Bookworms, do you know you can read books in French even though you are just a beginner?
In this post, we will share some book recommendations for French beginner learners and some ways to make the most of them.
Most beginner language learners believe reading a book at an early stage is impossible.
Well, it depends on the book, right?
The whole philosophy is to pick a book that suits your level. Not too difficult, not too easy. If you are a hard-core beginner, we recommend you start with children’s books.
Why Children’s Books?
The beauty of learning a foreign language is to be reborn and learn everything from a child’s perspective. You struggle to pronounce “Au revoir ” and take baby steps to create your first “Je m’appelle”.
Now that you are a French toddler, we won’t offer you the same content you read in your adult life. Hence, children’s books that consist of easy dialogues, short sentences, and basic vocabulary are the first books you should read in French.
Apart from the fact that children’s books have an easy-to-follow narrative, not all understanding comes from the text. The story will often be illustrated, so you can decipher meaning without needing to know the vocabulary.
It’s important to accept that you won’t understand everything all the time. You’ll even find that picking up the dictionary to translate every single word is tedious. We are here to comfort you and say it’s okay not to know every unfamiliar word. Your brain is sophisticated enough to pick up the pieces.
By reading books in French, you will increase your vocabulary and gain a better understanding of written grammar rules. The sooner you add French books to your to-do list, the sooner you’ll become fluent in French.
TOP 5 CHILDREN’S BOOKS FOR FRENCH BEGINNERS
L’Oiseau et la Baleine
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Following the link will take you to the French Experiment, a website where you can listen to a French version of the story, with both French and English versions available. Until you decide to look at the translation, the English text remains hidden, so you are free to make assumptions before you find out whether your guess was accurate.
Plot summary
The story is about a baby whale that gets separated from their families find a caged bird that has survived a shipwreck. While lost at sea, they struggle to survive together.
Les Habits neufs de l’empereur
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Hans Christian Andersen can be the perfect choice if you are stepping into reading in French.
You can read the story on the French Experiment.
Plot summary
In a distant land reigns an emperor who thinks only of his wardrobe, only of interest to him are new and sumptuous clothes. When two foreign tailors promise him the most beautiful and most magical clothes, he accepts without hesitation. The deception will go on for a long time until the voice of a child speaks out loud what everyone thought down.
Le Petit Chaperon Rouge
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
By beginning with the well-known story, you’ll be able to guess the words meaning and anticipate the events to come. The story will probably come as no surprise to you, which will allow you to concentrate on your grammar and sentence structure.
You can listen and read the story in French on the French Experiment.
Jack et les Haricots Magiques
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
You can listen and read the story in French on the French Experiment.
Plot summary
Jack et le Haricot magique is an Anglo-Saxon story. It tells the story of Jack, a young boy who lost his father and lives with his mother. They’re poor, but their lives change when Jack trades their unique hair for haricot seeds.
Astérix et Obélix
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
The visual nature of comics makes them ideal for learning French. You can gain a better understanding of the text by looking at the characters’ faces.
This is one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics in the world, and both the comic and the humor associated with it are specific to French. Its reading will facilitate a better understanding of French humor and social critique.
Here you can download all Astérix et Obélix comic books in French.
Plot summary
The last unconquered community in Gaul (ancient France) defends its independence from Roman invaders using a magical potion.
