A picture book with a sports day theme. Let’s read it together before the sports day!
The very first sports day after starting nursery school or kindergarten.
Many children may be wondering, “What do you do at a sports day?”
So this time, we’re introducing recommended picture books that we’d love children to read before sports day.
We’ve gathered many sports day–themed picture books—from ones that make it easy for kids to imagine what the event is like, to stories featuring unique events, to tales with hardworking protagonists you can’t help but root for.
Find a book that suits your child and read it together.
It’s sure to boost their excitement and motivation for sports day!
We hope you’ll enjoy sports day from a variety of perspectives.
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A picture book with the theme of Sports Day. Let’s read it together before the event! (1–10)
Ready, go!
Yo-i, Don! features a striking, colorful, and dynamic cover illustration that practically shouts, “Sports Day is super fun and exciting!” The bustling town-wide sports festival is depicted with children and adults alike—plus even a sumo wrestler and a thief—joining in.
What really sets this picture book apart is how incredibly detailed the illustrations are.
There’s so much to enjoy in every corner that people often say, “You can’t take it all in just during a bedtime read-aloud!” If your child feels nervous about their first Sports Day, this book is sure to make them look forward to it.
Ready, set, go!
We’d like to introduce the picture book “Ready, Set, Go!”—perfect for reading aloud to children who are tingling with nervous excitement as they get ready for their very first sports day.
Centered on the star event of any sports day—the footrace—this charming book pairs simple, playful language with adorable illustrations.
The characters’ earnest expressions and the sly, giggle-inducing word choices create a delightful mismatch that leaves readers feeling warm and relaxed.
Read this book to stoke their anticipation even more, and help them enjoy sports day to the fullest when the big day arrives.
Jackie’s Sports Day
This is one book from The Bears’ School series, starring Jackie the Bear, who is hugely popular with children.
As Jackie practices hard for the sports day and tries to beat the older, bigger boys, you can’t help but want to cheer, “Go, Jackie!” Even children who feel anxious about competing will surely think, “I’ll do my best too!” after seeing Jackie’s adorable determination.
It’s a story that conveys the fun of sports day and the importance of giving your all.
A picture book with the theme of Sports Day. Let’s all read it together before the event! (11–20)
Undokai Seven
This is one of the books in the “Seven” series, which portrays heroes that children would be delighted to have around.
For kids who aren’t confident in dancing or running and feel gloomy about sports day, a hero appears before them: “Undōkai Seven,” the hero who makes sports day as exciting as possible! “It’s okay to fall or make mistakes—what matters is giving it your all.” This moving story shows a hero who teaches just that.
With a hero by their side, children’s anxieties about sports day might just blow away in an instant.
footrace
On the day of the sports festival, “The Footrace” portrays a child, full of determination, eager to show the results of all their hard practice.
It’s one volume in the “Exercise Picture Book” series, which focuses on physical activities children do.
Beyond telling a story, this book clearly explains tips and training methods for kids who want to run faster—one of its standout features.
Please read it aloud to any child who thinks, “I don’t want to join the sports festival because I’m slow.” It will surely help them approach the event with confidence.
The Forest Sports Day
This lively and fun work depicts a sports day in an animal village, packed with enjoyable events like tamaire (ball-toss), a bread-eating race, and giant ball rolling.
While the events shown are classic sports day activities, not all of them are held at every school.
As you read aloud, questions like “What are the rules for this one?” can spark interest in activities that children haven’t experienced before.
It might also be a good idea to read the picture book together at home as preparation before their first sports day.
Oni Salaryman: Hell-and-Heaven Sports Day
One book from the picture book series “Oni no Salaryman,” whose protagonist is a demon dad working a hellish office job.
It’s a humor-filled story depicting a showdown between Team Buddha and Team Hell.
The dad’s snappy Kansai dialect entertains not only the children listening to the story, but also the teachers and parents doing the read-aloud.
Sweet tales starring animals or children are great, but a picture book with such a strong, distinctive character can be a nice bit of spice, don’t you think? You might be surprised—adults doing the read-aloud could end up getting hooked themselves.