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Please recommend your favourite toddler's books

41 replies

Feierabend · 06/10/2009 13:40

I want to buy DD1 some new books for Christmas and her 3rd birthday. Please can you recommend your favourite classics - books that you think every toddler should own, and that you never get tired of reading to them? I am thinking along the lines of Rosie's Walk, Each Peach Pear Plum, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Tiger Who Came To Tea. I also love Monkey Puzzle. Thanks!

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Georgimama · 12/10/2009 21:31

Usborne do the best books. I've probably spelt that wrong but it seems all DS's favourite books are published by them. Have a look at their website (and no, I'm not an agent).

Also he loves the Grufallo, The Hungry Caterpillar and Dear Zoo.

vesela · 12/10/2009 21:28

Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo? is my favourite BK one.

Noisy Village is Bullerby in the UK. I gave it to my 4.5 year old niece last Christmas (as Noisy Village, since we live abroad) and she loved it.

Cakesandale · 09/10/2009 10:27

Can't believe no-one has mentioned Guess how much I Love You...

stealthsquiggle · 09/10/2009 10:19

Oh God I am feeling so guilty now - DD is almost 3 and I haven't read nearly as many of these with her as I had with DS at the same age.

She does love lark in the ark, All things Blue Kangaroo, Cock a Moo Moo, Peepo, Wibbly Pig, and Hungry Caterpillar.

DS at 3 loved bear hunt, Dear Zoo, Gruffalo, Kipper, Some Dogs Do, Night Pirates (every little girl should own that one)... we own all these books and many many more, I just need to find time to read more of them to DD .

FernieB · 09/10/2009 10:10

Any Shirley Hughes books - mine loved Alfie and Annie Rose (as did I). Also the Mog books. Cuddly Dudley (can't remember who by - but mine loved it). Kipper and The Owl who was afraid of the dark.

WrigglyFish · 07/10/2009 09:18

Doh - Dr Seuss - meant to add that.

I'm a little anxious about how to store all these books too.

Sunshinemummified · 06/10/2009 16:52

Ooh forgot Nick Sharrat. DS loves his gimicky books like Elephant Wellyphant, Octopus Socktopus and A Cheese and Tomato Spider

mrsgboring · 06/10/2009 16:50

fei i have started doing this partly from charity shops to keep down cost. am also heading for a space crisis.

can i also add we all went on safari - it's a lovely counting book published by barefoot

thanks for astrid lindgren - i havent read any of hers yet

Feierabend · 06/10/2009 16:45

Lovely recommendations from everyone, thanks. I want to put together a really nice collection of books for the girls over the next few years. Adding the German classics, we're going to need a lot of space for all those books! By the way am very surprised that apart from Pippi Longstocking, none of the Astrid Lindgren books seem to be popular in the UK? I read and loved every single word she ever wrote, and urge you to seek out her other books - especially the Noisy Village ones. They are for ages 5+ I would think.

OP posts:
mrsgboring · 06/10/2009 16:23

impressive list wriggly

can i add:
Milly Molly Mandy
anything by Mini Grey
anything by Mick Inkpen especially Blue Nose Island
Shoe Baby
Katie Morag stories - we love her
anything Quentin Blake
Dr Seuess
art deco version of Cinderella by Lynn Roberts ill. David Roberts - lush
Eat your peas- nick sharatt

Guimauve · 06/10/2009 16:02

Mog! Of course! Except not Goodbye Mog

WrigglyFish · 06/10/2009 15:55

oh what a great thread Feier - I am quite passionate about our book collection. Here are some we have and some which are on our wish list:

  • Where the Wild Things Are
  • The Elephant And The Bad Baby
  • The Tiger Who Came to Tea
  • Mog The Forgetfull Cat
  • Winnie The Pooh
  • Paddington Bear
  • Elusive Moose
  • The Hungry Caterpillar
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear
  • Ginger
  • Elmer (any of the Elmer books)
  • Julia Donaldson - any but particularly loving Tiddler's Late and Sharing a Shell.
  • Moomins
  • Pippi Longstocking
  • Raymond Briggs (the Father Christmas tales are great Christmas Presents, Fungus the Bogeyman is brilliant fun for older children and I still sob just thinking of Highwayman Jim)
  • Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkein - letters the author wrote to his own children each year as if from Father Christmas.
  • Anything by Roald Dahl (just been re-reading Revolting Rhymes - hilarious although DD doesn't get it at all yet)
  • Laurie Krebs has done a series of books about different parts of the world - fabulous illustrations and packed with info - we love 'Off We Go to Mexico' there are others about the Galapagos, the Nile, Tanzania etc which really stir the imagination.
  • Every child should also have well illustrated compendium of the classics (Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Perault etc). Have a look at Barefoot Books a children's publishers who seem to produce some beautifully illustrated collections.
  • The Usborne Illustrated Children's Bible is quite good too.
  • Arabian Knights
  • Aesop's Fables
imaginestrictlytwirlynamehere · 06/10/2009 14:55

Love the name Feierabend
DD1 is just 3 & loves Winnie the witch. I got her this for her 3rd birthday

ArghhhhmazingBouncingSpider · 06/10/2009 14:49

Peace at Last
Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp
Aliens in Underpants Save the World

Sunshinemummified · 06/10/2009 14:44

notyummy I don't but funnily enough I bought 'Lost & Found' for DS today for his stocking (it's the only one he doesn't have) and the lady in Waterstones mentioned it. She said to look out for it as it would probably be on at Christmas.

We saw 'How to Catch a Star' at the Polka Theatre last year and it was brilliant.

uberalice · 06/10/2009 14:43

Anything by Lynley Dodd - Slinky Malinky, Hairy McLairy, etc. Wonderful illustrations and use of language.

Saltire · 06/10/2009 14:41

Peepo is fab, both my 2 had copies
The Tigeer who came to tea

my 2 had one callled The Very Noisy Night, with Big Mouse and Little Mouse, its a fab book

weegiemum · 06/10/2009 14:34

ANy of the Julia Donaldson/Axel Schaeffer books

Anything by Oliver Jeffers (disclaimer: is friend of the family! Is amazing!!!!)

notyummy · 06/10/2009 14:32

Sunshine - have you got the DVD of 'Lost and Found'? It is one of the loveliest animated stories I have seen, and dd is transfixed by it. Narrated by Jim Broadbent.

Sunshinemummified · 06/10/2009 14:25

DS (3) loves The Night Pirates, The Runaway Dinner, Tiddler, Jungle Boogie, Oliver Jeffers books, the Albie books and others such as Bear Hunt, Room on the Broom, Gruffalo etc.

notyummy · 06/10/2009 14:24

We've just got dd a non-fiction life the flap book

'Where do babies come from?'

which she LOVES, in response to her questions. Its not too graphic, but seems to be enough to satisfy her curiosity at the moment.

thedolly · 06/10/2009 14:16

I love Mole and the baby bird starwhores.

Don't underestimate the appeal of non fiction for this age group. DS2 will sit for ages leafing through books with pictures of animals/birds.

mumof2222222222222222boys · 06/10/2009 14:12

giraffes can't dance

some dogs do

notyummy · 06/10/2009 14:10

Amazon usually good - also The Book People. They may not have all the books listed here in stock, but they have a reasonable selection and are excellent value.

starwhores · 06/10/2009 14:09

Mole and the baby bird
calm down Borris

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