Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Children's books

Join in for children's book recommendations.

Original poster

What are your “must have” children’s books?

114 replies

RWK29 · 11/01/2021 21:11

DS1 is 10 weeks old and very alert and already LOVES a bedtime story 😊 hoping to build him a lovely collection of books! He has quite a few already but looking for recommendations of “must have” children’s books that your little ones loved?

The Gruffalo is a firm favourite with DS already. Also enjoyed The Snail and The Whale 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
RWK29 · 11/01/2021 22:47

Oh wow! Thank you for the replies 😊 some great suggestions on here!
We already have:

  • The Gruffalo
  • Where The Wild Things Are
  • The Snail and The Whale
  • Each Peach Pear Plum
  • Where’s Spot?
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  • The Tiger The Came To Tea
  • Goodnight Moon
  • Guess How Much I Love You

I’ll pick up some that have been suggested on here too 😊

@Eileen101 The Faraway Tree Collection was my absolute FAVOURITE growing up 😍 I have a copy ready and waiting for my little one 😊

OP posts:
Solasum · 11/01/2021 22:25

Meg and Mog
Time for Bed
Goodnight Moon

And from about age 3
Winnie the witch

RachelRosie · 11/01/2021 22:18

Oh the You're Snug/Strong/Safe with Me by Chitra Soundar

The pictures are just beautiful. You're Snug with Me was our Lockdown 1 saviour!

DowntonCrabby · 11/01/2021 22:00

As well as some beloved classics:
The tiger who came to tea
The very hungry caterpillar
The jolly postman/jolly Christmas postman
The magic toys

My children (now 16 & 8) also loved and can repeat all the words to:
Someone bigger
The Gruffalo
Cuddle up tight
Mole’s bedtime story
Calm down Boris
Nothing

The youngest also loves the Oi Dog/Oi Frog/quack quack Quentin and the “fox has lost his socks” and “postman bear” series.

For babies the “guess how much I love you” and “that’s not my” series are great.

RachelRosie · 11/01/2021 21:58

When my DD was that age and I was starting to read to her, I had the Paddington books on the kindle. Not sure how much she took in but it was a really nice end to the day for me, her and DH. We all sat in bed whilst I read for 30 mins each night.

HibernatingTill2030 · 11/01/2021 21:56

My absolute favourites for toddlers aged to about 5ish:
The very hungry caterpillar
Dear Zoo (or any other flap book)
The tiger who came to tea
Five minutes Peace
Funnybones

bigpricklyfern · 11/01/2021 21:55

The Scarecrows’ Wedding by Julia Donaldson is an absolute favourite here.
Also, The Tickle Book is a brilliant one for when they are a little bit older and like tickles and surprises!

ruthieness · 11/01/2021 21:51

goodnight moon!
runaway bunny
millions of cats
owl babies

CuteOrangeElephant · 11/01/2021 21:50

Winnie the Pooh
Bramley Hedge

10kstepsaroundthegardenthen · 11/01/2021 21:50

Tiddler
Little rabbit foo foo
The pirates next door

Most of the Julia Donaldson

raskolnikova · 11/01/2021 21:50

I like lots of the ones mentioned, plus the Stanley the hamster series by William Bee, and the Little People, Big Dreams series of biographies.

Catty1720 · 11/01/2021 21:50

@ChrissyPlummer teddy Robinson I forgot all about him. I’ll be on Waterstones tomorrow seeing if I can find them.

HappyTimeTunnelDinosaur · 11/01/2021 21:50

@nevernotstruggling I agree with you on Stephanie's ponytail, the same author did one called Up, up down, which my dd also likes but is not as good.

Her other loves:
Winnie the Pooh
Spinderella
Monkey puzzle
I want my hat back, This is not my hat and We found a hat - all by Jon Klassen and brilliant.
Giraffes can't dance
Dogger and new Dogger
Alfie and Annie Rose
Paddington
Mog
Tiger who came to tea
Say goodnight to the sleepy animals
Can't you sleep little bear
The crocodile who couldn't swim
Green eggs and ham

ChrissyPlummer · 11/01/2021 21:48

Going back some years....The Munch Bunch, The Garden Gang and Teddy Robinson.

Catty1720 · 11/01/2021 21:45

Rachel brights books are great and I love the OI frog book series as does 8 month DD

Sauvignonblanket · 11/01/2021 21:45

Great suggestions here - I'd also add Sandra Boynton, especially Not the Hippopotamus and Are You a Cow?

AgnesNaismith · 11/01/2021 21:45

The Smartest Giant in Town and Robot the No Bot were also great!

GriseldaClement · 11/01/2021 21:45

Anything by Maurice Sendak - where the wild thing are and outside over there are my favourites

PhilODox · 11/01/2021 21:42

Lots of fantastic books mentioned already.

Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Maisy series also by her
Slinki Malinki by Lynley Dodd
Funny Bones by Allan Ahlberg
One Ted Falls Out Of Bed by Julia Donaldson
One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth
Kipper's Year by Nick Inkpen
Charlie and Lola series by Lauren Child
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andrae
Doing The Animal Bop by Jan Ormerod

naomi81 · 11/01/2021 21:42

Hairy Mclary, dear zoo, each peach, blue kangaroo

AdaColeman · 11/01/2021 21:41

For when they are older the various Pooh Bear books are lovely. Ivor the Engine was very popular here too.
The Walter de la Mare "Seasons" poems are beautifully illustrated books, full of flying witches and shimmering moons!

MrsTravers · 11/01/2021 21:40

Lots of good suggestions upthread. You choose was a favourite with mine for years.

Also any of the Percy the Park keeper books and some of the other Mick Inkpen books - there are some really funny ones about School Nativities and School Trips.

SunnyMountain · 11/01/2021 21:40

The ‘Pip and Posy’ books; e:g. ‘The little puddle’.
The ‘Blue kangraroo’ books - e.g. ‘it was you, blue kangaroo’.

Goatsdorhone · 11/01/2021 21:39

DH and I love reading Oi Frog to my 5 month old - can do all sorts of silly voices and she laughs away
Also second Giraffes Can't Dance
The Runaway Pea is fun too

AgnesNaismith · 11/01/2021 21:37

The very hungry caterpillar was all I read to my eldest when she was little. She’s a real bookworm now!

Both loved a book called ‘you choose’ where the pages are filled with pictures and you choose things like...where would you live? Who would be your family? What furniture would you have? What clothes would you like to wear? The illustrations are beautiful and it helps to get that bond while reading making it two ways.