Good books as presents eg recommended but unlikely to have already

[Yellowflowers]

I like buying books as presents - for the newborn baby and for birthdays and Christmas. Obviously lots of children already have The Gruffalo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar etc, so just wondered which books you recommend as presents that are good but not so popular so they are unlikely to have it already. Thanks

Zagazoo. Brilliant. Quentin Blake. Every parent should read it. Actually, anything by Quentin Blake.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. Lovely illustrations. Lovely rhyming text. Makes me cry every single time I read it to DD (little fingers! little toes! ).

great minds think alike

Emily Gravett - Orange Apple Pear Bear and Monkey and Me. Both fabulous repetitive sounds for small babies. DS is nearly 2 and has adored OAPB since he was a few weeks old, and we had M&M out of the library so much earlier this year they wouldn't let us renew it anymore and we had to buy our own copy.

I'm australian so get sent a lot of australian ones that aren't widely known here but nonetheless lovely stories with beautiful illustrations. Possum Magic is a favourite.
I also think Sandra Boynton's books are under-appreciated here - Moo Baa La La La is wonderful.
Richard Scarry's mystery books as well (the great Pie Robbery, he does a pop up called The Busiest Pop up Ever! which is fab and a great present).
Oliver Jeffers' How to catch a star in hardback is simply wonderful and magical.

So many fab ideas - thank you so much. x

Love this one - Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney also:
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A Milne - favourite in this household
For older children:
Tom's Midnight Garden
The Silver Sword
Swallows and Amazons

My girls (just 2, and 3) love Nick Sharratt. The illustrations are bright and bold and the rhyming of 'Shark in the Park' and 'Pants' are particular favourites with us. They both know them word for word and we play lots of games around them (making telescopes, hiding a plastic toy shark when we're out and about, fabric pens and ribbons on knickers...) maybe a book present and a make and do present for after reading

The Green Ship by Quentin Blake for 5+

Also a nicely illustrated book of fairy stories (Grimm, Anderson etc) so that children don't think that Snow White, the Little Mermaid etc are Disney creations

These are all the books/authors I remember having from when I was little.

The Wizard of Oz
The Velveteen Rabbit
We're going on a bear hunt
Eric Carle
The Gruffalo
Hug
Owl Babies
Water Babies
Just So Stories
The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Because I Love You
You Are Special
You Are Mine
When We Were Very Young
I Love You Forever
Oh The Places You'll Go
The Story of Babar
The Tale of the Three Trees
Wind in the Willows
Peter Pan
Rupert Bear
Paddington Bear
A. A. Milne Winne the Pooh stories
Thomas the Tank Engine (old editions with beautiful pictures by C. Reginald Dalby)
Beatrix Potter
Narnia
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Madeline
Pippi Longstocking
Milly Molly Mandy
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Trebizon
The Real Tooth Fairy by Marilyn Kaye
Anything by Dr Seuss
Judy Blume
Anne Fine
Chalet School
Swallows and Amazons
What Katy Did
Charlotte's Web
Dick King Smith
Roald Dahl
Little Women
Animal Ark
Mary Poppins
Five Children and It
The Borrowers
Home Farm Twins
Aquila
Robin Hood
The Worst Witch
Demon's Headmaster
Jacqueline Wilson
My Naughty Little Sister
Topsy and Tim
Flat Stanley
Matt Buckingham
Kaye Umansky
Philippa Pearce
Scooby Doo

Also:

Black Beauty
Sam McBratney
Ian Serraillier
Puffin books
Quentin Blake
Noel Streatfeild
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rudyard Kipling
E Nesbit
Margaret Bateson-Hill
Edward Lear
Richard Scarry
Lynley Dodd
Nick Butterworth

Allan Ahlberg
Clive King
Richmal Crompton
Robert Louis Stevenson

The Sleepover Club

My DD was given a collection of children's Shakespeare (12 books in all). Fantastic and now I'm a bit more clued up too. Again, these will be for when she's older.

