What Are the Best Read-Aloud Books to Inspire Young Tamariki?

Thursday, 2 October 2025, 9:25 pm
Press Release: Kindercare

Encouraging a love of reading starts with sharing stories that spark curiosity, emotion, and imagination. From interactive breathing exercises to rhythmic rhymes and nature adventures, the books on this list support executive function, cultural awareness, and creativity, turning reading time into meaningful moments of learning and connection.

Read-Aloud Books That Build Skills and Connection: A Basket Full of Great Reads

Here are some great reads to read-aloud and read a lot to foster a love of reading in young tamariki.

Let’s Go Flo, by Rebekah Ballagh.

An ordinary day for Flo is an enjoyable, relatable tale for our young tamariki, but this special book goes deeper than that. While Flo faces normal day-to-day challenges, she is practicing her executive functioning skills — paying attention, remembering instructions, and regulating emotions. Best yet, it is an interactive story, inviting the reader to participate in calming and coping strategies such as 5 finger puku breathing, and it gives the message that mistakes are simply part of learning, and not something to fear.

There are also excellent resources in the back for parents, caregivers and Kaiako about executive functions and how to help children with focus, memory, and other key skills.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, by Dame Lynley Dodd.

An ‘oldie’ but an absolute ‘goodie’, this iconic and bestselling book has stood the test of time for several reasons: characterful characters, rollicking rhyme, and a read-along-rhythm that makes it enjoyable for tamariki and adults alike.

Out of the gate, and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary…and friends. A great participation book for even very young tamariki who can fill in the words, “Bottomley Potts, covered in….(spots)”, and do more and more as they grow. It doesn’t get old; in fact, it just gets better, and children become more familiar with the characters and the rhythm of the text.

There is a whole series to explore, including board book versions too, but this original is the perfect place to meet Hairy MacLary, his loveable friends, and the slightly scary, Scarface Claw.

Demolition, by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock

Young children are drawn to vehicles, and this book gives a realistic impression of a demolition project, and the exciting rebuild that comes after.

With a simple language structure that captures even young children, there is also the magic of onomatopoeia, which are words named for their sound: clank, whirr, whump and thwock! Well-rhymed (which we know isn’t the case for all rhyming stories) text and illustrations will invite you to keep looking.

It is also fabulous to see both female and male workers depicted, and the vehicles are vehicle-like, rather than being turned into characters as is often the case in children’s books.

Sunflowers don’t grow in Winter, by Emily Holdaway, illustrated by Craig Phillips.

A clever, nature-filled story about a real child from Aotearoa New Zealand and his experience with growing sunflowers out of season. Ziggy loves sunflowers and decides to plant them in Autumn; but everyone knows sunflowers don’t grow in winter…or do they? A beautiful book, both for its text and illustrations, the story fosters a connection with Papatūānuku (Mother Nature), and celebrates hope and determination.

Information is included for tamariki about growing their own sunflowers, and an extra detail to make the book interactive and even more enjoyable as they spot the ‘three Bs’ on each page (a bee, a butterfly and a bird).

Nanny Mihi and the Rainbow, by Melanie Drewery, illustrated by Tracey Duncan

During the school holidays, Nanny Mihi sets her mokopuna (grandchildren) a daily task; heading off each day to collect beach objects of a different colour. “Why”, they ask but she encourages patience, “Wait and you will see”. They scour the beach, collecting mostly natural objects, but also some objects left behind by beach-goers.

Nanny Mihi fosters patience, creativity, and a connection to nature within her mokopuna, and in the reader. Her key message is that sometimes the best things are those we cannot hold on to.

Te Reo Māori is used naturally throughout, and translations are provided.

Handa’s Surprise, by Eileen Browne

A beautiful book about a young girl, Handa, who decides to surprise her friend in a neighbouring Kenyan village with a basket of delicious fruits. While Handa wonders which Akeyo will like best, there’s a fun plot twist — down to some hungry, stealthy animals — and the surprise ends up being for both girls.

With simple but catchy language, it’s a fun story for young tamariki to follow along with (told in both text, and in one part, in only pictures). It also features gorgeous artwork and a nice, positive introduction to a setting and culture that might be different than the reader’s own. It’s lovely too, that the animals are animal-like, rather than cartoon-ised or people-like, and it’s a story that can be read and enjoyed again and again.

Reading with our tamariki is about more than books; it’s about connection, imagination, and growth. Whether it’s calming breaths with Flo, spotting beach treasures with Nanny Mihi, or exploring the sounds of a demolition site, each book offers a doorway to learning and shared joy. Fill your reading basket with stories that inspire, comfort, and celebrate the curious, capable child within.

Find out more about Reading with Your child.

This article was first published at: https://www.kindercare.co.nz/blog/what-are-the-best-read-aloud-books-to-inspire-young-tamariki/

© Scoop Media