Best & worst Julia Donaldson book? (In your opinion)

[Mummy2022FT]

Just interested.

For me I love Tabby McTat and Smeds & the Smoos. Least favourite is Stickman.

Wbu?

What the ladybird heard is definitely up there.

Least favourite is maybe highway rat or snail and the whale (we didn't have these 2 so they weren't read 400 times a day like all the others)

Many I love, Tiddler, superworm (love insects so the illustrations please me), Zog, ROTB, Smeds and Smoos all great.

Spinderella is a bit boring.

I HATE Ugly Five. I love the unusual animals but I can't stand the cruel meanness of coming up with inventive ways to talk about how ugly they are. I find it quite cruel and it has been unceremoniously removed from rotation!

My favourite is the snail and the whale, followed by the gruffalo. If I think about the gruffalo too much, I start to wonder if the gruffalo is actually a metaphor for the mouse's bravery/courage.
Also liked sharing a shell when DC were younger toddlers.

The scarecrows wedding is weird.

@Sewannoying no I haven't! Thank you I will have a look! :)

I also find the ending to The Ugly Five a bit cringeworthy as well (I don't know why) when you have to sing the 'lovely five' song

Best: Tiddler.
Worst: Stick Man is horrible and upset my child.

@Brk why did it scare him/her? Sorry just genuinely curious

Smeds and Smoos is the best you can basically rap it.

Highway Rat is really cool but I find the ending is just very clear to the kids. Hard to explain how he was tricked. And it’s not like he got much of a comeuppance working in a shop sweeping the floor.

Paper Dolls and The Cave Baby out of the ones I’ve read.

If talking the collabs with Axel Sheffler (which generally seem to be of a higher standard) then I think Snail and Whale isn’t very good. Also how are you supposed to sing Tabby McTats song, it’s awful

Isn’t very clear*

HATED scarecrows wedding and smartest giant in town did my head in... the scanning is dreadful.

I love Charlie cook's favourite book! It's funny and clever and lovely.

I have a real soft spot for a squash and a squeeze though- my grandad made me a tape of play school songs in the early 80's that had Floella Benjamin singing it!

Lots of her early books were written as songs I think?

I love Stickman!
And Rhyming Rabbit and What the Ladybird Heard.

There’s a handful of posts I need to add…. Here’s the best list….

Spinderella is a bit boring and I don't like The Highway Rat.

Monkey Puzzle, Room on the Broom, Gruffalo, A Squash and a Squeeze are great.

And the worst….

Because the Daddy gets abducted and is scared he’ll never see his family again. Can’t remember it all now as three away the book but the Dad is definitely in a dog’s mouth at one point and drifting helpless in a river at another point. Kinda a horrer story for three year olds 🤔

Love them all!!!!

Just realised I got singing mermaid and princess and the wizard muddled up - it was the princess one that was really long and boring to read! Singing mermaid was ok, not the best but not horrible to read.

Hate the ugly 5 dont read it.

The smartest giant annoys me.

Smeds and Smoos I find too political

scarecrows wedding is feeding a wedding consumerism frenzy

Love room on the broom and snail & whale and monkey puzzle

I love them all too! Probably Room on the broom and The snail and the whale are my favourites, Dd would probably add Superworm. I also love the ladybird ones. I can't pick one I dont like.

Think maybe JD worth them for me as dinosaur and war rhyme to me and so do giraffe and scarf.😁

I don’t like the ugly five or the snail and the whale. DD hated the rhyming rabbit!

Our faves are the singing mermaid, sugarlump and the unicorn and the scarecrows wedding.

I don’t mind stickman but only at Xmas time, I think the gruffalo is boring and overrated!

Favourite is Jack and the Flum Flum Tree. I really struggle to like the Smartest giant in town.
I love the rhythm of Tiddler.

Best -
Night Monkey Day Monkey (but only if you do a Proper Yorkshire accent)
Squash and a Squeeze (Irish accent)

Worst-
Super worm
Highway Rat

Tiddler
Snail and the whale
Room on a broom

Not fussed fit what the ladybird heard at the seaside or smartest giant

Best is hard! The Gruffalo, Stickman, Smeds and Smoos and Zog are all favourites here!

Least favourite is The Baddies or the Chistmas Pine (I really wanted to like this but I just don’t)