Of the beaten track suggestions for 4 year old

[growpotatoes]

Want to read with my DC and discover some excellent stories. I'm looking for some really good lesser known books that she won't come across in school. Any suggestions gratefully received.

Brambly Hedge
Anna Hibiscus
Lubna and Pebble
The Water Princess
Because by Mo Willems
Sulwe
Mole’s Sunrise
Mr Grumpy’s Outing and others in the series
The Bear and The Piano

Miranda the Castaway
The Worst Princess (hopefully they will have this at school, but not where we were).
Loved the Olga da Polga books, Michael Bond, and have bought them for others. They may be a bit dated now
Mrs Armitage books by Quentin Blake
And Pass the Jam, Jim...used to know that off by heart
There is a book I am sure was called 'At the Zoo' but there are about 1,000 of these. It was only pictorial, a bit like a Where's Wally, but my goodness it was amazing. You got images of a series of photos at the end because an ape had run off with a man's camera, and you can back track to see what the views were on each page. This is just a tiny part of the visual tricks.

You looking for picture books or chapter books?

For picture books as well as some of the suggestions above, I like the Marmaduke the Different Dragon books by Rachel Valentine, the first one is about being different and making friends, the second about leaving people out.

Other less common books we've liked include The King of Capri by Jeanette Winterson and the Glass Heart by Sally Gardner. If your DC likes slightly humorous books the Pencil by Allan Ahlberg and the Chris Russell picture books (Emperor of Absurdia, Once Upon a Wicked Wood and Wendel and the Robots) are good. Lots of the Quentin Blake ones are good too.

If you are looking for a chapter book, it's less off the beaten track but my 4 year old loved Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf and also the illustrated version of the Iron Man.

Depends what stage you're looking for.

Picture books:
The Baby who wouldn't go to bed
The last train (a bit ghostly but mine loved it)
Elephants don't do ballet

A good idea for that stage is go round charity shops and look what's there. You find some real gems there that people haven't kept because they're not the well known ones.

Small chapter books:
Milly-Mollie-Mandy
Mrs Pepper Pot
Beaver Tower series
Lucy Jane and the Ballet

The mixed up chameleon
Secret seahorse
Ebb and Flo and the baby seal
Russell the sheep

Book Trust have some good ideas guides, often with new authors I haven’t seen elsewhere.

@Ormally

Miranda the Castaway The Worst Princess (hopefully they will have this at school, but not where we were). Loved the Olga da Polga books, Michael Bond, and have bought them for others. They may be a bit dated now Mrs Armitage books by Quentin Blake And Pass the Jam, Jim...used to know that off by heart There is a book I am sure was called 'At the Zoo' but there are about 1,000 of these. It was only pictorial, a bit like a Where's Wally, but my goodness it was amazing. You got images of a series of photos at the end because an ape had run off with a man's camera, and you can back track to see what the views were on each page. This is just a tiny part of the visual tricks.

The zoo book is this one - it is amazing, I agree:

www.amazon.co.uk/Welcome-Zoo-Alison-Jay/dp/184011973X?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

There are three of these picture books which have no words so she can read them herself/to you.

Brambly Hedge so sweet & the details in the pictures are entrancing.

Kingdom of Wrenly

Hamster Princess Harriet brilliant very funny dramatic illustrations & great to read aloud.

Mine all loved being read Narnia at that age too.

Two of my family favourites:

Flap Your Wings by PD Eastman
There's no such thing as a Dragon by Jack Kent

My friends forever.

It’s a children’s friendship journal book
Starts out as a journal but later is filled with stories and information about their loved ones
Making it a unique book