Best Books for 4 Year Olds | School Psychologist’s Recommended Books List

Today we collected 10 best books for 4 year olds kids which are suggested by educational psychologists. All of these books improve cognative development of children.

If you have a 4-year-old kid, you might have noticed they are full of energy and live life to the fullest. They consider every opportunity and make the most of it to learn, play, and grow. This is the right age when sending your children to kindergarten schools. During this period, their skills and knowledge will develop by soaring up. To help them pave the way for cognitive development, they must bond with books. Books will provide them with knowledge and help them interact with parents more often.

Cognations are the thinking process that affects reasoning, problem solving, sensation, perception, etc. Every human achieves it from the beginning of life. Children’s thinking processes can be enhanced by proper cognitive practice. You can collect these books to improve the thinking process of your children.

You can also get essential books for your two-year kids, book sets for 4-year-olds books for 7 years olds. Even if you want to get suitable books for your one-year-old kids, you can check our posts.

10 Best Books for 4-Year-Olds (Recommended by School Psychologists)

The following are some of the best books for 4-year-olds that will equally help parents and their kids:

  1. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why, by Amy Shields

Amy Shields is a New York-based author. She is the editor of National Geographic Books and is popularly known for children’s literature.

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why is one of the best books for 4-year-olds. It mainly targets audiences who are pre-schoolers. The boom connects with the child’s world through an interactive question-answer format. This book teaches children information, games, recipes, crafts, and more. The book allows children to ask different questions and provides accurate answers. Children get the opportunity to think big and out of the box. They learn to prepare themselves for school in an interactive way.

Sale
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why...
Hardcover Book; Shields, Amy (Author); English (Publication Language); 128 Pages - 05/10/2011 (Publication Date) - National Geographic Kids (Publisher)
$14.95 −$4.10 $10.85
  1. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

Giles Andreae is a British writer and illustrator. He is most famous for creating characters like Purple Ronnie and Edward Monkton. He has written many books for children.

This excellent board book is a touching story of a giraffe called Gerald. The only thing he ever wishes for is to dance forever. But his warped knees and thin legs do not favor him for dancing. He does not give up, though; he continues to practice dancing. And then, he receives encouragement from a doubtful friend. The book attracts children with its classic rhymes and illustrations. Giraffes Can’t Dance with every child who dreams bigger.

Giraffes Can't Dance (Board Book)
N/A; Andreae, Giles (Author); English (Publication Language); 32 Pages - 03/01/2012 (Publication Date) - Cartwheel Books (Publisher)
$6.90
  1. Strictly No Elephants, by Lisa Mantchev

Lisa Mantchev is an American fantasy novel and short story writer. She is popularly known for the “ThéâtreIlluminata” series, a trilogy of fantasy novels for young adults.

It’s Pet Club day today. Cats, dogs, and fish are all allowed, but no elephants. The Pet Club does not consider the elephant to be a pet. But this boy has a tiny pet elephant and is not allowed to walk inside the club with him. The club does not understand that pets can be in any shape and size. Strictly No Elephants is one of the best books for 4-year-olds that describes the meaning of true friendship. The story tells us how two different kinds can be friends. This book suits the best children who have autism.

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Strictly No Elephants
Hardcover Book; Mantchev, Lisa (Author); English (Publication Language)
$18.99 −$6.60 $12.39
  1. The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt

Sale
The Day the Crayons Quit
Funny back-to-school story.; Duncan's crayons quit coloring. Crayons have feelings, too.; What can Duncan do to appease the crayons and get them back coloring?
$17.99 −$8.59 $9.40

Drew Daywalt is an American author and filmmaker. He is well known for writing scripts for Hollywood studio films and American television. He also created some short horror films and authored children’s books.

The Day the Crayon Quilts tells the story of poor Duncan, who could not color because of his crayons. When he opened the crayon box, he could find letters of complaint. The crayons had enough, and now they quit! The Beige Crayon is tired of being in the shade of Brown. Black doesn’t want to be used only for outlining – he wants more. Blue is fed up with coloring the sky and the water bodies. Orange and Yellow are not even speaking to each other anymore. Both of them believe they are the right color of the sun. Poor Duncan has to do something to bring peace and unity among the crayons. This book is a perfect gift for all budding artists.

