Books for 5 year olds? To read to them.

[Ericblack]

I'm finding it difficult to get books that are right for my son. He's OK with the Roald Dahl ones but would probably like a few more pictures. Any middle ground between picture and dense text recommendations? Not too twee. Funny if possible. Apologies if this has beenn done to death. It's so hard to search for stuff.

Yes, the pictures are by Edward Ardizzone, and they are great - one of my favourite books actually!. I've also got some Nurse Matilda's illustrated by him, which come to think of it the children would probably enjoy (all those very bad children!). We have read some of the Tim and Ginger's too, but they are a little dated at times. I like Lulu and the Flying Babies too.

DS is 5 and is loving Captain Underpants! DD (7) must have been listening as I found it in her bed this evening

DS is 5 and is loving Captain Underpants! DD (7) must have been listening as I found it in her bed this evening

It was a dark and stormy night - allen ahlberg is a big favourite in our house - a little boy who manages to get the better of a fearsome band of brigands. Burglar bill and cops and robbers too by the same author.

Recent successes have also been faraway tree stories, fantastic mr fox, Charlie and choc factory and we've just started wind in the willows.

Hate horrid henry books!

Got away with Charlie with promise of cinema but reading The Witches now and seems to like it. Why aren't they scared?

nooka - did you know Nurse Matilda's just been filmed - under title of Nanny McPhee

Out for half-term ...

Just William - Martin Jarvis has carefully edited these (after he did such a brilliant job with the audiobooks) so although the flavour and humour is retained, a little bit of the wordiness has gone. Ds adored having these read to him and there is nothing twee about William and the Outlaws! The story with the concert violinist and the itinerant Punch and Judy man is indecently funny, for example.
We also love Flat Stanley, Horrid Henry (well, ds does) and Captain Underpants, as already mentioned here.
And Usborne do nicely illustrated Early Readers with Greek Myths etc in them which can be read to him now and he will read to himself in the not too distant future. I rarely find Usborne books funny, they are a bit earnest for that, but the stories in this series are exciting, true to their original sources, and the right length for bedtime reading.
here's an example of the Usbornes

Thanks Binkie, I didn't know that. I don't on the whole like adaptations of books that I like (especially after hating Madam Doubtfire). But I will watch out for the reviews of that, as it's always nice to share things from my childhood with the kids.