I do not recommend doing formal academics before kindergarten. At the pre-school level children should play a lot, explore in nature, and be read to. Playing and getting hurt sometimes are important for a child to develop confidence in themselves and a knowledge of their natural limits. They will have great imaginations and an ability to entertain themselves if you limit their screen time and read to them a great deal.
Antique stores and thrift stores are good places to look for beautiful old-fashioned books for children. Unfortunately, the French ones don’t show up very often in the English-speaking areas!
Book suggestions
Livres sonores:
Collection Mes premières comptines by Gründ
Mes premières comptines à écouter et à chanter by Manola Caprini (and others by Auzou)
Picture books:
Collection Petit Ours Brun by Bayard Jeunesse
Le livre des mots, édition canadienne by Richard Scarry
Collection p’tit garçon by Fleurus
Collection p’tite fille by Fleurus
Collection Les saisons by Dominique et Compagnie
Collection Grignote les mots by Dominique et Compagnie
Collection Lis et raconte by Dominique et Compagnie
Collection Mes premiers contes by Fleurus: La moufle; La soupe au caillou; Le vilain petit canard; Blanche-Neige; Le chat botté; La reine des neiges; Hansel et Gretel; Le loup et les sept chevreaux; Jack et le haricot magique; Le petit chaperon rouge; Baba Yaga; Aladin; Pinocchio; Cenrillon; Poucette; Les musiciens de Brême; La petite poule rousse; La princesse au petit pois; Boucle d’or et les trois ours; Les trois petits cochons; Le petit bonhomme en pain d’épice; Raiponce (it is worth finding the original (translated where necessary) versions of these fairy tales to read to your kids, if their French level is advanced enough).
Frédéric et Nathalie dans la forêt; Frédéric et Nathalie au bord de l’étang; Frédéric et Nathalie dans la prairie by Romain Simon
-other books by Romain Simon look good, but as my library does not carry them, I have not read any
Collection Petit poisson deviendra grand by Éditions Scholastic: Le dragon et le phénix by Lesley Sims; Le petit pingouin frileux by Russell Punter; La vieille dame dans la chaussure by by Russell Punter; Un monsieur tout tordu by Russell Punter; Bibi Lapin au fond du puits by Louie Stowell; Le renard et la cigogne by Mairi Mackinnon; Le poisson magique by Lesley Sims; La sauterelle et la fourmi by Katie Daynes; Pourquoi les éléphonts ont-ils perdu leurs ailes ? by Lesley Sims; Le corbeau et le renard by Mairi Mackinnon
Dans les chemins fleuris by Luce Andrée Lagarde