Book ideas for nearly four year old boy please

[aloha]

Following on from the bedtime story thread, ds loves books and we always read at bedtime. I am looking for inspiration for 'next stage' reading really. Atm he loves Beatrix Potter (esp The Tale of Samuel Whiskers and The Roly Poly Pudding - fantastic btw), Winnie the Pooh stories, poems, Curious George and Flat Stanley. I am wondering about chapter books and also fun stories that are a bit more than picture books (though ds hasn't totally outgrown those by any means - still happy for a reprise of Owl Babies from time to time).

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I always say this, but do have a look at some of the Polly and the Wolf books. They may be a little bit old for a 4 year old, but they are very funny and well-written. I would also have a look at Allan Ahlberg, there are lots of books by him that go beyond the usual picture books (although ds loved Burglar Bill and the Happy Families books at this age). Maybe one like It Was a Dark and Stormy Night ?

the gruffalo and room on the broom by julia donaldson are fab. they are picture books but they rhyme so can tie in with stuff he will be doing at school. we have been reading them for about 2 years, they know them off by heart but still love them (boys are 6 and 4)

Yes, have Dr Suess, all of Julia Donaldson (agree they are lovely) and Ahlberg (ds can read his name now and name other books by the same author!) I love, love, love Ahlberg - Burglar Bill, Funny Bones, Bye Bye Baby etc etc though happy for recommendations. Haven't got Dark and Stormy Night so will look into that. Clever Polly and The Stupid Wolf sounds exactly the sort of thing ds likes.

Do you have picture books by John Burningham? My ds liked these at that age (I like them too!)

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Albie books by Andy Cutbill are good too.

If you like Roald Dahl you can start some of those - Giraffe, the Pelly and Me; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Enormous Crocodile. James & Giant Peach works from very young too.

Fairy tales? Hutchinson Treasury of Fairy Tales is a great resource.

Also H. Treasury of Children Literature useful for opening eyes to things you want to look into more. I luurve "It's Your Turn Roger" which is a book I've never seen otherwise here - think it's a US one. It's about a grumpy boy pig (living in an apartment block) who doesn't want to do his bit of dinner-time helping so goes off to see how the other (also pig) families are having for dinner. Funny and clever; and other families' meals deliciously disgusting.

Just bought Clever Polly (via the MN link!) and also bought another Catherine Storr book for my stepdaughter. She's wonderful. I absolutely love Marianne Dreams.

ooh, I love book threads! These all sound great.

Oh good, let us know how it goes! As an aside, don't you just love the picture of the baby putting on its own nappy in Bye Bye Baby? I was raving to MI about it recently.

Binkie, I love that Roger story too, I had forgotten it! I agree, it's really useful to have those kind of treasuries. The Shirley Hughes one is good too, goes up much older than I would have guessed.

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Agree with gg about Julia Donaldson books (Gruffalo, Rom on the Broom, Sharing a Shell).

I also love Shirley Hughes books. Paticularly, for a little boy, The Trouble With Jack, Dogger and the Alfie books.

Otherwise Micheal Rosen writes lovely stuff.

He'll soon be old enough for some of the Roald Dahl books. (Minpins, Twits and Danny Champion of the World are good for younger readers)

We've just started Charlie and the Chocolate factory with DS1 (3y6m) and he seems to be enjoying it so far. He saw a play of the lion the Witch and the wardrobe yesterday at nursery and loved that so I'm thinking I might get that out next. I was surprised about Roald Dahl - I thought he'd be much too young for it but he is very excited about the story!

Aloha I read DS the tale of Samuel Whiskers at bedtime this week. And he was almost in tears when he realised Samuel Whiskers and Anna Maria were planning on eating Tom Kitten. I had to interject hurriedly "just wait and see what happens, dS".

Samuel Whiskers is the only story we've ever had to have overandoveragain - fine with me! And so brilliant for acting out, bottom line for a good story. Anna Maria, I fear we are discovered and interrupted. Let us collect our property, and other people's ...

Have had a look at the bookshelves: some more ideas:

• Maurice Sendak, esp. Where the Wild Things Are
• Satoshi Kitamura, anything, totally love him, gorgeous graphic style
• Moomintroll books
• Judith Kerr's Mog books
• Lauren Child, eg I will not ever never eat a tomato
• Giles Andreae, eg Lion Who Wanted to Love [caveat though: bit wet for me personally, like a bit more edge]

For non-fiction, Walker's Read & Wonder series.

For ds to look at by himself, get engrossed in, giggle about and one day magically find himself reading: Richard Scarry.

Bye Bye Baby made me cry when I was pregnant! So touching!
Love Mog, love Sendak and Dogger...might have another look at Roald Dahl. I had assumed he was too young.
Ds was delighted when he realised that Samual Whiskers and Anna Maria were 'robbers' and thus would have to be 'taken to prison'.

Both mine (although dds - 2 and 5) loved The Enormous Crocodile (comes in a nice 'tweeny' illustrated edition) and The Magic Finger.

I tell you, hideous though it is, they all love the bloomin Wishing Chair and Faraway Tree.

Agree about Polly and the Wolf - lovely.

Also, for picture books, they both like John Burningham 'Mr Gumpys Car' and Mr Gumpys Outing - I think its the illustrations.

Also 'The Giant Jam Sandwich' (my complete fave) and dd2 current fave 'The Elephant and the bad baby'.

He's gotta have it

Thanks Enid, that looks wonderful.

I finally found the thread!

And all my suggestions are here already - particularly Dr Seuss, he wrote so many. I have just introduced ds2 (3.5) to The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, but there are loads more. Particular favourites of ds1 (and I still read them to him now - at 8) are Fox in Socks, The Sneetches, The Sleep Book, Oh the Places You'll Go, The Grinch (get him that at Christmas, aloha, if you've not got it already), On Beyond Zebra - oh they are fantastic books!

Has anyone mentioned Jill Murphy? Ds1 adored Peace at Last, and Whatever Next? And I'm very fond of Five Minutes' Peace.

The Little Red Train books are good too - Benedict Blathwayt.

Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak? Anyone said that?

Meg and Mog books are great - strange to read as they are a bit cartoony but my Mum (primary school teacher) said her kids at school loved them - and so do mine.

Mick Inkpen - Lullabyhullabaloo is fab, The Blue Balloon, and all the Kipper ones (but you must do the Martin Clunes voices).

Q Pootle 5 by Nick Butterworth is another favourite (though I've never liked his Percy the Park-keeper books - too wordy).

Is that enough to be going on with ?