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Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Recommendations for 3 year old girl

37 replies

Basecamp101 · 19/03/2018 19:43

My grand daughter is 3 next week and asked today for a story about a girl.

Looking through our massive collection of picture books we only have a few where an ordinary little girl is the main character....ie not a princess or fairy. We have a few with female animals but not many with girls.

So looking for suggestions - we have ordered some Katie Morag but despite spending ages searching we're not finding many. Most were of the 'worthy' variety advocating girls can be astronauts or can showing it does not matter what you look like etc nothing wrong with that but we also want more like gruffalo's child where the main character just happens to be a girl but a real girl.

What have your 3 year olds enjoyed?

OP posts:
Enidblyton1 · 19/03/2018 19:50

Sally's Secret by Shirley Hughes is a lovely book - both my DDs enjoyed that when they were 3 (and still do now!)
Another good female character is Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell - 'That Rabbit belongs to Emily Brown'
The Katie books by James Mayhew are also excellent if you want to learn a little bit about art.

halesie · 19/03/2018 19:56

Hi, it's surprisingly hard to find them, isn't it? Would suggest you take a look at Letterbox Library as they focus on inclusive books and hopefully will have lots for you to choose from - letterboxlibrary.com

We have a good girl superhero one bug I can't remember what it's called and I'm not home to check. Our other favourites with girls / women as main characters are Julia Donaldson - Room on the Broom and Zog (ok she's a princess but there's more to it than that Smile).

halesie · 19/03/2018 19:57

Ooh also The Tiger Who Came to Tea, though of course it's pretty old fashioned when it comes to gender stereotypes...

ClarsachOnABike · 19/03/2018 20:04

A few I've enjoyed with my toddler daughter (we're also Katie Morag fans):
Zephyr takes flight by Steve Light
There's a tiger in the garden by Lizzy stewart
Handa's surprise and Handa's Hen by Eileen Browne
Beautiful bananas by Elizabeth Laird

I will watch with interest

onemouseplace · 19/03/2018 20:04

How to Hide a Lion By Helen Stephens is nice.

Also, we like Julia Donaldson's The Magic Paintbrush - the main character in that is female.

Edie by Sophie Henn is also lovely.

isthistoonosy · 19/03/2018 20:13

Pippin long stocking is our 3 yr old girls favorite book character.

WhereIsBlueRabbit · 19/03/2018 20:14

The Lucy and Tom books (Shirley Hughes).

jellyelly · 19/03/2018 20:17

Blue kangaroo by Emma Chichester/Clark - there are several of them!

PoohBearsHole · 19/03/2018 20:18

My naughty little sister (nostalgic)

ForgivenessIsDivine · 19/03/2018 20:22

That Rabbit belongs to Emily Brown was DD's favourite!

Have a look on here
www.amightygirl.com/books

Rumpledfaceskin · 19/03/2018 20:27

I was going to say Katie Morag. We’ve also got a Jill Murphy one called ‘on my way home’ where the main character is Claire which my 3yo dd enjoys. We’ve got hundreds of books and I’m actually struggling to think of any others!

yawningyoni · 19/03/2018 20:32

Emily brown! She takes no prisoners! My favourite is "Emily brown and the thing"

SleepymrsE · 19/03/2018 20:37

Pearl Power by Mel Elliott.

Silvertap · 19/03/2018 20:40

I'm not sure who they're by but "Katie and the starry night"
And "Katie goes to Scotland" have been enjoyed by my 3 year old

WinkyisbackontheButterBeer · 19/03/2018 20:46

The night pirates? The main character is a boy but the main body of the story is about a band of ‘rough, tough little girl pirates’.

Paper dolls by Julia Donaldson.

Lucy’s star

BrettAndersonscheekbones · 19/03/2018 20:51

Vegetable Glue by Susan Chandler. About a girl who refuses to eat vegetables and her bum falls off. Mine found it hilarious.

Feezles · 19/03/2018 20:53

Izzy Gizmo is fantastic - she's a girl inventor. It's by Pip Jones.

I'll see if I can think of any others.

windchimesabotage · 19/03/2018 20:53

Tiger who came to tea... my 3yo son loves that but the main character is a girl and just an ordinary girl

It is hard to find book with just ordinary girl protagonists!
I have a son so I dont specifically look for them but it would be good to have some so he doesnt think boy are always the protagonists and girls the supporting cast, so Ill be following this thread with interest.

Most of my sons books have a boy as the main character and then they will have a sister or a mum or whatever.
Or if the main character is a woman she will be a fairy or a witch etc
(he loves Meg and Mog)

Does make you think about what children are brought up thinking about what it means to be a girl or a boy.

3boysandabump · 19/03/2018 20:56

Zog by Julia Donaldson is about a girl and a dragon
Red riding hood
Goldilocks

BevBrook · 19/03/2018 20:58

Enidblyton1 I adore Sally’s Secret! I used to get it out of the library again and again when I was little and bought a copy as soon as I had a child of my own!

I agree with Blue Kangaroo, beautiful illustrations as well. Eliza and the Moon Child, by the same author.

Rhymes for Annie Rose, also by Shirley Hughes.

Basecamp101 · 19/03/2018 21:07

Thanks for all your suggestions, i will look at them and probably buy quite a few - this could get expensive!!!

Have to say the almost 3 year old came to me a few minutes after I had posted saying she had found one........Goldilocks and the three bears..... it made me laugh....she was absolutely right! Red Riding Hood as well now I think about it. Feel a bit silly not having thought of them Grin

OP posts:
isthistoonosy · 19/03/2018 21:46

but aren't they saved by men

parietal · 19/03/2018 21:57

Rosie Revere Engineer
Ada Twist Scientist

maybe for slightly older children but the poems are good for little ones.

Regressionconfession · 19/03/2018 22:10

Another one saying the Blue Kangeroo Books by Emma Chichester Clark.

Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child. She's also done a lovely version of Goldielocks.

Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson

Once there Were Giants by Martin Waddell.

Katie Morag also has two Grandma characters that feature so would be nice to share with your GD.

Anna Hubiscus books

Regressionconfession · 19/03/2018 22:19

There was another thread recently with lots of good recommendations. Search 'can you recommend a good fiction book for girls'. I can't link on my phone, sorry!