Our Favorite Books (The Fourth Year)

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”

– Walt Disney

Goodbye Thanksgiving. Hello Christmas! Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I’m just about finished – I never like to wait until the last minute…mostly because I can’t stand the long lines at the post office in December. And because “organized & prepared” is my middle name. 🙂 There is one thing that is always on my holiday shopping list…books for our daughter. We always gift her with at least one book for Christmas (and her birthday). And Santa always mails her a special holiday story every December.

Our little nugget has loved reading stories since the day she was born, and she’s accumulated quite a few favorites over the years. By favorites, I mean those stories that are read several times a day…for days (or even months) on end. You know the ones! We’ve actually been sharing her yearly list of favorites since the very start of this blog. And with the holidays quickly approaching, we figured it was a great time to share a new list – Our Favorite Books (The Fourth Year)! I’m sure you’ll spy a few stories that your kiddos also adore…and perhaps you’ll find a few that would make wonderful gifts this holiday season.

Our Favorite Books (3-4 Years)

• Dragon’s Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
  • If you want to befriend a dragon, just feed him some tacos. But be very careful not to add any spicy salsa, because spicy salsa gives dragons the tummy troubles. Ironically, this story always gives our little nugget the belly laughs.
• Dragon’s Love Tacos 2 by Adam Rubin
  • What would happen if the world ran out of tacos? In this dire tale, a young hero travels back in time to try and save the dragons (and all of humanity) from a dreary taco-less future.
• Bedtime for Yeti by Vin Vogel
  • This adorable story also made an appearance in our favorite winter books earlier this year, but it’s proven to be a year-round favorite in our household. What’s not to love about a cute and cuddly yeti, who turns into a brave bedtime superhero?
• Come Home Already by Jory John & Benji Davies
  • You will find the first two installments of the Duck & Bear saga on our previous lists of favorites…and this newest installment (when bear goes fishing) just might be the best yet! We can’t get enough of this dynamic and humorous duo.
• Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
  • You can never go wrong with a Dr. Seuss book. This one is such a clever tongue-twister, it’s bound to have the entire family in stitches. Our little nugget likes to challenge us, by requesting that we read it super-duper fast!
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
  • Oh, that Sam I Am! He’s persistent to say the very least. And since our little nugget adores this book, my husband and I pull it out of our bag of parenting tricks every time she stubbornly decides not to try a new food. It works like a charm (most of the time). 🙂
• A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein
  • This silly classic is sure to have your kiddos giggling. It starts with a giraffe…and ends with a giraffe…but there’s a whole lot of shenanigans in between.
• Down by the Bay by Raffi
  • I loved singing “Down by the Bay” when I was a little girl, and our daughter loves singing it now. So, we obviously had to take a peek at this book. I mean, how can you go wrong with some ridiculously fun rhymes and colorful illustrations?
• Ella Who? by Linda Ashman
  • After moving into a new home, a little girl discovers a baby elephant in her room. She tries to tell her parents, but their response is always, “Ella Who?” They think their daughter befriended a nice neighbor girl named Ella…they have no idea that she actually befriended an elephant. After a wonderful day playing together, the girl sadly realizes that she must say goodbye to her new friend, who was actually missing from a nearby zoo.

• There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System by Tish Rabe
  • Join the Cat in the Hat (along with Thing 1 and Thing 2) on a galactic adventure! This rhythmic story is the perfect way to introduce your little ones to all the planets in our solar system – plus the sun, moon, and a few constellations.
• The Bad Seed by Jory John
  • He was a bad seed. He had always been a bad seed…with bad manners and a bad attitude. But one day, he decided to make a change. From the same author as Come Home Already, this charming story reminds us that positive change is always possible, even though we might stumble a few times.
• The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
  • Four Dr. Seuss classics in one book? Yes, please! And while she loves the star-bellied sneetches (and those without), the two battling Zax, and all of the Dave’s…our little nugget’s absolute favorite tale is the one with the scary green pants with nobody inside them. 🙂
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
  • Duncan just wants to color, but when he opens his desk to grab his crayons, he finds a stack of letters instead. His crayons have had enough. Red Crayon is tired of working every holiday…Yellow and Orange are no longer speaking because they both believe that they are the true color of the sun…and lonely Pink Crayon has never been used. Duncan doesn’t want his crayons to feel sad, so he develops a fantastic solution.
• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
  • This clever tale is an instant classic, much like The Gruffalo (also written by Julia Donaldson) that made an appearance on one of our previous lists of favorites. A friendly witch loses several items as she flies through the air on her broomstick. Three kind animals find her belongings, and request a ride on her broomstick in return. Will the broomstick be able to hold them all? And what will happen when they come face to face with a fire-breathing dragon? You’ll have to read the story to find out!
• The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt
  • Duncan managed to keep all of his crayons at school from quitting, but when he returned home he found a stack of postcards from another group of crayons in desperate need of rescuing. Neon Red Crayon was desperately trying to find her way back home after being forgotten on vacation…Turquoise Crayon ended up in the dryer and got stuck to a (still) stinky sock…and Glow-In-The-Dark Crayon was terrified after being abandoned in the dark basement. So, it’s Duncan to the rescue!

