Best books for 5 year olds: 10 brilliant books that we recommend as must-haves
Discover the best parent-books for 5 year olds — from funny favourites to brilliant beginner chapter books. Recommended by real parents, we've picked the best lists to build confidence, spark curiosity and support early reading
At age 5, children are growing in confidence, both in themselves and in their reading. They're ready for stories with more structure, characters they can connect with, and themes that help them explore friendships, feelings, and the wider world around them.
Books play a huge role in supporting this stage of development, but with so many picture books, early readers, and beginner chapter books out there, it can be hard to know where to start.
So we asked for recommendations from real families in the MadeForMums Top Testers Club and have handpicked the very best books for 5 year olds — from well-loved favourites to brilliant new stories you might not have heard of yet.
Jump to our list of the best books for 5 year olds
Whether you're looking for a bedtime story, a book that builds reading stamina, or something to make your child laugh out loud, there’s something on this list to suit every 5-year-old reader.
For younger ages, check out our parent-approved books for 1 year olds, 2 year olds, 3 year olds and 4 year olds — or browse our guide to the best award-winning books from the MadeForMums Toy Awards.
Best books for 5 year olds at a glance
- Best early chapter books for 5 year olds: Isadora Moon book series by Harriet Muncaster, £6.99 each at Amazon
- Best Julia Donaldson book for 5 year olds: Stick Man by Julia Donaldson,
£7.99£4 at Amazon (Save £3.99 or 50%) - Best fact books for 5 year olds: Usborne Look Inside collection, £9.99 each at Usborne
- Best classic book for 5 year olds: Funnybones by Janet & Allan Ahlberg, £7.29 at Amazon
- Best funny book for 5 year olds: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait and Oliver Jeffers, £7.99 at Amazon
- Best dinosaur books for 5 year olds: Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs (Harry and the Dinosaurs series) by Ian Whybrow, £7.01 at Amazon
- Best superhero book for 5 year olds: Supertato by Sue Hendra, £7.35 at Amazon
- Best space book for 5 year olds: How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers, £7.99 at Waterstones
- Best confidence-building book for 5 year olds: The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright, £4.50 at Amazon
- Best bridge between picture books and chapter books for 5 year olds: Katie Morag book series by Mairi Hedderwick, £8.99 at Waterstones
Best books for 5 years olds to read in 2025
1. Isadora Moon book series by Harriet Muncaster, £6.99
Best early chapter books for 5 year olds
If your 5 year old is ready to start chapter books, we would highly recommend the Isadora Moon book series. The latest instalment, Isadora Moon Makes a Wish was a Bronze award winner at the 2024 MadeForMums Toy Awards and our testers praised it for its storytelling, illustrations and language.
The stories follow Isadora Moon, a 'totally unique' girl who is half vampire and half fairy as she navigates different adventures — from riding a bike to going on holiday. The books are full of enchanting black and pink artwork and the charming blend of magic, sparkle and a little bit of bite in the stories will certainly intrigue your 5 year old. The books will grow with your child too, parent tester Anita said her 7 year old still loves the book series: "I like the fact the are short novels but not too big, as she is really enjoying her independent reading and they still have pictures in which I think keeps her more interested that just text."
The books really are the perfect introduction to chapter books, whatever age your child is. Parent tester Pippa, who read Isadora Moon Makes a Wish with her 5-year-old daughter said, "This was my daughter's first chapter book and at first she was a bit reluctant to choose it over a typical picture book bedtime story. However, this soon changed once we started looking at the Family Tree at the start of the book, and she was intrigued by the different characters. She quickly became hooked by the story and desperate for me to read on, leading to nice discussions about why chapter books can be more interesting and exciting even if they are not quite so colourful."
I could not rate a chapter book for this age group more highly due to the engaging storyline, clear layout and regularly interspersed illustrations. The story is fun and simple to follow, but contains some really good descriptive language and interesting vocabulary, which adds to the story but also really helps to stretch Felicity's vocabulary and understanding.
Available from: The Works, Amazon, Waterstones
2. Stickman by Julia Donaldson, £7.99
Best Julia Donaldson book for 5 year olds
There's a strong chance that you may have been reading Julia Donaldson books to your kids since they were 2 years old, and as our parent testers can attest to, the author's books remain firm favourites for their 5 year olds. The combination of engrossing stories, captivating rhymes and iconic illustrations by Axel Scheffler still enchant children as they're getting older. Parent tester Catherine said, "my nearly 5 year old has always loved the Julia Donaldson books are still does!" and parent tester Sian said, "the Julia Donaldson books are a big hit in our house, great stories that keep our little one engrossed in the book and work well as they grow."
For this age, parents really appreciate the messages of the stories. Parent tester Maria told us, 'I'd recommend all of the Julia Donaldson books. The stories are super cute, the rhymes are fantastic, and each book teaches something important," and parent tester Carla said, "The Stick Man by Julia Donaldson inspires so many interesting conversations."
The Stick Man is one of the more famous of the Julia Donaldson books, and for good reason. It's a heartwarming story about family and courage, with a little bit of adventure thrown in too. As expected with Julia Donaldson books, it's read-aloud rhyming text is satisfying and your 5 year old will be captivated by the story and the stunning artwork too.
I'd recommend any of the Julia Donaldson books. So many brilliant pictures and lots of details that encourage them to learn new words and the rhyming makes them easy to recall. Especially Stick Man!
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones, ASDA
3. Usborne Look Inside collection, £9.99
Best fact books for 5 year olds
The Usborne Look Inside collection is great for curious minds who want to know how the world (and beyond!) works. This fascinating book collection was one of the most-recommended by our parent testers, for 5 year olds and even beyond.
