DS (21 months) seems bent on learning stories off by heart. He asks for a single book over and over for a few days then can recite what happens in it, plays at being characters from it, etc. He also does this with films (and yes I know that TV isn't recommended for kids under 3, but see if you can find another way of allowing me to cook dinner that involves him not throwing a shrieking tantrum and destroying himself/the kitchen/me).
Thus we have made our way through Eric Carle books (and the VHC film), Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler books (and the 5 great films), Beatrix Potter (the animations from the early 1990s that are true to the books), Where the Wild things are (and the 1968 animation of the book) and We're Going on a Bear Hunt (and the recent film). Also lots of Shirley Hughes (Naughty Little Sister, Alfie, Dogger, etc), the Ahlbergs (Peepo, Each Peach, Jolly Postman), everything I can find by Richard Scarry, Edward Lear, the Opie nursery rhymes, and (without the films/TV series, which add nothing to the books) Hairy Maclary, Maisy, Miffy, Anatole, Babar...
But I am running out of good books that will hold his attention. The local library has a lot of good stuff in its basement that mostly isn't in the catalogue (not allowed to browse the basement - I keep finding that things are there because. The stuff they have out on display is generally not very compelling. So browsing is basically fruitless.
Can anyone suggest books for a little kid with the above-listed tastes? Or websites, blogs, or book groups or lists or whatever that will direct me to lists of good books? I started going through the Carnegie Medal books: some are much more compelling than others. What we really need is a good children's librarian - we don't seem to have any at our local library.
Similarly, good TV suggestions? Though the need for that is much less pressing. He also occasionally watches Playschool or Sesame Street. Doesn't seem to like Sesame Street much, but has a few favourite Playschool episodes.