What is the _loveliest_ children's book you have ever read?

[lisalisa]

My personal favourite in the "loveliest" stakes is Lulie the Iceberg. Every time I read it with my dcs we are captivated by the beautiful art work and vibrant colours and the depth and breadth of description of Lulie the Iceberg's journey from the Artic to Antartica as well as the sheer variety of wildlife all beatifully illustrated.

It is a real feel good book and not only entertains and marvels but also sparks questions and discussions with dcs about geography and animals.

Quite the loveliest book I have seen and shared with my dcs......

What is yours?

Too many to list

Peepo by Allan Ahlberg- very moving.

Peepo , I agree
Also Owl Babies
Any Julia Donaldson LOve Room in the shell (glitter! humour me, have 2 boys)
The Hungry Caterpillar obv

Can you catch a mermaid.

My daughter has adored it from the age of 3 and I have used it as a prompt for creative writing with years 3 and 4 too. Scrummy.

How to catch a star by oliver jeffers. Actually all his books are beautiful - beautifully drawn and beautiful stories. I love them more than my ds does, that's for sure

Money Puzzle by Julia Donaldson: I just love the "come, little monkey, come, come, come, let's go home to see you mum!" and misquote if all the time.

I love The Snail & The Whale, also Julia Donaldson. It alawys gives me a little tear in my eyes!

OMG, yes Drusilla, and that one: got if for DS2 who was born at 31 weeks!

Yes mummyfor3 - i always feel so relieved when baby monkey acatually finds his mummy!" And ds2 ( aged just 3)always sits with a concerned look on his little face whilst baby monkey is awaiting his mummy and relaxes into a relieved smile when he does even though he has heard teh story countless times and must surely know the ending by now!!!!

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie - May Gibbs, Australian.

SazzlesA - I would say optimum age about 6 or 7 to fully understand and appreciate the story however:

1 Ds2 who is just 3 ( but has always loved books loves the story and understands its basic premise of an iceberg's journey - " Mummy - Lulie needs to go faster or she'll melt mummy") and demands to be told the name of each animal and bird and adores the art work

2 DD3 who's 5 really understands the story in basic form and as well as wanting to know the story explained to me that Lulie was melting in different pictures and that Lulie " did a good thing mummy" in "sacrificing " her dream to go south to "help " a little girl.

3 Dd2 who's 7 loves teh story and charts Lulie's journey on the pull out map as we;'re reading

4 Ds1 who's 9.5 and realy beyond having books read to him , deigns to listen to thsi one and gets out his animal encyclopeaidea as we're going through the book announcing that here's more pcitures of whales, puffins etc and asks me questions if Lulie is melting due to global warming etc!!!!

Yep, I am crying... How lovely is that! Thanks for sharing

Oh dear reality - that was very sad. Do your dcs like it or does it make them cry too?

oh well now I am crying..

"No Matter what"

It never fails to bring a tear to my eye. I think every home should have a copy!!!

(That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town. But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town. If all the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she rocked him she sang)

... and I thought my MIL was bad!

(Soz, Reality - tis a v. lovely book I agree)

Leo the late Bloomer
The story of Ferdinand
The Flower

thanks reality

I like Owl Babies too. Got it in the bookstart pack a few weeks ago and DD who's 2 loves it.