What book did your toddler children love you reading to them?

[JimandPam]

My two boys are at the age where they are absolutely loving story time before bed. They are 2 and 4 so a great age to enjoy a good story

We have really exhausted our book collection and I wondered what story you cherished reading your children at this age/they cherished you reading to them?

We have all the classics but I've been surprised when gifted books I would never have bought myself as they gone down so well

I know it is cheeky using AIBU but I wanted to put an order in World of Books tomorrow for the weekend!

So what were your much loved books?

The whales on the bus,
Pete the cat series
Shark in the park
Shark in the Dark
The fish who could wish.

Take them to the library and let them pick the weeks books

Slinky Malinky

Same family as Hairy Mac, but even better. One of the best on so many levels. How many toddler books have a "rapscallion cat"? I rest my case!

Babar the Elephant has been a massive hit with my 2 & 4yos. The two year old was almost three when we bought them, as a year would make a big difference.

Julia Donaldson is good but they're all quite samey, I find.

Have a look at David McKee, too. Not now Bernard, Elmer and Mr Benn are firm favourites.

Julia Donaldson What the Ladybird heard series. Nick Parks books..beautiful illustrations. The dog detective….

Sometimes I Feel Sunny (big favourite for all of mine. It was a free book my eldest got from the health visitor when he was little and it ended up becoming a family favourite.)

There’s No Such Thing as Monsters
Peppa Pig books
Alan’s Big Scary Teeth
Julia Donaldson books
The Bumblebear
Puss in Boots

Goodnight Moon
Mogs
Bear hunt
Tiger who came for Tea
Winnie the Poo
Edward Lear (Owl and the Pussycat, etc.)
Lauren Child's

Shirley Hughes - Alfie (there’s loads of Alfie books), Dont want to go. Dogger - the firm favourite. All books about situations children recognise and understand, and she illustrates them beautifully too.

Jill Murphy - Peace at last. The Large family series.

Quentin Blake - Mr Magnolia. Cockatoos. Mrs Armitage. Angelica Sprocket's Pockets.

John Burningham - Would you rather? Avocado Baby. The shopping list.

Pat Hutchins - Don’t forget the bacon.

Shark in the Park and Shark in the Dark by Nick Sharrett are huge favourites at the nursery I help in, also Handa's Surprise and You Choose.

Bunny My Honey
Man on The Moon
Any Thomas the Tank Engine.

They are classics so you will already have them but my grandchildren loved being read any of Beatrix Potter’s and still enjoy reading them to themselves, especially at bedtime.

Biggest favourite was The Tailor of Gloucester .

Some wonderful recommendations here!

We adore Elmer, Mog, Spot series so lots along that lines

We do visit the library for those that ask but our nearest one is very small with a tiny kids section which means we don't get to the bigger one very often

We always buy second hand and recirculate the books once we've outgrown them

Can't You Sleep Little Bear? Martin Waddell
Peace at Last and Five Minutes Peace Jill Murphy

My youngest grandson loves “not now Bernard” used to be his dad’s.
My big shouting day
You can’t scare a princess- good pictures
Open very carefully

Oh Dear! By Rod Campbell
In a Minute by Tony Bradman
Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas

Jez albrough - hug, duck in a truck, it's a bear

Jon klaasen ones - I want my hat back

Most Michael Rosen books but especially a great big cuddle, my kids used to go mad for it at that age

I think the main thing is to have lots of books and act like they're a delightful treat:)

Giant jam sandwich

All Julia Donaldson
all Dr Seuss
far away tree

aldo go round charity shops, some
of our favourites I’ve never seen anywhere else, hedgehog howdedo, down by the cool of the pool,

padington
wombels

The Happy Families series by Allan Ahlberg.
Topsy and Tim (we liked the 1990s editions).
Winnie the Witch.
(I hate Owl Babies 😂)

So Much - Trish Cooke

Didn't matter what else was read, this had to feature.

@haveatye oh god yes....
Giant Jam Sandwich is one of the best 🐝

We loved,
Posy and pip books
giraffes can’t dance
Ian whybrow books - the tickle book, bedtime bear etc
jan ormerod. If you’re happy and you know it

Just to add a few more recent books...

Look Up/Clean Up
Shifty McGifty
Frank and Bert
King Lion
A Dress With Pockets
Mermaid Moon
Thunderboots

An old favourite of ours is "Pass the jam, Jim" by Kaye Umansky and Margaret Chamberlain. I still have the copy my boys enjoyed when little, and still read it to children now. (My boys are in their 20's, the book was published 1993) Jim also appears in a book about having his haircut and one about going swimming but I don't have those so don't know their exact titles. Something like "Need a Trim, Jim" and Can you swim, Jim?

Pip and Posy and the Ten Minutes To Bed books are the most read here!

Oliver Jeffers books - especially Lost & Found and The Incredible Book Eating Boy.

Shaun Tan's The Lost Thing was another favourite. Also his artwork is extraordinary, though some of the other books might be a little bleak for toddlers.