Amazing book ideas for a class of 4/5 year olds?

[Mamamia2019]

My little boys school do a “secret reader” where a family member/ close family friend go in in secret and when the children uncover their eyes they see who is reading them a book. It’s to be kept a secret from the children and they go wild for it! Very cute. It’s our families turn to go in shortly, and want ideas for a really amazing, engaging or funny book to read?! My lb doesn’t really have an ultimate favourite book we just read lots of different ones each night. Would quite like a really cool new one to take! Thank you

The Wonky Donkey is hilarious

What a fab idea! I’d love this!!
wonkey donkey
peck peck peck

Any book will do but when our class did it I did a book where I could get the children to join in with me (eg counting), a friend brought a book in Welsh and translated it and got the children to repeat some of the Welsh words and one mum brought in a very old book which had been her favourite when she was little. Hope this helps!

I'd probably do a Julia Donaldson, maybe the Gruffalo or Snail and the Whale. Or the Jumblies (Edward Leer)
It has to be something with a strong "story" if they can't see the pages.

It's an interesting idea - does your DC know it's your turn or is it a surprise to them too?

My 5 year old loves The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods. It does have some slightly rude humour in it though but nothing outrageous, just enough to make 5 year olds laugh. My husband has to read it because I don’t do the ogre voice right apparently 😂

This is a lovely idea. I’d go for something short, whole class attention span will likely be less than you might be used to with an individual child. The Tom Fletcher ‘There’s a… in your book’ series are good for interaction.

Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen is a brilliant one to read aloud to children.

A few of the Julia Donaldson (including those) have been done as they are our favourite books too! So wanted something the other children might not have read. No you keep a complete secret so none of them know who is coming in! They cover their eyes and say a little poem to do with the secret reader revealing themselves and then uncover their eyes to see the secret reader sat at the front of the class with a book! There is a new reader every week. Thank you for your ideas x

Ah, my eldest’s school did something like this, I read the Gobble Gobble Mooooooooo tractor book and it was great.

I want my hat back would be my first choice if nobody has done it already.

Or The Rescue of Bunny Wunny by Emma Chichester Clark

I want my hat back and the Book with no pictures are both funny and a bit unusual

My daughter loves Oi Frog and the related ones. I Am a Tiger is also a funny one. The Squirrels who Squabbled is also good.

I don’t really get the love for The Wonky Donkey, feel a bit miserable saying that!

Agree Peck, Peck, Peck is good fun and also like A Busy Day for Birds by the same author.

When I was teaching that age, Shark in the Park was very popular. I don’t love them but the kids definitely did.

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers is also fabulous but quieter, less opportunities for interaction/ repetition etc. One I absolutely loved reading with my class was Peace at Lasf, and my daughter loved it too.

Little Rabbit Foo Foo is a good one for children to join in.

Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus Mo Willems

I really really really really need a wee is perhaps a bit less well known if you want a book they might not already know? Funny, rhyming, relatable 😅

Both my 4 and 2 year old adore this book. A great suggestion!

Oi Frog was my sons favorite at that age

Pass the jam Jim by kay umansky is a brilliant read aloud book.

Mr wolf and the enormous turnip is fabulous too- by jan fearnley

What a lovely idea! Another vote for Little Rabbit Foo Foo.
Or Big Red Bath is a fun story too.

We like the Giant Jam sandwich here and it's a good length. Good rhythm too! What about the pig in the pond?

I highly recommend "When I Say Boo, You Say Hoo" by John Kane (or any of his other "When I Say" books).

My son loved them at that age. They are good for audience participation. They are very mildly naughty (eg fart references) in a way that kids love.

I don't think they are very well known so there should be minimal risk of repeating a book that someone else has picked.

I did this recently for my DD reception class and did what the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson which went down really well

Macca the Alpaca books are good.

Thank you all for your lovely suggestions! Will order a few once I’ve gone through them. We can extend our own book collection now also, as I like the more unusual ones. Thank you!

Best of Friends by Shen Roddie. It’s a wonderful short story of friendship and tolerance, and includes a hippo chewing his toe nails <belly laughs> together with lots of delicious and disgusting bad habits which require “reading” the wonderful illustrations thus promoting interaction and participation. Children of that age rarely see it, love it, and always remember it.