Which Julia Donaldson books are most suitable for toddlers?

[Holidaydreamingg]

DC who has just turned 2 absolutely loves reading with us. Her favourite books are the Acorn Woods series and anything else with flaps in!

I’d like to get her some other Julia Donaldson board books for Christmas - which ones are the shortest/aimed at younger readers? I was thinking perhaps Tiddler, Room on the Broom and Gruffalo?

Thanks!

I think they all are tbh. Depends on the skill you’re trying to hammer home. For us it was stranger danger so Gruffalo was ideal.

DS is 26 months and loves the gruffalo (which we have read so much he can can recite from memory), the gruffalo’s child, snail and the whale, the highway rat, what the ladybird heard, and what the lady bird heard next is a particular favourite.

We have a mix of board books and paperback, either work well.

My DC loved Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The Smartest Giant in Town, and Snail and the Whale which is one of my favourite books ever, let alone DC's.

The highway rat! Lovely rhythmic text with galloping horses & simple concepts. We loved it & Dd loved reciting it and acting bits out

All of them!! They're brilliant. Room on the broom, stick man, snail and the whale, a squash and a squeeze - we still quote these years later!!

Some are definitely aimed at children a bit older than your DD currently is, but they'll all be a good investment for when she's a bit older!

As well as Acorn Wood, her books illustrated by Nick Sharratt tend to be aimed at younger ones (Hippo Has a Hat, Chocolate Moose for Greedy Goose, Goat Goes to Playgroup etc). There's also a lovely one called One Ted Falls Out of Bed which is simpler. I think it's illustrated by Anna Curry.

As I said though, all her books including the best known Axel Sheffler classics will be a good investment. Personally I find Monkey Puzzle the most basic of their collaborations and both of mine absolutely adored this one at that age. A Squash and a Squeeze is also one of the more simpler ones too.

Good suggestion of One Ted Falls Out of Bed, good for younger ones.

Monkey puzzle and day monkey night monkey are really good for young toddlers. Slightly older going into preschool I’d say room on the broom and gruffalo.

You're probably thinking of the Axel Sheffler collaborations, which I agree are probably best suited to 3+ as they tend to be a bit longer (although they can definitely still be enjoyed by younger children as the rhythm is beautiful and the illustrations vibrant and inviting). Plus there are the beautiful TV animations to go alongside them these days to capture the interest of even the smallest of children.

A lot of people only think of those classics when they hear Julia Donaldson but she has written so many books, far more than just the really famous ones. Some are aimed at younger than 3 and some are aimed at 6+.

In fact, even some of her Axel Sheffler collaborations are aimed at toddlers as he illustrates the Acorn Wood series of board books which are definitely aimed at under 3s (Postman Bear, Fox's Socks, Hide and Seek Pig etc).

Room on the broom is great. Also 2 is not too young to have some paper books as well. Just pop them on a high shelf and use them for special bedtime cuddle reads. Paper dolls is... sob!

Mine are adults now but I can still recite bits of Room on a Broom, Gruffalo’s Child and One Ted Falls out of Bed. We all loved them.
Fond memories of Eddie’s Teddy as well.

My DS's nursery definitely read Stick Man to the older children in the baby room (so up to 2), and the 2-3 room did a whole project on the Gruffalo. DS did find the Gruffalo a bit scary when he was only just 2 though, so that's worth bearing in mind. He'd definitely encountered it before that though as he knew the song!

The one he enjoyed reading with us the most just before he was 2 was Tabby McTat. He also quite liked Smartest Giant in Town but I avoid reading that one as it's a bit boring.

Personally I'd say Paper Dolls is aimed at 5+. Obviously loads do read it to their children at a younger age but it's one of her more complex stories to understand and, in my experience, I don't think kids really 'get it' until 5+. Until then, I feel it's more popular with parents than the children.

I agree with most though that I wouldn't worry about board books. Unless you have a particularly destructive child (if she loves story time and is clearly being taught to appreciate and respect books that doesn't sound the case), paperbacks are absolutely fine at this age. Wear and tear will naturally happen but that's the sign of a well loved, much thumbed through book and sticky tape can work wonders on the odd little rip if accidents do happen.

Tales from Acorn Wood range
Chocolate Mousse for greedy goose/one mole digging a hole range

Monkey puzzle is great for that age group, my daughter loved it and it was a firm favorite for years.

At one point I could recite the Snail and the Whale by heart as I had read and watched it so often. It's a lovely story with beautiful music, thoroughly enjoyed at that age

All of them definitely. We read them to DD from birth!

A vote for paper dolls. As a slight off topic, has anyone read the new(ish) one - The Baddies? It came yesterday and read it a few times already but think it is missing something. The pictures are great but there is just something about the words that are not doing it for me. The kids seem to like it though

Tabby McTat was much loved here from 2 and still comes out regularly. I love all the little hidden details in the illustrations, eg. there is a child in Tabby McTat holding a Gruffalo toy.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but Rabbits Nap is great for young readers. Short enough to hold their attention and lots of opportunity for sounds and has flaps!
I can still recite off by heart!

My son is 2 and we've been reading the Gruffalo to him pretty much since he was born.

He still loves the Gruffalo and is currently very into Tiddler and The Snail and The Whale.

Literally all of them are suitable for toddlers

We have all the acorn wood ones, plus push and pull books of snail and the whale and smartest giant in town. Paper squash and a squeeze is good. Ds is 19m and tiddler is a bit long an boring.

I'm not a fan. I love most JD books but this one, along with The Ugly Five, falls really flat for me. It's also not very appropriate for very young children imo. The idea of ghosts coming through the bedroom walls is the stuff of nightmares for many children. I certainly wouldn't read it to under 5s. Aside from that, I just don't find it a particularly enjoyable read if I'm honest.

My 2YO loves The Smartest Giant in Town (and so do I 😅)