Baby`s first birthday..............asked to buy books!

[triplets]

I`m all for that! Bit out of touch as to what nice books there are for babes, any ideas please?

[ZingWantsCake]

good decision and very generous of you!

[triplets]

Right, have ordered 3 Alison Jeffers and 2 Its not my..... books plus Each Peach Pair Plum which was my late sons fav book when he was small. Thank you for all the brilliant suggestion :)

[ZingWantsCake]

The "It's not my...." books are brilliant!

hard pages, few words, big print and besr of all "feely" details - excellent for sensory development (smooth, scratchy, shiny, furry bits. I love them! )

[Bakingtins]

Oops double post - sorry.

[Bakingtins]

Ladybird Baby Touch books tactile board books
Big book of my World lovely book with bright illustrations covering colours, shapes, numbers, objects, on the farm etc etc
Can you find me? spotting book
Usborne lift and look board books many many variations but all good.

Neither of my children were interested in stories until they were two, but they loved "spotting" books and flaps.

[Bakingtins]

Ladybird Baby Touch books tactile board books
Big book of my World lovely book with bright illustrations covering colours, shapes, numbers, objects, on the farm etc etc
Can you find me? spotting book
Usborne lift and look board books many many variations but all good.

Neither of my children were interested in stories until they were two, but they loved "spotting" books and flaps.

[babybythesea]

Meg and Mog - dd was loving them by 18 months. You can get sets in bags which she also liked. This set, in fact: www.amazon.co.uk/Meg-Mog-Six-books-bag/dp/B002Y1FGVQ/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378742906&sr=1-13&keywords=meg%20and%20mog&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Also this treasury: www.amazon.co.uk/Hutchinson-Treasury-Read-Aloud-Various/dp/0091767989/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378742952&sr=1-4&keywords=hutchinson%20treasury%20of%20children%27s%20literature&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

There's a great range of stories in there, including some classics (like where the wild things are) but also less well known ones. And it will last for years. We started reading some of the stories in it to dd when she was around 1(like Titch, by Pat Hutchins) but some of them she's still not ready for aged 4.5. We use it a lot. And you can get another volume called Hutchinson's Treasury of Children's Literature, and one of poetry.

[Periwinkle007]

poetry often gets forgotten - try Poems for Young Children - Miles Kelly publishing (might find it cheap in TKMaxx, have seen it in there recently a few times for £3.99 - about £6.99 on Book Depository and under £10 on Amazon normally). We were given it as a present and my kids love it, we have bought it for lots of presents since. over 300 classic poems for children, wonderful for a child to keep and enjoy for many many years with beautiful illustrations.

[triplets]

That's a nice idea Mortified my fav book was a Ladybird book, Tiptoes the Mischievious Kitten :)

[teabagpleb]

Tactile board books. Board books with flaps. And a bath book. Bath books are great!
Ladybird do some great fairy tales and other board books.

[giddly]

Hippos go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton. You can see it being read on youtube: . Taught both my kids to count very young, and I still find it hilarious for some reason.

[Meglet]

I'm trying to remember what I enjoy reading...

Shark in the park.
Bottoms up.
Shoe Baby.
Tell me something happy before I go to sleep.
Anything by Mick Inkpen.

The Wibbly Pig board books are cute, and very short.

[LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops]

Beatrix Potter, classics which can be read to a toddler and the illustrations are lovely.

[RobotHamster]

Yy to Julia Donaldson acorn wood. Nobody's ever heard of them and the box set is a great present.

[RobotHamster]

Not the gruffalo or where the wild things are. They're brilliant books, but seem to be the first choice for presents, we have 3 of each!

Oliver Jeffers is a great suggestion though

[Mumzy]

Shirley Hughes

[Mumzy]

Also the Sarah Garland series, few words but beautiful illustrations which all my dcs loved looking at the everyday tasks from a child's eye view
www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Sarah%20garland&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3ASarah%20garland&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

books by Shirley hughes again beautiful pictures which both dcs& dps will enjoy
What do people do all day by Richard Scary ds1 had that read to him every night for 6 months
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs has come out every December in the lead up to Xmas for the past 11 years

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

Also, A Very Hungry Caterpillar - there are a few different versions you can buy - with flaps, finger holes etc.

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

Pants by Nick Sharratt and Giles Andreae
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
Tiger Who Came to Tea
Any book of rhymes / nonsense

Also remember its important to buy books that the parents enjoy reading - anything that's funny / non-preachy or has lovely rhyming sounds and is short goes down well.

There are a lot of AWFUL children's books. THomas the Tank Engine and most TV tie ins or supermarket anthologies of stories tend to be dire.

[greenhill]

Peepo by the Ahlbergs is brilliant, it's very soothing to listen to and as they get older they'll notice more of the details in the pictures.
Also any of the Hairy Maclary and Slinki Malinki stuff by Lynley Dodd, they are very funny and can bear the repetition.

[TiredFeet]

Julia donaldson's tales from acorn wood are great, beautifully illustrated and lift the flap with lovely simple rhyming stories

Or any julia donaldson books, my son loved the gruffalo even as a baby

Or the Pip and Posy books by axel scheffler are great, beautiful detailed pictures and a toddler friendly story line

The spot books/ dear zoo - every child loves these

I have also liked busy airport/ busy harbour. Lots of detail in the pictures and bits to pull and turn

[BonzoDooDah]

OK not Babette Cole ... was Helen Oxenbury ... fabulous books ...

www.bookstart.org.uk/books/booklists/33/28894/

[MortifiedAdams]

Julia Donaldson - Stick Man. Love it.

Or, buy your favourite book from your cjildhood. Even if its not suitable for a one year old they will grow.into it and it is very thoughtful.

[BonzoDooDah]

Any with flaps and mirrors are excellent...
Monkey and me
mirror me was as favourite of dd s
Goodnight moon also - maybe hard to find but loved
Ones with touchy stuff like This little ... annoying as hell to read but enjoyed by babies
The babette cole books (I think it's her - am on phone so can't look) with baby pictures in like Tickle Tickle are marvellous. Babies love pictures of other babies doing things. My children did the actions with these again and again.

[triplets]

Fabulous choice.........off to Amazon, thank you!