ROOM ON THE BROOM IS THE GREATEST STORY EVER!!!!

I agree that Room on the Broom is the best. Really rollicking rhymes, and a lovely simple message about co-operation. We have even re-enacted it with the dds using props; dd1 was the witch, dd2 was the cat, dh was the narrator and I doubled as prop master and dragon .

By comparison, the Gruffalo has lovely illustrations but a relatively complex story that doesn't seem very coherent, and it does get rather repetitive after a while.

By the way on that bit where the whale gets stuck have you noticed that the children are drawing pictures of the Gruffalo?

Know what you mean about it being a bit overwhelming if you are feeling fragile - I think it is the perfectness of its simplicity. (Tis official: am pseud)

"Back to the dock, and the flock on the rock..."

just can't get fond of Snail And Whale

do love The Smartest Giant In Town - just LOVE the illustrations in particular in this one

please can I just implore you all to read this Magic_Paintbrush

you will love it, promise!

The Snail is softly spoken, gets very wistful about being so small, but is surprisingly steely when setting out to rescue the Whale.

The Whale, meanwhile, sounds like Dory 'speaking Whale' in Finding Nemo.

It is a LOVELY book, although if I'm feeling a bit fragile I can find it difficult to get through the bit with the Whale getting stranded, sniff sniff.

I have a love/hate relationship with Monkey Puzzle, it was the first book DD wanted over and over again - a lovely milestone, but oh did I ever want to throw it out of the window sometimes ...

Room on the broom is ok - but, and I think I'm gonna get lynched here, a bit boring.

Gruffalo definately much better. That and the gruffalo's child are the best out of the Donaldson/Shaeffer books imo. The rest do let them down a bit.

Mum turned into a monster book is fantastic - ds loves it, but gets a little scared. Great for making him behave

My favourite are ht elarge family ones thoug by Jill Murphy.

Monkey Puzzle is pants, though!

I would say Room on the Broom is the second best. I honestly think that Snail and the Whale is virtually perfect. There is not a single spare word and both the rhyme and metre are impeccable - you can't not read it aloud.

We got the CDs for the car in the summer and I was actually a bit disappointed in Imelda Staunton's characterisation of the snail - makes it all a bit weedy and Scottish when I had it down as being brave and valiant and testing its own boundaries.

I was going to start a thread saying this but thought i would look like an arse with too much time on my hands!

We've just bought Monkey Puzzle. I LOVE reading it but I hate the way DH reads it - he doesn't put nearly enough effort into it! I make the little monkey sound both exasperated and forlorn, whereas DH just reads the words!

it is so good, I am always amazed when I read it (there's only two duff-ish lines in it, rest is magical)

Dinny - that book looks lovely - the amamzon reviews are great, will definitely keep an eye out for it thanks.

I've got DD1 Room on the Broom, Gruffalo, tiddler and Snail and a Whale for Christmas, can you tell I am so bored of Sharing a Shell and Monkey Puzzle?

really didn't like Snail And The Whale. or The Gruffalo's Child.

have you read her The Magic Paintbrush?

it is FAB here

Califright its fab isn't it - I've bought it for loads of my friends who have been struggling with terrible twos. I can almost recite it word for word its been read so many times.

Oooh will look out for that one Chipstick.
Dd2 loves, Room on a Broom, dd1 prefers The Smartest Giant in Town (cause he looks like a mate of ours in the pics )

Buzzoff - When mum turned into a monster is written by Joanna Harrison.

As the children do naughty things throughout the day, her hands turn green, she gets monster hair, then grows a green tail etc - when my kids are being 'testing' I tell them mummy is growing a green tail!

She basically explodes and then falls into a heap sobbing

"I used to be to be such a nice person but all your mess and fighting, whinging and yelling has turned me....sob....into....sob....a monster!!"

As I said, my kids love aged 3 and 7 love it.

We read a squash and a squeeze and the gruffao tonight, have all of those mentioned above and they are fantastic. Though I think I enjoy reading them as much as dd enjoys listening!

The dvd of the Gruffalo show is great too!

NONONONONO

Same authors but SNAIL AND THE WHALE!!!!!!!

Every time 'they sang to the sea as they all set sail on the tail of the grey blue humpback whale' makes me CRY

FAB story!

DD is 14 months and LOVES Monkey Puzzle. Would happily have it read to her over and over all day long. She also loves Charlie Cook.

I just asked DH what his fav is and he said "artistically Snail and the Whale but I prefer the narrative of Room on the Broom"... oh God, what has having a baby done to my DH????

no no no

Squash & a Squeeze is the best, especially the song.

Zagazoo is up there too...(Quentin Blake again. I love Cockatoos too.

Monkey Puzzle isn't so bad for little babies though. And a prominent role for the Dad! For some reason the Daddy Monkey always speaks like Sean Bean: 'Com little Munkay, com com com..'