# Preview Product Rating Price
1 See You Later, Alligator No ratings yet $16.99 $9.99
2 What Do You Do With an Idea? — New York Times best seller No ratings yet $17.95 $9.39
  1. I’ve Loved You Since Forever, by HodaKotb.

HodaKotbis an Egyptian-American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She co-anchors the morning show “Today” on NBC News. She was also a former correspondent of Dateline NBC.

I’ve Loved You Since Forever is one of the best books for 4-year-olds. It is a poetic testament to the bond between parents and their children. This book is based on the author’s heartening adoption of her baby girl. The lyrical text and beautiful illustrations will make parents and children snuggle up and read the book together. The book describes the never-ending love between parents and their children. Readers will want to go through the book again and again. Besides, it makes a lovely gift for Mother’s Day, baby showers, and much more. This is a popular children’s book.

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I've Loved You Since Forever
Hardcover Book; Kotb, Hoda (Author); English (Publication Language); 32 Pages - 03/06/2018 (Publication Date) - HarperCollins (Publisher)
$18.99 −$10.48 $8.51
  1. Grumpy Monkey, by Suzanne Lang

Suzanne Lang is an American author for her works in children’s books. She is also a television producer. Some of her books ranked on the New York Times bestseller list.

Jim, the chimpanzee, has an awful mood today for no good reason. It’s unclear to his friends why he is in a bad mood when the day is beautiful and perfect. They try to cheer him up and make him smile. They ask him to do things that make them happy. But Jim is in no sense to take all these pieces of advice. He just continued to be grumpy for the rest of the day. The book illustrates the consequences of kids putting on happy faces when they are not. It tells them to feel their feelings but without hurting others. This is a book for 4-year-olds to learn to read.

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Grumpy Monkey
Hardcover Book; Lang, Suzanne (Author); English (Publication Language); 32 Pages - 05/15/2018 (Publication Date) - Random House Studio (Publisher)
$17.99 −$7.69 $10.30
  1. Press Here (Interactive Book for Toddlers and Kids), by HerveTullet

HerveTullet is a French artist, illustrator, and performer. He is well known for his contribution to children’s literature. In 1998, he received the Non-Fiction Prize for Faut pas confondre.

Press Here is an interactive book for children and adults that will surely make them giggle. Press the yellow dot on the book’s cover and follow the instructions inside. Prepare yourself for a magical journey with this remarkable touch book. You will get to push buttons, shake the book, tilt it, and much more. And you never know what is going to happen next. This book brings the power of imagination to children with beautifully illustrated pictures. They learn to interact with their surrounding environment. This is one of the best books for 4-year-olds and a perfect read-aloud book.

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Press Here (Herve Tullet)
Hardcover Book; Tullet, Herve (Author); English (Publication Language); 56 Pages - 03/16/2011 (Publication Date) - Chronicle Books (Publisher)
$15.99 −$7.47 $8.52
  1. The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin

Emily Winfield Martin is an American artist, author, and illustrator of children’s books. She got herself into the New York Times by selling her visual arts. Her writings are inspired by fairy tales, myths, music, and the natural world.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be depicts parents’ dreams, love, and acceptance. With its rhythmic singsong texts, the book expresses all parents’ loving thoughts when they see their children. Besides, the beautiful and humorous illustrations will catch children’s attention. Any grown-up will enjoy reading this book to kids over and over again. The rhymes also deliver loving and truthful messages to both parents and children. The book makes a beautiful gift for baby showers, birthdays, and graduation.

Sale
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Random House Books for Young Readers; It comes in a proper packaging.; This product will be an excellent pick for you
$17.99 −$5.15 $12.84
  1. The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf

Wilbur Monroe Leaf was an American author, mostly known as Munro Leaf. He was famous for his contributions to children’s literature.

