Embark on a journey to enhance your preschooler’s thinking abilities with this handpicked selection of engaging and educational books. These are not just stories; they are gateways to developing critical thinking skills, fostering creativity, and nurturing emotional intelligence in young learners. Explore how each book provides opportunities for parents to explore core thinking skills while enjoying reading with your children.
The list includes a summary with the recommended ages and identifies the specific thinking skills the book can be used to enhance. Following the link provided will take you to Amazon, where you can purchase the book for your child.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This classic book tells the story of a caterpillar eating its way through various foods before transforming into a butterfly. Recommended Age: 2-5 years. Thinking Skills: Counting, sequencing (the days of the week), and understanding natural processes (metamorphosis). https://amzn.to/3SouMD2
- Press Here by Hervé Tullet. It is an interactive book where children are prompted to press dots, shake pages, and see what happens next. Recommended Age: 2-5 years. Thinking Skills: Cause and effect, following instructions, and engaging in interactive learning. https://amzn.to/3UoOP72
- Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. This book shows a rabbit using a box in imaginative ways, encouraging children to see more than just a box. It celebrates imagination and creativity. It shows how a simple box can become anything in a child’s imagination, encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving. Recommended Age: 3-6 years. Thinking Skills: Creativity, imagination, and visual-spatial thinking. https://amzn.to/3Op6RCg
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. Rosie is a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. This book teaches children about the value of imagination and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. It’s a fantastic story to encourage innovative thinking. Recommended Age: 4-7 years. Thinking Skills: Problem-solving, perseverance, and innovative thinking. https://amzn.to/48VpzcU
- Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg. This interactive book shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. It’s a fun way to teach resilience, creativity, and the power of a positive perspective. Recommended Age: 3-8 years. Thinking Skills: Creativity, overcoming setbacks, and seeing the positive in mistakes. https://amzn.to/3u4teGg
- Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty. Iggy is a young architect who loves building things. The story encourages creative thinking and shows how passion can lead to significant accomplishments. It’s a great book to inspire creativity and perseverance in young learners. Iggy loves building things and eventually helps to construct a bridge to save his class. Recommended Age: 4-7 years. Thinking Skills: Engineering and construction concepts, creativity, and collaboration. https://amzn.to/3UoNVra
- Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Three white mice discover jars of red, blue, and yellow paint and explore color mixing. Recommended Age: 2-5 years. Thinking Skills: Color recognition, understanding color mixing, and basic color theory. https://amzn.to/3Un3RtP
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. It is a circular tale where giving a mouse a cookie leads to a series of events. Recommended Age: 3-5 years. Thinking Skills: Understanding cause and effect, sequencing, and predicting outcomes. https://amzn.to/3ueYa6v
- Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. It is a simple hide-and-seek story about searching for Spot, the dog. Recommended Age: 2-5 years. Thinking Skills: Problem-solving, memory skills, and understanding prepositions. https://amzn.to/3SEkXlx
- Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. A peddler who sells caps naps under a tree and wakes to find his caps missing, leading to a search. Recommended Age: 3-5 years. Thinking Skills: Counting, pattern recognition, and basic problem-solving. https://amzn.to/47WBFkO
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires. This book tells the story of a young girl and her best friend, a dog, who decide to make the most magnificent thing. The journey of creation and its challenges teach persistence, problem-solving, and the importance of perspective. It’s a wonderful story to inspire creativity and resilience in young minds. Recommended Age: 3-7 years. Thinking Skills: problem-solving, creativity and innovation, critical thinking, resilience and perseverance, and emotional intelligence. https://amzn.to/3HF5Phx
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Through letters written by crayons, this book explores emotions and problem-solving. It’s a humorous and engaging way to teach children about perspective-taking and conflict resolution. Recommended Age: 3-7 years. Thinking Skills: perspective taking, problem-solving and conflict resolution, creativity and imagination, communication skills, emotional intelligence. https://amzn.to/49dmt3
