Auckland Council Libraries: Anne’s picture book picks for 3-year-olds

Anne’s picture book picks for 3-year-olds

Enjoy these fun picture books perfect for 3-year-olds, lovingly selected by amazing librarian Annie!

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Bathe the cat

Alice B. McGinty

Picture book

Dad has posted a list of chores for the family to do before grandma comes, including bathing the cat; but the cat does not want a bath, so she mixes up the instructions, and soon the family and the house is in chaos.

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Blanket

Loryn Brantz

Picture book

How to make the perfect blanket cocoon: Step 1: find your most favorite blanket. Step 2: lay it out on the floor. Step 3: lie down on the very edge of it. Step 4: now roll! Time to wiggle and giggle inside your cocoon!

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Dog gone

Rob Biddulph

Picture book

Every dog has his Dave (or otherwise-named human)... but on a walk in the park, Teddy the pug loses his! And when Teddy finds himself at the shed of the TERRIBLE TROLL in the woods, he might find more than he bargained for... a new friend.

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Down the back of the chair

Margaret Mahy

Picture book

When Dad loses his car keys, toddler Mary suspects that they have ended up down the back of the chair so Dad begins to search. But what an odd assortments of objects are living down the back of the chair!

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The foggy, foggy forest

Nick Sharratt

Picture book

Who's lurking in the foggy forest? This title lets children to look through the trees and guess the shapes to find out whether it's a fairy queen on a trampoline, three brown bears on picnic chairs, or an ogre doing yoga.

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Fred gets dressed

Peter Brown

Picture book

Fred loves to be naked, wild and free. He runs around his bedroom, across the hall and into his parents' wardrobe, where he is finally inspired to get dressed. What will Fred wear?

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Granny McFlitter, the champion knitter

Heather Haylock

Picture book

Based on true events, a lively picture book about a sprightly granny who knits warm jumpers for little blue penguins after the oil spill following the wrecking of the Rena, with illustrations by the winner of the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award.

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Grumpy Bird

Jeremy Tankard

Picture book

Feeling too grumpy to fly, Bird begins to walk and finds that his mood changes as other animals join him.

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The grumble rumble mumbler

Melanie Drewery

Picture book

The Grumble Rumble Mumbler tells the age-old story of a child that can't get to sleep because of night noises.

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The hug

Eoin McLaughlin

Picture book

Hedgehog was feeling sad. As sad as a hedgehog can feel. So sad only one thing could help. Tortoise was feeling sad. As sad as a tortoise can feel. So sad only one thing could help. Both are looking for a hug!

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Jabari jumps

Gaia. author Cornwall

Picture book

Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. A sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears.

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Kororā and the sushi shop

Linda Jane Keegan

Picture book

Inspired by the true story of two penguins who took a liking to a local sushi shop. What better place for a penguin to waddle across the road than to a local sushi shop, lured by the smell of delicious seafood?

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The lighthouse princess

Susan (New Zealand academic/writer)...

Picture book

The 2021 Storylines Gavin Bishop Award-winning picture book is a delightful contemporary fairytale about an independent princess, who looks after a very special lighthouse lamp, fishes off the balcony and goes swimming with seals.

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Lion guards the cake

Ruth Paul

Picture book

The house is quiet, no one is awake, and Lion guards the cake. Little by little the cake disappears... but where does it go?

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Looking for a jumbie

Tracey Baptiste

Picture book

New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste and acclaimed illustrator Amber Ren take readers on a fun, creepy, storytime-ready romp through a forest filled with creatures from Caribbean folklore.

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Mel fell

Corey R. Tabor

Picture book

A charming tale about a plucky little bird. Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

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Mother Goose Bruce

Ryan T. Higgins

Picture book

Bruce is a grumpy bear who likes no one and nothing but cooked eggs, but when some eggs he was planning to boil hatch and the goslings believe he is their mother, he must try to make the best of the situation.

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Ninja Red Riding Hood

Corey Rosen Schwartz

Picture book

In this twist on Little Red Riding Hood, wolf just can't catch a break! Ever since the three little pigs started teaching everyone ninja skills, huffing and puffing just hasn't been enough to scare up a good meal.

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Oi Frog

Kes Gray

Picture book

Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools and gofers sit on sofas, but Frog does not want to sit on a log!

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Oona

Kelly DiPucchio

Picture book

Oona and her best friend Otto love to search for treasure... and often find trouble instead. Messy trouble. Tricky trouble. Even shark-related trouble. That's never stopped them before, though!

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Pretty perfect kitty-corn

Shannon Hale

Picture book

Unicorn wants to be as perfect as everyone seems to think he is, so when he embarrasses himself in front of Kitty he is afraid Kitty will no longer want to be friends with a not-so-perfect Unicorn.

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Puddling!

Emma Perry

Picture book

Clouds gather, skies darken, rain drops, puddles appear. Let's go puddling! Pull on your wellies and button up your coats for this playful, interactive story all about children delighting in the joy of splish-splash-sploshing in muddy puddles.

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Snake brought cake

Sam (Comedian) Smith

Picture book

The cockerel crowed across Pettington Zoo. The animals woke with a big job to do. There's no time to play!' It's Harry's birthday and the all the animals at Pettington Zoo are planning a big surprise.

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That's not a hippopotamus!

Juliette MacIver

Audio CD

A class trip to the zoo descends into a chaotic hunt for the missing hippopotamus. Teacher, zookeeper and all the children join the search. The noise and drama reach a pitch, and no one thinks to listen to quiet Liam.

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Things in the sea are touching me!

Linda Jane Keegan

Picture book

This light-hearted rhyming story follows the experience of a little girl's day at the beach with her two mums, as she unexpectedly encounters a range of sea life; with a fun twist at the end!

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The tiny woman's coat

Joy Cowley

Picture book

The tiny woman makes a coat of leaves with the help of friends in this vibrant rhyming tale. The trees, geese, porcupine, horse and plants all share something so the tiny woman can snip and stitch a coat to keep herself warm.

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We don't eat our classmates

Ryan T. Higgins

Picture book

When the class pet bites the finger of Penelope, a tyrannosaurus rex, she finally understands why she should not eat her classmates, no matter how tasty they are.

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Book list by:

Anne Coppell.

Annie

LibrarianHelensville Library

Auckland Council Libraries:Book list Recommended reading lists about different topics and genres to help you find new books to read.