Please recommend your favourite toddler's books

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I want to buy DD1 some new books for Christmas and her 3rd birthday. Please can you recommend your favourite classics - books that you think every toddler should own, and that you never get tired of reading to them? I am thinking along the lines of Rosie's Walk, Each Peach Pear Plum, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Tiger Who Came To Tea. I also love Monkey Puzzle. Thanks!

Not Now Bernard !

The Animal Fair by ANTHONY BROWNE

I got this for 10p from a jumble sale and it was in perfect condition. DD LOVES it. It's a really lovely book.

Depends how far ahead you are planning i.e there are some books that are more an investment for years to come, and some that she will enjoy straight away.

Personally, anything by Shirley Hughes. We got 'My Naughty Little Sister - A Treasury Collection', which is illustrated by Shirley Hughes for DD 3rd birthday and she LOVES it. It is fairly taxing for that age, and because it is such a beautiful book, we have to be around when she is handling it.

www.amazon.co.uk/My-Naughty-Little-Sister-Collection/dp/1405242280/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
The slightly younger Shirley Hughes books about Alfie and Annie Rose are GORGEOUS as well, and DD loves them.

Any Julia Donaldson ones (Gruffalo/Snail and the Whale etc)

Jez Alborough - Some Dogs Do and lots more

My dd also likes the Beatrix Potter books, which I like - but my DH hatres them and has almost boycooted them!

here and here - two Mick Inkpen books

boycotted....

Dogger by Shirley Hughes

we're Going on a Bear Hunt

Room on the Broom

The Night Pirates

Russell the Sheep

...and no, Nutty, not that kind of dogger

Peepo!

Dogger......the moment when he gets that little toy back. DD was sooo thrilled - I nearly blubbed..

room on the broom
gruffalo
snail and a whale
the very lazy ladybird
Quiet!

I know... it was the first thing I bought for DS when I was pregnant. I stood in the kids department at Waterstones reading it to DH and we both blubbed (tragic really)... I could put it down to the hormones, not sure what his excuse was

Aaargh, I don't know, I was in Waterstones earlier and looked through all the shelves but most of the titles mentioned here weren't there? I'll have to buy them off Amazon will I?

Mole and the baby bird
calm down Borris

Amazon usually good - also The Book People. They may not have all the books listed here in stock, but they have a reasonable selection and are excellent value.

giraffes can't dance

some dogs do

I love Mole and the baby bird starwhores.

Don't underestimate the appeal of non fiction for this age group. DS2 will sit for ages leafing through books with pictures of animals/birds.

We've just got dd a non-fiction life the flap book

'Where do babies come from?'

which she LOVES, in response to her questions. Its not too graphic, but seems to be enough to satisfy her curiosity at the moment.

DS (3) loves The Night Pirates, The Runaway Dinner, Tiddler, Jungle Boogie, Oliver Jeffers books, the Albie books and others such as Bear Hunt, Room on the Broom, Gruffalo etc.

Sunshine - have you got the DVD of 'Lost and Found'? It is one of the loveliest animated stories I have seen, and dd is transfixed by it. Narrated by Jim Broadbent.

ANy of the Julia Donaldson/Axel Schaeffer books

Anything by Oliver Jeffers (disclaimer: is friend of the family! Is amazing!!!!)

Peepo is fab, both my 2 had copies
The Tigeer who came to tea

my 2 had one callled The Very Noisy Night, with Big Mouse and Little Mouse, its a fab book