Future classics and great recent books for 0-4

[LeeMiller]

I have a new baby who I want to start building a book collection for, starting with board books. My 1.5 and 3.5 year old niece and nephew are visiting shortly and love being read to so I'm also thinking of also buying some books for them to enjoy wihle here which I can keep for DS. Since I won't be choosing the books to suit the interests of a specific child I'm interested in sure-fire hits.

I'm familiar with the classics from my own childhod (Eric Carle, the Ahlbergs, Dr Seuss, Judith Kerr etc) and some of the super famous more modern stuff like the Gruffalo and Bear Hunt. But beyond that I have no clue about stuff published in the last 10, 15 years or so.

Does anyone have any recommendations for really great recent books that you can't go wrong with? The kind of books that will become classics in the future? Stuff by authors like Oliver Jeffers, Chris Haughton, Herve Tullet, Jon Klassen looks appealing but I'm not sure which to choose. And there must be many other wonderful things I've never come across.

All 3 kids are being raised bilingual in non-English speaking countries so anything particularly stimulating language-wise (beyond normal parental interaction when reading!) is of particular interest.

PS A while ago I asked for recommendations which led to me buying Stuck by Oliver Jeffers for DN, it couldn' have been a bigger hit, which is why I'm turning the the wisdom of MN again. :-)

My 2 year old DS loves anything by Julia Donaldson, the very hungry caterpillar, peepo, any counting books, books where you have to find things (ie where are the zebras) Alfie books, Meg and mog, the That’s not my... series and a picture book called the greedy bee. He absolutely loves books and will look at them all day long but the above are what he goes back to again and again

not recent but you can't go wrong with Shirley Hughes.

Shirley huges is not a bad call.

The rainbow fish and six dinner sid are both very good too.

Anything funnybones (those are all from my childhood though really. Ds is five and his bookshelf is dominated by Julia Donaldson)

The first explorers books are good, especially "Brilliant Bugs"

I love Meg and Mog!

Also check out Mini Grey and Emily Gravvit. Some are a bit older readership but "Apple Pear Orange Bear" is simple but funny!

Oh and David A Carter's Bugs books...

The Oi! books - Oi Cat, Oi Frog, Oi Dog. Wherever you are my love will find you, by Nancy Tillman.

Another nice one by Oliver Jeffers is The Way Back Home.

A nice funny one which incidentally demonstrates the power of collective action (should you be so inclined) is click clack moo, cows that type.

Lullaby lion is a really nice board book with good illustrations - good for bedtime.

And my last suggestion is a really old one that many in the UK are not familiar with but has soothed generations of American children to sleep. Goodnight moon.

Wonkey Donkey. Huge hit in our house at Christmas.

Jonny Duddle's books are great. My 4 year old likes them but they're suitable for slightly older children too. We started with 'Gigantosaurus' but now also have his 'Pirate' books and 'King of Space'.

Oh and congratulations on your new baby!

The day the crayons quit
Mog
Hairy Maclairy
We found a hat

We -I- love Hairy Mclairy and the others in the range.
Michael Rosen is a firm favourite too (Wolfman and Chocolate cake in particular).

Thanks for all the suggestions, off to look them up now while DS is sleeping!

I love Shirley Hughes (especially Dogger) and will definitely be including some of her work in our collection. Mog and Meg and Mog also featured strongly in my own childhood, I guess sometimes the old stuff is the best! But there are lots here that I have never heard of at all, thank you!

I'm especially intrigued by the pro-collection action cow book and the idea of crayons quitting. Since Julia Donaldson is clearly so popular, any specific recommendations beyond the gruffalo - I've seen cheap sets of 10 of her books available, for example, would that be worth it?

*collective action

Owl babies

You might as well get all the Julia Donaldson ones, though Some of them aren’t great

Goodnight moon

Most of the Julia Donaldson books offer nice pictures and language even if the stories are a bit weaker. My son doesn’t like the Gruffalo yet but loves both the Zoh books, room on the broom and what the ladybird heard. I had most of then from when I taught year one so he has inherited. He likes the rhyming and the repetition of some of the lines. You probably can’t go wrong with getting a set

Zog not zoh

The jolly postman and each peach pear plum are nice stories too

I’m not sure it counts as a classic but we got a book called ‘press here’ as a gift and it’s very clever-has my DS in hysterics

Also the lift the flap books ‘rabbits nap’ and ‘fox’s Socks’ are really lovely

My favourite Oliver Jeffers is How To Catch A Star. It's lovely.

As well as Julia Donaldson (my favourite is The Snail And The Whale) and all the Hairy Maclary books (by Lynley Dodd) we love The Monster At The End Of This Book starring Grover from Sesame Street, Beautiful Oops, and The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes.

i love you blue kangaroo and we're going on a bear hunt is amazing as is the polar express
winnie the pooh
peter pan picture book
beatrix potter
shirley hughes
dr seuss
judith kerr
my kids read a lot of picture books. in your local bookshop look for a cover you like the look of and see what you think of it. the giant jumperee is good

@LeeMiller here's a summary of the collective cow action book. The book itself is of course much better written and very funny.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click,_Clack,_Moo

Penguin blue / odd dog out.

The Man on the moon series.
Nanette's baguette.
Lauren child's original Charlie and Lola stories.
Are most requested along with some of those already mentioned.