I need great books to read to my 4 year old

[Emowoman90]

So I started to read last night to my 4 year old before he goes off to sleep, he needs a come down before he sleeps and i thought reading would help and it's helped massively, he slept well and he has woken up in a great mood!, normally my partner would let him watch these cooking videos that he's into but I said I think having a bright light in his face before going to bed is not helping as he often wakes up all times of the night so it had to stop.

I bought the new julia Donaldson gruffalo's granny yesterday and he loved it so I've bought a few more of her stories, are there any other child authors that I could read to him? I feel like if I explore more he'll come to like reading hopefully, its how I got into reading I love a book before sleep!. Any help is appreciated 😊

My kids and grandkids loved the Alfie and Annie Rose books at that age.
Also other Shirley Hughes books.

I agree with you, reading will help him sleep much better than if he watches a screen with blue light.

You could try the Funny Bones books or have a look at books by Nick Sharratt.

If you’ve still got a local library I’d also try to take him along and choose some books for himself. I’m not guaranting that it will turn him into a reader but he’ll remember being read to and the closeness it brings and it will increase his vocabulary

Burglar Bill
Cops and Robbers
The Cat, the Mouse and the Runaway Train
The Baddies
Poo in the Zoo
The Little Red Train series

Also agree with Alfie and Annie Rose.

It’s so lovely reading to little ones at bedtime!!
Tiddler (also by Julia Donaldson) is a lovely one to read out loud. I really like the Oi, Frog books by Kes Gray too - they’ve got really fun rhyming. And No Matter What by Debbi Gilori is gorgeous. Do you have a library near you? Might be a nice morning out to take your little one along to choose a few.

Nursery Rhymes! You cannot go wrong with books like Poetry for the Very Young too. Dc love the rhythm of poetry and they remember them. The
booktrust.org.uk has loads of suggestions for this age. Books about dinosaurs, animals, trucks - loads!

Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs series. Charlie & Lola series. Captain Flynn and the pirate dinosaurs. Ant and Bee.

Hairy maclary series
Julia Donaldson Books are my fav.

Each Peach Pear Plum, Peepo and loads of other Ahlberg books.
The Kipper books for sale in Aldi this week. Absolute bargain.

I bought the runaway dinner by Allan ahlberg over 10 years ago after a recommendation on mumsnet. By far my DDs favourite childhood book.

Still on a bookshelf in the house even though she is now 12 and reading Jane Austen.

Dr Dog by Babette Cole was one of my kid's favourites along with That Pesky Rat by Julia Donaldson and the Hairy Maclary books.

I loved reading Dr Seuss books with mine when they were little

We love Wonky Donkey, the Tom Fletcher "there's a something in your book" series, Aliens Love Underpants

We do have a library, it's only open when he's at school so I can't really take him but I'm sure his school takes them over to the library monthly, I'll give the Oi frog books ago they sound fun.

Oh I'll have a look now, thank you!

Mog or Paddington for classics. Mine all loved room on the broom. I'm a bit out of touch these days!

Thank you all for your suggestions I've noted down websites and books, he'll have a collection by next week 😂.

Maybe Mog the forgetful cat.
How about classics like winnie the pooh? Tiger who came to tea?
At thst age mine liked revisiting the same stories regularly.

Oliver Jeffers is another brilliant children’s author and illustrator for that age group.

Do you have a library near you? Great place to get all the books although it’s good to buy them too as little children want a lot of repeat reading. Loved reading all the ones mentioned with DS, also Thomas the tank engine and other train books, Winne the Witch, Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit etc. Also the ones where they have to spot things in the story visually. We aKai enjoyed Richard Scary and Dr Zeus (from my childhood!). We had a book called the Snow Bears, that was lovely, and one about a baby tiger who gets very grubby out and about all day. There’s so many great books. Once you start reading to them keep going as they grow until they ask you to stop. My son stopped me reading to him aged about 10 when he tackled the 2nd Harry Potter on his own.

Him and his wife’s books are hilarious.

As Autumn is approaching, Pumpkin Soup is a lovely book. Also the Charlie and Lola books are fun.

Hairy MacLary and friends are fantastic - my 8 year old still loves it when we see Schnitzel von Krumm or Bitzer Malony!

Dr Seuss are excellent for the way they play with language. Mr Men are another favourite too. Have a nose round charity shops if you can. There's always a good selection

Go down the library, we were always down there borrowing books. And it’s free rather than keep buying them.

He wrote Bumps in the night collection as well I think. My DS loved those.

Mr Magnolia, and other books by Quentin Blake