[Selected by a Teacher Dad] 10 Recommended Picture Books to Foster a Love of Reading, Nurture the Five Senses, and Encourage Curiosity

Introduction

As a teacher by profession, and as a dad raising a 3-year-old and a 0-year-old boy at home, I am surrounded by many picture books every day.

I'm sure many parents feel like, 'I don't know which picture books to choose,' or 'I want my child to naturally grow to love books.'

This time, from among the picture books that my 3-year-old eldest son and 0-year-old second son have become obsessed with, I have carefully selected and will introduce 10 recommended picture books that foster children's imagination, intellectual curiosity, and family bonds!

1. Kodomo no Tomo Series
Highly Recommended! 'When Dad Sleeps' by Yoshitaka Okada

• Teacher Dad's Recommended POINT: A book with a rhythmic story and surreal developments that draws out a child's 'Read it again!' By asking, 'What do you think happens next?' on the last page, it becomes the perfect trigger to expand their imagination.

• Real-life experience in our home: This is a favorite picture book that my 3-year-old eldest son has asked me to 'Read!' many times. After we finish reading, we have fun as parent and child predicting what kind of creature will come next.
  

2. Kagaku no Tomo Series

Highly Recommended! 'Lizard' by Sen Takenaka

• Teacher Dad's Recommended POINT: An educational picture book that realistically depicts the 'unknown ecology' of familiar creatures. It heightens interest in the creatures seen in gardens and parks, and naturally draws out a child's inquisitive spirit of 'I want to know!'

• Real-life experience in our home: This was perfect for my eldest son, who became eager to 'know more!' about a lizard he found in the garden. It teaches the joy of turning one's eyes toward the nature close by.

3. 'Escalators and Elevators' by Yasuyasu Kowase

• Teacher Dad's Recommended POINT: Clearly illustrates the 'unseen mechanisms and structures' of vehicles we use in daily life. It is a first step toward becoming interested in how society works, and a book where one can feel the 'fun of knowing about things you can't see.'

• Real-life experience in our home: Since reading this, he has been very interested in the mechanisms of elevators and escalators we see in town! He happily explained to his grandparents, 'This is how it moves' (laughs). It was a wonderful trigger for him to become interested in the structure of things.

4. 'Hug' by Maki Sasaki

• Teacher Dad's Recommended POINT: The gentle sound of the hiragana 'hagu' (hug) and the warm world view where the characters they meet embrace tightly. Because you can read it while engaging in skinship, it is also effective for parent-child attachment formation.

• Real-life experience in our home: While turning the pages, I read it with my child while actually 'hugging!' It makes both the child and the parent feel very happy, and because it is short, it is like a lucky charm of a picture book that you want to read over and over again.

5. 'Onbu-bu-bu (Tokotoko Ehon)'Akemi Yano (Author)

• Teacher Dad's Recommended POINT: The agency of the child 'choosing for themselves' becomes the best reading experience. It is packed with ingenuity that allows you to read aloud with sound effects.

• A real-life experience from our home: A memorable book that my eldest son, who loves cars, chose for himself at the bookstore. We have fun saying the onomatopoeia out loud together, and he happily turns the pages every day!

6. "Daruma-san ga" by Hiroshi Kagakui

• Teacher Dad's Recommended Point: The definitive first book that captivates everyone from babies to toddlers. It is a masterpiece that stimulates the five senses and emotions by linking sounds like "dote" (thump) and "biro-n" (stretch) with body movements.

• A real-life experience from our home: Both my 0-year-old second son and 3-year-old eldest son laugh out loud while swaying their bodies together! It is a classic picture book that creates smiles and one we read over and over again in our home.

7. "Mata Mata Haai!" by Tatsuya Miyanishi

• Teacher Dad's Recommended Point: A book that helps children learn the habit of responding happily through the experience of speaking along with the picture book. It is perfect for "interactive play" before entering nursery school or kindergarten.

• A real-life experience from our home: My child joins in and enjoys saying "Haai!" (Yes!) energetically along with the book. I truly recommend it as a first step in preparing for school!

8. "Manekko Oka-o (Yukku to Sukku Baby)"

• Teacher Dad's Recommended Point: A picture book that draws smiles from babies with its visual appeal and easy-to-understand movements. It has an interactive structure that the whole family can play along with by imitating the faces.

• A real-life experience from our home: My 0-year-old second son also laughs out loud with a big smile! The time we spend as a family imitating the same movements is our favorite relaxing time at home.

9. "Boo-chan to Oniichan" by Yuka Shimada (Author)

• Teacher Dad's Recommended Point: A work that gently depicts the mental preparation for becoming an older brother or sister and the warm bond between siblings. It is a book I highly recommend reading when the second child is born.

• A real-life experience from our home: I started reading this with my eldest son before my second son was born. I feel like this book helped a sense of brotherly love sprout little by little. I hope they grow up together happily, even if they do fight sometimes!

10. "Norimono Sagashie: Shibao to Sagasou! Daisuki Norimono

Kuniko Kawada (Author)"

• Teacher Dad's Recommended Point: A search-and-find picture book that will definitely hit the mark for children who love vehicles! While developing concentration and observation skills, they can learn words and the names of objects as if they were playing.

• A real-life experience from our home: My eldest son, who loves vehicles, got hooked on this, and he tried it so many times that he memorized the layout (lol). It's a long-running hit that he still pulls out to read over and over!

Conclusion: Cultivating a child's desire to read through bookshelf organization

Just as important as collecting picture books is creating an environment where children can easily pick them up.

In our home, we arrange books on a rack at the child's eye level so the covers are visible, and we keep them in reachable places in the living room so that our child can reach for them on their own.

Rather than forcing them to read, I want to continue to cherish and nurture those moments when my child feels 'That looks interesting!' and spontaneously opens a picture book.