Reception reading list

Ages 4 to 5 · Early years

At this age the best reading is shared reading. Pick books with a rhythm to join in with, pictures that tell part of the story and a pattern children can predict.

Loved by many

• The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. A clever mouse, an invented monster and rhymes children soon say along with you.
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. A call-and-response story with sounds to act out, mud and all.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Counting, the days of the week and a caterpillar that eats through the pages.
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. A lift-the-flap guessing game with a repeating pattern that suits first readers.
• Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson. A gentle story about waiting for a parent to come back.
• Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. A rhyming game of I spy through nursery-rhyme characters.
• Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne. A walk through a village in Kenya, with fruit to name and animals to spot.
• Mog the Forgetful Cat by Judith Kerr. A short, funny story about a much-loved family cat.

At home

Ten minutes at bedtime is plenty. Let your child turn the pages and say what they think happens next.