For good and bad, there's nothing quite like finishing a picture book to a chorus of "again!" Anyone who has read books with preschoolers knows just what I mean–when you find a favorite there's no limit to how many times you can read and re-read it. If you're looking for a new family favorite, here are five books for preschoolers that they will want you to read again and again.
By Jenny Bloomfield
London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2026. Picture book.
Ready.... set.... FETCH! A little girl is playing on the beach with a dog and a ball, and with a dramatic turn of the page she sends that ball flying into the air. The excited dog goes running after the ball, and is joined by an ever growing number of dogs! The pack of dogs goes chasing after the ball all through the town, inside the museum, to the top of a waterfall! For dog lovers in particular, this is a fun frenetic read aloud with lots of dramatic book and pages turns.
By Daisy Hirst
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. Picture book.
In this absurd little storybook, Betsy and her best friend Philippa are out on a walk when they come across a hole that is not usually there. Even stranger, a distressed voice calls out from the hole–followed by a banana. As Betsy inspects the hole, Philippa disappears–sending Betsy down into the hole to find her lost stuffie. This book doesn't make a lot of sense, which is exactly what makes it work. It's silly and sweet and all about the power of making new friends (and finding lost toys)!
By Sam Wedelich
New York: Knopf, 2025. Picture book.
When their family runs out of bananas, a little girl and her mother must make a dreaded trip to the grocery story for more. But when our little protagonist takes charge of the shopping trip (leaving her distraught mother wondering where she went) she finds joy in her new agency. This picture book does a great job of playing into how preschoolers view their world and the kind of daily tensions between kids and their adults.
By Paul Friedrich
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025. Picture book.
In this silly alphabet book, Apple goes missing which makes the book start at the end. Zebra and Yak are not ready for the limelight, and so they go on a journey through the alphabet to find Apple. Kids will laugh at the general silliness of this book, which offers good alphabet practice for kids who recognize letters outside of alphabetical order.
Written by Gideon Sterer
Illustrated by Emily Hughes
New York: Clarion Books, 2025. Picture book.
If you were to make a call on a banana phone, a gorilla deep in the jungle might pick up the call. He just might become your friend. Riffing on the classic picture book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, this cause and effect book strikes a perfect chord between silly and sweet. A truly delightful picture book about communication and making friends, this is a book you'll want to read over and over.
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