What are your “must have” children’s books?

[RWK29]

DS1 is 10 weeks old and very alert and already LOVES a bedtime story 😊 hoping to build him a lovely collection of books! He has quite a few already but looking for recommendations of “must have” children’s books that your little ones loved?

The Gruffalo is a firm favourite with DS already. Also enjoyed The Snail and The Whale 😊

I don't like peas (?) author but love the book
The Large Family Jill Murphy
Cops and Robbers

I’m still partial to Giraffes Can’t Dance almost a decade on but my Christ, if I never have to read another Julia Donaldson book it will be too soon.

Giraffes Can’t Dance was always my favorite though.

Tabby Mctat. It has a lovely rhythm when you're reading it, & is rather longer than any of the other Julia Donaldson books.
Also, Mr Pusskins. He's a grumpy but ultimately loveable cat.

I'm thirty- years old and I'm pretty sure my mum can still recite Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy in its entirety, from memory. Poor woman.

I hope I'm not interrupting this lovely thread!

All these books are absolutely lovely and many were firm favourites from my own childhood as an absolute bookworm

Currently struggling with a toddler that doesn't like to be read to AT ALL.

Our biggest success so far has been the Never touch a..monster series.

Any others that people enjoyed for young children that didn't naturally gravitate towards books?

@mumumum3 my DC3 also doesn't like sitting down for long enough to be read to. He likes anything with flaps, and in particular the DK pop up peekaboo series which have fairly intricate pop up scenes behind the flaps. You do have to watch him like a hawk to stop him accidentally ripping them though.

Get a couple of really good poetry anthologies too. You can usually pick up nice ones second hand really cheap.
Poems are nice and short to read, but it surprised me how sophisticated and diverse DC tastes could be. Make sure you get a good mix of modern and traditional poems.

Stick Man
Peepo
All the fairytales (ladybird books)
Gruffalo
Tiger who came to Tea

Mine are older and I bought Roald Dahl treasury so they are enjoying that.

narnia
alice
the snowy day
goodnight, moon
dr suess
pooh

sure, ill think of more

The very hungry caterpillar
Charlie & Lola
Ladybird Bob the Builder books
Just don't buy The Wheels on the Bus musical sounds book, I binned ds copy & the bloody thing was still playing as the bin men wheeled my bin away 10 years after buying it.

All the Julia Reynolds books. My favourite is The Monkey Puzzle and Stick Man

Wow said the owl is good. It teaches colours and the owl is a she which is rare.

@FrankensteinIsTheMonster

I'm thirty- years old and I'm pretty sure my mum can still recite Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy in its entirety, from memory. Poor woman.

I can from reading it to my brother who is over 40...