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!

One Bear at Bedtime by Mick Inkpen

in addition to ones already mentioned.

Isn't it amazing that out of all the books published, we have all chosen the same ones! I forgot Lulu and the Flying Babies though, which no one has mentioned yet and which has been popular chez seeker for 11 years now.

Well you may not like Ahlberg Nighbynight, but I have three girls who all love everything they have ever drawn or written.

Bear hunt drives me mad... I just really struggle to get into it so DDs have to rely on nursery for that one. Gruffalo's Child is going to be unavailable at our local library for some time until I can find a copy going cheap somewhere - that's much more fun

nighbynight you probably think the Ahlbergs unoriginal because they've been copied so many times!

I love the illustrations in Peepo- they are my gran's house to a T (but then I am very old)

I sell children's books and would be very happy to give you a great discount if you're placing a large order. Please contact me at [email protected] if you're interested.

In addition to all the ones mentioned above I would probably add more Julia Donaldson ones like Gruffalo, Tiddler, Room on the Broom etc and also some Nick Sharratt ones like Pantsa and also the Jolly Postman.

Let me know if I can help you. Thanks

Monkey with the right Blue Bottom, ds loves that

agree with Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, the Smartest Giant in Town

Also rhyming ones like The Giraffe who can't Dance (I forget the author)

Ds loves anything with dinosurs in The Very Dizzy Dinoasaur is a good one

Oh yes and the Charlie and Lola ones are great

the gruffalo
the gruffalo's child
the very hungry caterpiller
Harry and the dinosaurs (all of them!)
the apple tree farm series

Maisy books too

Has anyone mentioned Blue Kangaroo yet?

peter duck
ds fav book is You Choose..though he choose the same things for about 6 months....!
its a great book..

room on the broom
(can recite most of it unaided now)
et al they are good

dr suess.. green eggs and ham is a big favourite

DD used to love Blue Kangaroo. We've still got them - the early ones in paperback, quite battered, and the later ones in hardback, less so - sad that she is really too old for them now (7) but she'll still have them now and then as bedtime "comfort reading"!

Agree PD - This morning dd woke up a bit earlier than norm, came in with us for a bit and then got bored. She wanted to get dressed so I told her to go and do it herself (she's just 3 so didn't think it would be too successful) and we left her a while and when we went to find her we found her sat (not remotely dressed) in a pile of books which she'd been 'reading'. I sooo hope that love of books lasts (she loves tv too before I start sounding too smug and wholesome !)

The hungry caterpillar

Dear zoo

bear hunt

peepo

each peach pear plum

The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Dear Zoo
We're Going on A Bear Hunt
The Gruffalo
The Duck in a Truck

PD..that is a familiar scenario lol ...

am hankering after these reading days, actually...
ds insists atm on underground travel leaflets and bicycle brochures
...tad tedious, but we are all up-to-date on the various public transport changes about to happen......

Dear Zoo
Pants
Ketchup on your Cornflakes
Percy Park Keepers - One Snowy Night
Kippers Monster

For something completely different but I know your children would love it have a look at www.love2read.co.uk I'm a primary school teacher and originally made these books to get my own children interested in reading.The site allows you to create bespoke books by uploading personal photographs that reflect a child's world. Those images are then related to simple key reading words[known as high frequency words and taught in Reception class]. Once the book is created it is professionally produced and sent in the post.I suggest for your nursery you take photos of the different areas or people the children see daily and then create a book "I see" or "This is".Under the photos then complete the sentence, for example "I see the books", "I see the home corner" or "This is Emma", "This is Smithagain". It is really easy I promise you!
As a mum of three and a teacher I know your children will love these books. Click here to see a virtual demo book: www.love2read.co.uk/component/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,38/vmcchk,1/

BigBadMouse - I have a Gruffalo's Child book. If you're interested please email me at [email protected]
Thanks

Hairy Maclary (any of them, although the cat show one isn't quite up to standard IMO)

Each Peach Pear Plum

Tiger Who Came to Tea

Dig, Dig, Digging

Hippos Go Berserk

Thse are ds's current favourites. The Gruffalo, anything with Kipper and Wibbly Pig, and the Hungry Caterpillar, also rank highly.

Hi Smithagain

Contact Usborne Books and ask if they have an organiser in your area - they can get you free books and discounts. If it was plausible to do a sponsored read (or read-to where the kids are read to) you could basically get all the book free with the sponsorship money + the free books you get (up to 60%) - or you can order from them at a discount / free books that way. It'll save you a fortune, get you loads of lovely Usborne books and the money saved you can buy equipment/other non-usborne books etc.

The main number is:01865 883731 - I'd help you as I'm an organiser but unless youre in North Yorkshire youre best off ringing that number and asking for a local organiser to ring you with the Possibility of an event/sale.

Hope this helps