First non picture book to read to my 4yo son

[starfish8]

Hi

With Christmas coming I'd like to buy my 4yo son a non picture book I can read to him at bedtimes.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Given his age, I'm guessing I need something with chapters that aren't too lengthy and would keep him engaged.

Any ideas?

Thanks :-)

The owl who was afraid of the dark

Or even better - dr Seuss . I gifted my children the dr Seuss box set at 4/5 and it was the best ever bedtime reading . They’re 11/12 now but still have it .

The Twits

The Paddington books are lovely. We started them at about that age I think. Or the younger Roald Dahl - Fantastic mr Fox, The Giraffe The Pelly and Me.

Charlie and the Chocolate factory was the first one I read to ds at about that age. Chapters are nice and short and each night we’d just do a recap on what had happened in the last one.

Yes he had Dr Seuss for his birthday not long ago.

Maybe Roald Dahl next as a Xmas present, The Book People do a set at a great price.

Sorry, eating my lunch...meant to say he loves the Dr Seuss books!

My ds likes the wishing chair and faraway tree books by Enid Blyton. Not everyone's cup of tea mind but he loves them and they have sentimental value for me.

Any Julia Donaldson. My 5 year old still loves them. Favourites here are:
Gruffalo
Gruffalo Child
Stickman
Room on a Broom
What the Ladybird heard
Snail on the Whale
Cave Baby

Dr Seuss are very popular here too, but I found the Roald Dahl set more suited to my older child at 6-7.

My Father's Dragon. A classic and perfect to read aloud to 4-6 year olds. There are a few pictures to break it up, too.

The Beaver Towers series are quite simple chapters.

Ds loved Farmer Boy (one of the Little House series) when he was 4yo.

My Father's Dragon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Magic Faraway Tree trilogy, Paddington have all gone down well with DS, who will be 4 soon. The biggest problem I'm finding with picking chapter books, is being sure the themes aren't too mature/upsetting for age 3/4 (and especially that nobody dies!)

I know you asked for a non picture book but have you seen the Usborne beginner books, they're a range of information books which are very cheap second hand on amazon. They are great for introducing nonfiction books and make a change from stories every night. There's a whole range of topics, they have chapters so you can read one a night. My 4yo ds likes to choose a chapter to read together. His current favourite book is called Bugs. (I don't work for Usborne but do love their books!)

Flat Stanley is good - and if he likes them there are lots of them now. Roald Dahl also fun to read but I would avoid The Witches and The BFG unless you have a fairly robust four year old. Winnie-the-Pooh is nice for this age, and possibly even The Wind in the Willows. Pippi Longstocking and My Naughty Little Sister also went down well at four and are nice and gentle for bedtimes.

Pippi Longstocking
Jolly Rogers (Johnny Duddle)
Dixie O'Day by Shirley Hughes and Claire Vuillamy
Claude by Alex T Smith
Percy The Park Keeper (blimey, just realised I haven't read those for a long time, sniff)
My Naughty Little Sister
Lotta Says No
The Alan Ahlberg Happy Families series
Parrot Park by Mary Murphy

Ive just bought Tom fletchers The Creakers to read to mine at bedtime which we will give as a Christmas present. Ive also preordered his Christmasaurus which we will be reading a chapter a night through December as sort of an advent calendar type thing.

Wow! Thanks everyone - lots to look up on Amazon later :-)

The Book With No Pictures - Novak