Books for Boys Ages 3 and 6.

Some of my ds3.5’s favorite books (all picture books):

Any of the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes

Harry the Dirty Dog (and other Harry books) by Gene Zion

Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr Series by Maj Lindman (we also like Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka by this author, but these are about girls and Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr are little boys)

Harold and the Purple Crayon (and other Harold books)by Crockett Johnson

Angus and the Ducks, Angus and the Cat, Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack

My dd6 also enjoys most of these still as well. My favorite picks for slightly older than 3’s are any of the Robert McCloskey books and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and others by Virgina Lee Burton. My 6yo is a girl, but these books are definetely not gender-specific, just lovely classics for any child.

My ds 3 also really likes the Thornton Burgess animal books. Most people recommend these for a little older than the preschool set (not because of anything innapropriate, but b/c of the interest level), but we have this collection that has color illustrations and came with a couple of audio CDs and both of mine (dd 6 and ds 3) LOVED it: http://www.amazon.com/Thornton-Burgess-Bedtime-Stories–Listen/dp/0486479161/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323180090&sr=8-1

Hope that helps!

Jen

Here are some that my dc liked at that age (they’re 4 and almost 8):

Any of the bug books by Eric Carle (Very Hungry Caterpillar and the like)

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See and Polar Bear Polar Bear What do You Hear by Bill Martin Jr.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss

The Empty Pot by Demi

Wilfrid Gordon Macdonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Anything by PK Hallinan

I second McCloskey (especially Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal), Harry the Dirty Dog, and Harold and the Purple Crayon.

HTH,

Karen

The Frances books by Lillian Hoban. The main character is a girl, but my ds likes them.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (the original, not the movie tie-in)

The Napping House (for the younger one) by Don and Audrey Wood

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord

If you can find it (it’s out of print), The Real Hole by Beverly Cleary. It’s part of a collection called Two Times the Fun, but it doesn’t have the original illustrations.

I would highly recommend Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel. My little brother loved that book as a kid — he would ask my parents and I to read it to him over and over again. Even my 5 1/2 year old daughter loves it. She also likes just about anything by Robert McCloskey.

Another one of her favorites is “The Raft”, by Jim LeMarche, I think. It could easily be enjoyed by either a girl or a boy; the main character of the book is actually a young boy. We found it on a FIAR list. There are lots and lots of animals in the book, and a real appreciation for nature and observing the animals in their natural habitat. 😉

She also loves “Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening”, a poem by Frost with beautiful illustrations by Susan Jeffers, among her ‘winter book collection. It’s one of those that is just for reading with mom and dad, though, due to the beautiful and fragile cover.

April