Is there any Choice Based Fiction for 3-4 years old?

General Education
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My son is struggling with several difficulties and my cousin, who is a teacher, recommended drawing a very simple story with choices to help him understand consequences and foster his sense of agency. That was several months ago. He didn´t understood the story and he wasn´t able to choose anything, but yesterday, at last, we was very invested and he didn´t want to stop asking me to reread the story again and again. Now he is into this format I would like to ask if anybody knows of Choice Based books or comics for very small kids (3-4 years old).

I´d like to write something else for him, but I would buy some books if there is anything worthy.

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I tried finding one that I had in mind on IFDB but I couldn’t remember what it was called. I think it’s difficult because not much is made for that young…

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Yes, it is difficult because it is very early, but it seems we did hit something with this simple IF tale, so I will keep trying.

Thank you for the effort.

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Worth looking through the tag ‘recommended for children’, in case it’s one of those?

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Honestly I think you’re better off finding a physical book. There are a ton in the “CYOA” style now fashioned for young children. My son had this one: https://bookshop.org/p/books/what-should-danny-do-adir-levy/3eeeb36f48648634

(They all have non-infringing names, like “The Power to Choose”.)

Edit: sorry, books were what you were asking for!

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Yes, I was thinking mainly about books. Sorry if I wasn´t clear enough, but I didn´t want to exclude computer IF just in case. Thank you for the recommendation. I will check the series.

I didn´t know there was a ton of CYOA style for very small children. I knew that´s the case for older children, but not for 3-4 years old. I suppose a book for children aged 5-6 could be Ok depending on the complexity of the text.

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I think at that age it’s not so much the text but the fact that you’re there reading it with them.

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You could try Esther’s. That’s the most young-child-friendly choice-based IF I know of.

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That´s charming! Thank you very much for the recommendation. I think we will try this during the year. ^^

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That was it! I couldn’t find it anywhere on IFDB, but there it is. Perhaps I skimmed it accidentally.

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You can also make a game together. This is the fever dream my son dictated: Obstacle Valley and the Two Gnomes

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I love your game! This is another great candidate to play with him.

The idea of writing together is great, but for the time being he is struggling to communicate even the simplest things

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There is SPACE FROG!, which I’ve played and might work for you.

There’s also The Tin Mug and Orunge, neither of which I know firsthand but seem promising.

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I think Space Frog! would be an excellent choice for him. It is simple, funny and visually attractive. The other ones are good candidates for a little later on the road.

Thank you very much!

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Through the Forest is out of print, but it’s another picture book with branching paths aimed at younger children. I’d say more for ages 5-6 though.

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Not quite interactive fiction, but Yoto has some playable games suitable for children:

It might be a bit too much for a 3-4 year old though.

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This looks really nice! Thank you!

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I read with him stories for older children, but I think it will be safer to begin with simpler things and if he wants more of this CYOA style books I will look into these for 6 years old. Thanks!!

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Somebody recommended me this cool series. I think they are translated from the French edition.

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/317582/my-first-adventure-series

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Though not a CYOA series, Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books are very good for young children in that every page is a where’s the spider, grasshopper, mouse, etc.. The stories can be quite funny and amusing with lots of things you can point out or ask your child about before turning to the next page. They’re great for little boys.

There are a bunch of absolute garbage books in the series though (you’ve been warned), but the ones my son and I thoroughly enjoyed reading were:

I Was So Mad
I Was So Mad600×601 130 KB

I Just Forgot
I Just Forgot600×602 191 KB

Just Me In The Tub
Just Me In The Tub600×602 157 KB

What A Bad Dream
What A Bad Dream600×603 169 KB

Just Go To Bed
Just Go To Bed600×599 126 KB

You can typically thrift these books for a buck a piece.

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