Please help. What books to read DS 18 months at bedtime?

[Sycamoretree]

I'm feeling a bit lost. DS's book shelf is a bit tragic. DD (3.5) has not relinquished many of her much loved titles from this age, as I think I was just reading her a lot of rhythm and rhyme stuff like peepo and the gruffalo - though I have managed to prize Dear Zoo off her shelf, and also goodnight moon - both of which he loves.

I suppose the problem is that DS's language is not as advanced as DD's was. She was properly talking at this age, but DS, whilst making a lot of noise, is only just starting to make himself understood (for eg. he pointed at an ITNG book on his floor last night and said "Book, igggybooboo" or something along those lines that only a parent could decipher.

So he's not saying animals, or doing noises, other than the roar for the lion in Dear Zoo. I think the point I'm trying to make is I can't gauge his response or level of understanding, so need some help picking stuff that he will enjoy. He does LOVE being read to, but so much of what is on his shelf seems to young or too old for him somehow.

Sorry for the ramble!

wibbly pig - all of them are wonderful

meg and mog

Spot books are great

anything! Go to the libray and grab a pile from the baby section - he will love all of them.

DS3 (just 2)'s favourite "book" at the moment is the leaflet he picked up at the GP surgery about fruit and veg
He likes pointing at all the pictures

It doesn't matter. Just read. Lots. And lots. Go to a Charity shop and buy a bin bag full and throw them back if you can't bear them. He doesn't have to join in. Just read.

Hi seeker - yes, I can but I hope I didn't seem to suggest I wasn't reading to him? I do, every night - I'm obsessed! DD gets 3 and he gets 2 stories - but I just find his book shelve so much less inspiring than DD's, whose is a veritable box (well, shelf) of treasures. I was just hoping to get some suggestions of any more along the lines of goodnight moon that other dd's and ds's were enjoying.

He particularly likes that one because the illustrations capture his imagination, the rhyming is great and it seems a good length for his age and attention span when he's pretty tired at the end of the day.

Maisie is much loved at my house

Ooh, good one spicemonster. DD has about 4 Maisy ones and they are too short and probably a bit simplistic for her now, so I will bribe them away from her with the promise of a chocolate button a piece of fruit

I found this was the age that the library came in handiest for. Eight books a week and it doesn't matter if he isn't keen on some of them - and when there is one he doesn't want to give back, then that's the one to buy.
Mine were always very fond of Kipper at this age. And those 'That's not my... books - awful as they are.

This is great as we have so many of these on DD's shelf - and DH got a bunch more Kipper books with some tokens (I think from Fairy?). I think this may prove a none costly exercise after all!

I sent DH to the library to get a bunch of books for DS but he came back with those Helen Oxenbury ones, lovely as they are, but which only have pictures and single words. I think he needs a bit more variety.

Sorry - should point out DH is SAHD, which is why he is normally tasked with these things. I MN work FT

more rhythm books - the Julia Donaldsons (Gruffalo woman) are good
dd (18m) likes
Smartest giant in town
Snail and the whale
each peach pear plum

also ones with no text where you have to make up the story to go with the pictures eg this one
and pojnt-and-name books of everyday objects, photos etc
she is big on animal noises (not their names) so the Very Busy Spider etc with a different animal on each page go down well

but agree - just get handfuls from the lib, renew the favourites and swap the rest

"but I hope I didn't seem to suggest I wasn't reading to him? " Of course not - I'm sorry if I seemed to imply that I thought you weren't!

What I was trying to say is that you don't really need to think too much, it doesn't matter what you read - just lots of different sorts - and a pile from a charity shop will probably give you lots that you wouldn't actually actively choose - and which you certainly woluldn't buy!

No, not at all Seeker . I think it's just somehow he seems to have ended up with a lot of those freebie books which all seem a bit crap. There is one about a duck which is such a blatant crap rip off of we're going on a bear hunt....

Dig, dig, digging

Message withdrawn

DD loved 'Where's the green parrot?' and similar at that age where you are looking for something particular in each picture. Also The Elephant and the Bad Baby with lots of repetition, Duck in the Truck and the other Duck books (and other Jez Alborough books, can't remember the title but I know there's one along the lines of Eddy's off to find his teddy, Eddie's teddy's name is Freddie etc.

Hi - agree with all those that recommend Julia Donaldson, esp Monkey Puzzle. We've also enjoyed the range by Giles Andrea: Rumble in the Jungle; Commotion in the Ocean; The lion who wanted to love. DS loves them - the rhyme is great and the pictures have lots to look at. Also, the Jack Tickle pop-up books are lovely too.

Whatever Next (Jill Murphy)
Max and the Chocolate Chicken (Rosemary Wells)
Tiger Who came To Tea
Eric Carle books
Maisie books by Lucy Cousins
Hairy McClary

my dc were also into the Julia Donaldson stuff, esp monkey puzzle and 'rumble in the jungle'.
They liked anything in rhyme, tractor's busy day,tractor's busy day and also enjoyed stuff with the little flaps to lift and discover stuff. also the "busy" series - railway, park and oooh i've forgotten the other one - and also the Very Hungry Caterpillar board book so that they can stick their fingers in the holes without ruining the pages!
They also love "one bear at bedtime" and the other Mick Inkpen stuff like 'threadbear'.

I have a ds1 who didn't seem to be 'with it' and I had similar worries over what we were reading to him, but I think if in doubt carry on reading, and he will catch on to stuff that appears ahead of him iyswim

oops did tractors busy day twice and the second one should have been "train's day out" pub by Paragon

Cleo Cat books are nice by Caroline Mockford- great rhythm
All the Hairy Mclarys... there are loads so I'm sure there must be some dd doesn't have. ( Slinki Malinki, scarface claw, schnitzel von krumm etc)
Debbie Gliori has done some nice books too, some for around this age.

Started with the kipper freebies last night - DS loved the picnic one, and we got a word out of it - APPLE! Could have knocked me to the floor with a feather

A lot of our favourites have already been mentioned:
*Julia Donaldson
*Eric Carle (the Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
*Jez Alborough
*Judith Kerr (the Tiger Who Came to Tea, Mog)
We have Goodnight Moon and we've taken kipper books out of the library but none of them have been big hits with my DD.

I do have a similar attitude to seeker - read anything and everything. At the moment I am reading Aesops fables for bedtime. We have an illustrated version -the language may well be way beyond her (she's 22 months) but it's a bit more interesting for me and she seems ok with it. I was sooooo sick of Brown Bear that I needed a change.