Our list of suggested books for children aged 4 to 7 offers:
- Windows into the lives of all children
- Mirrors for children’s own lives.
All children see themselves in stories. All children are seen.
We add a new ‘favourite five’ every half term.
Many schools also read these wonderful picture books to children in Key Stage 2.
How many of these books do you have in your school?
Find a printable list of the Windows and Mirrors booklist here.
Read our Diversity and Inclusion statement here.

- Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang 8 February 2023The class are making dragons. Sadly, none of the ones Amy makes feel right. At home, Amy and her family find a dragon costume in the attic. Teamwork, glue and lots of glitter and… ta da! She has a dragon to proudly show her classmates.
- Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang 8 February 2023Amy loves to eat bao – yummy Chinese dumplings – but she’s not great at making them. Her mum, dad and grandma all try to teach her. Learning to make a bao is not easy! Cooking as a family, sharing food and… patience feature in this story.
- And Tango makes Three 8 February 2023Roy and Silo are a penguin couple who are both boys. They swim together, walk together and sing together. One day they begin to take care of an egg in their nest and soon have a baby penguin as part of their family. What do you need to make a family? Love.
- Astro Girl by Ken Wilson- Max 23 February 2023Astrid loves the stars and space. While her mama is away, she finds out all sorts of facts with her papa about being an astronaut. When she gets to pick her mama up, there is a surprise. What will it be and why has mama been away?
- Billy and the Dragon by Nadia Shireen 8 February 2023Billy and her animal friends are enjoying a party when a dragon swoops down and grabs Fatcat. How will Billy save him? Fortunately, Billy has a great brain and a plan! And maybe the dragon isn’t such a baddy after all! A story with a twist.
- Chappati Moon 8 February 2023Mrs Kapoor has just cooked a feast when her freshly baked chappati rolls out the door. There’s a lively chase by people and animals as it bumps, jumps and spins. Where will it end up and will anyone get to eat it? A lovely retelling of the runaway pancake tale.
- Clean up! 8 February 2023Rocket visits her grandparents and decides to find a way to clean up the plastic spoiling the beauty of the beach. ‘It feels as though there is more plastic than sand!’ When Rocket decides to do something she does so… with va-va-voom!
- Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett 29 March 2023A girl finds a box filled with ‘yarn of every colour’. She knits a jumper for her dog, her friends, for buildings and trees. The yarn never runs out. A mean person steals the box. Will the magic work for him too? A modern fairy tale about kindness… and baddies! New to list April ’23 ...
- Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho 8 February 2023A young girl notices her eyes look different from her friends. Her eyes ‘kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea’ like her mama’s, her amah’s and her baby sister’s. They connect her to her family, to her history. A book to help children recognise their own beauty.
- Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke 8 February 2023Jay Jay is at his gran’s house and asks again and again ‘Is dinner ready, Gran?’ Her house is full of warmth, love, affection and… food! ‘Buttery peas, chicken and yams, macaroni and cheese, potatoes and ham’. A perfect book for children in Nursery and Reception.
- I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott 8 February 2023When the boy in this story starts to speak, the words get stuck. On bad speech days, he stays ‘quiet as a stone’. His dad helps him see how his voice bubbles and churns like a beautiful river. A book to help children understand stammering.
- If I Were The World by Mark Sperring 23 February 2023Three children explore what the planet is facing: harmful gases, extinction and floods. They also help us see the action we can take as a community. An uplifting, energetic book, stunningly illustrated about looking after our amazing planet.


Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang
The class are making dragons. Sadly, none of the ones Amy makes feel right. At home, Amy and her family find a dragon costume in the attic. Teamwork, glue and lots of glitter and… ta da! She has a dragon to proudly show her classmates.


Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang
Amy loves to eat bao – yummy Chinese dumplings – but she’s not great at making them. Her mum, dad and grandma all try to teach her. Learning to make a bao is not easy! Cooking as a family, sharing food and… patience feature in this story.


And Tango makes Three
Roy and Silo are a penguin couple who are both boys. They swim together, walk together and sing together. One day they begin to take care of an egg in their nest and soon have a baby penguin as part of their family. What do you need to make a family? Love.


Astro Girl by Ken Wilson- Max
Astrid loves the stars and space. While her mama is away, she finds out all sorts of facts with her papa about being an astronaut. When she gets to pick her mama up, there is a surprise. What will it be and why has mama been away?


Billy and the Dragon by Nadia Shireen
Billy and her animal friends are enjoying a party when a dragon swoops down and grabs Fatcat. How will Billy save him? Fortunately, Billy has a great brain and a plan! And maybe the dragon isn’t such a baddy after all! A story with a twist.


Chappati Moon
Mrs Kapoor has just cooked a feast when her freshly baked chappati rolls out the door. There’s a lively chase by people and animals as it bumps, jumps and spins. Where will it end up and will anyone get to eat it? A lovely retelling of the runaway pancake tale.


Clean up!
Rocket visits her grandparents and decides to find a way to clean up the plastic spoiling the beauty of the beach. ‘It feels as though there is more plastic than sand!’ When Rocket decides to do something she does so… with va-va-voom!


Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
A girl finds a box filled with ‘yarn of every colour’. She knits a jumper for her dog, her friends, for buildings and trees. The yarn never runs out. A mean person steals the box. Will the magic work for him too? A modern fairy tale about kindness… and baddies!
New to list April ’23


Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
A young girl notices her eyes look different from her friends. Her eyes ‘kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea’ like her mama’s, her amah’s and her baby sister’s. They connect her to her family, to her history. A book to help children recognise their own beauty.