• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

  • About
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • SOR Resources
    • Science of Reading Course
    • Science of Reading Book List
    • Science of Reading Podcast Index
    • Science of Reading Blog & Article Index
    • Science of Reading Fact Sheets
  • Freebies
  • Shop
  • Become a Member
    • Member Login
Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alphabet
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Math
    • Book Lists
  • Podcast
  • Subscriber Freebies
  • About
  • Membership
  • Contact
  • Alphabet
  • Reading
    • Structured literacy
    • Printable Books
    • Pre-Reading
    • Phonics
    • Sight Words
    • Comprehension
    • Fluency
    • Vocabulary
  • Writing
    • Grammar
    • Handwriting
    • Spelling
    • Writing in Pre-K
    • Writing in K-3
  • Math
    • Counting
    • Number Recognition
    • Addition & Subtraction
    • Colors, Shapes & Patterns
    • Visual Discrimination
    • Time, Money & Measurement
    • Place Value
    • Graphs
    • Multiplication & Division
    • Fractions
    • Problem Solving
  • Book Lists
    • Letter of the Week
    • Early Childhood Themes
    • Pre-Reading Skills
    • Math Concepts
    • Writing Mentor Texts
    • Versions of Familiar Tales
    • Holidays and Seasonal
    • History

PSPKK1235 Comments

10 of the best books for 5-year-olds

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

If you’re shopping for a birthday or Christmas, browse through our list of the best books for 5-year-olds.

books 5 year olds love

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Today I’m sharing books that my children have adored listening to as five-year-olds. Each of these picture books would make a great birthday or Christmas gift!

 

Arnie the Doughnut
Laurie Keller
This is a hilarious book about Arnie, a doughnut who was just baked this morning. He can’t wait to see what happens when Mr. Bing takes him home. Then he learns that Mr. Bing plans to eat him! Arnie is horrified to learn that the other doughnuts have no problem with this. “We’re very popular! We’re delicious!”

Mr. Bing and Arnie agree to come up with something that Mr. Bing can do with  him that does not involve eating him. Could Arnie be a personal fitness trainer, dance partner, or chauffeur? No, Mr. Bing doesn’t need those things. How about using Arnie as a pincushion, a car air freshener, or a doorstop? None of these work either. We love what they decide on!
Christina Katerina & the Box
Patricia Lee Gauch
Christina’s mother gets a new refrigerator… and with it, a giant box — a child’s dream! It becomes a castle, a clubhouse, a racing car, a dance floor, and more. Christina’s mother is going crazy and wants the box gone — but Christina always has one more idea. Creative children will love this one.
How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head
Bill Peet
Like all of Bill Peet’s picture books, this is a long one, but it’s been a favorite at our house for a long time. Droofus the Dragon is a kind-hearted creature whose wing is damaged and can no longer fly. He finally finds a home at a farm, where he moves giant boulders out of the farmyard for a poor farmer and plows with his giant tail, bringing fortune back to the poor farmer’s family.

Droofus loves his new home… until the king offers a giant reward for a dragon’s head to display on his castle wall. We love the surprise ending!
When Dinosaurs Came with Everything
Elise Broach
The narrator is bummed that he has to go along with his mom for her “boring errands…” until he learns that today is the day that dinosaurs come with everything! Buy a dozen donuts, get a dinosaur. No sticker at the doctor’s – get a dinosaur instead! His exasperated mother heads home – and the dinosaurs follow. But soon his mother discovers that dinosaurs can be useful – and goes back to the bakery for a few more boxes of donuts!
Monster Manners
Joanna Cole
Rosie Monster has a problem  – she has terrible manners. She speaks politely, smiles at strangers, and plays nicely with her friends. What are her monster parents to do? In the end a family disaster leads her parents to realize that Rosie’s manners come in handy! It’s a favorite from my childhood and still one of my read-aloud favorites today.
The Empty Pot
Demi
Ping, a little Chinese boy, has a love for flowers and grows them beautifully. One day the Emperor calls all children to his palace. Each child receives some special seeds. After a year’s time, whoever grows the most beautiful flower will become the next ruler. Ping rushes home and tenderly plants and cares for his seeds. But nothing grows. With a heavy heart he brings his empty pot to the palace amidst all the other children’s bright and blossoming flowers. It turns out that the Emperor had given each child cooked seeds that should not grow, and Ping’s honesty is rewarded.
One Potato, Two Potato
Cynthia DeFelice
Mr. and Mrs. O’Grady are a dear old couple – poor, but content. Mr. O’Grady digs up one potato from their garden each day. The two “call it breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and consider themselves lucky to have it.” But one day, when he digs up the last potato, Mr. O’Grady also discovers a giant kettle. It’s a magic pot – that doubles anything you put into it. This is a truly wonderful story that you’ll want to read again and again.
The Quiltmaker’s Gift
Jeff Brumbea
This is a story about a king who has everything money can buy; he has rooms filled to the ceiling with gifts from his subjects. But it’s never enough. Now he wants one of the breathtaking quilts sewn by the talented quiltmaker. But her quilts are not for sale; they are given only to the needy.

