Short Stories for Ages 5 to 7

Picture Books

• Half the content in picture books are illustrations, and most of them are less than 32 pages. ̶0;A Squash and a Squeeze̶1; by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schefler is one example. The 1993 book is about a dotty woman who thinks her house is too small and turns to a wise man for advice. The website Childrensroom.com also recommends "Angelina Ballerina" by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig and "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon" by Susan Stevens Crummel and Janet Stevens. "Angelina" from 2000 is described as a heartwarming tale for any child with big plans for the future. "Spoon" from 2001 is a modern retake on a classic fairy tale.

Fairy Tales

• Sylvia Long̵7;s ̶0;Thumbelina̶1; from 2010 stays fairly true to the original by Hans Christian Andersen. The watercolor illustrations show the various animals Thumbelina meets and reveal Thumbelina's loyalty to those that help her. Some other fairy tales for this age group include James Marshall's "The Three Little Pigs" from 1989 and Grimm's "Rumpelstiltskin," retold by Paul O. Zelinsky. Zelinsky, who also wrote "The Wheels on the Bus," has won Caldecott Medal for his work.

Friendship Stories

• Children learning the value of friends might find ̶0;The Snowman̶1; by Raymond Briggs appealing. The 2009 book depicts a magical friendship between a boy and his frozen friend. At the end, the snowman melts, leaving the boy alone. Some other friendship stories are "Ivy and Bean" by Anne Barrows and Sophie Blackall, which is about making new friends, and "Nikki and Deja" by Karen English and Laura Freeman, a story about best friends in school. Both books are from 2007.

Stories in Poetry

• ̶0;The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh̶1; by A.A. Milne combines stories and poetry in one book that promotes kindness and friendship. Other stories in poetry include the "Bats" series by Brian Lies. Lies' titles include "Bats at the Library," "Bats at the Ballgame" and "Bats at the Beach." A "Publisher's Weekly review" of "Ballgame" said "Each gleaming page is thick with detail, from the bats' first arrival (̶0;We wing from dark to dazzling bright/ startled by the stunning sight̶1;) to the final play." There's also a 2000 version of the classic "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore with illustrations by Anita Lobel.