• I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
  • Follow along as one creative kid turns his entire world into a colorful canvas. When his mama discovers the paint-covered walls and ceiling, she stores all of the paint and paint brushes on the top shelf of the closet. But that doesn’t stop this budding artist. After a few acrobatic tricks, he’s right back at it…and this time, he’s painting his entire body!
• Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
  • Beep! Beep! Beep! A big dump truck comes speeding past Little Blue, only to get himself stuck in the mud. He calls for help, but all of the animals ignore him…until Little Blue comes trudging into the mud to help push the dump to safety. When Little Blue gets his own tires stuck, his farm animal friends all come to the rescue. This cute story is a great example of the happiness that comes from helping others.
• Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
  • Kelp (the unicorn) was born under the sea to a family of narwhals. As a result, he always assumed that he was a narwhal…even though he was a little bit different than the rest. But one night, Kelp found himself at the surface…where he spotted a creature that looked strangely familiar standing high up on a mountain top. He swam to the shore to investigate and discovered a whole herd of unicorns that looked just like him. He was so confused…was he a land narwhal or a sea unicorn? Maybe he wouldn’t have to choose.
• Press Here by Herve Tullet
  • Just press the yellow dot and you’re off on a magical journey through this fun, interactive story. This clever book is a great way to teach little ones how to follow instructions. From pressing the colored dots, to shaking the book, and clapping loudly…you never know what the next page will bring!
• I Am Not a Chair! by Ross Burach
  • Giraffe is new to the jungle, but no one seems to notice him. That is, until they come wondering over to take a seat on his back. Giraffe is flabbergasted…he’s not a chair! He goes to great lengths to prove his existence to his fellow animals…but will his ideas work?
• Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet
  • We love this irresistibly imaginative and engaging children’s book! The story playfully invites readers to get creative with color…mixing up a new hue on every page! What happens when you combine yellow and red? Green and white? Blue and black? You will find the answers within the pages of this genius book! This story also inspired one of our favorite Color-Mixing Art Projects!
• Inky’s Great Escape: The Incredible (and Mostly True) Story of an Octopus Escape by Casey Lyall
  • Inky retires from his eventful ocean life at a local aquarium, where he befriends his tank-mate Blotchy. Blotchy has heard every single one of Inky’s unbelievable tales of escape…more times than he can count. One day, Blotchy dares Inky to make one more magnificent escape…this time from their tank. Will Inky be able to pull off his greatest escape yet?
• Morris Mole by Dan Yaccarino
  • Morris has always done things a little differently than his brothers. When their food stores start running low, his brothers start digging down deeper and deeper. But Morris wonders what would happen if he were to dig up instead? So, he bravely digs against the grain and saves the day!
• My Pillow Keeps Moving by Laura Gehl
  • Our little nugget giggles every single time we read this adorable story. A little dog will do anything to stay in his cozy new home…even if it means impersonating all of the things the homeowner needs – a pillow, a footstool, or even a jacket. And he just might find a way to bring his cat friend into the cozy home too…after all, the homeowner needs a new hat. 🙂

Books make the perfect gift for any child. In a single story, children can find inspiration, knowledge, adventure, laughter, empathy…or even a friend. If you have some younger readers, make sure to also check out all of our favorites from years past:

• Our Favorite Books (The Third Year)
• Our Favorite Books (The Second Year)
• Our Favorite Books (The First Year)

HAPPY READING!