Ferdinand is a young bull. Unlike other young bulls, he is very calm and quiet. He does not like to butt heads with other bulls. Instead, he would prefer to sit under a cork tree and smell the flowers. One day, some people come to choose a bull for the fight. Suddenly, they saw a bull running fiercely and decided to select him. But it was Ferdinand, and he was running when he got stung by a bee. Ferdinand was taken to Madrid and placed in front of the pacifist hero. What will happen now? With fantastic illustrations, this classic gives a timeless message to the kids. It is one of the best books for 4-year-olds.

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The Story of Ferdinand
The Story of Ferdinand *AF27*; w/tracking number from JP Post
$5.99 −$1.00 $4.99
  1. The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires

Ashley Spires is a Canadian author and illustrator. Her writings focus on mistakes being an integral part of learning. Several of her books have earned her critical acclamations.

The Most Magnificent Thing describes the story of an unnamed girl and her best friend, a dog. One day the girl has a beautiful idea of making a magnificent thing. She knows how it will look and work. She thinks it will be effortless to make things, as she always makes them. But when she starts, she realizes that it is not that easy. She tries and fails repeatedly, gets mad, and quits. Then her dog suggests a walk. After the walk, she starts the project again with great enthusiasm. And this time, she succeeds in making the marvelous thing. The story carries a real message for the kids. This is one of the best books for curious 4-year-olds.

Sale
The Most Magnificent Thing (Most Magnificent, 1)
Book about the challenges of creativity and the value of finding a new perspective; Encourages confidence, persistence, determination
$19.99 −$8.15 $11.84

Children are always curious. Notably, children start interacting with their surrounding world at 4. They get to discover many new things that they don’t understand. Some kids are reluctant to speak to their parents. Books will help to melt the ice between the parents and the children. Reading books to kids creates an incredible bond of love and trust.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What should a 4-year-old be reading?

As a 4-year-old, a child recognizes familiar signs and labels from the signboards or containers. They remember words that rhyme and some letters in their name. They begin to write their names and match some letters to their sounds. Also, they become aware of syllables and try to use familiar letters to write words. They can even understand that they must read print from left to right and top to bottom. Moreover, they can retell the stories which they have heard.

  1. What should a 4-year-old know educationally?

Children can carry on a conversation using more complex sentences at this age. They should have the ability to count ten or more objects. It is also essential to correctly name at least four colors and three shapes. They should recognize the letters in the alphabet and write their names. Learning time and sequence of daily activities are necessary at this age. They should also be aware of good habits, like brushing their teeth twice and washing their hands properly. Another critical thing for them to learn is their home address and phone number.

  1. What cognitive skills should a 4-year-old have?

A 4-year-old kid should have the following cognitive skills:

  • Correctly name colors that are familiar to them.
  • Compare sizes to understand the concept of same and different.
  • Start fantasizing more creatively.
  • Able to follow three-part commands.
  • A better understanding of other parts of the day and its time.
  • Distinguish objects based on shape and color.
  • Ability to identify regular objects and pictures.
  1. What are the typical behaviors of a 4-year-old?

As a parent of 4 years old, your kid might continuously be giving you challenging situations. Sometimes you might be thinking if their behaviors are normal or not. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the following are some normal behaviors you can find in a 4-year-old:

  • They always want to entertain and act like friends.
  • It might show an increase in independence.
  • Have the ability to differentiate between fantasy and reality.
  • Demanding at times, cooperative sometimes.

You do not have to worry too much if your kid shows these behaviors. These are considered normal behaviors for a 4-year-old kid.

  1. How to manage a 4-year-old’s behavior?

Managing a 4-year-old can be very difficult at times. But the following tips might come in handy in those situations –

  • Try to keep a positive emotional tone all the time.
  • Praise your child for the behaviors that should be displayed more often.
  • If they do something wrong, do not scold them or hit them. Try to make them understand the consequences lovingly.
  • Keep them on a regular schedule for waking up, activities, and bedtime.
  • Remember to give them choices whenever it is appropriate.
  • Encourage other caregivers to follow the same discipline strategies.

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Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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