7 Picture Books to Add to Your Early Education Resources

The most useful early education resources are often the ones children ask for again. A well-loved picture book can invite conversation, spark pretend play or help a child notice something new on their next walk. It does not need a matching worksheet to support learning.

For whānau and kaiako, choosing books is about more than finding a popular title. Rhythm, illustrations, cultural connections and a child’s interests all shape the experience. This selection brings together four books by Aotearoa New Zealand creators and three international favourites, with practical ways to enjoy each one at home or in an early learning setting.

What makes a picture book worth choosing?

Look for illustrations children can explore, language that is enjoyable to hear and a story that leaves room for their ideas. A book does not need to teach a specific skill to be valuable. Sharing pleasure and attention matters too.

The Ministry of Education’s Te Whāriki curriculum provides a useful lens: stories can support communication, belonging, exploration and relationships. Those connections develop through responsive interactions, rather than testing children on what they remember.

The age suggestions below are flexible sharing guides, not reading milestones. Follow your child’s interest, communication preferences and comfort with the story. Some children will enjoy the pictures long before they want to hear every word.

Seven picture books for your early education resources

1. Dear Zoo, written and illustrated by Rod Campbell

Try with: Toddlers and younger preschoolers who enjoy guessing games and lifting flaps.

A child asks the zoo for a pet, then considers a succession of unsuitable animals. The repeated structure gives children opportunities to anticipate what comes next, while the flaps add a satisfying physical part to the reading experience.

Leave time for your child to inspect each page. They might name an animal, imitate its movement or simply point. All are ways of participating. You can respond by adding a little language: “A very tall giraffe!” rather than asking a string of questions.

Play invitation: Hide a familiar soft toy under a cloth and take turns revealing it. Describe one feature before lifting the cloth, then let your child invent clues for you.

Choose an edition that suits how your child handles books. A sturdy board book can be easier for little hands, although flaps may still need support. If lifting them is difficult, hold the flap open and let your child direct the reveal through a gesture, sound or look. There is no need to insist on an animal’s name before turning the page.

2. Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, written and illustrated by Lynley Dodd

Try with: Toddlers and preschoolers who enjoy rhyme, dogs and lively read-alouds.

Lynley Dodd’s familiar dog and his companions bring rhythm and memorable language to your early education resources. The accumulating cast gives children repeated opportunities to hear names, recognise characters and anticipate the next part of the story.

Read it for enjoyment first. On later readings, pause before a familiar word if your child likes joining in. They may supply the word, make an animal sound or indicate the character in the illustration. Listening quietly is equally valid participation.

The detailed pictures also invite noticing. Follow whichever dog catches your child’s attention rather than working through every character in order.

Play invitation: Take toy dogs on a pretend walk across a rug, around cushions or through a cardboard-box neighbourhood. Try describing their movements with words such as “around”, “behind” and “through”.

Children who are uncertain around dogs may prefer to keep the experience firmly within the book. There is no need to turn the story into an encounter with a real animal. Familiarity with a fictional dog does not replace learning safe behaviour around pets.

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Try with: Toddlers and preschoolers interested in food, counting or small creatures.

Eric Carle’s distinctive collage illustrations make this a book children can explore visually as well as through the story. The changing quantities of fruit offer natural counting opportunities, while the caterpillar’s transformation can prompt questions about living things.

Within a collection of early education resources, it works particularly well as a starting point for noticing, rather than a lesson children must complete. If your child wants to talk only about the strawberries, stay with that interest.

Play invitation: Make a pretend picnic using large paper fruit shapes. Children can choose food, arrange it on plates or offer portions to toys. Count together when it serves the play, without requiring correct answers.

One useful distinction for adults: the story calls the caterpillar’s enclosure a cocoon, while butterflies form a chrysalis. If children become curious about real life cycles, introduce that vocabulary alongside photographs or observations. You can enjoy an imaginative story while also explaining how living caterpillars grow and change.

Avoid collecting caterpillars simply to recreate the book. Watching creatures where they live can provide plenty to discuss.

4. The Kuia and the Spider, by Patricia Grace, illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa

Try with: Preschoolers interested in family stories, detailed pictures and playful disagreement.

This Aotearoa picture book centres on a kuia and a spider, each proud of what her grandchildren can make. Their conversation offers humour alongside opportunities to talk about whānau, creativity and different perspectives.

Including Māori authors and illustrators in early education resources should be part of everyday reading, not something reserved for a special occasion. Give this story space as a work of storytelling and art, rather than using it only to introduce vocabulary or a craft.

You might share a memory of something a grandparent or another important person has made. Leave room for different family structures: a child may want to talk about an auntie, sibling, neighbour or family friend instead.

Play invitation: Explore patterns with broad paper strips, or look closely at a woven household object. Talk about what you can see and how the materials cross over one another.

