Best First Chapter Book Read Alouds

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Around when my son turned 3 I decided I wanted to dive into some chapter books with him. He has a very long attention span for books and it seemed like a great next step for us. We have read some truly wonderful literature in the last five or so months. I feel that this has helped him expand some of his listening comprehension and focus for longer stories. Along the way we have read some books we’ve treasured together and found some that were misses. This post will share some of our favorites along with notes on the ones that were misses for us.

First, some background on what I was looking for in chapter book to read aloud to my 3-year-old. I was looking for books that would require a bit more explanation from me and were at a bit of a higher level. For example, I see Magic Treehouse recommended a lot but I chose to skip that (despite my wonderful memories of it!) and save it for him to read to himself when he is ready. I was hoping for books with some more complex vocabulary that he would need support with for a bit. I struggled to find a list of favorite read-aloud chapter books for preschoolers that fit my criteria. As a result, I did a bit of trial and error. Some of my errors are at the end!

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

I don’t see this book recommended very that much and it is a shame! This was the first chapter book we read. I had not read this before so I enjoyed the journey together with my son for the first time. It is a beautiful book about a china rabbit who goes on a long journey and learns to love. There are some illustrations throughout, all of which are beautiful art. Of note for young children: there is a part where a girl is sick and passes away. I did not skip this part but also did not belabor it. My son did not ask questions about that part and I was a bit relieved. I can definitely see an argument for skipping that, however. It is such a sweet story though and both my son and I really enjoyed this book.

Stuart Little

I had planned to read Charlotte’s Web with my son but decided maybe Stuart Little would be a better introduction to E.B. White. I am so glad I chose Stuart Little because it was such a sweet story and one my son really enjoyed. My son enjoyed the adventures Stuart Little went on as well as the discussion of boats. He loves discussing what can be real and what is make-believe and this book, which has some realistic elements amongst a lot of whimsy, was perfect for that. There was nothing here I found inappropriate for my 3-year-old.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

This is another fun book about a mouse! Here the main character is a mouse who lives in a California hotel. A family comes to stay there and he gets to borrow the little boy’s motorcycle. He gets to go on all sorts of wild adventures in this motorcycle. This was such a fun read-aloud chapter book for my 3-year-old. I think this is one of the absolute best first chapter books to read aloud to a preschooler.

The Trumpet of the Swan

This is another E.B. White book that doesn’t carry the sadness of Charlotte’s Web. I do not believe I had ever read it before reading it aloud to my preschooler. There is so much beauty in this book. I grew up with Make Way for Ducklings and though they are different, the backdrop of the swans at the Boston Public Gardens was nostalgic for me. The whole book though is beautifully written and was very appropriate for reading aloud to my 3-year-old. He gained some rich vocabulary and really enjoyed the story.

All of a Kind Family

I see so many recommendations for Little House on the Prarie, which we also read, but All of a Kind Family was a better hit for my 3-year-old and me. Part of it is likely reliability (we are Jewish, have lived in NYC, and currently live in the NYC metro area), but my son was much more engaged with this book than Little House in the Big Woods. I found it very appropriate and sweet.

My Father’s Dragon

Somehow I didn’t even know about this book until very recently. It’s probably the shortest book on this list but it was very enjoyable. It is (probably obviously from the title!) a bit mythical but it follows a boy on an adventure through a make-believe land. My son and I both really enjoyed this story. We read this one after a chapter book that had been less of a hit for my son and it definitely reignited his love for our nightly chapter book. It is apparently a Netflix movie now too, though we haven’t watched it.

Other Chapter Books I Have Read With My 3-Year-Old

I have read several other chapter books aloud to my 3-year-old in the last several months as well. A few of them were less of hits for us.

We read Matilda which I was very excited for initially. My son is an early reader and I thought he could probably connect with the main character. However, the language in this book really disturbed me. There was a lot of language I didn’t like exposing my son to (name-calling and such). Luckily I read this soon after he turned 3 because by now he is constantly reading over my shoulder while I read aloud. This story required me to skip quite a few words. Even beyond the words, I did not like the way the characters treated each other. It did not model good values and I wouldn’t choose it again for such a young child, even though overall my son did enjoy it. I have heard some other Roald Dahl books are more appropriate but I’m staying away for now.

Another that was less of a hit than I hoped was Little House on the Big Woods. I read this book in first grade and loved it. I was a bit uncomfortable reading parts aloud to my preschooler, however. All the parts on hunting, guns, and butchering animals were not what I wanted for our read-alouds. My son gets deeply connected to books and I was pretty relieved we made it through this one without him wanting to go hunting. My son didn’t connect to the book and overall was just not very interested. We both were pretty glad when this one was done. I think we will wait a while for other Little House books. This series would probably have been better as part of a history unit at an older age.

We are currently reading The Wizard of Oz and so far we are enjoying it! I am only a few chapters in and I have definitely been caught off-guard by how much I don’t remember of the book. I remember the play and the movie very well. I am hoping to find a production of the musical I can bring my son to once we finish this book. So far there has been nothing inappropriate. I might not read this to a young child if we lived in a tornado country though! Tornadoes are not a concern where we are but my son asked a lot about tornadoes and how they work during the first chapter. For a child where tornadoes are part of their life, I could see this being scary.

Another book I saw recommended a lot for first-read-aloud chapter books for preschoolers is the Mercy Watson series. I actually introduced those to my son as the first chapter books he read and we have really enjoyed them! Each night I read the chapter from the previous night and my son reads the new chapter. These books are definitely more beginner chapter books than other books on this list (meaning they can be read by children a lot earlier in their independent reading journey) but might also be a good read-aloud option if you have a preschooler who isn’t quite ready for such long chapter book read-alouds! They have more pictures and are very fun and humorous.