraged to add more veggies, especially tomatoes, to my tote bag and enjoy having a go-to tomato sauce recipe from the Padma Lakshmi to share with friends for pasta night.

I highly recommend this true tale of deep-sea exploration!

The suspense is intense, compelling readers to keep turning pages. In 1930, two intrepid explorers climbed into a 5,000-pound hollow metal sphere and descended 800 feet into the ocean—farther than any human had ever dared to venture. They were amazed to find animals aglow in the ocean’s cold, dark depths.

Young readers (and older readers, too!) will be inspired by Otis and Will’s desire to know more, their persistent problem solving, and this remarkable feat of science and engineering. Over 90% of the ocean is still unexplored! Well-researched pencil, ink, and watercolor illustrations suit the story perfectly.

This book makes a wonderful read-aloud for a music class or a library storytime. The main character, Mr. V the band director, introduces each instrument in the band. The best feature of this book? It’s funny! Kids will crack up as the young drummer keeps interrupting right before each instrument in the band is about to play. As a former clarinetist, my favorite line is, “Listening to a clarinet is like eating rich chocolate cake, bold and sweet at the same time.” Warning to parents: any reader who hasn’t yet chosen their just-right instrument will ask to after reading this book! (If your little readers love Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein or Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky, I bet they’ll love this one, too.)

I completely identify with the main character (a koala), who is misunderstood and misidentified as a bear when he is clearly a marsupial. The koala points out where the misunderstanding began and how it was perpetuated, but it is clearly wrong.

Hopefully, by the end of the book, you will not make the mistake of calling a koala a bear. 

Not only is this book stunning – sculpted paper illustrations that appear 3D – it offers a flock-full of information about birds and the many types of beaks one may find on them. A beak isn’t just a beak, after all. With over 10,000 bird species in the world, it’s not surprising to learn that bird beaks come in many shapes and sizes, each with a specific purpose to a bird’s habitat necessary for survival in this big, wide world. Although geared for young readers, this book will inspire readers of all ages to take notice of bird beaks. Anytime we can encourage young readers to engage with nature and the world around them, that’s a good thing, don’t you think?