Chapter book to read to a 3 year old

[Birdsandblossom]

My three year old DD loves listening to stories and enjoys a variety, Julia Donaldson, Shirley Hughes' Alfie books etc. I'd like to start reading a chapter book to her each evening. Any suggestions where to start? Unsure if Roald Dahl would be too old?

Fantastic Mr Fox is good.

Wasn't sure if that was too scary for a three year old?! She's quite sensitive and I think the eating and shooting would play on her mind! Maybe I'm remembering it more scary than it is though.

Something by Dick King Smith? The hodgeheg? I’ve just tried Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder to my 4 yr old and she’s been surprising into it. Although I have been surprised how much ‘editing’ it needed. I read it as a child but had not remembered how much it was ‘of it’s time’. There is a lot about guns and hunting too. So it might not be appropriate? DD really seems to get Laura who is only 4 turning 5 in this book. It’s quite different from the other little house books.

Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner - while they are ‘chapter books’ within the meaning of the act, the chapters are pretty self-contained so don’t require too much holding of the plot from night to night.

Miss out the scary bits, change them a bit

I think I read Milly-Molly-Mandy to my DD at about this age. Also Teddy Robinson.

I tried the Hodgeheg with my 5yo and there were many jokes that went way over her head. She enjoyed it, but I'd say it's for slightly older children.
If your DD enjoyed the Alfie books, she'll probably enjoy My Naughty Little Sister which is also by Shirley Hughes.

Mrs Pepperpot stories
The Adventures of the Wishing Chair
Tales of Brambly Hedge
Wind in the Willows
The Railway Cat
Mr Majeika
Flat Stanley

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I can't believe I forgot all about Dick King Smith!

The Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf stories are good. Each is self contained, but they do build on each other.

One of mine loved the lion the witch & the wardrobe at 3 (but the other is only managing that much at 6 so very child dependent i think!)
Paddington (especially the first book) & Winnie the Pooh have been loved by them all at 3

My Naughty Little Sister by Dorothy Edwards.
Iggy & Me (a modern day version of My Naughty Little Sister!) by Jenny Valentine.
Enchanted Wood books by Enid Blyton.
Or even the Rainbow Magic books!

Magic Animal Friends do an early reader series which have lovely stories with nice short chapters. If she likes My Little Pony there is also an early reader set of these, we got ours from B&M for £1 each.

Zoe's Rescue Zoo series by Amelia Cobb.

Milly Molly Mandy was enjoyed by my DD at about that age.

Yes yes to Milly-Molly-Mandy, Mrs Pepperpot (which my preteens still love ) and Clever Polly.

Dahl is too old, mainly, but The Enormous Crocodile would work.

Paddington, Flat Stanley and Dick King-Smith are best for slightly older children IMO and E - 4-7ish. Same goes for the Wombles.

I think the full Pooh stories are also best for a somewhat older child, but we have some nice illustrated books with shortened versions of some of the stories which my older two loved at 2-3ish.

My 2.5yo loves having poems read to her atm. Perhaps get some lovely poetry collections for young children?

If you haven't done them already, the Katie Morag stories are nice for a short bedtime read. They're not 'chapter books', but the stories refer to one another.

Some longer stand-alone stories like Burglar Bill might work. The Man Who Wore All His Clothes etc (also Ahlberg) have very short chapters.

We found a Jeremy James book (How the Lion Lost his Lunch) at a second-hand fair when my two were small and they really enjoyed that between 3 and 6-ish.

A lot of these are out of print, but we loved:

Where Matthew Lives/ Matthew’s Secret Surprises
Tales of Joe and Timothy
Milly Molly Mandy
Meet Mary Kate and the sequels
Faraway Tree/ Wishing Chair
Milly Molly Mandy
My Naught Little Sister

Oh also Anne Fine’s Jamie and Angus books

The owl who was afraid of the dark, and the others in the series.

Not so much chapter books but DS has loved the Dr Seuss books from when he was about 2. The birthday book is a firm favorite with our family tradition being that the book is read cover to cover the night before their birthday.

The Enormous Crocodile

That's an excellent book! My older two loooooved this book at 3. And although not a chapter book, it's meaty and so entertaining. One of our all time faves.

What about Stuart Little?

beatrix potter
winnie the pooh
fairytales like rapunzel, goldilocks, hansel and gretel - great if she likes disney films as a lot of them are made from fairytales
sophie in the saddle books
the just so stories
roald dahls the giraffe, the pelly and me and the twits
jacqueline wilsons video rose, lizzie zipmouth and the monster storyteller
enid blytons the wishing chair and faraway tree series
but at 3 most children are just reading picture books. i work in a nursery school and its all we're going on a bear hunt and i love you blue kangaroo. However all children grow up at different paces. its about whats finding whats right for them.

Magic Faraway Tree
The Hodgeheg
Ladybird books

Loads of ideas at library too

Probably not what you are after but Mort sends my 4 year old off to sleep wonderfully. I skip over some bits and couldn't say how much he is taking it in but he asks for it most nights.

Maybe look at your library's early reader section or ladybird books I find them quite often in charity shops

@AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight I read my nearly 3 year old the Enormous Crocodile and she was traumatised, screaming 'run away' to the children in the book!

Squishy McFluff books? Though they don't take long to get through.

My girl also enjoys the Beatrix Potter books.