I have shrunk my children’s early childhoods to 6 books

[BikeRunSki]

Our attic floor/bedroom ceiling partially collapsed earlier this week, and we’ve had a bit of a clear out. I’m not much of a hoarder, except when it comes to books, and especially the bedtime books I used to read the DC. We genuinely don’t have a lot of room for nostalgia. I’ve kept the books we read over, and over and over again.

Monkey and Me - Emily Gravett
Lost and Found - Oliver Jeffers
The Amazing Book Eating Boy - Oliver Jeffers
Knight Time -
The Little Engine That Could
The Usborne Book of Stories for Little Boys/ there a study about a little boy training to be a knight, which inspired DS’s love of archery. 10 years later he is a qualified archer and regularly shoots in “normal” times.

I have kept the books I oved reading with DD2, the first couple of which were mine as a child.

• Mr Gump's Outing
• Milly Molly Mandy series
• One fish two fish
• The snail and the whale
• Room on the Broom

I dithered over the Julia Donaldsons, but Oliver Jeffers piped her to our hall of fame.

My oldest is 32 and I still have some of his books.
The hungry caterpillar
The little Engine that could
Winnie the Pooh
Youngest is a teen now and I still have
Goodnight Moon.

Goodnight Gorilla would be on our list.

Peepo on ours!

Love this idea! Ours would be:

Goodnight Moon
A squash and a squeeze
Hairy Mclairy
The enormous turnip
Mr tickle
I'm not ready (little owl)

Goodness knows what that indicates for future careers

I've kept
Peepo
The Day Louis Got Eaten
Alfie Gets in First
The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed and
That's Not My Monster which was ds's first ever book

We would definitely have the Gruffalo. I used to be able to recite that without the book I had read it that often.
Paper Dolls
Goodnight to the Sleepy Animals... If it hadn't moved onto a friend's child (it was so calming, the. They were visiting and found the same so it went home with them).

It's hard to choose. We had so many favourites. I have a box I can't let go of.

Goodnight Gorilla for us too! Although a German friend sent it to us and it’s ‘Gutnacht Gorilla’ so I assume it’s the same as PP mentioned

Ooh it’s hard but also:
Jolly Christmas Postman
You Choose (nick sharratt)
the Highway Rat
annnnnnd hmmmm maybe An Evening At Alfie’s or some Dr Seuss

They’re only 3 and 5 though so more to come I’m sure.

Ours would be:
Each peach pear plum
Zog
Muddy paws
Rabbits nap
Say goodnight to the sleepy animals
The paper dolls

Oh I love a bit of hairy Maclarey

I'm 38 and if I'm struggling with something chant to myself "I think I can, I know I can, I knew I could".
My ds age 8 does it now too!

Not Now Bernard
Dig Dig Digging
The Gruffalo
Postman Pat Gets Fat
You're All My Favourites
Penguin
Incredible Book Eating Boy
The Zoo

I think I managed one plastic crate but it was tough.

Oh this is lovely - have also done this recently (today)
Bringing down the moon
Beaver and the echo
Brown bear what do you see
Goldilocks and red riding hood - the Nick sharratt versions
Penguin/snail and the whale tie (sudden death tie breaker)
There’s another thread currently about what books you can’t believe got published - this is true doe many children’s books, but these ones are so great.

You Choose
Let’s Get a Pup
Monkey Puzzle
Winnie the Pooh
The Gruffalo
Baba Yaga

Oh yes monkey puzzle! Definitely.
It’s the ones you repeat with them even without the book, which I guess means you don’t need to keep it for it to retain to its meaning....

We only have The Minpins, everything else is teen or adult and still read occasionally.

Lovely thread. Havent needed to do it but will one day. My DSes had/have very different tastes in books so will need two lists.

DS1:
The very cranky bear
The gruffalo
Peace at last
Hairy Maclairy scattercat
Monkey puzzle
Slinky malinky

DS2
Brown bear what do you see
Is there a dog in this book
Room on the broom
Percy the park keeper
Goodnight moon
And several books in French (DH read loads more to DS2 than DS1 for various reasons)

In facts theres loads more I'll end up keeping. Ds1 in particular adored being read to from a very young age.

We borrowed from the library every week so although DS had books at home too, he wasn't particularly attached to them as we read so many others.

Oh dear. Just moved home with hundreds of books. Two huge shelves are children's books 2-18 y o.

For 2 and up I'd add Six dinner Sid. Dr Seuss. Posy Simmonds.

Lovely thread!
I've recently had twins, so took notes of all your recommendations!

My brother's favorite book for his kids was "Some Dogs Do", about a dog who believed he could fly.

Oh I need to add Dogger to our list. And Kipper. The one about the calendar where he takes a photo every month. Or Kipper's Alphabet

The mole who needed glasses
I like it when

Slinky Malinki
Each Peach Pear Plum
Hooray for Fish
Peepo
Smartest Giant in Town
The Tomten

I started to tear up at this thread.