Best Early Learning Books for 3 Year Olds

Here are the top 30 early learning books for 3 year olds. Please click Read Review to read book reviews on Amazon. You can also click Find in Library to check book availability at your local library. If the default library is not correct, please follow Change Library to reset it.

1. The Donut Chef (A Golden Classic)

by: Bob StaakeBob Staake
Release date: Sep 09, 2008
Number of Pages: 40
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IN THIS DELICIOUS tale, a baker hangs out his shingle on a small street, and soon, the line for his doughnuts stretches down the block. But it’s not long before the competition arrives and a battle of the bakers ensues. In the competitive frenzy, both bakers’ doughnuts become “quite bizarre, like Cherry-Frosted Lemon Bar, and Peanut-Brickle Buttermilk, or Gooey Coca- Mocha Silk!” Some are not even very tasty: “Donuts made with huckleberry (don’t be scared, they’re kind of hairy).” One day, Debbie Sue, just barely two, enters the bakery, and searches in vain for her favorite doughnut, where “the choice of donuts left her dazed. Said Debbie Sue, “But I want . . . glazed.” A fun lesson in keeping it simple in which our hero chef decides to go back to the basics, and wins over the whole town.
tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life

2. Cat Says Meow: And Other Animalopoeia

by: Michael Arndt
Release date: Mar 04, 2014
Number of Pages: 36
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Dog says woof . . . pig says oink . . . cow says moo. Animals and the sounds they make are paired up in playfully compelling ways in this eye-catching illustrated gift book featuring bold colors and an engaging use of onomatopoeia. Kids and parents will delight in discovering the ways in which the letters that spell out each animal’s sound are key elements of that animal’s illustration. With so much to see and to sound out, kids will relish this unique visual and educational experience, brimming with color and letters. Plus, this is a fixed-format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

3. Penguin on Vacation

by: Salina YoonSalina Yoon
Release date: Aug 20, 2013
Number of Pages: 34
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Penguin’s tired of the snow and cold–so he decides to go on vacation! But where should he go? And what new friends will he meet along the way?

Seasoned illustrator Salina Yoon’s spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring this favorite character to life, ensuring that readers will be clamoring for more Penguin stories–whether they find their home in the cold or the warm.

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

4. Fall is Not Easy

by: Marty KelleyMarty Kelley
Release date: Sep 01, 1998
Number of Pages: 32
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You’ve got to feel sorry for your average tree. It’s got a lot to worry about: squirrels, thunderstorms, kids building forts. Oh, yes, and then there’s that pesky business about changing colors for the fall…

Main character in Fall Is Not Easy is a tree that has its share of troubles with its fall colors. No matter what pattern its leaves change into–a smiley face, a a spotted cow, an “Eat at Joe’s” sign–nothing seems to work out quite right. How will the tree solve its seasonal dilemma? Leave it to Marty Kelley, author/illustrator of Summer Stinks and The Rules to come up with the perfect solution.

tags:

Children’s Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Forests & Trees

5. A Girl Named Sam

by: Jennifer HartingerAdrienne Seet
Release date: May 30, 2015
Number of Pages: 42
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“There are tall kids, small kids, quiet kids, loud kids, funny kids, silly kids, and all-around-proud kids. But inside you have this magical heart. It gives you a gift, which gives you your spark!” With this advice, Sam is well on her way to being happy once again.

A Girl Named Sam celebrates each child’s uniqueness and lets all children know that they are special and have much to offer. It’s playful, fun and the illustrations will both engage and inspire your child’s imagination with delight.

