New Years Book Picks for Preschoolers

New Years Book Picks for Preschoolers

New Years is a great time to explore new traditions and great books with preschoolers. 
My book picks for New Years include fun books that can be paired with extension activities, support early learning, and give children a peek into other cultures. 

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List of New Year's Book Picks for Your Preschooler:

The Night Before New Years
By: Natasha Wing
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This book walks through common New Year’s Eve traditions in a predictable, familiar format. Preschoolers benefit from the rhythm of the text and the clear sequence of events, which makes it easy to connect to routines and simple time concepts. Give your students a fun activity and use our Night Before New Year's Book Companions.

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D is for Dragon Dance
By: Ying Chang Compestine
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This alphabet book introduces Lunar New Year traditions through simple language and bright illustrations. It’s great for preschoolers because it builds vocabulary while naturally supporting letter recognition and cultural learning.

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Freedom Soup
​By: Tami Charles
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A family prepares a traditional soup to celebrate Vietnamese New Year and freedom. This book works well for preschoolers because it connects food, family, and tradition in a concrete, easy-to-understand way.​

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Happy New Year, Spot!
By: Eric Hill
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Spot experiences New Year’s Eve through familiar routines like staying up late and watching fireworks. The predictable structure and simple language make it easy for young children to follow while introducing the idea of a special celebration.​

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Happy New Year, Spots and Stripes
By: Laurie Friedman
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​Spots and Stripes the cats experience the excitement of New Year’s Eve and the start of a new year. Preschoolers can relate to the familiar routines and emotions, making it an easy, engaging read for the classroom.

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How to Catch a Dragon
By: Adam Wallace
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A playful story centered around catching a dragon during Lunar New Year. Preschoolers enjoy the imaginative elements, and it’s great for encouraging prediction, problem-solving, and imaginative play.

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Shante Keys and The New Years Peas
​By: Gail Piernas-Davenport​
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This story follows a child learning about a family New Year’s tradition tied to food and culture. It’s great for preschoolers because it introduces cultural traditions in a simple, relatable way and opens the door for cooking or counting activities.

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Squirrel's New Year's Resolution
By: Pat Miller
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Squirrel learns that keeping a resolution doesn’t have to be complicated. This book works for preschoolers because it introduces goal-setting in a simple, developmentally appropriate way.​ Pair this fun story with our Squirrel's New Years Resolution book companion. 

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The Stars Will Still Shine
​By: Cynthia Rylant​
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A gentle reminder that some things stay the same even when life changes. It’s well suited for preschoolers because it offers reassurance and supports conversations about change in a calm, grounded way

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The Turning of the Year
By: Bill Martin Jr.
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This book highlights seasonal changes as the year comes full circle. Preschoolers benefit from the rhythmic text and the connection to nature and time passing.​

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Tomorrow is a New Year's Day
​By: Bill Martin Jr.
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A family prepares to celebrate the New Year with food and tradition. This story works well for preschoolers because it focuses on anticipation, family routines, and cultural traditions in a warm, relatable way.​

The Lucky Grapes
by: Tracey Kyle
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A story about a child participating in the New Year’s Eve tradition of eating twelve grapes for good luck. Preschoolers can practice counting while learning about a real-world New Year’s custom.

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​These books mix learning and fun in a way that works well for the last day of the year with preschoolers. They’re easy to build a quick activity around, simple to slot into your routine, and give your class a calm, enjoyable way to close out the day.