HomeActivities and more5 Ways to Access Free Children’s Books
5 Ways to Access Free Children’s Books

Books provide endless adventures for you and your child to embark on together. Explore these resources to find free age-appropriate books for your child.

Parent child reading

Reading aloud to your child can support their cognitive development, improve language skills, cultivate a lifelong love of reading, and provide a great opportunity for you to bond with your little one. The following resources offer free children’s books for babies to preschoolers in many different languages that you can download on your device:

  • First 5 California: Check out our free books and coloring pages available for download.

  • Find a local library: If you have access to reliable transportation, try visiting your local library with your toddler or preschooler. Encourage them to pick out books they’re interested in to give them a choice in what you’ll read together. You can also download your local library’s free app to rent digital books and audiobooks from your device.

  • Monkey Pen: Providing free book downloads for children ages 2–5, Monkey Pen has dozens of fun reads for you to enjoy with your toddler or preschooler.

  • International Children’s Digital Library: Search for books in 76 different languages. You can also look for books in your child’s favorite color. The library offers thousands of picture books for your baby, as well as simple chapter books, comic books, and more.

  • Free Kids Books: Browse through free online books in English, Spanish, Farsi, French, German, and Hindi. The website also offers books for ESL children.

If you’d like more book-spiration, visit our age-appropriate book lists for your baby, your toddler, and your preschooler. Happy reading!

Tip: Try swapping 15 minutes of screen time each day for reading together, and watch your child’s imagination come alive.

First 5 California
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First 5 California
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