Your top five books for under 3s?

[Smithagain]

I run a toddler group and I'd like to upgrade our book collection.

If you had to draw up a list of the five all time greatest books for children aged about 18 months to three years, what would you include?

I'd like to have some things that the mums (first timers in particular) might not have come across yet, but should have on their bookshelves!

The Hungry Caterpillar

My two favourites at the moment are;

The Snail and the Whale
Dont Your Dare Dragon

Dear Zoo
The Gruffalo
Monkey Puzzle
Guess how much I love you

Hairy Maclary, The Gruffalo, Egg Drop, Snail and The Whale and Room on the Broom. I know 3 of the are Julia Donaldson and Axel Sceffler (sp?) but I love those books!

We're going on a bear hunt
Dear Zoo
The very hungry caterpillar
Owl babies
My mum and dad make me laugh

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

Anything Maisy for the nearly 3s.

Spot ...

Anything with flaps so they can join in. So long as you are able to supervise and make sure they don't just tear the flaps off .

definitely we're going on a bear hunt - that was my dds' favourite book for years - in fact I recently bought a copy for my new godson.

Room on the broom
Poppy cats dream
10 sleepy bunnies

Oh Dear (same author as Dear Zoo, but better I think)
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Peepo

Sadly (for me) the winners above all fab books are Thomas the blooming Tank Engine ones! My DS cannot get enough of them.
Also anything by Rod Campbell - Buster's Day etc

The Baby's Catalogue

Dear Zoo

Hug

Tom and Pippo books

Wobble Bear Says Yellow

Llama Llama Red Pyjama

Goodnight Moon

Dear Zoo
Hungry Caterpillar
That's not my....fairy/tractor/dinosaur - v. touchy feely
We're going on a bear hunt

Goodnight Moon
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Peepo
So Much

everyone hide from wibbly pig

Tell me something happy before I go to sleep (so sweet)

our current favourite (for 16 month old dd) is called something like Buster at the Farm and involves Buster looking for eggs and visiting lots on animals. Is card and has flaps (a winning combination).

oh yes I had forgotten that wibbly pig one - will have to have a hunt through the books for some more that ds2 will enjoy.

Bear Hunt
Eat your peas, I used to use this at toddler group and they loved it.
Also used one called something along the lines of ten in a bed.
So much
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Ten Little Monsters used to have them screaming with delight.

Oh yes, dd(16mnths) and ds(3yrs10mths) both love Dear Zoo and We're going on a Bear Hunt. And DS loves all the Thomas Books, Mr Men, Little Miss.

thats Oh Dear I think Tasssis - ds(2) loves it.

Shoe Baby
Hooray for Fish
Biscuit Bear
Kiss Goodnight Sam
Lost and Found