The king threatens the woman’s life until he finally agrees to her terms: for every gift he gives away, she’ll sew a new patch on his quilt. This is an extraordinary story that you must see for yourself. I love, love, love this book!
The Curious Garden
Peter Brown
This is a magical story that my kids can’t put down. Liam is a curious boy living in a drab, gray city. One day, he finds a few dying plants growing through an old railroad track. Liam waters and prunes the plants until they grow into a lush garden that overtakes the entire city. By the end of the book, greenery covers the rooftops and pops up in the most unexpected places. We notice something new every time we read the book.
George and Martha
James Marshall
In my opinion, the George and Martha books – about a pair of best friend hippos – are some of the best in children’s literature. We adore the goofy illustrations (with just the right subtleties) and the simple yet hilarious story lines. Here’s one: every time George visits his friend Martha, she cooks him split pea soup. He eats it out of kindness to his friend, but he just can’t stand it. Finally, one day, he pours the soup into his shoes to avoid eating it. But Martha sees him. George feels terrible until Martha says, “Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t like to eat split pea soup either. I only like to make it!” And they enjoy cookies instead.

More of our favorite books!

  • Books for 2-year-olds
  • Books for 3-year-olds
  • Books for 4-year-olds
10 books 5-year-olds love 2

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Book Lists Tagged With: kindergarten

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Books about transportation 10 reasons kids need nursery rhymes Books for Letter F
Phonics books for ea, oa, ow, and ie words
Short vowel worksheets

Reader Interactions

5 Comments

  1. Stacy

    December 13, 2014 at 1:01 pm

    What a fantastic list! Refeshing and delightful! I teach preschool and these are all new to me! Love love love! Thank you!!!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      December 28, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      So glad you found new books here, Stacy! I love discovering new books to check out. It’s like finding a treasure 🙂

      Reply to this comment
  2. Christina

    December 12, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    my son LOVES George and Martha books! Great list. 🙂

    Reply to this comment
  3. Lori Alexander

    December 12, 2014 at 10:31 am

    Christina Katerina & The Box was my favorite book as a kid. Glad to see this oldie-but-goodie on your list!

    Reply to this comment
  4. Jodie @ Growing Book by Book

    December 9, 2014 at 6:31 am

    When the Dinosaurs Came With Everything is such a fun book. Thanks for sharing such a great list!

    Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Grade Level Key

  • PS Preschool (ages 2-3 years)
  • PK Pre-K (ages 4-5 years)
  • K Kindergarten
  • 1 1st grade
  • 2 2nd grade
  • 3 3rd grade

Get my book!

Hello, I’m Anna!

Welcome to The Measured Mom. I’m so glad you’re here!

Meet Our Team

Free Reading Printables for Pre-K-3rd Grade

Join our email list and get this sample pack of time-saving resources from our membership site! You'll get phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension resources ... all free!

Shop our store!

Reading response sheets & Early chapter book lists

$24.00

Community Helpers Theme Pack for Pre-K/K

$16.00

36 Reading Comprehension Passages about Biomes & Habitats

$18.00

Shop all resources

Members get more!

The Measured Mom Plus is the perfect online membership for Pre-K to third grade educators.

Learn More

Love Freebies?

Subscribing to our email newsletter is completely free. And when you do, you'll get access to our library of subscriber freebies! Sign up below to get access to a wonderful variety of math and literacy resources.

Listen and subscribe on iTunes and Spotify

Check out these recent podcast episodes:

  • What is the science of implementation? – with Laura Stewart
  • Why implementation is the missing piece – with Justin Browning
  • The power of Quick Writes – in any grade! – with Shauna Cotte
More Episodes

Science of Reading Resources

  • Science of Reading Course
  • Podcast Index
  • Science of Reading Book List
  • Fast Fact Sheets

Popular Freebies

  • Decodable Books
  • Nonfiction Decodable Books
  • Phonics Assessment
  • Phonics Scope & Sequence

Membership

Get instant access to science of reading workshops and over 2000 printable resources!

Become a Member

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” –Matthew 6:33

Copyright © 2025 The Measured Mom •  All rights reserved  •  Privacy & Disclosure Statement  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs