Can’t read yet but finds books for her age group childish

[notenoughteaintheworld]

Hi all,

My four year old is hungry to be read to, and likes a half hour story every night before bed. This suits me fine, but her taste is unfortunately narrowed into an awkward spot right now. She’s at the stage where she is rejecting anything that isn’t new to her (so basically any popular book for four year olds that has come out in the last ten years, because of a well used library card) and if a story is too short (like most of the early readers are) she’s dissatisfied.

There’s a world of books out there for 5-8 year olds, but the catch is, because she’s not reading, she really craves pictures on every page/double page.

Her interests are really broad, but especially horses, superheroes, magical beings of all kinds, monsters, bums 🙄 Her favourite series at the moment is the Princess in Black, other series that have ticked the boxes have been Findus and Pettson, Kitty ___ and the Pippi Longstocking intro to reading books as they’re illustrated throughout. We have tried Isadora Moon but suspect we’ve had bad luck with the one we tried.

I remember owning fully illustrated massive Enid Blyton omnibuses as a child, but they just don’t seem to exist in that form anymore.

Any recommendations for series for 5-8 year olds with pictures on every page?

The National geographic early readers?

We have some early reader versions of Roald Dahl books which tell the basic story in a very simple way but also have lots of the illustrations

Flat Stanley The Flat Stanley Adventures 12 Books Collection by Jeff Brown | The Book Bundle

Happy Families Happy Families by Allan Ahlberg Collection — Books2Door

I remember owning fully illustrated massive Enid Blyton omnibuses as a child, but they just don’t seem to exist in that form anymore.

They’ve released a couple of the Famous Five as graphic novels - those might suit?

Watts & Whiskerton is a new series that’s highly illustrated (and funny!)

Hotel Flamingo is also highly illustrated and lovely. Also Rabbit and Bear.

The Reeves & McIntyre Adventuremice series is great, as is the Claude series.

There are new editions of some of the Enid Blyton Faraway Tree stories.

Each book just has one of the adventures so lots of pictures.

I am currently reading the bad guys with my 5 year old. It’s a nice chapter book with 2 stories a book but each page has illustrations although more comic book type style.
They are enjoyable to read as well.

Hotel Flamingo
Ivy and Bean

Huxley and Flapjack
Clarice Bean
Squishy McFluff
Badly Drawn Beth
Claude the Dog
Grimwood

The Enormous Crocodile, The Minpins. Both by Roald Dahl, they are short story length but in illustrated editions.
There are short chapter books of Winnie the Witch with lots of illustrations.
It was a Dark and Stormy Night by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
The Gaskitts by Allan Ahlberg
Amazing Esme by Tamara Macfarlane
Sophie's Adventures by Dick King-Smith (must be a few of his books that are suitable).

What about comics/graphic novels?

The Trouble with... books are short chapter books with Daisy from the picture books.
My dd loved them when she was younger but I can't remember how many pictures there are.

Wigglesbottom primary series

Winnie the Witch. There’s the big picture books but also some smaller paperbacks which have longer stories, but still lots of pictures.

Rabbit and Bear are really funny.

The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me - my favourite Dahl and it's a short story for slightly younger readers so has lots of pictures.
The Worst Witch series - illustrations every couple of pages.
Usborne 'Tales of' compendiums - we have the Greek Myths and Legends of King Arthur books and they're both beautifully illustrated. Lots of different ones to choose from too.
There's a lovely illustrated version of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe too.

How interesting (and great) that you are reading "Pettson and Findus" to your daughter! (I am Swedish).

Another Swedish book series that is somewhat similar to "Pettson and Findus" is "Mamma Moo and and the Crow", about a cow and a crow that are best friends. They have pictures on every page, but also quite a lot of text. The illustrations are made by Sven Nordqvist, just like with the Pettsson and Findus"-books.
I think there are two Mamma Moo-books available in English.

Can you do mixture - one picture book a night and then a chapter of a book you read to her that might have few pictures but has a story that absorbs her? So one books she shares with you and then into bed and you read her a chapter of the current book. This seemed to work for mine when younger.

Also if you like Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, perhaps try another book by Astrid Lindgren?

• The Children of Noisy Village
• Emil of Lönneberga
• Seacrow Island
• The books about Lotta

There are many more.

Fantastically Great women books... non fiction books, but lovely illustrations

Rupert Bear.

The princess in black

Roald Dahl

If you look for illustrated versions of well known books there are often (expensive) special editions with extra pictures. I know the Harry Potter ones are awesome

I'd take her into Waterstones and ask the staff. My dd is a massive reader and we often go in and say we liked x book what else is similar. Our local Waterstones staff seem really knowledgeable! We can loose a good hour in there it's great fun.

Also I use the goodreads app myself. if you review enough books it starts suggesting books you will enjoy with pretty good accuracy but read the reviews on there and other people do brilliant reviews I bet for kids books they would comment on the number of pictures

Whinnie the witch!! Love that series

Rabbit and bear. Cute and poo!

Écho rabit and bear recommendation. Very funny if you are 4.

My boy is into Pokémon so I got him some Pokémon cheaper book in an attempt to get him reading. They have lots of pictures. There are lots of similar box sets of books in the works if you have a look.

There also those fairy series of books and a pony series. Can't remember the names. I don't like them but dd was into them that age. Any book store staff will know them loads of little girls love them. Chapter books again with pictures most pages.

I'm guessing Julia Donaldson books are too short?

Something else we did is get the audiobook of some of our books so dd can read along with the narrator. Less bothered about the pictures then. Maybe reading the books made into films after watching the film may mean less need for pictures?

If it were day time I'd go look in dd room at her bookshelf she's got loads of book. I will be following this thread for the recommendations :-)

We found a milly
molly Mandy in 2nd hand book shop. A hardback and fully illustrated. Riverboat tales as well is good. Also a hardback fully illustrated George monkey the stories are quite long.

My brothers famous bottom.
There is a few in the series as far as I remember they had lots of illustrations and were funny and would appeal to 'bum humour'