Top 10 Books for 3 Year Olds

This page contains affiliate links. We will receive a commission on qualifying purchases using these links.

There are so many children’s books out there. It’s hard to know which ones to buy for your child. Which ones will your child love and want to read over and over again?

We did the research to find all the best books for 3 year olds. From classic books, to interactive books, and educational books, too! These fun books will encourage literacy and become some of your child’s favorites. 

01. Best Interactive Book for 3 Year Olds

Little Helpers: Picnic Day Sort & Play

I love this book series for 3 year olds! Sturdy board books with fuzzy felt pieces to interact with throughout the book. The felt pieces incorporate a sensory experience while reading.  

As you read, let your child sort through the pieces and get ready for the picnic. There are lots of educational concepts to weave in as you read, too. Talk about the shapes and colors of the foods. Compare and contrast opposites. Ask them what their favorite foods are. 

Even when you’re not reading, your child can get the felt pieces out and use them to set a pretend picnic. It’s a book you’ll come back to again and again!

02. Best Classic Book for 3 Year Olds

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

This is a timeless top-rated book for 3 year olds that’s been around for years. Any toddler is sure to love it, even older kids! 

Join a family as they go explore the outdoors and hunt for bears. The book is so engaging for kids as it features a lot of rhyming and repetition. Your little one will be able to recite the “chorus” of the book with you. 

As a speech-language pathologist, I love the way the book incorporates functional language, adjectives, and verbs. It’s such a fun book for 3 year olds and similar aged peers. Make sure to add this book to your toddler’s bookshelves.

03. Best Book to Read at Bedtime

There’s a Bear in Your Book

Not only is this book interactive, it also helps 3 year olds learn about and engage in a bedtime routine. At the start of the book, a sleepy bear is introduced. He’s tired and ready to go to bed!

Let your child engage with the book and help the bear. They can shake the book to prepare the bear’s bubble bath, sing a lullaby, and rock the book (and bear) to sleep. 

This book series is top-rated and popular with toddler boys and girls.

04. Best Book About Sharing  

Llama Llama Time to Share

Llama Llama books are always fun to read. They also teach great lessons! In this book, a new friend comes to Llama Llama’s house and he is asked to share his toys. 

I love the bright illustrations and rhyming throughout the book. It teaches about sharing and how to find common ground. It also teaches a valuable lesson about potential consequences of not sharing. 

This book about sharing is easy to understand for 3 year olds and can help prepare to share in the future. They’ll learn sharing isn’t so bad after all!

05. Best Book That Feels Like a Toy, and Introduces STEM Learning

Turn, Crank, ZOOM!

This book for 3 year olds checks lots of boxes. It’s an interactive sound book, hands-on, and introduces educational concepts through play. 

While reading about different modes of transportation, your child will be asked to turn the gears fast and slow. The gears introduce STEM learning and also help children learn cause-and-effect. 

Books that seem like toys expose toddlers to literacy. They make reading more like playtime!

06. Best Book That Teaches a Valuable Lesson

Pete The Cat & His Four Groovy Buttons

Who doesn’t love Pete the Cat books?! They use simple, repetitive language and bright, colorful illustrations. 

The books typically have natural rhythms and songs throughout. It’s fun to sing along together and makes reading time more playful. 

What I love most about this book is the positive message it sends. This is a great story about resilience and optimism. When things don’t go your way, it’s okay. You just keep walking along.

07. Best Book to Get Your 3 Year Old Moving

Can You Do This?

This is a great book to get your 3 year old moving and grooving! Every page has a prompt for your child. 

Throughout the book, your child will be asked if they can do something. Can they hop like a bunny? Can they spin in a circle or make a funny face? It’s a perfect book for toddlers to mimic, interact, and engage. 

They’re encouraged to use their whole body throughout the book. It’s great to get the wiggles out!

08. Best Rhyming Book for 3 Year Olds

Bear Can’t Wait

We love Bear books by Karma Wilson! This book uses simple language, rhyming, and repetition. Your toddler will catch on quickly and be able to finish the sentences. 

What I love most about this book is the relatable themes throughout. The book is about waiting, excitement, and anticipation. It’s also about “messing up” and how to work through that. It’s a great book to talk through emotions, too. 

There are lots of Bear books. Your child will learn to love the characters, predictability, and sing-song nature of the stories!

09. Best Educational Book That Introduces The Alphabet

ABC Dance! An Animal Alphabet

This book will soon be a favorite for your 3 year old. It goes through the alphabet with different letters, animal names, and verbs. 

“The dinos are dabbing, the elephants enchant. The foxes fandango, just look at them dance!” 

It’s a silly book that makes you want to sing along! But it also encourages letter recognition and engages the senses – seeing, hearing, and moving. 

Not only does this book encourage learning, it also encourages gross motor movements. I love the colorful pages and engaging illustrations throughout this board book. 

10. Best Award-Winning Book

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

This book won the Caldecott Medal in 2011 which recognizes the best picture book illustrations, and rightly so. The illustrations are beautiful yet simple. 

The storyline is sweet, and the plotline is easy to follow. Amos McGee has many friends at the zoo. He has different interactions with each of them every day. But then Amos gets sick. When he can’t make it to work, his friends come to visit him. 

Readers love the themes of kindness, friendship, and community that are woven throughout the story.

Looking for More?

Check out our curation of the best books for babies & toddlers!