But also (and less pricey than an 'adult' collection)
No Matter What
Pants
AA Milne When we were very young (someone else suggested, but this is beautiful for children't poetry, I love it)
A squash and a squeeze

I also like giving book ends for the books...

Jill Murphy's books (Large Family/ Peace at Last/ Whatever Next)

Giles Andreasa (???) - Commotion in the Ocean/Rumble in the Jungle

Mick/Mike Inkpen - Kipper/ Blue Balloon

There is also a whole range of stories based on the African animals ... The Enormous Elephant, Laughing Giraffe/ Crafty Chameleon ...

So Much
Hairy McClary
The minor Seusses
The Paper Bag Princess
The Sailor Dog

Teddy Robinson books for the slightly older child.

For babies + toddlers:
Charley Harper's ABC
and
anything by Alison Jay - all her board books are gorgeous and great value on Amazon.

For pre-school:
Anything by Mo Willems
Anything by Mick Inkpen - particularly The Blue Balloon
The Octonauts series is fab

For older children:
David Weisner has some lovely picture books for older children

You may well not have heard of these:
www.amazon.co.uk/Bottomby-Simon-Cheshire/dp/0956504914
www.amazon.co.uk/Jeremy-Brown-Spy-Simon-Cheshire/dp/0956504906
But they're very funny. I don't know any child who's read them who didn't think they were great

Alfie and Annie Rose books
My Naughty Little Sister
The Bell Family
Lucy & Tom books
Anything else written or illustrated by Shirley Hughes.

The Chocolate Biscuit Tree - I love this one - about a badger who finds a chocolate biscuit left behind in the forest after a picnic and instead of sharing it, plants it to try and grow a chocolate biscuit tree, and then can't remember where he planted it.

Another top favourite is Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaur Rumpus by Tony Mitten - the best read aloud book I know.

Some more subversive favourites are A Pigs book of Manners - about a little boy - Johnny Squelch Nose - who is badly behaved - is rude at parties and improves his behaviour only when Claude Curly Tail the pig moves in next door and gets invited to everything - and lots of other great books by the same author - "Where Willie went" - the best book I have seen explaining conception, and "Jesus' Christmas Party" - also VG - a lovely Christmas book about a grumpy innkeeper who is being kept awake by people knocking on the inn door and finally by a throng of angels etc etc - also "the Queen's Knickers" etc etc all very funny

My DD loves the 'Little Rabbit' books by Harry Horse
Also Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie
Percy the Park Keeper - lots of those
John Burningham - don't think anyone has mentioned him yet - slightly different childrens books - Mr Gumpys outing, the Mouse that wanted to play the balalaika.

Hi,Im Maggie,after reading your message, thought I could help.My husband and I self published 2 childrens books a short while ago.Both are colour illustrated throughout. Titles are,, (,The house with no snow)and (Soooperb Spiders).The house with no snow, is about Bullying.The school whimp slowly shows he can over come his fear, and deals with the bully.. Sooooperb Spiders, shows that girls can be strong and assertive, while boys can be sensitive. Both are exciting adventure stories.If you pay for the postage I will send you them free.It would be helpful if you visited my facebook page, and shared it with your friends if your child is happy with the books.

'Where is the Green Sheep?' by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek.
This is a beautiful Australian book and no-one in UK seems to have seen it and it is absolutely wonderful. Beautiful illustrations and amusing simple text. In board book form is probably best. My kids adore it.

www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Green-Sheep-Judy-Horacek/dp/0152067043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286040310&sr=8-1

getting on this thread, thanks for all the recommendations

One I love (and so does DS) about having a baby brother or sister is called Little Brother and the cough there's a bit in it that goes ROCK HIS PRAM AND ROCK HIS PRAM AND ROCK HIS PRAM UNTIL IT TIPS OVER AND TIPS HIM OUT and we do the actions :o

I'm coming late to this thread, but would really like to recommend Possum Magic

DD (4) absolutely loves it