The Perfect Birthday Books for Ages 1–6
by Tom Burns
Do you know what’s harder than it looks? Shopping for birthday presents for really young children. Yes, you can do what everyone else is doing and grab them whatever noise-making plastic monstrosity is currently on display at Target, but if you’re actually interested in finding them something that they won’t be sick of in a week, it takes some serious thought. And, even though some kids will disagree with me on this, I think that books always make a great present. They’re personal, they’re entertaining, and they endure – if you find the right one for the kid in question.
So, how do you find the mythical “perfect” book for a child or, more specifically, the perfect book for that five-year-old’s birthday party that you’re invited to next month? Fortunately, some books have that information right in their titles! Here are some age-by-age suggestions — for ages 1 to 6 — for fantastic books that include a child’s age in their titles. That five-year-old will appreciate having a book all about FIVES to read on their fifth birthday, and the kid’s parents will appreciate that you didn’t buy a Furby. It’s a win-win.
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Age One
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One
This lovely, deceptively simple picture book tells a truly affecting story about bullying and standing up for yourself, using only colors and a number, One, as its main characters. It subtly talks about emotions in a way that young children will identify with. Plus, One is the hero — and what one-year-old wouldn’t love that? Perfect for fans of Herve Tullet’s Press Here or Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot.
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Age Two
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No Two Alike
Two-year-olds will love this rhyming board book, which points out things that come in pairs and can be found on a snowy day. Two almost-identical red birds head out during a winter snowfall and, through Baker’s spare verse, we slowly begin to notice all of the unique characteristics that give everything in nature its fierce individuality. As the title suggests, this book ultimately celebrates that no two things are ever totally, exactly alike. A particularly great choice if you’re shopping for twins.
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Age Three
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The Three Pigs
A genius take on the classic fable that is less about the Big Bad Wolf and more about how much fun storytelling can be if you let your imagination go wild. Wiesner, the three-time Caldecott Medal-winner behind Flotsam and Tuesday, follows the famous Three Pigs as they escape into the margins of their own story and begin to explore what else the literary world has to offer them — much to the confusion of the Wolf. A tremendously fun (and meta!) read-aloud for any age.
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Age Four
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Four in All
Who knew that the number four could inspire such beauty and art? Nina Payne creates a haunting, sparse adventure about a young girl setting out into the world, using only poetic four-word lines (like "one two three four / roof window chimney door”) to narrate the girl’s travels. Payne’s son Adam brings the haiku-esque stanzas to life with his remarkable paper collages. A singularly original book.
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Age Five
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It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel
Why not start off your child’s fifth year with a little commiseration? Because, yeah, it’s not easy being five. Curtis and Cornell have collaborated together on many picture books, but this is one of their best – a humorous, insightful ode to a five-year-old struggling to deal with all of the life changes, emotions, and new impulses that come hand-in-hand with growing older. A great book to read with your kid that will make you both smile and nod with recognition.
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Age Six
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Now We Are Six
Available from:Even though this collection was first published in 1927, it still speaks to children today. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, was an expert at addressing children at their level. Rather than talking down to them or simplifying characters, he UNDERSTANDS children beautifully. That insight is clear throughout the 35 poems in Now We Are Six. Try reading the title poem with your six-year-old and see if they can keep from smiling when Milne declares “But now I am six, / I'm as clever as clever. / So I think I'll be six / now and forever.” This perceptive gem should be a rite of passage for every young reader.
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Did we miss your favorite “age in the title” birthday book? Did we overlook the PERFECT title for a five-year-old’s birthday party? Or do you have suggestions for birthday books for kids who are seven, eight, nine, and older? If so, let us know in the comments below!