guides
Books for 5 Year Olds: 20 for Reception and Bedtime
Choose books for 5 year olds with 20 stories to share and early-reading picks, clear gift budgets and help with the same-book-every-night phase.
Which books make a good present at five?
Good books for 5 year olds include rhyming picture books, funny stories, illustrated non-fiction and reading books matched to their phonics. For a present, start with The Gruffalo, Supertato or You Choose, depending on what they enjoy. These 20 picks separate books to share from books a child can begin reading, with budgets and guidance for both.
Buying for a niece, grandson or classmate? Ask what they already own before choosing a familiar title. A book to hear and a book to practise reading do different jobs: BookTrust's suggestions for five-year-olds explicitly recognise that children beginning to read still enjoy being told stories.
The age lines below describe suggested audiences, not reading milestones. Budgets refer to ordinary print editions, excluding delivery; check the format before paying. For wider school questions, our guide to starting-school readiness covers more than reading.
In this guide: books to share are 1 to 16, reading-practice choices are 17 to 20, followed by buying checks and ideas for repeated favourites.
Which books are worth reading aloud together?
Choose these for sharing a story, exploring pictures or following a favourite subject. You take the words; the child can listen, interrupt or join in. Buy a book you want to read together, whether that's a funny adventure or a page of bugs.
1. The Gruffalo
By Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. A mouse talks his way past hungry woodland animals, then meets the monster he's invented. Choose this rhyming adventure for someone who likes joining in.
Good for: ages 3 to 7. Under £10. Together.
2. Room on the Broom
By Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. A witch keeps making room for helpful animals until her broom breaks. The growing cast and dragon encounter give you plenty of voices to try.
Good for: ages 3 to 7. Under £10. Together.
3. The Snail and the Whale
By Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. A tiny snail travels on a whale's tail, then finds a way to help when the whale is stranded. Choose this sea adventure for its busy pictures.
Good for: ages 3 to 7. Under £10. Together.
4. We're Going on a Bear Hunt
By Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. A family's expedition goes through grass, water and mud before a hurried return home. The repeated journey lends itself to joining in. Make the sounds together.
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
5. The Tiger Who Came to Tea
By Judith Kerr. Sophie and her mum welcome a tiger who eats his way through their supplies. This unexpected visit suits someone who likes silliness at the kitchen table. What would they offer him next?
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
6. The Day the Crayons Quit
By Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. Duncan's crayons send letters explaining their complaints. Read this colouring-box rebellion with a different voice for each crayon. Choose it for someone who loves drawing.
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
7. The Book with No Pictures
By B. J. Novak. The reader has to say the words on the page, however ridiculous they become. This book built for reading aloud makes the grown-up the entertainment. Be ready to put on a show.
Good for: ages 5 to 7. Under £10. Together.
8. Supertato
By Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. A superhero potato tackles an escaped pea causing trouble in the supermarket. Choose this vegetable adventure for a child who likes heroes, villains and a rescue.
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
9. The Storm Whale
By Benji Davies. Noi finds a small whale on the beach and takes it home, where it ends up in the bath. This story of an unlikely friendship offers a quieter choice. Explore the seaside pictures.
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
10. Julian Is a Mermaid
By Jessica Love. After seeing people dressed as mermaids, Julian makes his own costume and shows his nana. The story uses few words and expressive pictures. Choose it for someone who enjoys dressing up.
Good for: ages 4 to 7. Under £10. Together.
11. Dogger
By Shirley Hughes. Dave loses his beloved toy dog, then spots him for sale at a school fair. This lost-toy story has a generous older sister at its heart. Choose it for someone with a treasured toy.
Good for: ages 3 to 5. Under £10. Together.
12. The Lion Inside
By Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field. A small mouse wants to learn how to roar and approaches a lion. This rhyming animal story makes room for both enormous voices and tiny squeaks. Let the listener choose.
Good for: ages 3 to 6. Under £10. Together.
13. Lost and Found
By Oliver Jeffers. A boy tries to take a penguin back to the South Pole, then reconsiders what his visitor needs. Choose this friendship story for its journey and pictures. Pause to hear the child's thoughts.
Good for: ages 3 to 5. Under £10. Together.
14. The Big Book of Bugs
By Yuval Zommer. Illustrated spreads explore creatures including beetles, butterflies, worms and spiders. This book of small creatures suits a child who'd rather ask about real animals than follow a plot. Let them choose a creature.
Good for: age 5 and up. £10 to £25. Together.
15. A First Book of Nature
By Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld. Poems, pictures and observations turn attention towards the natural world. Give it to a child who likes collecting questions outdoors. Read a chosen spread.
Good for: ages 3 to 9. £10 to £25. Together.
16. You Choose
By Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Pages of possibilities invite the child to choose places, people and things for an imaginary life. This picture-led book is useful when they'd rather talk than follow a story. Choose together.
