Books for EYFS – our recommendations
Books for EYFS. Here’s our comprehensive list of 100 picture books to read before you’re five years old, curated by our experienced children’s literature specialists, all of whom are highly qualified EYFS teachers and librarians. This list of recommended picture books includes a wide range of classics, modern award-winning illustrated picture stories, and highly visual read-aloud tales ideal for storytime. All of the novels on our EYFS reading list were chosen based on positive input from parents and teachers. These stories are appropriate for children aged 3-5 who are learning to read at home or in nursery, preschool, early years, and infant schools. How many of these modern and classic picture books for children in the early years setting have you read?
Children learn to read pictures before they read words, and that’s why it’s so important to make use of picture books when reading with the youngest children. There will be a wide variation in reading and inference abilities in this age group, and this is normal. Children love to look at stories through the illustrations, ask questions and think about what will happen next. Repetitive language and the use of rhyme will also help children to predict, mimic and remember the words, and encourage them to join in with parents, teachers or older siblings at reading time.
This collection of 100 picture books includes wordless stories, rhyming tales, counting stories, poetry and traditional fables – all highly illustrated to keep your child’s imagination fired up. This list of recommendations is reviewed termly and includes high-quality picture books by Jill Murphy, Julia Donaldson, Alexis Deacon, Aaron Becker, Eric Carle, Michael Rosen, Ying Chang Compestine, Marta Altés and more.
Dragon Noodle Party by Ying Chang Compestine. 
Bears Don’t Eat Egg Sandwiches by Julie Fulton. 
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright. 
All Join in by Quentin Blake. 
Mr Wolf’s Pancakes by Jan Fearnley. 
Suddenly! by Colin McNaughton. 
Peace at Last by Jill Murphy. 
The Wonder by Faye Hanson. 
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson. 
Aliens Love Underpants! by Claire Freedman. 
Dinosaurs Love Underpants by Claire Freedman. 
Grumpy Frog by Ed Vere. 
The Tickle Book by Ian Whybrow. 
Burglar Bill by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg. 
How Many Legs? by Kes Gray. 
Oi Frog by Kes Gray and Jim Field. 
Spinderella by Julia Donaldson. 
Zog Christmas by Julia Donaldson. 
The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright. 
Tiddler Book. Book + CD by Julia Donaldson. 
Pants by Giles Andreae. 
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. 
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. 
Flotsam by David Wiesner. 
Corduroy by Don Freeman. 
Sheep in a Jeep 5-Minute Stories by Nancy E. Shaw. 
Daddy Lion’s Tea Party by Mark Sperring. 
My Grandpa by Marta Altés. 
Mole in a Black & White Hole by Tereza Sediva. 
Tomi Ungerer: a Treasury of 8 Books by Tomi Ungerer. 
Thunder Underground by Jane Yolen. 
Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. 
This Book Is Pants by John Kane. 
What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson. 
The Something by Rebecca Cobb. 
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. 
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss. 
The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child and Polly Borland. 
Beegu by Alexis Deacon. 
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. 
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. 
I Want My Potty! by Tony Ross. 
Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers. 
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole. 
Little Owl’s Night by Divya Srinivasan. 
Journey by Aaron Becker. 
It Fell from the Sky by Eric Fan. 
This is London by Miroslav Sasek. 
Zagazoo by Quentin Blake. 
The Jolly Postman, Or, Other People’s Letters by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg. 
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. 
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. 
Goldilocks and the Three Crocodiles by Michael Rosen. 
The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. 
Blown Away by Rob Biddulph. 
Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll, Jan Pienkowski. 
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett. 
The Amazing Mrs Pepperpot by Alf Proysen. 
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. 
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle. 
The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony. 
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. 
Dig, Dig, Digging by Margaret Mayo. 
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. 
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag. 
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. 
The Story of the Little Mole who Knew it was None of His Business by Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch. 
Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin. 
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. 
Peek-A Who? by Nina Laden. 
Avocado Baby by John Burningham. 
Jack and the Flumflum Tree by Julia Donaldson. 
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child. 
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle. 
Jim by Hilaire Belloc. 
Olivia by Ian Falconer. 
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. 
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. 
Shark In The Park by Nick Sharratt. 
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett. 
Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont. 
The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff. 
Curious George Makes Pancakes by Hans Augusto Rey. 
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. 
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. 
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. 
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly by Pam Adams. 
The Boy and the Gorilla by Jackie Azúa Kramer. 
Peepo! by Janet Ahlberg and Allan Ahlberg. 
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. 
Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy. 
Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor. 
If You Take a Pencil by Fulvio Testa. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this EYFS books list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.
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Books for EYFS – what titles to recommend to children
Selecting books for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) involves choosing engaging and interactive titles that cater to the developmental needs of young children. Picture books with vibrant illustrations, simple narratives, and opportunities for interaction are ideal. Consider classics like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, which introduces counting and days of the week, or “Dear Zoo” by Rod Campbell, offering a fun exploration of animals. Additionally, books like “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle support language development and color recognition. Focus on titles that encourage participation, stimulate curiosity, and lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading.
What does the National Curriculum say about reading in EYFS?
The National Curriculum emphasises the crucial role of reading in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), recognising it as a foundational skill for a child’s overall development. The curriculum highlights the importance of creating a rich literacy environment that fosters a love for reading. In EYFS, children are encouraged to listen actively, engage with a variety of stories, rhymes, and poems, and develop early phonics awareness. The focus is on building language skills, comprehension, and communication through enjoyable and interactive reading experiences. The National Curriculum encourages educators to choose diverse and inclusive literature, ensuring that children are exposed to a broad range of cultures and perspectives from an early age. The goal is to lay a strong foundation for literacy skills that will support children’s learning across all subjects as they progress through their education.
How to read picture books with children aged 5 and under
Reading picture books with children aged 5 and under involves creating a captivating and interactive experience that nurtures their early literacy skills. Start by engaging them in a conversation about the book’s cover, title, and illustrations. Encourage them to predict what the story might be about. During the reading, use expressive voices, varying tones, and animated facial expressions to bring characters and events to life. Pause occasionally to ask open-ended questions, encouraging them to share their thoughts and make connections to their own experiences. Explore the illustrations together, pointing out details and asking them to describe what they see. After reading, discuss the story, characters, and their favourite parts. Foster a love for reading by making it a special time together, reinforcing positive associations with books and storytelling.
For more picture books for preschool and EYFS children, see our list of Books for Bedtime.
For more advanced books for your child, why not try our books for KS1 lists?
