![[March] Recommended for 4-year-olds! Picture books that will make you smile and grin](https://media.ragnet.co.jp/img/1200__png__https://www.studiorag.com/files/2024/03/f2a9499ffdd4ca8f9037434eab71c467.webp)
March is a curious time for four-year-olds.
They’re just about to become the oldest in their class and are starting to seem so much more dependable, yet they still burst into uncontrollable giggles over the tiniest things.
Watching their hearts and minds sway back and forth never gets old, does it?
This time, we’re introducing picture books that are perfect for four-year-olds in March.
We’ve gathered titles that will make you smile without thinking, ones that will keep you grinning from ear to ear, and others that let you feel the thrill of adventure.
Which books will the children fall in love with?
Read to them and enjoy their reactions.
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- [For 3-year-olds] Recommended Picture Books to Read in March
- [For 4–5 year olds] A collection of recommended origami ideas for March—featuring seasonal events and natural motifs
- A collection of recommended picture books to read with 4-year-olds that will make the wait for Christmas exciting
- March: Picture Books Recommended for Enjoying with 5-Year-Olds
- [Picture Books] Savor the fun of words: A special feature on recommended onomatopoeia picture books
- [Kindergarten] Let’s Play with Quizzes! A Collection of Recommended Quizzes for Older Kindergarteners
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended Spring Picture Books | Engaging with the World and Friends
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended Picture Books for Spring | Exciting and Thrilling Reads
- [For 2-year-olds] Let's read together! Recommended picture books for March
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
- [For 3-Year-Olds] Recommended for January! A Collection of Exciting and Heartwarming Picture Books
[March] Recommended for 4-year-olds! Picture books that will make you smile and smirk (1–10)
Konto and AkiAkiko Hayashi
Konto Aki is a picture book that portrays the bond and journey of Kon, a fox plush toy, and the protagonist, Aki.
At Grandma’s request, Kon has been with Aki since she was a baby.
As Aki grows older, a seam in Kon’s arm comes undone, so the two set off by train to visit Grandma.
Their trip isn’t all fun—there are mishaps along the way—but a kind station attendant helps them, and they support each other as they make their way to their destination.
Spring is the season for adventure.
Through this story, we hope children will feel the same bond and kindness shared by these two.
I won’t hand over my rubber band.Shinsuke Yoshitake
This is a picture book that portrays a “treasure” and the feelings a child has toward it.
Wanting something that’s just their own, one day the protagonist is given a rubber band by their mother.
From there, they start imagining all kinds of fun things they could do with it: “If I have this rubber band, then…” Watching the protagonist, children will likely let their imaginations blossom too, saying things like, “You could do this!” or “Here’s what I’d do!” March is a time when we tend to go out for walks more often, so it might be nice to make “treasures” the theme and have everyone search for something that’s uniquely their own.
The Cat That Lived a Million TimesYoko Sano
The picture book “The Cat That Lived a Million Times” has been a long seller.
Its protagonist is a cat that comes back to life even after it dies—a cat that has lived a million times.
It experiences many different lives: a king’s cat, a little girl’s cat, a circus cat, and more.
Yet at every parting, it is always the other who cries; the cat loves itself and isn’t afraid of dying.
One day, however, the cat meets a white cat and, for the first time, finds itself on the side of the one who is left behind.
Children will surely sense something in the changes in the cat’s expression and the way it spends its days.
The Adventure in the ClosetText: Furutataruhi / Illustration: Tabata Seiichi
If you’re looking for a picture book with real substance, how about “Oshiire no Bōken” (“The Adventure in the Closet”)? This book portrays two boys who, after squabbling over toys and causing a ruckus, end up being shut in a closet.
Although they were fighting, they begin to encourage each other and make up—and before long, a grand adventure unfolds, one that can only happen inside a closet! Kids may find the dark scary, yet they’re often curious about climbing into a closet, aren’t they? This book stirs that curiosity while reminding readers how reassuring it is to have a friend by your side.
Guess how much I love you.Text: Sam McBratney / Illustrations: Anita Jeram
A picture book portraying two rabbits competing over how much they love each other, Guess How Much I Love You.
They spread their arms wide, stand on tiptoe, do handstands—finding all sorts of ways to express their love.
The two are so adorable that just reading the book makes you happy.
It’s unclear whether they’re parent and child or siblings, but their feelings for each other come through straight and true.
In March, the season of farewells, I hope children, too, can express their feelings this openly.
Sniff, sniffing the flowers.Text: Ruth Krauss / Illustrations: Marc Simont
Hana o Kunkun is a picture book that portrays animals hibernating as they await the arrival of spring, and then rejoicing at the first signs when spring finally comes.
Most of the pages are illustrated in monochrome, but the flowers—symbols of spring’s arrival—are depicted in color.
That contrast beautifully conveys the changing of the seasons.
It’s a perfect book to read in March, when spring is just around the corner.
After finishing the book, why not go out with the children to look for signs of spring together?
Who’s the one who pooped?!Text: Verena Holzwarth / Illustrations: Wolf Erlbruch
Who Did This on My Head?! tells the story of Little Mole, the main character, as he searches for the culprit who pooped on his head.
He goes around asking the animals whether they were the ones, and each of them proves their innocence by showing what their own poop looks like.
Little Mole keeps the poop on his head the whole time he investigates, which is adorably funny—and the fact that he’s so serious about it makes it even more hilarious.
Kids will howl with laughter at the onomatopoeic sounds of pooping.
In the end, some flies reveal who the culprit is!