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Original poster

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

41 replies

vesela · 02/08/2008 13:59

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...

OP posts:
TotalChaos · 02/08/2008 19:55

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

Habbibu · 02/08/2008 19:53

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

PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife · 02/08/2008 19:51

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

EachPeachPearMum · 02/08/2008 19:49

yes! With the aeroplpane on

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/08/2008 17:36

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

EachPeachPearMum · 02/08/2008 14:52

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 · 02/08/2008 14:37

And Axel Scheffler of course...

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/08/2008 14:36

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

EachPeachPearMum · 02/08/2008 14:34

And 'You Choose' by Nick Sharratt

EachPeachPearMum · 02/08/2008 14:32

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

vonsudenfed · 02/08/2008 14:21

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.

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/08/2008 14:16

sorry, link doesn't seem to work

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/08/2008 14:14

here

Umlellala · 02/08/2008 14:13

Anything by Allan and Janet Ahlberg but especially Peepo!

MaryAnnSingleton · 02/08/2008 14:13

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.

Bink · 02/08/2008 14:07

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]