Your top not-famous books for baby/toddler storytime

[Trills]

I have a number of babies/toddlers to buy Christmas presents this year, and I want to get books for them that they probably don't have already.

Assuming that they already have the very hungry caterpillar &co, what would you recommend?

William and the Night Train is a lovely bedtime book, great rhythm. And all about falling asleep!

Owl Babies is lovely but maybe in your 'famous' category?

The Mog books by Judith Kerr
Kipper books by Mick Inkpen
Anything by Shirley Hughes (Alfie's Christmas is lovely).

Each Peach Pear Plum
Not now, Bernard
Bears in the night

Yes to Emily Gravett- we love Matilda's Cat and Dogs.

Chocolate moose for greedy goose.

Hattie Peck.

A book that we got out of the library once, which really stuck with me because of its beautiful, poetic style is Dimity Dumpty: the story of Humpty Dumpty's little sister, by Bob graham. Just lovely.

Another vote for rhinos don't eat pancakes

Also:

Snug as a bug
Home sweet home
Oi frog
Oi dog
How to wash a woolly mammoth

Cheese and tomato spider
B

Hairy Maclairy and/or Skinky Malinki

Where's Tims ted?
Whatever Next
Peace at Last
Rainbow Rob
Maisy books
Where oh where is Kippers bear? Is an awesome book but sadly I don't think it's in print anymore, this is a much loved book from my Nursery nurse days and is now quite delicate.

Tabby McTat
Avocado baby
I want my hat back
All favourites which have been read hundreds of times here.

Me by Emma Dodd is lovely although you may not be able to get through it without sobbing.

Dig dig digging a big favourite of ours. No idea if it counts as famous or not.

Snore by Jonathan Langley and Michael Rosen

The Mouse who Ate the Moon by Petr Horacek is my current fave.
Father Christmas Needs a Wee illustrated by Nicholas Allan is brilliant for Christmas

A bit lost and There's an Ouch in my Pouch are favourites here.

On the night you were born, by Nancy Tillman. It's lovely. Makes a great gift -

On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.
So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain
That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.
It sailed through the farmland
High on the breeze…
Over the ocean…
And through the trees…
Until everyone heard it
And everyone knew
Of the one and only ever you.
Not once had there been such eyes,
Such a nose,
Such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.
When the polar bears heard,
They danced until dawn.
From faraway places,
The geese flew home.
The moon stayed up until
Morning next day.
And none of the ladybugs flew away.
So whenever you doubt just how special you are
And you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
Listen for geese honking high in the sky.
(They’re singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.
(It’s because they’ve been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely…it’s whispering your name again!)
If the moon stays up until morning one day,
Or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
It’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile…
For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
Has the world ever known a you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again…
Heaven blew every trumpet
And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous
Night you were born.

Non-classic hits in this house:

Wow Said the Owl
Goodnight Digger and Goodnight Tractor
The Bad-Tempered Ladybird
The Little Red Train series
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

oh yes, diggers are good at dig dig digging, scooping up the earth and lifting and tipping, they make big holes with their dig dig digging, they can work all day...

I may have that on my gravestone (DD is ten now )

There's another good Margaret thingy one about animals. Ok I've just looked it up - Roar by Margaret Mayo.

Books I have read a million times and still enjoy reading are -

The Very Small
Let's go Home Little Bear (the series is good)
Goodnight Moon
The Way Back Home
The Snail and the Whale
Three Wishes

Creaturepedia

Yes.. Not Now Bernard!

Id forgotten about that .. (goes off to get it for DGS)

and Elmer (also by David Mckee ..)

Bit mainstream but the Alfie books are fantastic
Our copy of Meg and Mog was literally read to pieces
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (with cd for those times when independent book chewing is preferred)
Twinkles Arthur & Puss
Handa's Surprise
Mrs Merryweather's Letter (tales from fern hollow) (no idea if these are still in print)
Usbourne Farmyard Tales
Room for one more

All of these were huge favourites and are still pulled out for story time by dd who is six.

Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. Hilarious! Also, don't let the pigeon stay up late.

Goodnight Spaceman
Who Puts the Animals to Bed?
The Little White Owl
The Day the Crayons Quit
Blue Kangaroo (series)

You Choose and Just Imagine both illustrated by Nick Sharratt.

Definitely Not Now Bernard, love that one, so funny.

Any of the Charlie Stinky Socks books

The Usborne See Inside books are fab, See Inside Castles, Under the Sea etc