The Best Bookish Birthday Gifts for
3- and 4-Year-Olds
by Jennifer Ridgway
Reading with my twins became so much fun around the age of three and continues now that they are four. They are more engaged with books: studying the pictures, picking up on rhyming, memorizing some books, wanting to assign “roles” when reading, and reading independently. There are so many amazing books that children this age will enjoy. Below are some suggestions for books and collections that make great birthday gifts for 3- and 4-year-olds (they’re also great for gifting any other time of the year too!). Because I like to give thematic gifts, I’ve also included suggestions of what you could give along with the books.
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Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish
Available from:It’s important to celebrate a birthday properly and this menagerie of animals is here to show you how! Rule #1? Make sure it actually is your birthday. A fun and hilarious book that’s sure to become a part of any family’s birthday traditions.
Pair with: Jumbo Coloring Pad - Animals
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Look! I’m a Scientist
This activity book encourages STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning in young kids in a fun, creative way. Little ones can look, touch, smell, taste, hear, and, above all, play their way to scientific discovery with 14 different sensory-friendly experiments to try at home.
Pair with: Primary Science® ViewScope
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Bee
Available from:This new peek-through from Teckentrup is a beautiful, high quality book that is an introductory look at how bees pollinate flowers. With beautiful mixed-media illustrations and rhyming couplets, the story follows the bee through its active day.
Pair with: Green Toys Build-a-Bouquet
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Dragons Love Tacos Gift Set
Available from:This silly book about, you guessed it, dragons that love tacos (and parties!), is a huge hit with the preschool set. The illustrations are entertaining and include subtle jokes that are fun to find as the storyline becomes more familiar. This set includes a board book and small plush dragon.
Pair with: Fill & Fold Taco & Tortilla Play Set
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The Lost House
Available from:This one is great for the littlest seekers. A grandfather is planning to take his grandchildren to the park, but he’s lost his socks and shoes, and even his teeth. Vibrant colors and detailed illustrations encourage young explorers to find the objects hidden on each page.
Pair with: Spot It! Jr: Animals
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Duck & Goose Special Anniversary Edition
Available from:Tad Hills is one of my favorite illustrators, and Duck and Goose and Rocket are a big part of our library. In the original book featuring the young birds, the two friends find what they think is an egg, which requires them to work together in hopes of hatching it. This 10th Anniversary edition includes a guide on how to draw the beloved characters.
Pair with: Hide N Squeak Eggs
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Richard Scarry's Busytown Treasury
Richard Scarry is a favorite in our house, and this collection is a great introduction to iconic characters like Lowly Worm and Huckle Cat. A burst of activity on every page, generations of kids have pored over Scarry’s world of Busytown.
Pair with: Richard Scarry's Busytown Eye Found It Hidden Picture Game
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The Crayon Box: The Day the Crayons Quit Slipcased Edition
Available from:This great boxed set includes both The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home as well as an original art print by Oliver Jeffers. Daywalt has created crayon characters with fully formed personalities, and Jeffers lends fun and unique visuals with his crayon illustrations. Both books are humorous and insightful, and they have quickly become modern classics.
Pair with: Drawing Pad and Crayons
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Ordinary People Change the World Gift Set
Available from:Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World series presents historical figures who can serve as role models for our children. This boxed set includes I am Abraham Lincoln, I am Amelia Earhart, I am Rosa Parks, and I am Albert Einstein as well as an exclusive, autographed print, suitable for framing. The books explore the traits that make these heroes great and that children can live up to in a conversational manner, reinforcing that we can all be heroes.
Pair with: Rosa Parks and Albert Einstein puppets
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Star Wars: I Am a…Little Golden Book Library
Available from:Both of my kids have become very interested in "Star Wars" over the last few months. This boxed set of five books is a perfect collection! It introduces kids to the villains and heroes (and droids!) of the series in an age-appropriate manner. The illustrations are full of personality, and the stories are fun.
Pair with: First Order Stormtrooper Voice Changing Mask
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This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2020.