Each book provides an interactive and entertaining exploration of a different topic, with sturdy flaps that will help your 5 year old uncover information and facts about the subject. Plus, as you can expect from Usborne, it's illustrated with stunning and bright artwork.
The series is particularly great as it covers so many different aspects of our world that you can tailor your collection to suit your child. Parent tester Olivia said, "My child's current favourite is about airplanes! I tend to buy what he's interested in at that time. He also has one about the body, phonics and beginner's reading books."
With titles to suit every interest, from Look Inside Football for football-mad 5 year olds to Look Inside Space for budding astronomers, you'll be sure to find an educational and entertaining book for your 5 year old.
My son really likes fact books, we have the Usborne 'Look Inside Your Body’ lift and flap book which is great as it’s so visual.
Available from: Amazon, Usborne, Waterstones
4. Funnybones by Janet & Allan Ahlberg, £7.99
Best classic book for 5 year olds
Beloved by generations of children and parents, Funnybones is the classic book that continues to entertain little readers. Its easy-to-read text makes it a great option for children learning to read, too.
"My son and I love reading Funnybones together," said parent tester Jen, as it's the perfect choice for reading out loud together with your 5 year ol,d thanks to the captivating, rhyming and rolling text. Alongside the classic text are iconic and beautiful illustrations that add to the humour of the book and will delight your child at story time.
We love the Allen Alberg books in our house, which is great because I loved them during my own childhood too! Funnybones is fantastic at keeping my child engaged and interested in the story.
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
5. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait and Oliver Jeffers, £8.99
Best funny book for 5 year olds
This imaginative story follows Duncan as he opens up his box of crayons and finds that they've decided to quit! Battle lines are drawn, grievances are raised, and Duncan must find a solution.
Bursting with colour and humour, this charming picture book is packed with stunning illustrations and is a must-have for your 5-year-old's storybook collection. The playful story will captivate your child and will have them laughing and playing with crayons in a whole new way!
I would recommend The Day the Crayons Quit. Since we read it, my kids are obsessed with drawing pictures with all the colours, including white!
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
6. Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs (Harry and the Dinosaurs series) by Ian Whybrow, £7.99
Best dinosaur books for 5 year olds
If your 5 year old is a dinosaur fan, we would wholly recommend the Harry and the Dinosaurs book series.
The series follows a 5-year-old boy who has a bucket full of dinosaurs that can talk to him, but no other characters. A modern classic for a reason, these charming and delightful books are full of colourful artwork and gentle humour and with over 20 books to choose from, there are plenty of adventures for your 5 year old to follow!
I'd recommend the Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs series. Lovely illustrations and they usually show some minor bad behaviour followed by correction and apology — things we're working on!
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
7. Supertato by Sua Hendra, £7.99
Best superhero book for 5 year olds
Charming, entertaining and hilarious in equal measure — Supertato is the perfect laugh-out-loud book for 5 year olds and beyond. As parent tester Cél says, "my 5 year old loves Supertato (and my 13 years old still does and gets excited when a new Supertato book is out!).
The books follow the eccentric character of Supertato — a supermarket superhero with eyes everywhere. The first book sees him tackle a very naughty pea on the loose, and adventures ensue...
Packed with comical exploits, simple, easy-to-follow text and bold illustrations, Supertato will quickly become a firm favourite with your 5 year old (and any older siblings too!).
My child loves the Supertato books!! I love them too as it’s encouraged him to eat his veg!
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
8. How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers, £7.99
Best space book for 5 year olds
Oliver Jeffers is quickly becoming a firm favourite in the children's book world. Parent tester Natalie said, "My 5-year-old loves the Oliver Jeffers books," and parent tester Jodie said, "My son's favourite author of non-chapter books is Oliver Jeffers."
The second of his books on our list, and his debut, How to Catch a Star, has quickly become a popular modern classic. It's a magical tale about a boy and a star that's all about reaching for dreams. It's spellbinding, beautifully illustrated and full of imagination — and we can see why it's a firm favourite amongst parents and children alike.
In our house we really like the Oliver Jeffers books, nice text and illustrations.
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
9. The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright, £7.99
Best confidence-building book for 5 year olds
Rachel Bright is another firm favourite author amongst parents of 5 year olds. Her books are, according to parent tester Sheena, "great for teaching kids about feelings and emotions", and parent tester Manika "loves the empowering messages" in her books too.
One of the most popular and inspiring books, The Lion Inside, follows a shy little mouse who wishes he could roar like a lion. It's a story about confidence, self-esteem and has a heartfelt message that will captivate young readers and will have them reading the book over and over again.
We love The Lion Inside & The Koala who Could, absolutely love the messaging in these books about being brave and trusting ourselves!
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
10. Katie Morag book series by Mairi Hedderwick, £8.99
Best bridge between picture books and chapter books for 5 year olds
These brilliant books are set on the Island of Struay, a place with a special way of life and home to Katie Morag, a character at the heart of the island and one your child is sure to be captivated by.
Follow Katie as she sets out on small adventures, from posting parcels to the wrong addresses, dealing with her naughty big boy cousins, or even saving a grand concert from disaster.
With a charming blend of chirpy stories and beautiful artwork, these books are the perfect option for kids who want to progress from picture books but aren't ready for full chapter books just yet.
My daughter loves the Katie Morag series. We have read them over and over. They have more of a story than some picture books so it's a nice step between picture books and early chapter books.
Available from: Amazon, Waterstones
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Emily is the Digital Content Producer at MadeForMums and creates editorial and video content across the brand. She also edits the weekly editorial newsletter, oversees our reviews process and loves creating our craft articles and videos. She specialises predominantly in car seats and pushchairs, and has yet to meet a buggy she couldn’t fold! With a 1st class degree in History, she always researches topics thoroughly to find the best recommendations for parents.