Good for: ages 3 to 7. Under £10. Together.
Which books can they begin reading themselves?
Start with the sounds their school has taught. Phonics connects letters with sounds; children blend those sounds to read words. England's Department for Education reading framework says practice books should match that knowledge. Ask the school to check your choice wherever you live.
The first pair supports matched phonics practice. The last pair offers further reading for children already managing more text.
17. Bob Bug and Other Stories
By Julia Donaldson. This Songbirds collection includes short stories and notes identifying their sounds and tricky words. Ask the parent to confirm the school match.
Good for: age 5, beginning reading. £10 to £25. Together, then independently.
18. The Trunk and the Skunk and Other Stories
By Julia Donaldson. This further Songbirds collection includes animal stories and a rocket-making rabbit. Its notes identify the letter patterns used. Check those patterns with school before choosing it.
Good for: ages 4 to 5, with matching phonics. £10 to £25. Together, then independently.
19. Frog and Toad Are Friends
By Arnold Lobel. Short stories about friendship include a lost button and a letter. Offer it for shared reading once the child can tackle the text. Read unfamiliar passages yourself. This isn't introductory phonics.
Good for: ages 5 to 7. Under £10. Together or independently.
20. Green Eggs and Ham
By Dr. Seuss. Sam-I-Am keeps offering an unwanted meal in a rhyming story with repeated vocabulary. Try alternating the characters' lines if the child can read them. Treat it as a later reading choice.
Good for: ages 5 to 7. Under £10. Together or independently.
How do you pick when you don't know how well they read?
Choose a read-aloud when you can't check the child's phonics work. You can still make the present personal by choosing a subject they love, an illustration style they notice or a story you can share when you next visit. Use these checks before buying.
- Ask about interests and duplicates. A useful message is: “What are they into, and which books do they already have?” A photograph of their bookshelf can save you buying another copy of a favourite.
- Look inside the actual edition. Read a page and look at the pictures. For a shared story, ask whether you'd enjoy reading it aloud. For reading practice, ask the parent to check its sounds with school.
- Choose a manageable gift. A single book with a promise to read it together is enough. If buying several, vary the experience: a funny story alongside something factual gives the family a choice.
What should you check before wrapping it?
Check that you're buying the story you intend: a paperback, collection, activity book and sound edition can have similar covers. Read the description, not just the title. Keep a gift receipt, and write your message on a card if you aren't sure about duplicates.
For a household with younger siblings, check any extras. The Child Accident Prevention Trust's toy guidance warns about small parts that can choke under-threes. Its button-battery advice includes musical books: check that the compartment is secure and keep spare batteries out of reach.
A plain book is an easy option when you don't know the parents' rules about sounds or accompanying toys.
What if they want the same story every night?
Read the favourite again, and offer something different alongside it when there's time. You don't need to hide the familiar book to make room for your gift. The National Literacy Trust says rereading helps children get to know a story.
Try a small change: let them choose a character's voice, spot a detail in the picture or tell you what happens next. Keep those invitations optional. On another evening, simply read it as usual.
If story time keeps stretching, agree what you'll read before opening the book. Our bedtime-routine guide has ideas for giving stories a regular place in the evening.
What if their shelves already look full?
Give a different reading experience rather than a bigger pile. Ask the parent about a gap: perhaps the child has stories but would enjoy poems, or loves animals but has no illustrated non-fiction. Choose from what interests them, rather than what their shelf ought to contain.
You could also offer a book-choosing outing and let them lead. If you want to try titles before buying, the National Literacy Trust notes that libraries are free to join.
For an invitation that says no presents, respect it. A book is still a present.
Could the story become something to act out?
If the child enjoys turning animal stories into movement, browse our mats for story-led play. Each has 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, for ages 3 to 8. Keep the book nearby and let the child choose which character will appear in their next adventure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best book to buy a five-year-old?
For a gift when you don't know the child well, choose a story to share, such as The Gruffalo, Supertato or You Choose, after checking what they already own. Match the choice to their interests: rhymes, superheroes or making up stories. Save phonics books for when a parent can confirm the right level.
What books should a five-year-old be able to read?
Choose reading practice by the sounds the child has learnt, rather than by their birthday. Ask their teacher which books match their current phonics work. Keep the gift separate from that check: a story you read aloud can still be a welcome present, even when the child can't read its words independently.
Are picture books too young for a five-year-old?
No. Picture books belong on this gift list, whether you choose a rhyming adventure, a funny story or pages full of things to discuss. Don't buy a chapter book simply to make the present look more grown-up. Choose the story the child wants to hear, and let the pictures be part of the pleasure.
Which books should you choose for bedtime?
Start with a story the child already likes hearing. From this list, try Lost and Found, Dogger or The Storm Whale if you want a quieter story to share. Keep the silly voices of The Book with No Pictures for another part of the day if they turn reading into a noisy performance.
