Mumsnet Talk

Julia Donaldson leaves me cold Am I the only one? All the mums I know absolutely love her and I really don't, The books are such a pain to read! I really don't know what all the fuss is about...

I must admit I used to skip quite a few bits of the Gruffalo because I found it so repetative.

I prefer the Gruffalo's child actually.

I think it's the pictures that make them - the illustrations are so full of lovely detail.

Yes the pictures are lovely

I rate the others more than The Grufallo. A Squash and a Squeeze is a brilliant book - although I've always suspected it has Nazi undertones. If you look closely there's a picture of a young Hitler on the wall

Tiddler is also great, although I can't work out whether it ripped off Finding Nemo or vice versa.

I agree - Axel Sheffler doesn't seem to get any credit, but in fact for me it's the illustrations that are the best thing about the books.

I think the Gruffalo is the worst of them, some of the others are better though. Oh and Stick Man - I hate reading that 'I'm stick man I'm stick man I'm stick man' bit over and over again. Argh.

I love the repitition because DS loves it and will say it along with me. My absolute favourite though is Tiddle - about a little fish who told tall tales.

Sorry Tiddler - must start previewing

Ds3 loved "Charlie Cook's favourite book" and "The snail and the wale". "The Gruffalo" is not one he enjoyed that much either.

I like the Gruffalo more than I like the sequel but have to say Room in the Broom and Charlie Cook's are my favourites
and I love Drip

I haven't found a DC who doesn't like it-which is all that matters.

Oh? Room on the broom? not read this one. Will put on my library list!

I agree that Room On the Broom and Charlie Cooks fave book are wonderful

I like it and I think the repetition is great for 2yr olds as they start to remember the text quickly and you can stop and they finish the line for you which then feels like you're reading together.

I have to say, though that Room on the Broom is my alltime favourite.
I quite like Monkey Puzzle too though the first page makes me well up if I'm feeling a bit delicate!

Love Gruffalo and Gruffalo's Child.

Indifferent to most of the others. Snail & Whale is the best if the rest, I think.

Loathe Squash & Squeeze. Just doesn't scan properly, imho.

CCFB is a great teaching resource for lower juniors when you're exploring different texts and their format.

How can you be indifferent to Room on the Broom. It's fantastic!

What are you lot on about? The Gruffalo is fab! We have read it so often the pages are starting to come apart.

Room on a Broom is fantastic, and I love Sharing a Shell - it flows beautifully and I have a lovely welsh accent for the anemone.

Gruffalo doesn't really do it for me - find it difficult to do different voices. Gruffalo's child is more fun

They are beautifully written imo.
That is why they are a pleasure to read out loud.

I never tire of The Snail and The Whale. Lovely book which has been in dd's top 5 forover 2 years now so I have read it a LOT.

Sharing a Shell is brilliant.

<<adds "Sharing a shell" to list>>

You know a lot of them (A Squash and A Squeeze for example) were originally written as songs? That's why ASaAS doesn't scan well to read. Also, in relation to the Nazi overtones bit, that book is an adaptation of an old Jewish story involving a wise Rabbi. Well, the version I've heard anyway.

I don't like the Gruffalo at all. The best small children's books are a pleasure to read aloud even the umpteenth time, but that one didn't scan well at all, so was not enjoyable to me.

However I love the Whale and the Snail, and quite like Charlie Cook and Room on the Broom.

I have to say, that she does an audio version of songs about the books. So there is squash and a squeeze, gruffalo and a really good one about shopping in the supermarket. My dd loved them !!!

Charlie Cook is the best one- its fabulous!

I love Gruffalo's Child- its so evocative, and just reminds me of sneaking out doing naughty things when I was little I always read the 'I'm not scared" bit in a quavery, bolstering my bravery type voice...

Gruffalo is good too though- I think its witty and clever, but more importantly DD instantly loved it- the rhythm and rhyme, the fantastic pictures... and she loves looking in the woods for the Big Bad Mouse... and playing 'gruffalo caves' with my duvet.

ASAAS is based on an old Jewish story- the 'wise old man' is a rabbi... and the picture on the wall is the ladiy's dead husband, surely.

Tiddler is fun- I love the rhythm, though the ending is a bit naff. Room on the Broom is brilliant- DD loves that one.
I'm not a big fan of Smartest Giant... it's quite plodding I find, but DD adores it <grrr> Snail and the Whale is lovely.

Scheffler is a master illustrator isn't he? There is so much clever detail in the pictures... something that really comes into its own in Charlie Cook actually- very very clever.

Monkey Puzzle has grown on me...

They are great to read aloud- it is fun doing different voices, and we even have a song for smartest giant.