Books for 1.5 year old - complex illustrations but stories not over her head?

[vesela]

I'm looking for some recommendations for my 1.5 year-old. She likes more complex illustrations at the moment - especially of people - but a lot of the next-stage-up books seem to have concepts or plots that are too complex for her at the moment (or are kind of gimmicky).

What good books are there for this age group that feature children and their parents doing things? She's currently besotted with the Mog books - people waving bye bye, blowing their noses etc. etc. I don't want her to be bored of them by the time she appreciates the stories more, though (or does that not happen - i.e. if a book is a favourite from the start, does it stay popular as they get older?)

She also likes Shirley Hughes - All Shapes and Sizes (I'm planning to get more of the Nursery Collection). The Ladybird fairytale books - things like the Little Red Hen - have also been a huge hit.

I have The Baby's Catalogue on my list...

[Bink]

John Burningham - any and all, but very especially Would You Rather - which is about choices & suits everyone from 18 mths to 95 yrs - our favourite is "Would you rather ... your mum had a row in a café [picture of red-faced mother haranguing a waitress while lots of ladies in tea-cosy hats stare] ... or ... your dad did a dance at school?" [picture of cavorting father, and child frozen in horror]

[MaryAnnSingleton]

She might like the Dorling Kindersley books of children/people from different countries - they are photographs and feature people doing day to day things, jobs etc.

[Umlellala]

Anything by Allan and Janet Ahlberg but especially Peepo!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here

[MaryAnnSingleton]

sorry, link doesn't seem to work

[vonsudenfed]

A very cheap solution that rather took us by surprise, is toy and baby things catalogue. DD (now 20 months) can sit and read these for ages - lots of babies, children, toys and so on!

Also Wibbly Pig and Kipper go down well, and Barefoot books do some lovely simple board books with interesting illustrations - try Cleo the Cat and the Bear series.

[EachPeachPearMum]

I second Ahlberg- 'Each Peach Pear Plum' and Peepo have loads going on in the pictures.
Anything illustrated by Axel Scheffler- so the Julia Donaldson books- Gruffalo, Gruffalo's child, Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, etc
Have you seen the Usborne 'First 100 words' book? That has tons of things in the pictures- there's no story, but you sit together and make up a story, or talk about whats happening, and there's loads of different locations- house, park, garden, busy street, farm, etc etc

[EachPeachPearMum]

And 'You Choose' by Nick Sharratt

[MaryAnnSingleton]

EachPeach, yes agree with 'Each Peach Pear Plum '
!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

And Axel Scheffler of course...

[EachPeachPearMum]

Umm- yes- Cleo the Cat books are lovely!

Now MAS- if only I could remember what your rl name was....! I can see the cover, but can't visualise any writing!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

What book were you thinking of EachPeach / one of mine ??

[EachPeachPearMum]

yes! With the aeroplpane on

[PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife]

My ds (15m) is in love with Clare Beaton books atm, in fact anything with lions in

[Habbibu]

Anything illustrated by Russell Ayto - fab fab funny busy drawings.

[TotalChaos]

Benedict Blathwaite (?sp) who I think writes the Little Red Train books (and others without trains) does gorge illustrations.

[PortAndLemon]

More More More, Said The Baby is good.

DS loved Hairy Maclary at that age (and since) although they don't fit your "children and their parents doing things" description.

[mamadiva]

The Hungry Caterpillar is fab and Dear Zoo.

Don't know if youv'e heard oif Redhouse but the do lots of kids books and they are alot cheapoer than shops and have free delivery. I'm always picking up bpooks for my DS from them.

Here

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ah, that's What I like, I think...the Gervase Phinn poetry book

[MaryAnnSingleton]

for EachPeachPearMum - how kind of you to remember it !

[pippylongstockings]

DK my first word book is great - pictures of stuff real photo's - both my two have loved it.

[vesela]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I'm enjoying looking them up.

PortandLemon - dogs are good too! She loves the one Hairy McLary book we have so far (HM's Bone). She definitely likes a story she can get to know - one of the reasons she likes the Little Red Hen etc. so much.

We have the DK word book - she loves that, too.

[TheQueenIsDead]

DS2 adored the Baby's Catalogue. Definitely buy it. Also anything else by the Ahlbergs.

[PortAndLemon]

What Shall We Do With The Boo-Hoo Baby was also a big hit around that age.

[PortAndLemon]

I think DS was nearer two before he got into Susan Laughs, but it's a lovely book and definitely ticks the "complex illustrations / children and their parents doing things" boxes.