A Bentley Story › The best children’s books for ages 2–6

Reading guide

The best children’s books for ages 2–6

The best children’s books for ages 2 to 6 are read-aloud picture books with rhythm, humour and a character children love. Long-standing favourites include The Gruffalo, Dear Zoo, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Honest disclosure: this guide is written by the publisher of the A Bentley Story books, so one book on it is ours and is clearly marked. Every other book is an independent pick by well-known authors and publishers. Nobody paid to be included, and there are no affiliate links on this site.

What to look for

• Ages 2–3: repetition, flaps, animals and everyday routines.
• Ages 3–4: rhyme, refrains to chant along with, and funny pictures that tell part of the story.
• Ages 4–6: a slightly longer story with a problem to solve and characters to care about.
• For any age: a book you don’t mind reading 100 times.
• As a gift: a picture book matched to something the child loves, such as dogs, snow or dinosaurs.

Our picks

1. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. A clever mouse outwits the creatures of the deep dark wood. Rhyming and endlessly re-readable.
2. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. A lift-the-flap classic for the youngest readers in this range.
3. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. A family’s brave adventure full of sound words to join in with.
4. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. A tiger turns up for tea and eats everything in the house. A gentle British classic.
5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Counting, days of the week and a beautiful butterfly ending.
6. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Patrick Benson. A reassuring story about a parent always coming back.
7. Elmer by David McKee. The patchwork elephant who learns to be himself.
8. Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. An I-spy rhyme full of nursery-rhyme characters to find.
9. Supertato by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. A superhero potato against the Evil Pea. Silly, fast and very popular with 3–5 year olds.
10. Oi Frog! by Kes Gray, illustrated by Jim Field. A rhyming romp about who sits on what. Laugh-out-loud funny for 3–6 year olds.
11. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd. A scruffy little dog and his friends in a rhyme toddlers learn by heart.
12. Bentley and the Big Snow Day by A. W. Bren (our book). A cosy Christmas Eve snow-day story about a big, fluffy family dog and a snowman who keeps losing his carrot nose. Funny in the middle, calm at the end, with a join-in “wag, wag, wag!”

For children who love animals, a funny dog story with a refrain to shout out is often the book that gets asked for again and again.

Questions parents ask

Last updated 8 November 2026. Found a mistake or have a suggestion? Tell us on Instagram.