A Girl Named Sam is suitable for many age groups, especially ages 4-8…

tags:

Children’s Books

6. The Amazing Book of No

by: M. K. MathiasM. K. Mathias
Release date: May 26, 2014
Number of Pages: 14
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The Amazing Book of No was just announced as a Winner of the 2015 Readers Favorite Award for K-3rd grade readers,

“The Amazing Book of No” is a deceptively simple story that will teach your 3-7 year old how to accept the word “no” when you say it, and why they shouldn’t argue. The story is about two moms and their children. One mom says “no” all the time, while the other says “yes” to everything. It is cute and engaging all in one, and designed not to take up too much of a parents valuable time. With the idea being to try and imprint wholesome ideals while kids are young. Reading this just a few times to your boy or girl at bedtime will ensure you don’t have any misunderstandings with your children about the word “NO” as they grow older. This really is: The Amazing Book of No!

tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Parents

7. Up, Up, Up! (A Barefoot Singalong)

by: Susan ReedRachel Oldfield
Release date: May 01, 2011
Number of Pages: 24
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This airborne adventure takes readers ballooning over lands near and far, all the way to the stars. The charming singalong song on the accompanying CD keeps spirits high, while the rhyming and playful text introduces all sorts of settings and vocabulary-building words.
tags:

Children’s Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy & Magic

8. Epossumondas Saves the Day

by: Coleen SalleyJanet Stevens
Release date: Nov 01, 2006
Number of Pages: 48
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It’s Epossumondas’s birthday, so Mama’s whipping up his favorite biscuits. But she’s plumb out of sody sallyraytus! (That’s baking soda to all you Yankees.) Everybody knows you can’t make big, fluffy biscuits without sody. One by one, Baby Gator, Auntie, and Mama scoot to the store to fetch some. But when no one comes back, it’s up to Epossumondas to run out and see what’s what–until he runs smack into a great, huge, ugly Louisiana snapping turtle!

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Mammals

9. Alphaprints: 123

by: Roger Priddy
Release date: Jul 22, 2014
Number of Pages: 20
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Finger and thumb prints are turned into an array of animals through the addition of simple illustration and photographs in this innovative 123 book, which has been designed to develop children’s counting and number recognition skills. The imaginative, rhythmic text is fun to read and listen to, and the individual ridges on all of the finger and thumb prints are embossed, adding a tactile, interactive element.
tags:

Children’s Books > Early Learning > Basic Concepts > Alphabet

10. Who Hops?

by: Katie Davis
Release date: Sep 01, 1998
Number of Pages: 40
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Frogs hop. Rabbits hop. Kangaroos hop. Cows hop. Cows hop?! No they don’t, of course, and so begins the simple repetitive pattern of this clever book. From the cow that doesn’t hop to the giraffe that doesn’t crawl, animals on brightly colored page after page offer up giggles galore and a delightfully silly look at the way some creatures do–and don’t–get around. When the time comes to guess who hops and flies and slithers and swims and crawls, observant young readers just might know the answer!
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

11. Busy Chickens (A Busy Book)

by: John SchindelSteven Holt
Release date: Mar 01, 2009
Number of Pages: 20
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Hens, roosters, and chicks take center stage in the latest addition to the Busy Book series. Through gorgeous color photographs children will recognize chickens–both familiar and spectacularly fancy–busy performing actions like squawking, perching, leaping, and more.Reviews“Those who don’t love chickens need not apply. This full color photographic board book is all about barnyard birds in action: “cheeping,” and “leaping”; “caring” for their eggs; as well as chickens with elaborate mohawks and an interest in taking naps. For those who wish to move beyond the coop, a series of other “Busy” beasts are available.” —Publishers Weekly
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Birds

12. When the World Is Ready for Bed

by: Gillian ShieldsAnna Currey
Release date: Sep 01, 2009
Number of Pages: 32
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When the world / Is ready for bed / The sky grows dark / The sun glows red.

The little flowers / Shut their eyes / The night birds sing / Their lullabies

Told with a gently rhyming text, this lovely story of the world falling asleep is just right for soothing babies and toddlers at bedtime.

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Rabbits

13. Bear and Friends: Bear Snores On; Bear Wants More; Bear’s New Friend (The Bear Books)

by: Karma WilsonJane Chapman
Release date: May 19, 2015
Number of Pages: 102
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Cozy up with Bear and these three beloved board books from bestselling duo Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman—now available in a boxed set!

Meet Bear. He lives in the forest with his friends Mouse, Hare, Mole, Wren, and others. Bear’s friends try to wake him up from a long winter sleep, but he just snores on. When Bear is awake, he searches for something tasty to eat. But nothing’s quite right. He wants more. Then Bear hears something clattering in the trees up above, and when he discovers who it is, he makes a new friend!

This boxed collection of three Classic Board Books starring the lovable, adorable Bear makes a perfect gift!

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Bears

14. Bizz and Buzz Make Honey Buns (Penguin Core Concepts)

by: Dee Leone
Release date: Jun 26, 2014
Number of Pages: 32
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Bizz and Buzz are two bees who want to make honey buns. So, they ask their friend Bear for his recipe. Although the directions seem simple, Bizz and Buzz make mistake after mistake, like finding a little flower instead of adding a little flour. What will bee-come of the honey buns?

Bizz and Buzz Make Honey Buns covers the concepts Friendship and Problem Solving.

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Bugs & Spiders

15. Splish, Splash! (My First I Can Read Book)

by: Sarah WeeksAshley Wolff
Release date: Jan 01, 1999
Number of Pages: 32
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It’s a tub full of good, clean fun! Chub the fish loves to scrub in his tub. One day some of his friends ask to join him. “Jump in if you wish,” says Chub the fish. So they all climb in until the tub is overflowing with animals. And just when everyone thinks the tub is impossibly full, one more friend asks to jump in…This rollicking story is sure to have emergent readers singing along as they splash and splish with Chub the fish.

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

16. Bebé Goes Shopping

by: Susan Middleton ElyaSteven Salerno
Release date: Apr 01, 2008
Number of Pages: 36
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A quick trip to the supermercado? Not with Bebe in the shopping cart. Just as Mama is ready to throw up her manos, she gives sweet Bebe a box of animal cookies. A dulce, at last! Then they’re off to the checkout line, smiling all the way.
    
Includes a glossary of Spanish words.
tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > New Experiences

17. Counting Dogs (Numbers Storybox Book)

by: Eric Barclay
Release date: May 26, 2015
Number of Pages: 16
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An adorable new novelty counting book by Eric Barclay!

Follow ten adorable dogs as they learn to count from one to ten using the animals around their neighborhood. A simple counting story brillianty packaged in a unique, hands-on Storybox format with die-cut, tabbed board pages that will keep kids learning and having fun!

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Dogs

18. Elusive Moose

by: Joan GannijClare Beaton
Release date: Feb 01, 2011
Number of Pages: 32
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Can you find the elusive moose in this simple hide-and seek book? Moose are very shy but if you look carefully, you should spot one on every page. You will also meet all kinds of other creatures and learn lots of fascinating facts about them along the way!
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

19. How Willy Got His Wheels

by: Deborah Turner
Release date: Jul 14, 1998
Number of Pages: 32
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Willy is a real-life handicapped Chihuahua, rescued from an animal hospital by a kind lady who tries several humorous ways to help Willy walk. First, they try balloons, then he becomes a terror on a skateboard. Finally, share Willy’s excitement when he gains his independence after being fitted with a small wheelchair.
tags:

Children’s Books

20. I Am a Backhoe

by: Anna Grossnickle HinesAnna Grossnickle Hines
Release date: Jan 12, 2010
Number of Pages: 40
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“Dig, dig, dig. Lift, turn, tip.
I am . . .a backhoe.”
 
In spare text and vibrant illustrations, a little boy pretends to be a bulldozer, a crane, a dump truck, and a roller. And finally, he parks on the couch with his father for a quiet moment.
tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Parents

21. Whose Nose and Toes (Picture Puffin)

by: John Butler
Release date: Jun 29, 2004
Number of Pages: 24
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A wonderfully tactile board book version of John Butler’s fabulous Whose Nose and Toes? Five favourite animals are here in all their furry, fuzzy glory, highlighted with beautifully soft flocking, making this book and guessing game a real visual and tactile treat.  See a nose, and some toes – can you guess who they belong to? A very simple book with a question and answer text to introduce babies to animals. Highly interactive and great for animal recognition.
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals

22. Moomin’s Little Book of Numbers

by: Tove Jansson
Release date: Apr 12, 2011
Number of Pages: 16
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Little ones can rely on the Moomins to make numbers fun. Moomintroll, Moominmamma, and the Snork Maiden help create a game out of learning to go from one to ten, and beyond, with everyday objects such as seashells and stars.

tags:

Children’s Books > Classics

23. Things to Learn (My First Book of)

by: Tiger Tales
Release date: Mar 01, 2013
Number of Pages: 12
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This engaging introduction to first concepts, like colors, shapes, and numbers, features sturdy, tabbed pages that are perfect for little hands. The bright, appealing photographs and simple labels will help build a child’s vocabulary, develop word-picture association, and encourage them to discover the world around them.
tags:

Children’s Books > Early Learning > Basic Concepts

24. Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

by: Roseanne Greenfield ThongJohn Parra
Release date: Feb 26, 2013
Number of Pages: 40
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In this lively picture book, children discover a world of shapes all around them: rectangles are ice-cream carts and stone metates, triangles are slices of watermelon and quesadillas. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin, and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this playful concept book will reinforce the shapes found in every child’s day! Plus, this is a fixed- format version of the book, which looks nearly identical to the print version.
tags:

Children’s Books > Geography & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino

25. Bear Takes a Trip BB

by: Sheila BlackstoneDebbie Harter
Release date: May 01, 2012
Number of Pages: 24
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Bear and his friend are taking a trip to the mountains. Tell the time with
them as they make their way to their destination on many different types of transportion and have lots of fun when they get there!
Simple rhyming text guides young readers through this engaging story.
Time-telling elements make this book a great educational resource.
A charming new addition to the ever-popular Bear series.
Other titles in Bear series are available in Spanish and bilingual editions.
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Bears

26. Hello Ocean/Hola mar

by: Pam Munoz RyanMark Astrella
Release date: Jul 01, 2003
Number of Pages: 32
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Spanish language edition. Relive a day at the beach with this lovely book of memories. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face and smell the musky scent of ocean in the cool morning air. Remember how the sand squishes between your toes as the tide rushes to shore and taste the tang of the ocean on your lips. HELLO OCEAN is a joy-filled and playful poem about the draw of the shore and the effect the ocean has on all five senses. Spirited language evokes a sense of closeness and nostalgia for an old friend. The inspiration of the ocean will make learning the five senses as easy as a day at the beach.

Crisp, realistic illustrations fill the pages with the rush of surf and the warmth of sun-baked sand. The sights and smells and sensations of the ocean become vividly clear in these beautifully rendered paintings.

tags:

Children’s Books > Literature & Fiction

27. Itty Bitty

by: Cece BellCece Bell
Release date: Jun 09, 2009
Number of Pages: 32
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For a teeny-tiny dog seeking a home in a daunting world, big hopes — and a bit of ingenuity — go a long way.

Itty Bitty is a very, very tiny dog. But when he finds an enormous bone, he goes straight to work, gnawing out doors and windows and hollowing out the entire inside. When his work is done, however, his cavernous house still feels incomplete. Where can he find some itty-bitty things that will make this bone a home? Everyone from dollhouse lovers to grown-ups setting up a home of their own will fall for this comical tale of an optimistic canine who is small in stature but huge in charm.

tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Dogs

28. My Granny Went to Market

by: Stella BlackstoneChristopher Corr
Release date: Mar 01, 2005
Number of Pages: 24
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Fly away with Granny as she takes a magic carpet ride around the world, collecting a steadily increasing number of souvenirs from each exotic location! This rhyming story will take young readers on an adventure to different countries while teaching them to count along the way.
tags:

Children’s Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Multigenerational

29. Santa Visits the Thingumajigs

by: Irene KellerDick Keller
Release date: Sep 01, 2005
Number of Pages: 32
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This title is suitable for toddlers and ages upwards. Here`s fun for every child, for whoever heard of Santa sending a letter? Only the rowdy and rude Thingumajigs would get a letter from Santa.

tags:

Children’s Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Christmas

30. Ten Dogs in the Window

by: Claire MasurelPamela Paparone
Release date: Feb 01, 2000
Number of Pages: 32
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After ten dogs are placed in a display window for the whole wide world to see, one by one their numbers diminish until the last canine departs with its new owner.
tags:

Children’s Books > Animals > Dogs

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Last updated: Monday, December 5, 2016 2:53 AM