Keep the distinction between simple paper exploration and culturally specific weaving practices clear. If unfamiliar te reo Māori words arise, seek pronunciation support rather than guessing. A child’s whānau or kaiako may be able to help build that connection respectfully.

5. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Try with: Toddlers and preschoolers who enjoy repeated phrases, sound effects and movement.

A family’s journey through different landscapes offers plenty to hear, see and act out. The changing textures and repeated language make it easy for children to join in without needing to recall the whole story.

This is one of those early education resources that can move naturally from a quiet reading corner into imaginative play. Follow your child’s preferred pace: an energetic retelling and a gentle seated version can both work.

Play invitation: Create a short pretend journey using a blanket for grass, a clear floor space for a river and a cushion for a hill. Children can move through it, guide a toy along the route or make the sounds while an adult does the actions.

The bear and the cave can feel frightening to some children. Preview those pages, offer to skip them or stop if your child wants to. Finishing a book is less important than maintaining trust and enjoyment.

For children who prefer less noise, use soft voices or gestures instead of enthusiastic sound effects. Participation does not have to be loud or physical to be meaningful.

6. A Summery Saturday Morning, by Margaret Mahy, illustrated by Selina Young

Try with: Preschoolers who enjoy rhythmic stories, outdoor adventures and finding details in pictures.

Margaret Mahy turns an ordinary walk into an increasingly eventful outing. The rhythmic language and lively illustrations offer plenty to revisit, especially for children who recognise something of their own family walks in the story.

For families building early education resources around local experiences, this book provides a welcome connection to an Aotearoa author and an outdoor setting. Read it before or after a walk, but let the real outing follow its own course rather than trying to reproduce the plot.

Play invitation: After a short walk, tell a shared story about one thing you noticed. Begin with “On our walk we saw…” and let your child contribute through speech, gesture or choosing an object to represent the experience.

An adult can write down the child’s words if they want a record. Keep their wording rather than correcting it into a polished story. A few marks, a drawing or a spoken retelling are all worthwhile ways to revisit an experience.

If the weather keeps you indoors, look through a window or remember a familiar journey. The conversation matters more than arranging a special excursion.

7. Kōwhai and the Giants, written and illustrated by Kate Parker

Try with: Older preschoolers who enjoy studying illustrations and talking about trees or forests.

Kate Parker’s layered artwork invites close looking, while the story explores environmental change, forest loss and renewal. Its themes may need more adult support than the lighter stories in this selection.

For older children, early education resources can make room for serious questions without placing responsibility for large problems on their shoulders. Ask what they notice before explaining what you think the pictures mean. Their attention may settle on a small visual detail rather than the wider environmental theme.

Play invitation: Visit a familiar tree and notice its bark, leaves, shade or visiting birds. Return another day to see what has changed. Children might draw the tree, describe it or simply spend time beside it.

If the story raises worries, acknowledge them and offer concrete reassurance: adults and communities can care for forests and plant trees. Avoid suggesting that a young child must fix environmental damage.

This is a book to borrow and preview if you are unsure about its fit. A child who is not ready for the full story may still enjoy exploring selected illustrations together.

Make shared reading work for your child

You do not need all seven books at once. Choose one or two that connect with a current interest, then reread them while that interest lasts. Check the Auckland Libraries catalogue and borrowing options before buying; titles, editions and accessible formats will vary in availability.

Keep your early education resources usable rather than elaborate. A comfortable place to sit, a familiar book and an adult who follows the child’s attention are enough. Story-linked play is optional, not a task to complete after reading.

Share stories in the language or languages your family uses most comfortably. You can talk about the illustrations in your home language even when the printed text is English. For children who use communication supports, allow time for pointing, signing, eye gaze or an AAC response.

If an idea carries into the rest of the day, our suggestions for extending early learning at home through everyday routines offer other ways to follow a child’s curiosity without setting up formal lessons.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to read every word? No. Follow your child’s attention, talk about a picture or finish early. Sharing a few enjoyable pages is more useful than pushing through a story after interest has faded.

Is rereading the same book worthwhile? Yes. Familiarity lets children anticipate events, join in and notice details they missed before. Keep offering other books, but there is no need to retire a favourite simply because you know it by heart.

How can I choose books for different learning needs? Consider page layout, visual detail, physical handling, sensory preferences and the story’s emotional intensity. Borrowing first can help you discover what works. Ask your librarian about available formats and your child’s kaiako about communication supports.

Should picture books prepare children for school? They can support language, curiosity and enjoyment of stories, but they do not need to become reading drills. Conversation, connection and imaginative responses are worthwhile in their own right.

Share your child’s interests with Aubrey

At Aubrey Early Learning Centre, play-based learning and a nurturing rural setting near Stillwater support children’s exploration. If you are considering enrolment, share the stories and interests your child enjoys when you enquire. They offer a useful starting point for getting to know your family.