What books would you recomend for my 5 year old DD who can't read?

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, my daughter is five and a half and is just learning phonics sounds and although she brings very basic booring books home from school for her to "read" to me, she can't actually read, she just memorises sertain words.
Anyway, she loves being read to but I think she's getting a bit old for books like The Gruffalo and other picture books. Although she still loves them, I'd like to find some that are more suitable for her age.
All the books that are recommended as age 5+ seem to be early reading books which are very simple and booring.
Are there any books you could recommend for her?

We have three, IIRC Good Luck AH and Hoorah for AH are the other two.

MummyLL, have fun finding some good books - I found it really lovely when dd was old enough to listen to more complex stories, just a really nice time for both of us.

The Moomin comic strip books are lovely.

Anna Hibiscus books on wayMy African accent is terrible tho..

Surely it's got to be Horrid Henry - my youngest absolutely loved them and still can't bear to part with them even though she's now 11! We once went to listen to Francesca Simon at the Cambridge Word Fest - she was brilliant with the children and even read them a brand new unpublished story - Henry and the School Trip (or similar). She explained how young children love extremes horrid/perfect and the alliteration and rhythm in all the names - and how they relish Henry's subversiveness. I am usually anti "series" books, which feed on the girls' desire to collect sparkly things, without paying much attention to quality - we went through the all - Magic Puppy, Kitten, Jenny Dale, Rainbow Fairies etc etc - all very dull, and now consigned to Oxfam but they served a purpose, but the Henrys are still up there and the only ones that are genuinely dogeared from my daughter's irritating habit of book-spine flicking".

Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry series, has written a book called "Don't Cook Cinderella". My daughter - who HATES chapter books - will allow me to read this to her. She will also tolerate "Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf". Like "My Naughty Little Sister", each chapter is a stand-alone short story.

There is a series by Allan Ahlberg - The MAn Who Wore All Of His CLothes & The CHildren Who SMelled A Rat etc... which we are enjoying.

I have also lined up The Worst Witch, Gobbolino The WItches Cat, CHarlottes Web and the longer Daisy Books by Nick SHarratt.

But she does ADORE Milly Molly Mandy & My Naughty Little Sister. Teddy Robinson is another standby and we have read a few Mrs Pepperpot. Pippi Longstocking was rejected as were The Wombles.

Sorry, what's up with Rainbow Fairies? Never seen them...what's the objection?

Greythorne, from my POV they are repetative and formulaic. IMO, they are written to target little girls with the same names - Ruby, Violet, Heather, Isobel, Amber etc. Dreadful things and I was so glad when DD outgrew them. She does still have the one with her name on though.