6 of the Best Usborne Books for Preschoolers in 2024

Usborne Books has a reputation for publishing quality educational books for young readers. Their books are both engaging and help children to learn new concepts. If you are thinking of purchasing an Usborne book for your preschooler, but aren’t sure where to start, you’re in the right place. We’ve rounded up some of the best picks for a variety of interests and needs.

Our top choice is the Big Book of Animals. This book has bright, detailed illustrations of some of the biggest creatures in nature, along with some fun facts. Four fold-out flaps and video and website links add to the interactivity of this book.

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Our Top Picks for the Best Usborne Books for Preschoolers

1. Best Overall — The Usborne Big Book of Big Animals

Our favorite preschool book by Usborne is the Big Book Big of Animals. This book is full of the animal kingdom’s superlatives, from the largest to the fastest to the heaviest. It is a large book with 16 pages of colorful pictures and interesting facts. The book contains four fold-out pages and links to additional resources and videos.

The Big Book of Animals is one of our favorite Usborne books because kids have a natural curiosity about animals and enjoy learning about the many different creatures of the animal world. Since the book folds out, it’s bigger than an ordinary book, making it even more engaging for young readers. We also like that it has links and videos to extend your child’s learning.

2. Best for Beginners — My First Reading Library

If you have a preschooler who wants to learn to read or is just beginning to read, Usborne’s My First Reading Library is the perfect supplement or introduction. The set contains 50 books, all designed to support early readers. The first 22 books introduce your child to all of the sounds in the English language. The set also includes 12 easy-to-read stories that let new readers read independently and 16 slightly more challenging books for advancing readers.

My First Reading Library is ideal for kids who are beginning to associate letters and sounds to teach these concepts through engaging stories. Many of the books are also designed to be read back and forth between child and parent, supporting your child while also building confidence.

3. Best Budget Option — Woodland Magic Painting

Our favorite budget option is the Usborne Woodland Magic Painting book. The Magic Painting series is a set of activity books that allow children to paint with water. The book comes with a paintbrush, and kids will simply dip the brush in water to “paint” on the page. The Woodland book has 16 pictures featuring adorable woodland creatures that reveal bright colors when wet. The book also has a back flap that can prevent the color from running from one page to the next.

This book is an excellent option for younger kids to practice their fine motor skills. Kids will enjoy the act of “painting” and can get a satisfying result since the picture is already there. You will appreciate that it isn’t a messy activity, which is nice for those times when you can’t clean up.

4. Best for Learning Anatomy & Biology — Big Book of the Body

One of our favorite Usborne books for learning about anatomy and biology is the Big Book of the Body. This book is full of colorful images that show details about the various systems of the human body. The book has 16 pages with lots of great facts and four fold-out pages that are sure to capture little ones’ attention.

Most preschoolers have a lot of questions about the body and its many functions. This book can help you to answer some of those questions through illustrations that can help kids visualize things they cannot see. It is a great picture book to introduce your child to concepts of anatomy and biology.

5. Best for History — Peep Inside the Castle

Peep Inside the Castle is one of the best Usborne books to help little ones learn about history. This book teaches kids about daily life inside a castle and the many parts of a castle. Kids can see scenes from all over the castle in one of Usborne’s most treasured lift-the-flap books.

Kids are never too young to begin learning history, and nonfiction books like this one help illustrate a concept that may be a little abstract for kids who haven’t had a chance to visit a castle. This book should inspire kids to delve deeper into history.

6. Best for Science — My Very First Science Book

My Very First Science Book is one of our favorite Usborne books to introduce preschoolers to science. The book contains 30 pages of information and illustrations about a range of science topics from astronomy to physics to chemistry. It also comes with links to extended information and science projects to go along with details from the book.

The best science books help children see the world with wonder and develop their natural curiosity about how things work. My First Science Book is the best Usborne book to introduce kids to the world of science. We also like that the book includes links to hands-on experiments to help make the concepts more concrete.

What to Consider When Buying an Usborne Book for Preschoolers

Interest Level

By the time kids have reached preschool age, much of their personality has already been formed. They already have a set of likes and dislikes. While you obviously want to raise a well-rounded kid with various interests, it is also important to consider what your child likes when choosing books.

Usborne offers a diverse selection of books on many topics, including fiction, non-fiction, science, history, and more. The company has a book to please just about any kid.

Educational Content

When building out your child’s home library, you will have many books for entertainment and to promote reading for the sake of reading. You also want to have books that promote learning through a range of academic topics.

Make sure to choose books that develop early reading skills like rhyming and alphabet recognition and books that build math skills like counting. You also want to include books to encourage exploration in science, history, and the arts.

Length of Use

Some books will get more mileage than others. While it’s important to have age-appropriate books, there are also many books that your child will come back to year after year. These favorites give you the best value for your money.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Usborne Books different?

Usborne Books are written on an array of topics that encourage curiosity in kids. The books promote conversation between the parent and child and invite families to learn together.

How do you use Usborne Books as educational content?

Usborne Books are educational in and of themselves and offer a great starting point for a deeper dive into a topic. For example, after reading the book on castles, your child may build a castle, watch a video on castles, and engage in imaginative play.

What ages are suitable for Usborne Books?

Usborne publishes books for kids of all ages. They have picture books for their youngest readers, and chapter books, and nonfiction books series for older readers.

Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API