In my experience, children at this age love to read a whole range of books, including sometimes quite sophisticated stories and tales from history in chapter form. Recently, publishers and readers have bemoaned the fact that parents sometimes move children on from picture books too early. Children who are just beginning to read still get so much pleasure from gorgeous illustrations, which fire their imaginations, so the following is a mix of picture books and story books I hope you'll find 5 year olds will love looking at and being read.
Oops! Pennie Kidd (parents + child forgive each other for those mishaps through the day)
Traction Man - Mini Grey (a boy gets his longed-for Christmas present)
A new house for mouse - Petr Horacek (mouse meets new friends in search for bigger home)
The Mousehole Cat - Antonia Barber + Nicola Bayley (re-telling of a tale from 16th C. Cornish history)
What Baby Wants (particularly lovely if you have a new baby in the house)
Love you Forever - Robert Munsch (although I defy you not to cry while reading this)
Charlotte's Web - EB White (warning: remember, they are saving Wilbur from the fate of pigs on a farm)
Katie in London/Katie and the Dinosaurs (series) James Mayhew
Terry Deary's Egyptian/Roman/Greek etc Tales (series)
Anything by:
Richard Scarry - including What Do People Do All Day?
Beatrix Potter
Francesca Simon - Horrid Henry series
Jez Alborough - including Some Dogs Do, Captain Duck, Where's My Teddy
the Flat Stanley series
Winnie the Witch - Valerie Thomas + Korky Paul
Mrs Pepperpot series
Charlie and Lola
Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs
Meg and Mog
Dr Seuss
