Books for impatient 19 mnth old

[Janberryxx]

Hi, I'm pretty new to posting on MN so please excuse my lack of abbreviations etc- everything longhand!
I wonder if anyone has any suggestions.
I long to have my 19 mnth old girl curled dreamily in my lap as I read her a lovely bedtime story. The reality is, she has no patience for stories. She does love books but she turns the pages backwards and forwards incessantly before I'm halfway thro a sentence, missing out chunks of pages. Pretty soon she's bored of that book and wants the next book.
She does like to point out familar objects in the pictures, but after a couple of seconds she wants to flick the pages over again.
I've wondered whether stories told in rhyme, say two short lines to a page (rhyming couplets?) and with rhythmn, might engage her attention- she LOVES to be sung to, so poetry might work. Trouble is I don't know of any picture books for her age, that match that description (and I work in a library!)
I'd love ANY ideas!

It's the age I'm afraid.. I can sometimes get through a short book with DS, but he just wants to look at the pictures. Have you tried just telling her a story, rather than reading her one (memorise the gruffalo now )?

I'm hoping that we'll be able to do bedtime reading soon, but DS is just too stimulated by books at the moment so it's not an option.

also - story tapes?

DD is 20 months and for several months has liked

On The Go! (there are also companion books Feeling Great and Looking Good, although we don't have those

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Old Macdonald Had a Farm

She now also likes

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

We're Going On A Bear Hunt (although it's only been the last couple of weeks that she hasn't wanted to skip over the middle and get to the bit with the bear)

My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes

Cuddle (this one's still growing on her -- she likes pointing out the animals she knows but tends to skip over the animals she doesn't]]

and Happy Dog Sad Dog

really, she didn't get into bedtime stories properly until a couple of months ago. You are probably close to the breakthrough .

I used to merrily read them out loud regardless of whether DS was paying attention. Get books you will enjoy and it makes life more fun, I quite enjoy browsing the kids books in waterstones trying to decide what I the dc's want to read next. I prefer rhyming books TBH.

We like (not all are rhyming though), Bear Hunt, Grufallo, Hungry Caterpillar, Orange Pear Apple Bear, Miffy books, Snail and the Whale, Tiger who came to Tea.

ProfessorLayton - thank you for all the book recomendations, have ordered several of them for my DS

In addition to the books suggested already, ds2 (22mo but liked them just as much at 19mo)) loves Peepo, Dig, Dig, Digging, and Monkey and Me.

Wow, thanks everyone for your suggestions- there's lots of ideas there! And thankyou for taking the time to reply.
IMoveTheStarsForNo-one, I will try just telling her a story, that's a great start. Maybe I could occasionally flash a page from the Gruffalo as I tell it (maybe, but then perhaps she'll stop listening to me and just try to grab the book!)
ProfessorLayton... thanks for all your suggestions, some good books there Thanks for taking the time to create the links. I'll have a good look at them.
Also, MrsJohnDeere, I haven't heard of the last two books. We often look at Peepo! but have never read through a whole page! It's just edited highlights at the moment!
Meglet, I really like your approach, reading on regardless! I'll try it!
I suppose she is still very young and will get the idea with time. She does love the Percy the Parkkeeper books but, again, she's never heard the story- she won't let me read it- she just likes pointing out the fox, Percy and the badger, and turning the pages (in both directions!) at great speed!
I suppose, to be fair to children of that age, they have developed a great understanding of things visually, but understand far less languagewise, so stories will be gobbledegook at the moment! Ah, the penny drops!

"She does love books but she turns the pages backwards and forwards incessantly before I'm halfway thro a sentence, missing out chunks of pages. Pretty soon she's bored of that book and wants the next book."

Sounds exactly like my DD (20 months).

I just enjoy her enjoyment of the books.

I've noticed recently that she has started getting very interested in the characters in her books, you mention this too. I talk to her about the characters when we're not reading books and that makes her even more keen on them.

I also ask her lots of questions about what's happening in the book, but that only works if she's in the mood. If she wants to just turn the pages and say "One day..." and then "The End", then there's no real point in trying to get her interested on the bits in between.

Try dinosaur roar, it only has 2 words per page and they are opposites which rhyme - dinosaur roar, dinosaur squeak, dinosaur fierce, dinosaur meek, etc etc. Its very sing song so she might like it. THey do it in a board book for toddlers.

opps, pressed send too early. DD loves books but only if pretty basic - things like peepo have quite a lot of words and fussy piictures for a young toddler. Favourites in our house are:

Wheres spot?
Thats not my angel/dog/tractor/dinosaur etc
Dear zoo (lift the flap)
Peekapoo baby (dorling kindersley)

happy reading!

I'll look out for Dinosaur Roar, hisgirlfriday. Singsongy is good! Maybe I'll get the two words out before she flips the pages over!
Tonight we looked at a Maisy/ Maisie? book. Each double page spread is full of objects relating to one another, eg animals, clothes, things you'd find in the garden etc. Can't remember what its called but once she realised that there were things she recognised (the drawings are so basic that I think at times they aren't realistic enough for a toddler to recognise), she started getting into it, and became quite absorbed. This was great as she really enjoyed herself.

I think what you say is right, hisgirlfriday, that Peepo is too complex really for a young toddler and going for the really simple books that you mention is a better option at this stage. I haven't come across Peekaboo Baby- I'll look out for it. Thanks for that!

PS. I've just ordered "Dear Zoo", "Where is Spot" and "Dinosaur Roar" on Amazon. I'll keep you posted! Fingers crossed!

Has anyone mentioned "Monkey and Me" by Emily Gravett yet? It's fantabulous.

DS1 was read to every night from 3 months but at 14 months it became impossible, he learned to walk and wanted to jump off the bed and walk around. I think he was 20-21 months, it was around the time ds2 was born that he started to enjoy stories again, and now he chooses stories and asks for more, and really enjoys it. Sadly dp gets most of the fun.

monkey puzzle and pretty much everthing by julia donaldson

I would second the Julia Donaldson suggestion.

'What the Ladybird Heard' was pretty much glued to my DDs hands for months (she is now 21mo) and searching for the ladybird on every page kept her entertained and helped me to 'get through' reading the story.

There are also large pictures of a farmyard on the inside cover which are great for looking at and talking about.

Jez Alborough has written a couple we've liked - really simple, literally just one or two words with big colourful pictures 'Hug' comes to mind but there are others.
Your DD is maybe a bit young yet, but my DD loves the 'Little Rabbit' books by Harry Horse too.

I second the "Where is Spot" book. My 18 month old loves to lift the flaps and see which animal is inside .

Mine is also an extremely active little fella and he does exactly what your LO does! I havent yet started "reading" stories for him. He likes to point out to pictures and say what it is. So I have bought him loads of animal and objects picture board books (and some flash cards).

He loves songs too. So we have rhymes book which have sing along tunes. I tell him what things / animals are there on the page and then sing it out for him. He loves it.

As about stories, like someone else suggested, I narrate stories to him without a book but with loads of action and drama and as of now he likes the Goldilocks and three bears story!

I think it depends on how well you manage to make the book interesting . Add in some self made songs, funny faces and grunty voices and there you have an attentive toddler!!