What books would you recomend for my 5 year old DD who can't read?

Greythorne, from my POV they are repetative and formulaic. IMO, they are written to target little girls with the same names - Ruby, Violet, Heather, Isobel, Amber etc. Dreadful things and I was so glad when DD outgrew them. She does still have the one with her name on though.

Sorry, what's up with Rainbow Fairies? Never seen them...what's the objection?

There is a series by Allan Ahlberg - The MAn Who Wore All Of His CLothes & The CHildren Who SMelled A Rat etc... which we are enjoying.

I have also lined up The Worst Witch, Gobbolino The WItches Cat, CHarlottes Web and the longer Daisy Books by Nick SHarratt.

But she does ADORE Milly Molly Mandy & My Naughty Little Sister. Teddy Robinson is another standby and we have read a few Mrs Pepperpot. Pippi Longstocking was rejected as were The Wombles.

Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry series, has written a book called "Don't Cook Cinderella". My daughter - who HATES chapter books - will allow me to read this to her. She will also tolerate "Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf". Like "My Naughty Little Sister", each chapter is a stand-alone short story.

Surely it's got to be Horrid Henry - my youngest absolutely loved them and still can't bear to part with them even though she's now 11! We once went to listen to Francesca Simon at the Cambridge Word Fest - she was brilliant with the children and even read them a brand new unpublished story - Henry and the School Trip (or similar). She explained how young children love extremes horrid/perfect and the alliteration and rhythm in all the names - and how they relish Henry's subversiveness. I am usually anti "series" books, which feed on the girls' desire to collect sparkly things, without paying much attention to quality - we went through the all - Magic Puppy, Kitten, Jenny Dale, Rainbow Fairies etc etc - all very dull, and now consigned to Oxfam but they served a purpose, but the Henrys are still up there and the only ones that are genuinely dogeared from my daughter's irritating habit of book-spine flicking".

Anna Hibiscus books on wayMy African accent is terrible tho..

The Moomin comic strip books are lovely.

We have three, IIRC Good Luck AH and Hoorah for AH are the other two.

MummyLL, have fun finding some good books - I found it really lovely when dd was old enough to listen to more complex stories, just a really nice time for both of us.

O, Anna Hibiscus lovely,didn't know there was more than one - off to find!

DD liked the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke at that age - they have one story per chapter, so ideal for bedtime reading, and nice stories for an adult too, about a little girl's life in Africa.

(I found Famous 5 & secret 7 a bit hard going to read aloud, though not as bad as Rainbow fairies)

Of old favourites, Teddy Robinson, Gobbolino the Witches Cat, The owl who was afraid of the dark, Little Wooden horse all good for that age.

We are on secret seven right now (DD age 4 and DS age 5 both listening), after we finish this one, moving to a Roald Dahl for variety and will interchange between those and also "traditional" story books (we were given several compendiums of children's stories and they are great for variety). DS can read reasonably, but obviously not to this level, so I get him to read chapter headings and occasionally a simple sentence I know he can master and he loves that he is that little bit more involved. DD can't read at all and just loves listening.

Started an Arthur Ransome a while back, but we aren't quite ready - bit too detailed and very long books.

Oh, and another book that even DH enjoyed, as did whole family to join in the "who's got my curly claw...?!" bits, is Colin and the Curly Claw, by Jan Fearnley. Good fun.

I also love the Naughty Little Sister books - my dd loved them when younger, and still does at 8. Agree about the shock you can share about the badness of Bad Harry, and the naughty little sisiter herself. I got a MMM book that was a collection, with pictures, and think a bit shorter than the originals? She liked them too (tho it did have a bloody awful cd which I haven't managed to lose from my car yet). Am inspired now as to where the toilet humour should come.. Oh, and there is also Mrs Pepperpot, which also come in a brighter modern (shorter?) edition if old ones too dull. Personally, think those Rainbow Fairies books are inane. Tho dd also did love the Angelina Ballerina books for a while...

I think Milly Molly Mandy would be improved if it had more toilet humour. Maybe you can rewrite?

Cat in the Hat got my dd going on reading. They words are small and repetitive and the stories bounce along and rhyme. She loved them.

Brer Rabbbit, Faraway tree, winnie the witch, roald dahl and also non-fiction (mini encyclopedia type books/book about the body, food, animals) were all popular with us

I take that view MLL - if I am going to read her books they have to be something we both like, hence no Rainbow fairies. It's not like there isn't plenty of good stuff out there. DH, OTOH, doesn't enjoy it whatever he reads, so he isn't bothered by having to read the rubbishy stuff.

My DD loves the Magic ballerina stories by Darcy Bussell.They are just the right length, about 6 short chapters, and we read them over 2 or 3 nights. Also if she likes them there about 20 odd so they will keep you going for a while.

I know some people despise them but the Rainbow Fairy books are my DDs favourites (she is 5.3) - we always have one from the library and now have 2 full sets at home thanks to birthday presents! As long as you can switch off from the mindless repetitiveness you'll be fine. I actually find myself finishing a book without being able to remember anything about it as I am almost reading it without it actually going through my brain IYSWIM. We do need to branch out a bit though so I'm watching this with interest. Also agree that the picture books are getting past their use. DS will be delighted to have them all passed on though.

and it's so much fun reading the one where they eat the spongy trifle and sounding more and more shocked as you do it!

LOL!
The best thing about Naughty Little Sister is that because they were originally written for the radio, the narrator often addresses the listeners directly - eg 'Wasn't she a naughty child? I'm sure you would never do anything as naughty as that, would you?' at which my dcs always shake their heads earnestly - sooo cute!