Books featuring toddler life

[TheSurgeonsMate]

DD is nearly 2. We have lots of great books that we all enjoy, but many of them are pretty way-out or abstract. I would like to include some on more everyday topics. But I fear there will be less fun there for the adult reader. What are the very best quality classics on toddler life?

How about the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes? We have had "Alfie's Feet" from the library at least once, and a current favourite is "Annie Rose is my little sister" (in preparation for DC2 due this summer).
DS also loves the "Little Princess" series by Tony Ross - we quite often get them from the library, although I don't enjoy reading them as much as the Alfie books.

I second Shirley Hughes - any of her books. We also loved So Much (can't remember author) when DD was a toddler.

My DD loved this book - 'Things we Do - First Time Stories to Share and Enjoy (My World). Alas, no longer in print, but still reasonably priced on certain t'internet websites!

Peepo is my dd and my favourite book the Alfie and Annie rose books are also great and the illustrations are gorgeous. The lettice books are also really good

All Shirley Hughes books are fab. The babies catalogue is also great with lots of real life details that babies and toddlers are familiar with.

Cannot beat Shirley Hughes (DD particularly loves "Don't want to go!") also try Katie Morag as DD gets older. My DD also loves the very old ladybird "Shopping with mother", "Helping at home" and that sort of stuff, but I can only bear those every so often (MIL fished out all her old copies, so they are genuine 60s/ 70s ones!)

The Tiger who came to tea?

Not abstract. No. Not at all.

The Lulu series is great. This is Lulu. Lulu's loo. Lulu's shoes etc.

Thank you for these, I've been checking them out on Amazon, and might stroll round to the bookshop in my lunchhour. Somebody, I would never have picked up one of those Lulu books without the recommendation, but they look great fun.

That appears to be my actual daughter standing on the cover of "Don't Want To Go"!

SurgeonsMate, i think that's one of the reasons we love Shirley Hughes so much, she so clearly gets inside a toddler's skin. There's a picture inside "Don't want to go" with the little girl hunched under the table with her comforter which is my daughter in a grump to the life!

My 2 year old loves Topsy and Tim (and I do too!)

Wearymum we have ladybird talkabout shopping from 1974! dd loves it. Was thinking about trying to find some others.

Both my dc have loved the old ladybirds (am v disappointed by newer ladybirds though, as they aren't nearly as good); we have a number of the talkabout ones, as well as the ones above. Ds1 still loves his "Men at work" series ones (sailor, Postman, Shipbuilder) as well as the \British railway Engines and Merchant navy ships. plenty available on abebooks!

Emily Jenkins, who wrote Toys Go Out (fantastic recommendation found on here - it's for about 5-7 year olds) has written books for younger children that feature toddler life. Five Creatures is a good one. It's about a little girl who lives with her parents and two cats, and about how they divide up in various ways according to their likes and dislikes, things they can do etc. - e.g. two of them have long hair, three have short, three of them don't like having baths, one likes singing late at night (one of the cats) and one likes singing in the morning (the father).

DD was just 2 when she started getting into Charlie and Lola. Don't be put off by the ones that are from the series rather than Lauren Child originals - they're all good fun.

Not modern-day toddler life, but she might like the My First Little House books - they're picture books (with lovely illustrations) taken from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. DD has Summertime in the Big Woods, Winter Days in the Big Woods and Christmas ITBW.

Richard Scarry books are also fun - the stories are in short chunks of text, there's lots to look at in the pictures too. Also there are some fact 'stories' in each book with great diagrams ( my DD loves the timber yard / paper mill one).

2nding Shirley Huhges stories, lots of them.

Also recommend Trish Cooke www.amazon.co.uk/Trish-Cooke/e/B001HD1GU2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

The Shirley Hughes Nursery Collection is particularly good for children of around 2.

We had Toddlerobics from the library - was a fun book.

Topsy & Tim (although they are 4/5 supposedly) & Shirley Hughes winners here too.

We love You Choose here, ds is two and a half and every night wants to choose where he would live, what job he would do, etc. Spaceman today, ballerina yesterday. Not quite his actual toddler life but interesting insight on his psychie!

Can I second The Baby Catalogue? DS is 3 1/2 and still adores it. I would also recommend Eat Your Peas. We haven't read the other books in the series, but just-turned-2 yo DD really loves it (and as a bonus it's good for counting)

Mind has gone blank now, but will have a quiet rummage through DD's book boxes when I next check on her...

I would recommend Sarah Garland's books - v simple stories about everyday life, but the pictures are quite humorous, lots to look at and laugh at. We have Doing the Washing and Going on a Picnic

Also Tom and Pippo books by Helen Oxenbury are popular in this house.